Status management system, method, program and information processing device

Abstract

To provide a mechanism for enabling efficient and low-cost management of status of a management target.SOLUTION: A status management system includes: a target tag, which is an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag attached to a management target; a container tag, which is an RFID tag attached to a container capable of housing the management target; at least one reading device that is movable in the real space and capable of reading information from the RFID tags; and a determination unit that determines status regarding the housing of the management target by the container based on a result of an attempt by the at least one reading device to read the information from the target tag and the container tag.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a status management system, a method, a program, and an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) is a technology that enables information embedded in small devices, also called tags, to be read by an external reader through short-range wireless communication. For example, by attaching an RFID tag with embedded unique identification information to an item, it becomes possible to efficiently grasp the location of the item in inventory and distribution management, and it also becomes easy to visualize the information of the items under management. Among them, passive RFID tags that transmit information using the energy of electromagnetic waves emitted from a reader are inexpensive to manufacture because they do not require batteries, and can operate semi-permanently, so they are being used not only in inventory and distribution management but also in various other situations.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a system that utilizes RFID tags to manage inventory of goods. The system of Patent Document 1 can easily determine the inventory status by collecting information read by a reader (also called a scanner) from RFID tags attached to goods at the timing of arrival, shipment, and inventory, for example, and processing the information in a server.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses an example of a system that utilizes RFID tags to improve the efficiency of inspection of the location of items, such as inventory. When a position tag installed at a known location is detected by a reader carried by a user, the system of Patent Document 2 estimates the user's current location and guides the user to the location of an item nearby. Then, in response to the detection by the reader of the item tag attached to the item, the inspection status of the item is updated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-150241 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2023-32246 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the systems in Patent Documents 1 and 2 mainly handle the status of whether or not a management target is present in a specific location such as a warehouse, a factory, or a logistics center. These systems do not assume that something other than the management target that serves as a standard for the status moves.

[0007] For example, in a supply chain, it is common to transport a managed object such as a material, a part, or a product in an outer box. When the managed object is removed from the outer box after the transport, the responsibility for handling the managed object may be transferred to the entity that received the managed object. Alternatively, the managed object may be allowed to be returned until the outer box is opened and the managed object is removed. If a proximity sensor is provided on either the managed object or the outer box to measure the degree of proximity to the other, it is possible to automatically detect the removal of the managed object, but the introduction of an additional sensor increases the complexity and cost of the system.

[0008] The present invention provides a new mechanism that enables efficient and low-cost management of the status of managed objects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to one aspect, there is provided a status management system including: a target tag, which is an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag attached to a management object; a container tag, which is an RFID tag attached to a container capable of housing the management object; at least one reader that is movable in real space and capable of reading information from the RFID tag; and a determination unit that determines a status regarding the housing of the management object by the container based on a result of an attempt by the at least one reader to read information from the target tag and the container tag. Corresponding methods, programs, and information processing devices are also provided.

[0010] According to another aspect, there is provided a status management system including: a target tag which is an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag attached to a managed object; a user tag which is an RFID tag carried by a user who handles the managed object; at least one reading device which is movable in real space and capable of reading information from the RFID tag; and a determination unit which determines a status regarding the holding or use of the managed object by the user based on a result of an attempt by the at least one reading device to read information from the target tag and the user tag. Corresponding methods, programs, and information processing devices are also provided. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, the status of managed objects can be managed efficiently and at low cost. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a status management system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a tag reader according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4A]FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a result of tag reading in the first embodiment. [Figure 4B] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of another example of a result of tag reading in the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a status determination process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a status management system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a status determination process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a status management system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management server according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10A] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a result of tag reading in the third embodiment. [Figure 10B] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of another example of a result of tag reading in the third embodiment. [Figure 11] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a status determination process according to the third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a status management system according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management server according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a status management system according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0014] <1. First embodiment> <1-1. System Overview> 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a status management system 1 according to the first embodiment. The status management system 1 is a system that detects the presence of managed objects and containers (hereinafter referred to as containers) capable of housing the managed objects in real space, and stores the status of the containers of the managed objects in a database.

[0015] 1, there are users 20a and 20b, managed objects 30a and 30b, and containers 35a and 35b in an environment 15. Users 20a and 20b move within the environment 15 while carrying tag readers 100a and 100b, respectively. In this specification, the expression that a user carries some object broadly includes various ways in which the user moves with the object (for example, moving while holding or wearing the object).

[0016] The managed objects 30a and 30b are objects located in the real space. The objects may be inanimate objects (e.g., machines, equipment, tools, materials, consumer goods, parts, vehicles, or robots) or living objects (e.g., animals or plants). The managed object 30a is contained in a container 35a. In FIG. 1, the container 35a is drawn with a dashed line to indicate that the managed object 30a is present inside the container 35a. However, in reality, the inside of the container 35a may or may not be visible. The managed object 30b is taken out of the container 35b. Therefore, the status of the managed object 30a may be expressed as "contained", and the status of the managed object 30b may be expressed as "not contained" or "taken out".

[0017] By way of example only, the managed object 30a may be a personal computer (PC) and the container 35a may be an outer box used to deliver the PC 30a. When an engineer responsible for installing the PC receives the outer box containing the PC, the engineer opens the outer box, removes the PC, and installs the PC in a predetermined location. The managed object 30b may be the same type of item as the managed object 30a, or may be a different type of item. Similarly, the container 35b may be the same type of container as the container 35a, or may be a different type of container.

[0018] In the following description, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the users 20a and 20b, the alphabet at the end of the reference numeral will be omitted and they will be collectively referred to as the user 20. The same applies to the managed objects 30 (30a, 30b), the containers 35 (35a, 35b), the tag readers 100 (100a, 100b), and other elements.

[0019] The status management system 1 utilizes wireless devices, also called tags, to track the status of the managed objects. The target tags are RFID tags attached to each of the managed objects. FIG. 1 shows a target tag 50a attached to the managed object 30a and a target tag 50b attached to the managed object 30b. Each target tag stores identification information for identifying the managed object to which the target tag is attached in an internal memory. The container tags are RFID tags attached to each of the containers. FIG. 1 shows a container tag 55a attached to the container 35a and a container tag 55b attached to the container 35b. Each container tag stores identification information for identifying the container to which the container tag is attached in an internal memory.

[0020] Each of the tags, such as the target tag 50 and the container tag 55, is assumed to be a passive RFID tag (passive tag). A passive tag is composed of a small IC (Integrated Circuit) chip with built-in memory, and an antenna, and stores unique identification information and other information for identifying the tag in the memory. In this specification, the identification information is also simply referred to as ID, and the identification information for identifying the tag is also referred to as tag ID. Note that the tag ID may be considered as information for identifying the object to which the tag is attached. The IC chip of the passive tag operates using the energy of electromagnetic waves emitted from a tag reader, modulates the tag ID and other information stored in the memory into an information signal, and transmits (returns) the information signal from the antenna.

[0021] In another embodiment, each tag may be an active RFID tag. When each tag actively (for example, periodically) transmits information to the surroundings using power from a built-in battery, the tag may be called a beacon tag. In yet another embodiment, each tag may be a wireless device that responds to a signal from a reader and returns information, for example, by the NFC (Near Field Communication) method or the Bluetooth (registered trademark) method. Each tag may be called by any name, such as an IC tag, an IC card, or a responder.

[0022] 1, there may be any number of managed objects 30 and containers 35 in environment 15. The number of users 20 and the number of tag readers 100 are also not limited to the example of FIG.

[0023] The status management system 1 includes at least one tag reader 100 and a management server 200. The tag reader 100 and the management server 200 are connected to a network 10. The network 10 may be a wired network, a wireless network, or any combination thereof. Examples of the network 10 may include the Internet, an intranet, and a cloud network.

[0024] The tag reader 100 is a reading device that is movable in real space and can read information from an RFID tag. The tag reader 100 attempts to read information from an RFID tag located within a reading range periodically or in response to some trigger such as a user operation, and transmits the read result to the management server 200. The tag reader 100 may be capable of communicating directly with the management server 200, or may be capable of communicating indirectly with the management server 200 via some relay device (for example, a user terminal (not shown) carried by the user 20). An example of a specific configuration of the tag reader 100 will be further described later.

[0025] In this embodiment, the container 35 is transparent to the electromagnetic waves used for reading information by the tag reader 100. In other embodiments described below, a type of container that blocks electromagnetic waves may be used. The nature of such a container may be related to the conditions for determining the status of the managed object that may be housed in the container.

[0026] The management server 200 is an information processing device that manages the status and other information regarding the accommodation of managed objects in a database. The management server 200 may be implemented as an application server, a database server, or a cloud server, for example, using a high-performance general-purpose computer. The management server 200 receives tag reading results from the tag reader 100, and updates the database based on the received tag reading results. An example of a specific configuration of the management server 200 will be further described later.

[0027] Although a single management server 200 is shown in FIG. 1, the functions of the management server 200, which will be described later in detail, may be provided by a single device, or may be provided by a plurality of physically separate devices working together. In addition, in this embodiment, an example in which the management server 200 holds a database will be described, but a device separate from the management server 200 may hold part or all of the database. For example, some of the data may be held by the tag reader 100. In addition, the functions of the management server 200 described later (e.g., determining a status) may be realized in the tag reader 100, and some of the functions of the tag reader 100 (e.g., calculating a relative movement amount) may be realized in the management server 200. In this respect, both the tag reader 100 and the management server 200 may be interpreted as information processing devices. These also apply to other embodiments described in the following sections.

[0028] <1-2. Example of tag reader configuration> Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of tag reader 100. Referring to Fig. 2, tag reader 100 includes power source 110, control unit 111, storage unit 112, communication unit 113, measurement unit 114, notification unit 115, and reading unit .

[0029] Power supply 110 includes a battery and a DC-DC converter, and supplies power for operating electronic circuits to control unit 111, memory unit 112, communication unit 113, measurement unit 114, notification unit 115, and reading unit 116 of tag reader 100. The battery may be a primary battery or a rechargeable secondary battery. Although not shown, tag reader 100 may have a connection terminal for connecting tag reader 100 to an external power source for charging power supply 110.

[0030] The control unit 111 is composed of a memory that stores a computer program, and one or more processors (e.g., a CPU (Central Processing Unit)) that execute the computer program. The control unit 111 controls the overall functions of the tag reader 100 described in this specification. For example, the control unit 111 causes the reading unit 116 to attempt to read an RFID tag within a reading range, and temporarily stores the read information and the read time in the memory unit 112 as read result data. In addition, the control unit 111 causes the measurement unit 114 to measure the amount of movement of the tag reader 100 in parallel with reading the RFID tag, and stores the measurement result in the memory unit 112. Then, the control unit 111 transmits the read result data and the measurement result data stored in the memory unit 112 to the management server 200 via the communication unit 113, together with the reader identification information (also called a reader ID) of the own device.

[0031] The storage unit 112 may include any type of storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory such as a Read Only Memory (ROM) or a Random Access Memory (RAM), an optical disk, or a magnetic disk. In this embodiment, the storage unit 112 stores the above-mentioned reading result data, measurement result data, and the reader ID of the tag reader 100.

[0032] The communication unit 113 is a communication interface for the tag reader 100 to communicate with the management server 200. For example, the communication unit 113 may be a WLAN interface for communicating with a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) access point, or a cellular communication interface for communicating with a cellular base station. The communication unit 113 may also be a connection interface for connecting to a relay device (for example, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) interface or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface).

[0033] The measurement unit 114 is a unit capable of measuring the amount of movement of the tag reader 100. In this embodiment, the measurement unit 114 periodically measures the amount of relative movement of the tag reader 100 from a certain reference position, and outputs the measured amount of movement to the control unit 111. The reference position for measuring the amount of relative movement may be, for example, the position of the tag reader 100 at the time when the tag reader 100 is started. For example, the measurement unit 114 includes a three-axis acceleration sensor 114a, a gyro sensor 114b, and a geomagnetic sensor 114c. The three-axis acceleration sensor 114a measures the acceleration applied to the tag reader 100 in a device coordinate system unique to the tag reader 100, and outputs first sensor data. The gyro sensor 114b measures the angular velocity of the tag reader 100, that is, the change in the attitude of the tag reader 100, and outputs second sensor data. Geomagnetic sensor 114c measures the orientation of tag reader 100 in real space and outputs third sensor data. Based on the sensor data from these sensors, measurement unit 114 can measure the relative movement amount of tag reader 100 by accumulating the acceleration while converting the direction of the acceleration of tag reader 100 into a direction in a coordinate system of real space. The measurement of the movement amount here may be performed according to any known self-position estimation method (also called PDR (Pedestrian Dead Reckoning) method). The relative movement amount output from measurement unit 114 to control unit 111 may be a two-dimensional vector in a horizontal plane, or may be a three-dimensional vector including a component in the height direction.

[0034] Note that instead of tag reader 100 including measurement unit 114, an external device carried by the user together with tag reader 100 (capable of communicating with tag reader 100) may include measurement unit 114. In that case, tag reader 100 receives movement amount information indicating the movement amount measured by measurement unit 114 from the external device.

[0035] The notification unit 115 is a unit for notifying the user 20. The notification unit 115 includes, for example, one or more of a lamp (such as an LED), a display, a speaker, and a vibrator. The notification unit 115 provides a visual, auditory, or tactile output to the user 20 according to a signal input from the control unit 111. Although not shown in FIG. 2, the notification unit 115 may be provided as an input / output unit that also includes an input device (such as a button, a touch sensor, or a microphone).

[0036] The reading unit 116 is a unit capable of reading information stored in each RFID tag under the management of the status management system 1. Referring to FIG. 2, the reading unit 116 includes an RF controller 120, a power amplifier 121, a filter 122, a first coupler 123, a second coupler 124, an antenna 125, a power detection unit 126, and a canceller 127. The RF controller 120 outputs a transmission signal (for example, a signal modulated in the UHF band) from the TX terminal to the power amplifier 121 in accordance with the control of the control unit 111. The power amplifier 121 amplifies the transmission signal input from the RF controller 120 and outputs it to the filter 122. The filter 122 may be, for example, a low-pass filter, and removes unnecessary frequency components of the transmission signal amplified by the power amplifier 121. The first coupler 123 distributes the transmission signal that has passed through the filter 122 to the second coupler 124 and the power detection unit 126. The second coupler 124 outputs the transmission signal input from the first coupler 123 to the antenna 125, and outputs the reception signal input from the antenna 125 to the RF controller 120. The antenna 125 transmits the transmission signal input from the second coupler 124 into the air as an electromagnetic wave. The antenna 125 also receives a signal returned from an RFID tag present within the reading range of the tag reader 100 in response to the transmission signal, and outputs the reception signal to the second coupler 124. The power detection unit 126 detects the power level of the signal input from the first coupler 123, and outputs a signal RF_DETECT indicating the detected power level to the control unit 111. The canceller 127 receives a signal CARRIER_CANCEL indicating the power level of the carrier wave from the control unit 111. Then, the canceller 127 cancels the carrier component of the transmission signal based on CARRIER_CANCEL, thereby extracting a desired signal component of the reception signal to be output to the RX terminal of the RF controller 120. The RF controller 120 demodulates the signal input from the RX terminal, acquires the tag ID and other information returned from the RFID tag, and outputs the acquired information to the control unit 111.

[0037] In this embodiment, the tag reading attempt by the reading unit 116 may be performed periodically (e.g., once per second) without requiring an explicit instruction from the user. Data transmission from the communication unit 113 to the management server 200 may also be performed periodically (e.g., once every few seconds) or each time a tag is read, without requiring an explicit instruction from the user. In order to reduce the communication load by omitting transmission of redundant data, the control unit 111 may exclude from the data to be transmitted a record that is the same as a record that has already been transmitted within a recent predetermined period. Note that, in other embodiments, one or both of the tag reading attempt by the reading unit 116 and the transmission of data to the management server 200 may be performed in response to detection of some user input. When the communication unit 113 indirectly communicates with the management server 200 via a relay device, the transmission of data to the management server 200 may be performed only while the connection between the communication unit 113 and the relay device is valid.

[0038] <1-3. Management server configuration example> 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management server 200. With reference to FIG. 3, the management server 200 includes a communication unit 210, a database 220, and a management unit 230.

[0039] The communication unit 210 is a communication interface for the management server 200 to communicate with other devices. The communication unit 210 may be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface. In this embodiment, the communication unit 210 communicates with at least one tag reader 100. The database 220 stores various data for managing the status of the management target 30. The database 220 is accessible by the management unit 230. In this embodiment, the database 220 includes an object table 310, a container table 320, a reader table 330, a movement amount table 350, and a tag detection table 360. The management unit 230 is a collection of multiple software modules that execute various processes related to status management. Each software module can be operated by one or more processors (not shown) of the management server 200 executing a computer program stored in a memory (not shown). In this embodiment, the management unit 230 includes a data registration unit 231, a determination unit 233, and an information provision unit 235.

[0040] (1) Basic data structure and registration The object table 310 may have one or more of the following data items associated with each managed object 30 under the management of the status management system 1: "Target ID" "Tag ID" "name" "Related Containers" "status" "Last detected time" The "target ID" is identification information that uniquely identifies each managed object 30. The "tag ID" is identification information that uniquely identifies the target tag 50 attached to each managed object 30. The "name" indicates the name of each managed object 30 (e.g., "Computer A1"). The "associated container" identifies the container 35 in which each managed object 30 is accommodated by the value of the "container ID" in the container table 320 described later. The "status" indicates the status of accommodation of each managed object 30 by the container 35 identified by the "associated container". For example, the "status" may be a one-bit flag indicating whether the managed object 30 identified by the "target ID" is accommodated in the container 35 identified by the "associated container". For an item that is dispatched or shipped in a packaged state, the initial value of the "status" may be set to "1" meaning "contained". The "last detected time" indicates the date and time when the target tag 50 attached to each managed object 30 was last detected by the tag reader 100.

[0041] The container table 320 may have one or more of the following data items associated with each of the containers 35 that may be used in the status management system 1: "Container ID" "Tag ID" "name" "Last detected time" "Container ID" is identification information that uniquely identifies each container 35. "Tag ID" is identification information that uniquely identifies the container tag 55 attached to each container 35. "Name" indicates the name of each container 35 (e.g., "outer box B1"). "Last detection time" indicates the date and time when the container tag 55 attached to each container 35 was last detected by the tag reader 100.

[0042] Reader table 330 may have one or more of the following items of data associated with each tag reader 100 that may be carried by user 20: "Leader ID" "name" "User" “Reader ID” is identification information that uniquely identifies each tag reader 100. “Name” indicates the name of each tag reader 100. “User” is identification information that identifies a user 20 that carries each tag reader 100.

[0043] The data registration unit 231 registers the various data described above. The data to be registered in the target table 310, the container table 320, and the leader table 330 may be generated by, for example, a user or an engineer. The data registration unit 231 may receive a data file describing such data via the communication unit 210 and register the data in each table. In addition, the data registration unit 231 may provide a user interface (UI) for accepting registration, modification, or deletion of data to some terminal device.

[0044] The configuration of the databases managed by the management server 200 is not limited to the configuration described herein. Each table may have additional data items or may not have one or more of the data items described.

[0045] (2) Status determination The determination unit 233 determines the status of the container 35 containing the managed object 30 based on the result of an attempt by at least one tag reader 100 to read information from the target tag 50 and the container tag 55. To determine the status, the determination unit 233 uses the movement amount table 350 and the tag detection table 360.

[0046] The movement amount table 350 is a table for storing records of the measurement result data (hereinafter, referred to as measurement result records) received from the tag reader 100. The movement amount table 350 may have one or more of the following data items: "Measurement time" "Leader ID" "amount of movement" "Measurement time" indicates the time when measurement was performed for the measurement result indicated by each measurement result record. "Reader ID" identifies tag reader 100 that performed the measurement for the measurement result indicated by each measurement result record by the value of "Reader ID" in reader table 330. "Movement amount" indicates the movement amount as a measurement result in the form of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional vector in the coordinate system of real space.

[0047] Tag detection table 360 ​​is a table for storing records of read result data (hereinafter referred to as read result records) received from tag reader 100. Tag detection table 360 ​​may have one or more of the following data items: "Read time" "Tag ID" "Leader ID" "Read time" indicates the time when the tag ID was read for each read result record. "Tag ID" indicates the tag ID read for each read result record. "Reader ID" identifies the tag reader 100 that read each read result record by the value of "Reader ID" in reader table 330.

[0048] Now consider pairs of managed object 30 and container 35 (i.e., the "associated container" of the record with the ID of that managed object 30 indicates the ID of that container 35) that are related to each other in object table 310. Managed object 30a and container 35a are one example of such a pair, and managed object 30b and container 35b are another example of such a pair.

[0049] 4A is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a reading result when tag reader 100a of user 20a circulating within environment 15 attempts to read a tag while passing near container 35a containing managed object 30a. Point P0 is the point where tag reader 100a is started. Point P0 is treated as a reference position for movement amount measurement by measurement unit 114 of tag reader 100a, and the position coordinates of point P0 are (0,0). Route 61 starting from point P0 is the movement route of tag reader 100a.

[0050] While tag reader 100a is moving along path 61, reading unit 116 periodically emits electromagnetic waves and waits to receive information returned from an RFID tag within the reading range. C1 When the container 35a reaches the point P0, the reading unit 116 detects the container 35a by receiving (reading) the tag ID from the container tag 55a. At this time, the amount of movement of the tag reader 100a measured by the measuring unit 114 is the difference between the point P0 and the point P1. C1 (X C1 ,Y C1 The tag reader 100a reads the tag ID and the read time from the container tag 55a, and outputs the relative movement amount (X C1 ,Y C1 ) and the measurement result data indicating the measurement time to the management server 200.

[0051] After that, the tag reader 100a arrives at point P T1 When the target tag 50a of the managed object 30a is received in the container 35a, the reading unit 116 detects the managed object 30a by receiving (reading) the tag ID from the target tag 50a of the managed object 30a contained in the container 35a. At this time, the amount of movement of the tag reader 100a measured by the measuring unit 114 is the distance from the point P0 to the point P1. T1 (X T1 ,Y T1 The tag reader 100a outputs the tag ID and the read result data indicating the read time read from the target tag 50a, as well as the relative movement amount (X T1 ,Y T1 ) and measurement result data indicating the measurement time to the management server 200. In the example of Fig. 4A, the second point in time is after the first point in time, but the second point in time may be either before or after the first point in time. The time interval between the first point in time and the second point in time may vary depending on the positional relationship between the RFID tag and the tag reader, the radio propagation environment, etc.

[0052] When the management target 30a is accommodated in the container 35a, the physical distance between the target tag 50a and the container tag 55a should be small. The determination unit 233 calculates the relative movement amount M1 of the tag reader 100a between the first time point when the tag ID is read from the target tag 50a by the tag reader 100a and the second time point when the tag ID is read from the container tag 55a by the tag reader 100a according to the following formula:

Equation

[0053] As understood from Equation (1), the relative movement amount M1 corresponds to the linear displacement amount between the point where the tag reader 100 was located at the first time point and the point where the same tag reader 100 was located at the second time point. The determination unit 233 compares the relatively calculated movement amount M1 with a predefined first threshold value K1, and when the relative movement amount M1 is less than the first threshold value K1 (M1 < K1), it can be determined (or regarded) that the management target 30a is accommodated in the container 35a.

[0054] FIG. 4B is an explanatory diagram for explaining another example of the reading result when the tag reader 100a of the user 20a traveling in the environment 15 attempts tag reading. In the example of FIG. 4B, the tag reader 100a is activated at the point P0 and moves along the path 62.

[0055] When the tag reader 100a reaches the point P C2 , the reading unit 116 detects the container 35b by receiving (reading) the tag ID from the container tag 55b. At this time, the movement amount of the tag reader 100 measured by the measurement unit 114 corresponds to the relative position of the point P C2 with respect to the point P0 (X C2 , Y C2 ). The tag reader 100a transmits the reading result data indicating the tag ID and the reading time read from the container tag 55b, as well as the measurement result data indicating the relative movement amount (X C2 , Y C2 ) and the measurement time to the management server 200.

[0056] After that, the tag reader 100a arrives at point P T2 When the container 35b reaches the target tag 50b, the reading unit 116 detects the managed object 30b by receiving (reading) the tag ID from the target tag 50b of the managed object 30b associated with the container 35b. At this time, the amount of movement of the tag reader 100 measured by the measuring unit 114 is T2 (X T2 ,Y T2 The tag reader 100a transmits the tag ID and the read result data indicating the read time read from the target tag 50b, as well as the relative movement amount (X T2 ,Y T2 ) and the measurement result data indicating the measurement time to the management server 200.

[0057] The determination unit 233 calculates the relative movement amount M2 of the tag reader 100a between a first point in time when the tag ID is read from the target tag 50b by the tag reader 100a and a second point in time when the tag ID is read from the container tag 55b by the tag reader 100a according to the following formula:

number

[0058] The judgment unit 233 compares the relative movement amount M2 calculated in this manner with a first threshold value K1, and if the relative movement amount M2 exceeds the first threshold value K1 (M2>K1), it can judge (or deem) that the managed object 30b is not contained in the container 35b.

[0059] In this embodiment, the determination unit 233 determines the status of the managed object 30 based on a threshold comparison of the relative movement amount of the tag reader between the time when the tag IDs were read from the RFID tags of the managed object 30 and the container 35 associated with each other. Then, the determination unit 233 updates the corresponding record in the object table 310 so as to reflect the determined latest status. In the example of FIG. 4A, the "status" of the record indicating the object ID of the managed object 30a is updated to a value meaning "contained" (e.g., "1"), and the "last detection time" is updated to the read time of the tag ID of the object tag 50a. In the example of FIG. 4B, the "status" of the record indicating the object ID of the managed object 30b is updated to a value meaning "not contained" (e.g., "0"), and the "last detection time" is updated to the read time of the tag ID of the object tag 50b. The "last detection time" in the container table 320 may also be updated. Note that if the status has not changed, only the "last detection time" may be updated.

[0060] In a scenario different from that shown in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, it is assumed that within a certain period of time, the tag reader 100 reads a tag ID from one of the two RFID tags of the managed object 30 and the container 35 that are associated with each other, without reading a tag ID from the other. In such a situation, the determination unit 233 may determine that the managed object 30 is not contained in the container 35. The period here may be set, for example, to be longer than the time required for the user 20 to travel around the environment 15. Such a situation may occur, for example, when a used container 35 from which the contents have been removed is discarded outside the environment 15 or at a location away from the user 20's travel route, or when the managed object 30 removed from the container 35 is moved to a similar location. Therefore, when a tag ID is read from only one of the target tag 50 and the container tag 55, it is assumed that the managed object 30 is not contained in the container 35, and the removed state of the managed object 30 can be appropriately reflected in its status.

[0061] A situation in which only one of the managed object 30 and the container 35 associated with each other is detected by the tag reader 100 may also occur when there is a problem in reading the tag ID from the other RFID tag. That is, in such a situation, the managed object 30 is not necessarily removed from the container 35. In this case, the determination unit 233 may notify the user when the tag reader 100 does not read the tag ID from one of the corresponding target tag 50 and the container tag 55, but reads the tag ID from the other of these tags. The notification here is intended to notify the user that the managed object 30 may not be housed in the container 35. For example, the control unit 111 of the tag reader 100 may cause the notification unit 115 to output an alarm sound, turn on or blink a lamp, display a message on a display, or vibrate in response to a notification instruction received from the management server 200. This allows the user who notices the notification to investigate the state of the managed object 30 or container 35 in question and take measures to eliminate the malfunction as necessary.

[0062] (3) Status Presentation The information providing unit 235 presents the status information of each managed object to the user or administrator to assist in understanding the status of the managed object. As an example, the information providing unit 235 may display a list of the statuses of one or more managed objects that meet the specified conditions in table format on the display of the user terminal, or may transmit a data file showing such a list to the user terminal. As another example, the information providing unit 235 may plot icons showing the points where each of the one or more managed objects that meet the specified conditions is detected on a map image of the environment 15 and display them on the display of the user terminal. At this time, the display mode (e.g., color, size, or other attributes) of the icon of each managed object may be set to represent the status of the managed object.

[0063] <1-4. Processing flow> 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the status determination process executed by the determining unit 233 according to this embodiment. In the following description, a processing step will be abbreviated as S (step).

[0064] The status determination process shown in Fig. 5 may be periodically executed in a predetermined control cycle. At each point in time when the status determination process is started, it is assumed that measurement result data indicating the movement amount of at least one tag reader 100 is stored in the movement amount table 350 of the database 220 of the management server 200, and reading result data is stored in the tag detection table 360. The following description focuses on one pair of a managed object 30 and a container 35 associated with each other in the object table 310, but the described process may actually be repeated for one or more pairs.

[0065] First, in S11, the determination unit 233 obtains, from the tag detection table 360, read result data indicating the result of an attempt by the tag reader 100 to read the tag ID from the RFID tag. The subsequent processing branches in S12 to S14 depending on whether the target tag 50 and the container tag 55 are detected by the same tag reader 100.

[0066] If the target tag 50 and the container tag 55 are detected (S12-Yes, S13-Yes), in S15, the determination unit 233 calculates the relative movement amount of the tag reader 100 between the reading times of the two tag IDs, using the measurement result data in the movement amount table 350. Next, in S16, the determination unit 233 compares the calculated relative movement amount with the above-mentioned first threshold value K1. If the calculated relative movement amount is below the first threshold value K1, in S17, the determination unit 233 determines that the detected managed object 30 is accommodated in the container 35. On the other hand, if the calculated relative movement amount is not below the first threshold value K1, in S18, the determination unit 233 determines that the detected managed object 30 is not accommodated in the container 35.

[0067] If only the target tag 50 is detected within a preset period (S12-Yes, S13-No), in S18 the determination unit 233 determines that the detected managed object 30 is not accommodated in the container 35. Additionally or alternatively, the notification unit 115 of the tag reader 100 may notify the user that the managed object 30 may not be accommodated in the container 35.

[0068] If only the container tag 55 is detected within the preset period (S12-No, S14-Yes), in S18 the determination unit 233 determines that the detected container 35 does not contain the managed object 30. Additionally or alternatively, the notification unit 115 of the tag reader 100 may notify the user that the managed object 30 may not be contained in the container 35.

[0069] If neither the target tag 50 nor the container tag 55 is detected (S12-No, S14-No), the determination unit 233 maintains the current status without making a determination on the status of the managed object 30. In this case, S17 and S18 are skipped. Then, the status determination process of FIG. 5 ends.

[0070] <1-5. Summary of the first embodiment> As in the first embodiment described above, the status of the managed object can be determined robustly by comparing the relative movement amount of the tag reader between two read times when information is read from two RFID tags with a threshold value. For example, in a method of comparing the time interval between two read times with a threshold value, if the reading of information from one of the RFID tags is delayed, a managed object that is actually contained in a container may be erroneously determined to be not contained in the container. In contrast, in the first embodiment, even if the time interval between the read times is long, it can be appropriately determined that the managed object is contained in a container if the relative movement amount (the linear displacement amount of the tag reader position) is small. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, there is no need to attach advanced sensors such as proximity sensors to the managed object and the container, so that a system for status management can be realized at low cost.

[0071] In the status management system 1, when multiple users 20a, 20b, ... each carry a tag reader 100a, 100b, ... and travel around the environment 15, the frequency with which each managed object 30 and each container 35 is detected by the tag reader 100 increases. The status of each managed object 30 may be updated based on the result of an attempt to read a tag by any of the tag readers 100a, 100b, .... By utilizing multiple tag readers 100 in this way, the status of each managed object 30 in the system can be updated in a more timely manner to reflect the actual situation.

[0072] If the activities of users 20 in environment 15 are under the control of an operator, a rule may be introduced that requires used containers 35 from which the contents have been removed to be accumulated or disposed of in a specific location. This allows tag reader 100 to detect container tag 55 when it passes near a specific location, thereby preventing the status on the system from deviating from the actual situation due to non-detection of the tag.

[0073] <2. Second embodiment> <2-1. System Overview> 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a status management system 2 according to the second embodiment. Similar to the status management system 1, the status management system 2 is a system that detects the presence of managed objects and containers capable of accommodating the managed objects in real space, and stores the status of the accommodating the managed objects in a database.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 6, there are users 20a and 20b, managed objects 31a and 31b, and containers 36a and 36b in an environment 16. The users 20a and 20b move within the environment 16 while carrying tag readers 100a and 100b, respectively. The managed objects 31a and 31b are articles located in the real space. The managed object 31a is housed in the container 36a. The managed object 31b is taken out of the container 36b. The object tag 51a is an RFID tag attached to the managed object 31a. The object tag 51b is an RFID tag attached to the managed object 31b. The container tag 56a is an RFID tag attached to the container 36a. The container tag 56b is an RFID tag attached to the container 36b. These RFID tags may be passive tags.

[0075] 6, the environment 16 may have any number of managed objects 31 and containers 36. The number of users 20 and the number of tag readers 100 are also not limited to the example of FIG.

[0076] The status management system 2 includes at least one tag reader 100 and a management server 200. The configuration of the tag reader 100 may be similar to the configuration described in the first embodiment. The configuration of the management server 200 may be similar to the configuration described in the first embodiment, except for the determination conditions for determining the status by the determination unit 233.

[0077] In this embodiment, container 36 is intended to block electromagnetic waves used by tag reader 100 to read information.

[0078] <2-2. Status determination> In this embodiment, the data registration unit 231 of the management server 200 sets the status in the initial state of each managed object 31 registered in the object table 310 to a value meaning that it is "contained" in the corresponding container 36. Therefore, the determination unit 233 can determine that each managed object 31 is contained in the container 36 associated with it in the object table 310 in the initial state.

[0079] Then, when the tag ID is read by the tag reader 100 from the target tag 51 attached to the managed object 31 (and the container tag 56 attached to the corresponding container 36), the determination unit 233 determines that the managed object 31 is not contained in the container 36. This is because, when the managed object 31 is contained in the container 36 and shipped, as long as the managed object 31 is not taken out of the container 36, the electromagnetic waves from the tag reader 100 are blocked by the container 36 and do not reach the target tag 51, and the managed object 31 is not detected. In this embodiment, it is not necessary to compare the relative movement amount of the tag reader 100 between the first time point and the second time point described in relation to the first embodiment with a threshold value.

[0080] On the other hand, it is assumed that the tag reader 100, which has traveled within an area where the managed object 31 and the corresponding container 36 may exist (for example, the entire environment 16 or another area), reads the tag ID from the container tag 56 without reading the tag ID from the target tag 51. In this case, the determination unit 233 can determine that the managed object 31 is accommodated in the corresponding container 36.

[0081] The determination unit 233 thus determines the status of the managed object 31 based on the results of attempts to read information from the target tag 51 and the container tag 56, and updates the corresponding record in the target table 310 to reflect the determined latest status. Note that if the status has not changed, only the "last detected time" may be updated.

[0082] A situation in which only the container 36 out of the managed object 31 and the container 36 associated with each other is detected by the tag reader 100 may also occur when the managed object 31 taken out of the container 36 is moved to a location away from the patrol route of the user 20. In this case, the determination unit 233 may notify the user when the tag reader 100 reads the tag ID from the corresponding container tag 56 without reading the tag ID from the target tag 51 attached to the managed object 31. The notification here is for notifying the user that the managed object 31 may be housed in the container 36. The notification to the user may be performed by the notification unit 115 of the tag reader 100 using any method described in relation to the first embodiment, for example.

[0083] <2-3. Processing flow> FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the status determination process executed by the determining unit 233 according to this embodiment.

[0084] 7 may be periodically executed in a predetermined control cycle. At each point in time when the status determination process is started, it is assumed that measurement result data indicating the movement amount of at least one tag reader 100 is stored in the movement amount table 350 of the database 220 of the management server 200, and reading result data is stored in the tag detection table 360. The following description focuses on one pair of a managed object 31 and a container 36 associated with each other in the object table 310, but the described process may actually be repeated for one or more pairs.

[0085] First, in S21, the determination unit 233 acquires, from the tag detection table 360, read result data indicating the result of an attempt by the tag reader 100 to read the tag ID from the RFID tag. The subsequent processing branches in S22 to S24 depending on whether the target tag 51 and the container tag 56 have been detected within a certain period of time.

[0086] If the container tag 56 is detected without detecting the target tag 51 (S22-No, S23-Yes), the determination unit 233 determines that the managed object 31 is accommodated in the container 36 in S25.

[0087] If both the target tag 51 and the container tag 56 are detected (S22-Yes, S24-Yes), the determination unit 233 determines in S26 that the managed object 31 is not accommodated in the container 36.

[0088] If the target tag 51 is detected without detecting the container tag 56 (S22-Yes, S24-No), in S27 the determination unit 233 determines that the managed object 31 is not accommodated in the container 36. Additionally or alternatively, the notification unit 115 of the tag reader 100 may notify the user that the managed object 31 may not be accommodated in the container 36.

[0089] If neither the target tag 51 nor the container tag 56 is detected (S22-No, S23-No), the determination unit 233 maintains the current status without making a determination on the status of the management target 31. In this case, S25 to S27 are skipped. Then, the status determination process of FIG. 7 ends.

[0090] <2-4. Summary of the second embodiment> As in the second embodiment described above, when a container capable of housing a managed object has the property of shielding electromagnetic waves, the status of the housing of the managed object can be easily determined by attempting to read information from the target tag and the container tag using a tag reader. For example, when the managed object is housed in a container, the target tag attached to the managed object should not be detected. This determination method does not require a complex algorithm, and is therefore advantageous when it is required to realize a system at low cost.

[0091] <3. Third embodiment> <3-1. System Overview> 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a status management system 3 according to the third embodiment. Like the status management system 1, the status management system 3 is a system that detects the presence of managed objects and containers capable of accommodating the managed objects in real space, and stores the status of the accommodating the managed objects in a database.

[0092] 8, there are users 20a and 20b, managed objects 30a and 30b, and containers 35a and 35b in an environment 17. The users 20a and 20b move within the environment 17 while carrying tag readers 100a and 100b, respectively. The target tag 50a is an RFID tag attached to the managed object 30a. The target tag 50b is an RFID tag attached to the managed object 30b. The container tag 55a is an RFID tag attached to the container 35a. The container tag 55b is an RFID tag attached to the container 35b. These RFID tags may be passive tags.

[0093] In this embodiment, one or more position tags 40 are further installed at one or more points in the environment 17. In the example of FIG. 8, position tags 40a and 40b are installed in the environment 17. Each position tag 40 is an RFID tag (passive tag) that stores unique identification information in an internal memory. Note that the embodiment is not limited to the example of FIG. 8, and any number of position tags 40 may be installed in the environment 17.

[0094] The status management system 3 includes at least one tag reader 100 and a management server 400. The tag reader 100 and the management server 400 are connected to a network 10. The configuration of the tag reader 100 may be similar to the configuration described in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the container 35 is transparent to electromagnetic waves used for reading information by the tag reader 100.

[0095] The management server 400 is an information processing device that manages the status and other information related to the accommodation of managed objects in a database, similar to the management server 200 according to the first embodiment. An example of a specific configuration of the management server 400 will be described in further detail later.

[0096] As will be described later, the position coordinates of the installation position of each position tag 40 are known and registered in a database. Therefore, the current position of tag reader 100 can be estimated based on the relative movement amount of tag reader 100 between the time when tag reader 100 detected a certain position tag 40 and the current time, and the known position of that position tag 40. In this embodiment, the status of managed object 30 is determined based on the result of such position estimation.

[0097] <3-2. Management Server Configuration Example> 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management server 400. With reference to FIG. 9, the management server 400 includes a communication unit 210, a database 420, and a management unit 430.

[0098] The database 420 stores various data for managing the status of the managed object 30. The database 420 is accessible by the management unit 430. In this embodiment, the database 420 includes an object table 310, a container table 320, a reader table 330, a position tag table 340, a movement amount table 350, and a tag detection table 360. The management unit 430 is a collection of multiple software modules that execute various processes related to status management. Each software module can be operated by one or more processors (not shown) of the management server 400 executing a computer program stored in a memory (not shown). In this embodiment, the management unit 430 includes a data registration unit 231, a position estimation unit 432, a determination unit 433, and an information provision unit 235.

[0099] The location tag table 340 may have one or more of the following data items associated with each of the location tags 40 under the control of the status management system 3: "Tag ID" "name" "Installation position" "Tag ID" is identification information that uniquely identifies each position tag 40. "Name" represents a name related to the installation position of each position tag 40. "Installation position" represents the position coordinates of the known installation position of each position tag 40 as a two-dimensional or three-dimensional vector.

[0100] The configuration of the database managed by the management server 400 is not limited to the configuration described here. Each table may have additional data items, or may not have one or more of the data items described. For example, the object table 310 may have a data item for holding the latest position coordinates of each managed object 30 that can be estimated by the position estimation unit 432. Also, the container table 320 may have a data item for holding the latest position coordinates of each container 35 that can be estimated by the position estimation unit 432.

[0101] (2) Location estimation The position estimation unit 432 estimates the position of the corresponding managed object 30 (or the corresponding container 35) based on the results of the tag reader 100 reading the tag ID from the target tag 50 (or container tag 55) and the results of the tag ID reading from the position tag 40.

[0102] Specifically, when the target tag 50 is detected by the tag reader 100, the position estimation unit 432 calculates the position coordinates (U T ,V T ) can be estimated as:

number

[0103] Similarly, when the tag reader 100 detects the container tag 55, the position estimation unit 432 calculates the position coordinates (U C ,V C ) can be estimated as:

number

[0104] The position estimation unit 432 outputs the position coordinates estimated in this manner for each of the managed object 30 and the container 35 to the determination unit 433.

[0105] (3) Status determination The determination unit 433 determines the status of the container 35 containing the managed object 30 based on the result of an attempt by at least one tag reader 100 to read information from the target tag 50 and the container tag 55 .

[0106] Now consider pairs of managed objects 30 and containers 35 that are associated with each other in object table 310. Managed object 30a and container 35a is one example of such a pair, and managed object 30b and container 35b is another example of such a pair.

[0107] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams of an example of a result of tag reading in this embodiment. In the example of Fig. 10A, while user 20a is moving around in environment 17, tag reader 100a carried by user 20a attempts tag reading. While user 20b is moving around in environment 17, tag reader 100b carried by user 20b also attempts tag reading. Route 63 is the movement route of tag reader 100a, and route 64 is the movement route of tag reader 100b.

[0108] The tag reader 100a moves along the route 63 and arrives at the point P P1 At this time, the amount of movement of tag reader 100a measured by measurement unit 114 is equal to or greater than point P P1 (X P1 ,Y P1 ) is shown. Furthermore, when the tag reader 100a is at point P T3 At the time when the tag reader 100a reaches the point P, the reading unit 116 of the tag reader 100a detects the target tag 50a attached to the managed object 30a. At this time, the amount of movement of the tag reader 100a measured by the measuring unit 114 is T3 (X T3 ,Y T3 ) The difference between these two amounts of movement is considered to be the relative position of the managed object 30a with respect to the position tag 40a. The position estimation unit 432 estimates the position of the managed object 30a by adding the difference between the amounts of movement to the position coordinates of the known position of the position tag 40a, which is the reference position tag, according to the above-mentioned formula (3). Here, the position coordinates of the estimated position of the managed object 30a are defined as (U T3 ,V T3 ) is expressed as

[0109] On one hand, when the tag reader 100b moves along the path 64 and reaches the point P P2 , the reading unit 116 of the tag reader 100b detects the position tag 40b. At this time, the moving amount of the tag reader 100b measured by the measuring unit 114 corresponds to the relative position of the point P P2 (X P2 , Y P2 ). Further, when the tag reader 100b reaches the point P C3 , the reading unit 116 of the tag reader 100b detects the container tag 55a attached to the container 35a. At this time, the moving amount of the tag reader 100b measured by the measuring unit 114 corresponds to the relative position of the point P C3 (X C3 , Y C3 ). The difference between these two moving amounts is regarded as the relative position of the container 35a with respect to the position tag 40b. The position estimation unit 432 estimates the position of the container 35a by adding the difference between the moving amounts to the position coordinates of the known position of the position tag 40b, which is the reference position tag, according to the above-described formula (4). Here, the position coordinates of the estimated position of the container 35a are represented as (U C3 , V C3 ).

[0110] When the management target 30a is accommodated in the container 35a, the physical distance between the target tag 50a and the container tag 55a should be small. The determination unit 433 calculates the distance D1 between the estimated position of the management target 30a estimated by the position estimation unit 432 and the estimated position of the container 35a according to the following formula:

Equation

[0111] The determination unit 433 compares the distance D1 calculated in this way with a predefined second threshold value K2, and when the distance D1 is less than the second threshold value K2 (D1 < K2), it can be determined that the management target 30a is accommodated in the container 35a.

[0112] 10B, while user 20a is roaming within environment 17, tag reader 100a carried by user 20a also attempts to read a tag. While user 20b is roaming within environment 17, tag reader 100b carried by user 20b also attempts to read a tag. Route 65 is the movement route of tag reader 100a, and route 66 is the movement route of tag reader 100b.

[0113] The tag reader 100a moves along a route 65 and arrives at a point P P3 At this time, the amount of movement of tag reader 100a measured by measurement unit 114 is equal to or greater than point P P3 (X P3 ,Y P3 ) is shown. Furthermore, when the tag reader 100a is at point P T4 At the time when the tag reader 100a reaches the point P, the reading unit 116 of the tag reader 100a detects the target tag 50b attached to the managed object 30b. At this time, the amount of movement of the tag reader 100a measured by the measuring unit 114 is T4 (X T4 ,Y T4 ) The difference between these two amounts of movement is considered to be the relative position of the managed object 30b with respect to the position tag 40a. The position estimation unit 432 estimates the position of the managed object 30b by adding the difference between the amounts of movement to the position coordinates of the known position of the position tag 40a, which is the reference position tag, according to the above-mentioned equation (3). Here, the position coordinates of the estimated position of the managed object 30b are defined as (U T4 ,V T4 ) is expressed as

[0114] On the other hand, tag reader 100b moves along route 66 and arrives at point P P4 At this time, the relative movement amount of tag reader 100b measured by measurement unit 114 is equal to or greater than point P P4 (X P4 ,Y P4 ) is shown. Furthermore, when the tag reader 100b is at point PC4 At the time when the tag reader 100b reaches the point P, the reading unit 116 of the tag reader 100b detects the container tag 55b attached to the container 35b. At this time, the amount of movement of the tag reader 100b measured by the measuring unit 114 is C4 (X C4 ,Y C4 ) is used. The difference between these two amounts of movement is considered to be the relative position of the container 35b with respect to the position tag 40b. The position estimation unit 432 estimates the position of the container 35b by adding the difference between the amounts of movement to the position coordinates of the known position of the position tag 40b, which is the reference position tag, in accordance with the above-mentioned equation (4). Here, the position coordinates of the estimated position of the container 35b are defined as (U C4 ,V C4 ) is expressed as

[0115] The determination unit 433 calculates a distance D2 between the estimated position of the managed object 30b estimated by the position estimation unit 432 and the estimated position of the container 35b according to the following formula:

number

[0116] The judgment unit 433 compares the distance D2 calculated in this manner with the second threshold K2, and if the distance D2 exceeds the second threshold K2 (D2>K2), it can determine that the managed object 30b is not contained in the container 35b.

[0117] Although Figures 10A and 10B show an example in which the tag reader (first reading device) that detects the managed object 30 and the tag reader (second reading device) that detects the container 35 are different devices, it goes without saying that these reading devices may be the same device.

[0118] The determination unit 433 updates the corresponding records in the target table 310 and the container table 320 so as to reflect the latest status determined in this manner.

[0119] 10A and 10B, it is assumed that within a certain period of time, the tag reader 100 reads a tag ID from one of two RFID tags of the managed object 30 and the container 35 that are associated with each other, without reading a tag ID from the other. In such a situation, similar to the determination unit 233 according to the first embodiment, the determination unit 433 may determine that the managed object 30 is not contained in the container 35. In other words, when a tag ID is read from only one of the target tag 50 and the container tag 55, it may be determined that the managed object 30 is not contained in the container 35.

[0120] Also, similarly to the first embodiment, when a tag ID is read from one of the corresponding target tag 50 and container tag 55 without being read from the other of these tags, the determination unit 433 may notify the user. The notification here is for notifying the user that the managed object 30 may not be accommodated in the container 35. The notification to the user may be performed by the notification unit 115 of the tag reader 100 using, for example, any of the methods described in relation to the first embodiment.

[0121] <3-3. Processing flow> FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the status determination process executed by the position estimation unit 432 and the determination unit 433 according to this embodiment.

[0122] The status determination process shown in Fig. 11 may be periodically executed in a predetermined control cycle. At each point in time when the status determination process is started, it is assumed that measurement result data indicating the movement amount of at least one tag reader 100 is stored in the movement amount table 350 of the database 420 of the management server 400, and reading result data is stored in the tag detection table 360. The following description focuses on one pair of a managed object 30 and a container 35 associated with each other in the object table 310, but the described process may actually be repeated for one or more pairs.

[0123] First, in S31, the determination unit 433 obtains, from the tag detection table 360, read result data indicating the results of attempts to read tag IDs from RFID tags by one or more tag readers 100. The subsequent processing branches depending on whether the target tag 50 and the container tag 55 are detected in S32 to S34.

[0124] If the target tag 50 and the container tag 55 are detected (S32-Yes, S33-Yes), in S35, the position estimation unit 432 estimates the position of the managed object 30 to which the target tag 50 is attached based on the known position of the reference position tag and the relative movement amount of the first reading device. Next, in S36, the position estimation unit 432 estimates the position of the container 35 to which the container tag 55 is attached based on the known position of the reference position tag (which may be the same as or different from the one referred to in S35) and the relative movement amount of the second reading device. Next, the determination unit 433 calculates the distance between the position of the managed object 30 estimated in S35 and the position of the container 35 estimated in S36. Next, in S38, the determination unit 433 compares the calculated distance with the above-mentioned second threshold K2. If the calculated distance is less than the second threshold K2, in S39, the determination unit 433 determines that the detected managed object 30 is contained in the container 35. On the other hand, if the calculated distance is not below the second threshold value K2, the determination unit 433 determines that the detected managed object 30 is not accommodated in the container 35 in S40.

[0125] If only the target tag 50 is detected within a preset period (S32-Yes, S33-No), in S40 the determination unit 433 determines that the detected managed object 30 is not accommodated in the container 35. Additionally or alternatively, the notification unit 115 of the tag reader 100 may notify the user that the managed object 30 may not be accommodated in the container 35.

[0126] If only the container tag 55 is detected within the preset period (S32-No, S34-Yes), in S40 the determination unit 433 determines that the detected container 35 does not accommodate the managed object 30. Additionally or alternatively, the notification unit 115 of the tag reader 100 may notify the user that the container 35 may not accommodate the managed object 30.

[0127] If neither the target tag 50 nor the container tag 55 is detected (S32-No, S34-No), the determination unit 433 maintains the current status without making a determination on the status of the managed object 30. In this case, S39 and S40 are skipped. Then, the status determination process of FIG. 11 ends.

[0128] <3-4. Summary of the third embodiment> As in the third embodiment described above, by comparing the distance between the estimated positions of the points where information is read from two RFID tags with a threshold value, the status of the contained managed object can be determined more accurately and robustly. In particular, compared to the first embodiment, in the third embodiment, the status can be determined even when the managed object and the corresponding container are detected by separate tag readers. Therefore, the status of each managed object in the system can be updated to reflect the actual situation in a more timely manner. Also, in the third embodiment, there is no need to attach advanced sensors such as proximity sensors to the managed object and the container, so that a system for status management can be realized at low cost.

[0129] In this embodiment as well, rules may be introduced that require used containers 35 with their contents emptied to be collected or disposed of in a specific location if the activities of the user 20 in the environment 17 are under the control of the operator.

[0130] <3-5. Modifications> (1) First Modification As a first modified example of the third embodiment, a container that blocks electromagnetic waves used for reading information by the tag reader 100 may be incorporated into the status management system 3 according to the third embodiment. In this case, the determination unit 433 of the management server 400 can determine whether or not each managed object is housed in a corresponding container according to the determination conditions described in the second embodiment using FIG.

[0131] In the third embodiment, the position estimation unit 432 can estimate the current position of the tag reader 100. Therefore, the determination unit 433 may track the current position of the tag reader 100 estimated by the position estimation unit 432, and determine whether or not the tour of a predefined area in which the managed object and the container may exist has been completed (for example, whether or not the entire predefined route has been passed). Even if the tour is completed, when the tag ID is not read from the target tag of the managed object but the tag ID is read from the container tag of the corresponding container, the determination unit 433 may determine that the managed object is accommodated in the corresponding container. Additionally or alternatively, the notification unit 115 of the tag reader 100 may notify the user that the managed object may be accommodated in the corresponding container.

[0132] Note that containers that transmit electromagnetic waves and containers that block electromagnetic waves may coexist under the management of one system. In such a system, the container table 320 may hold type information indicating the type of each container (whether it transmits or blocks electromagnetic waves) so that the determination unit 433 can selectively switch the determination condition.

[0133] (2) Second Modification In the second modification, the determination unit 433 determines the relative movement amount M i (i=1, 2, ...) threshold comparison based judgment condition and distance D i(i=1, 2, ...) may be selectively switched between a judgment condition based on threshold comparison of the managed object and the corresponding container. For example, when a position tag is not detected by a tag reader that has detected a pair of the managed object and the corresponding container, there is no reference position tag that can be selected for estimating their positions. In this case, the judgment unit 433 may use a judgment condition based on threshold comparison of the relative movement amount. On the other hand, when a position tag is detected, the judgment unit 433 may use a judgment condition based on threshold comparison of the distance between the estimated positions. By using such judgment conditions in combination, it is possible to achieve both timely judgment of the status regarding the containment of the managed object and improved judgment accuracy.

[0134] <4. Fourth embodiment> <4-1. System Overview> 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a status management system 4 according to the fourth embodiment. The status management system 4 is a system that detects the presence of managed objects and users who hold or use the managed objects in real space, and stores the status regarding the holding or use of the managed objects in a database.

[0135] 12, there are users 20a, 20b, 25a, 25b, and managed objects 30a, 30b in an environment 18. The users 20a and 20b are users who carry the tag reader 100. The users 25a and 25b are users who handle the managed objects 30. In the example of FIG. 12, the user 25a is using the managed object 30a, and the user 25b is not holding or using any of the managed objects 30. The managed object 30b is not held or used by any of the users 25. When the managed object 30 is temporarily held or used exclusively by one user 25, such a state of holding or using can also be expressed by the term "exclusively holding".

[0136] The status management system 4 utilizes a user tag 70, which is an RFID tag carried by the user 25, to manage the status regarding the possession or use of the managed object 30. Fig. 12 shows a user tag 70a carried by the user 25a and a user tag 70b carried by the user 25b. Each user tag 70 stores identification information unique to that user tag 70 in an internal memory.

[0137] It should be noted that the example of FIG. 12 is not limiting and any number of managed objects 30 and users 25 may exist in the environment 18 .

[0138] The status management system 4 includes at least one tag reader 100 and a management server 600. The tag reader 100 and the management server 600 are connected to a network 10. The configuration of the tag reader 100 may be similar to the configuration described in the first embodiment.

[0139] The management server 600 is an information processing device that manages, in a database, the status and other information relating to the holding or use of managed objects, similar to the above-mentioned management servers 200 and 400.

[0140] <4-2. Management Server Configuration Example> 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management server 600. With reference to FIG. 13, the management server 600 includes a communication unit 210, a database 620, and a management unit 630.

[0141] The database 620 stores various data for managing the status of the managed object 30. The database 620 is accessible by the management unit 630. In this embodiment, the database 620 includes a target table 710, a user table 720, a reader table 330, a movement amount table 350, and a tag detection table 360. The management unit 630 is a collection of multiple software modules that execute various processes related to status management. Each software module can be operated by one or more processors (not shown) of the management server 600 executing a computer program stored in a memory (not shown). In this embodiment, the management unit 630 includes a data registration unit 231, a determination unit 633, and an information provision unit 235.

[0142] (1) Basic data structure and registration The object table 710 may have one or more of the following data items associated with each managed object 30 under the management of the status management system 4: "Target ID" "Tag ID" "name" "Related Users" "status" "Last detected time" "Target ID" is identification information that uniquely identifies each managed object 30. "Tag ID" is identification information that uniquely identifies the target tag 50 attached to each managed object 30. "Name" indicates the name of each managed object 30. "Related user" identifies the user 25 who holds or uses each managed object 30 by the value of "tag ID" in the user table 720 described later. "Status" indicates the status regarding the holding or use of each managed object 30 by the user 25. For example, "status" may be a one-bit flag indicating whether the managed object 30 identified by "target ID" is held or used by the user 25. "Last detection time" indicates the date and time when the target tag 50 attached to each managed object 30 was last detected by the tag reader 100.

[0143] The user table 720 may have one or more of the following data items associated with each of the user tags 70 managed in the status management system 4: "Tag ID" "User name" "Last detected time" "Tag ID" is identification information that uniquely identifies each user tag 70. "User name" indicates a name for identifying a user who carries each user tag 70. "Last detection time" indicates the date and time when each user tag 70 was last detected by the tag reader 100.

[0144] The configuration of the databases managed by management server 600 is not limited to the configuration described herein. Each table may have additional data items or may not have one or more of the data items described.

[0145] (2) Status determination The determination unit 633 determines the status regarding the possession or use of the managed object 30 by the user 25 based on the result of an attempt by at least one tag reader 100 to read information from the target tag 50 and the user tag 70. To determine the status, the determination unit 633 uses the movement amount table 350 and the tag detection table 360.

[0146] The status determination condition in this embodiment is based on the assumption that when the managed object 30 is held or used by the user 25, the physical distance between the target tag 50 attached to the managed object 30 and the user tag 70 carried by the user 25 is small.

[0147] For example, it is assumed that at a third time point, a tag ID is read by the tag reader 100 from a target tag 50 attached to a certain managed object 30, and at a fourth time point before or after that, a tag ID is read by the same tag reader 100 from a user tag 70 of a certain user 25. The determination unit 633 calculates the relative movement amount of the tag reader 100 between the third time point and the fourth time point according to the above-mentioned formula (1) or formula (2). However, here, the movement amount at the time of detection of the user tag 70 is substituted for the movement amount at the time of detection of the container tag 55 in the formula. Then, when the calculated relative movement amount is below a third threshold value K3 defined in advance, the determination unit 633 determines that the managed object 30 is held or used by the user 25. On the other hand, when the calculated relative movement amount is above the third threshold value K3, the determination unit 633 determines that the managed object 30 is not held or used by the user 25. Then, the determination unit 633 updates the corresponding record in the target table 710 so as to reflect the determined latest status. For example, in the situation shown in Figure 12, the "status" of the record indicating the target ID of managed object 30a may be updated to a value meaning "in use," the "associated user" may be updated to the tag ID of user tag 70a, and the "last detected time" may be updated to the read time of the tag ID of target tag 35a.

[0148] In a scenario, assume that the status of the managed object 30a already indicates "in use" and that the associated user of the managed object 30a (the user using the managed object 30a) is the user 25a. In this situation, assume that within a certain period of time, the tag reader 100 reads a tag ID from one of the target tag 50a and the user tag 70a without reading a tag ID from the other of these tags. In this case, the determination unit 633 may determine that the managed object 30 is no longer held or used by the user 25a. The determination unit 633 then updates the corresponding record in the target table 710 to reflect the determined latest status. For example, the "status" of the record indicating the target ID of the managed object 30a may be updated to a value meaning "unused", the "associated user" may be updated to a blank field, and the "last detected time" may be updated to the time when the tag ID of the target tag 35a was read.

[0149] Additionally or alternatively, in the above-mentioned scenario, if the tag ID is not read from one of the target tag 50a and the user tag 70a within a certain period of time, and the tag ID is read from the other of these tags, a notification may be issued to the user. The notification here is intended to inform the user that the managed object 30a may no longer be held or used by the user 25a. For example, the control unit 111 of the tag reader 100 can cause the notification unit 115 to perform a visual, auditory, or tactile output in response to a notification instruction received from the management server 600.

[0150] <4-3. Summary of the Fourth Embodiment> As in the fourth embodiment described above, by comparing the relative movement amount of the tag reader between two read times when information is read from two RFID tags with a threshold value, the status of whether the managed object is held or used by the user can be determined robustly. For example, in the method of comparing the time interval between two read times with a threshold value, if the reading of information from one of the RFID tags is delayed, the managed object that is actually being used by the user may be erroneously determined to be unused (available for other users). In contrast, in the fourth embodiment, even if the time interval between the read times becomes long, the managed object can be appropriately determined to be in use if the relative movement amount is small. Furthermore, in the fourth embodiment, there is no need to attach an advanced sensor to the managed object 30 or for the user 25 to carry a sensor, so that a system for status management can be realized at low cost.

[0151] <5. Fifth Embodiment> In the fifth embodiment, location estimation using the location tag 40 described in the third embodiment and a threshold comparison of the distance between the estimated locations is incorporated to determine the status regarding the possession or use of the managed object 30.

[0152] 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a status management system 5 according to the fifth embodiment. Like the status management system 4, the status management system 5 is a system that detects the presence of managed objects and users who hold or use the managed objects in real space, and stores the status related to the holding or use of the managed objects in a database.

[0153] Referring to FIG. 14, position tags 40a and 40b are installed in an environment 19 similar to the environment 18. The status management system 5 includes at least one tag reader 100 and a management server 600. The configuration of the management server 600 may be similar to that described in the fourth embodiment, except that the management server 600 has a position estimation function similar to that of the position estimation unit 432 described in the third embodiment. The object table 710 and the user table 720 of the database 620 of the management server 600 may have data items for holding the latest position coordinates estimated for each managed object 30 and each user 25. Then, the determination unit 633 uses a determination condition based on a threshold comparison of the distance between the estimated positions to determine the status of the managed object 30.

[0154] For example, it is assumed that a first reading device (e.g., tag reader 100a) reads a tag ID from a target tag 50 attached to a certain managed object 30 at a first time point, and a tag ID is read from the first position tag 40 at a second time point. The location of the managed object 30 is estimated based on the relative movement amount of the first reading device between the first time point and the second time point, and the known location of the first position tag 40. It is also assumed that a second reading device (e.g., tag reader 100b) reads a tag ID from a certain user tag 70 at a third time point, and a tag ID is read from the second position tag 40 at a fourth time point. The location of a user 25 carrying a user tag 70 is estimated based on the relative movement amount of the second reading device between the third time point and the fourth time point, and the known location of the second position tag 40. The determination unit 633 calculates the distance between the estimated location of the managed object 30 and the estimated location of the user 25 according to the above-mentioned formula (5) or formula (6). However, here, the estimated position of the user 25 is substituted for the estimated position of the container 35 in the formula. Then, when the calculated distance is below the fourth threshold K4, the determination unit 633 determines that the managed object 30 is held or used by the user 25. On the other hand, when the calculated distance is above the fourth threshold K4, the determination unit 633 determines that the managed object 30 is not held or used by the user 25.

[0155] It should be noted that the tag reader (first reading device) that reads the tag ID from the target tag 50 and the tag reader (second reading device) that reads the tag ID from the user tag 70 may be the same device or different devices.

[0156] The determining unit 633 updates the corresponding record in the target table 710 so as to reflect the latest status determined in this manner.

[0157] As in the fifth embodiment described above, by performing a threshold comparison of the distance between the estimated positions of the points where information is read from two RFID tags, the status of the managed object regarding its possession or use can be determined more accurately and robustly. In particular, compared with the fourth embodiment, the fifth embodiment allows the status to be determined even when the managed object and the user tag are detected by separate tag readers. Therefore, the status of each managed object in the system can be updated to reflect the actual situation in a more timely manner. Also, in the fifth embodiment, since there is no need to attach an advanced sensor to the managed object 30 or for the user 25 to carry a sensor, it is possible to realize a system for status management at low cost.

[0158] As a modification of the fifth embodiment, the determination unit 633 may selectively switch between a determination condition based on a threshold comparison of the amount of relative movement in the fourth embodiment and a determination condition based on a threshold comparison of the distance between the estimated positions in the fifth embodiment. For example, the determination unit 633 may use a determination condition based on a threshold comparison of the amount of relative movement when a position tag is not detected by a tag reader that detects a pair of a managed object and a user tag, and there is no reference position tag that can be selected for estimating their positions. On the other hand, when a position tag is detected, the determination unit 633 may use a determination condition based on a threshold comparison of the distance between the estimated positions. By using such determination conditions in combination, it is possible to achieve both timely determination of the status regarding the holding or use of the managed object and improvement of the determination accuracy.

[0159] <6. Other embodiments> The above-mentioned embodiment can also be realized in the form of a process in which a program for realizing one or more functions is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0160] The disclosure of this specification includes at least the following status management system, method, program, and information processing device. (Item 1) A target tag which is an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag attached to a management object; A container tag which is an RFID tag attached to a container capable of accommodating the managed object; At least one reader capable of moving in real space and reading information from an RFID tag; A determination unit that determines a status regarding the accommodation of the managed object by the container based on a result of an attempt by the at least one reading device to read information from the target tag and the container tag; A status management system including: (Item 2) the at least one reading device is capable of measuring the amount of movement of the reading device; The determination unit is When a relative movement amount of the first reading device between a first time point when the information is read from the target tag by the first reading device and a second time point when the information is read from the container tag by the first reading device is less than a first threshold value, the managed object is determined to be contained in the container; When the amount of relative movement exceeds the first threshold, it is determined that the managed object is not accommodated in the container. Item 1. A status management system according to item 1. (Item 3) The status management system described in item 2, wherein the relative movement amount of the first reading device between the first time point and the second time point corresponds to a linear displacement amount between a point where the first reading device is located at the first time point and a point where the first reading device is located at the second time point. (Item 4) the at least one reading device is capable of measuring the amount of movement of the reading device; The status management system includes: At least one location tag, which is an RFID tag installed at a known location; A position estimation unit, estimating the location of the managed object based on the relative movement of a first reader between two times when information is read from the target tag and a first location tag by the first reader and the known location of the first location tag; and a position estimation unit that estimates a position of the container based on a relative movement amount of the second reading device between two times when information is read from the container tag and a second position tag by the second reading device, and a known position of the second position tag; Further comprising: The determination unit is determining that the managed object is housed in the container when a distance between the estimated location of the managed object and the estimated location of the container is less than a second threshold; When the distance exceeds the second threshold, it is determined that the managed object is not contained in the container. Item 1. A status management system according to item 1. (Item 5) 5. The status management system according to any one of items 2 to 4, wherein the container transmits electromagnetic waves for reading information by the at least one reading device. (Item 6) 6. The status management system according to item 5, wherein the determination unit determines that the managed object is not contained in the container when the at least one reading device does not read information from one of the target tag and the container tag, but reads information from the other of the target tag and the container tag. (Item 7) The status management system includes: a notification unit that notifies a user that the managed object may not be accommodated in the container when information is read from one of the target tag and the container tag by the at least one reading device without reading information from the other of the target tag and the container tag; 7. The status management system according to item 5 or 6, further comprising: (Item 8) the container shields electromagnetic waves for reading information by the at least one reading device; The determination unit is In an initial state, it is determined that the managed object is accommodated in the container; determining that the managed object is not contained in the container when information is read from the target tag by the at least one reading device; Item 1. A status management system according to item 1. (Item 9) 9. The status management system according to item 8, wherein the determination unit determines that the managed object is contained in the container when information is read from the container tag without reading information from the target tag by the at least one reading device that has patrolled within an area where the managed object and the container may be present. (Item 10) The status management system includes: a notification unit that notifies a user of the possibility that the managed object is contained in the container when information is read from the container tag without being read from the target tag by the at least one reading device that has patrolled within an area where the managed object and the container may be present; 10. The status management system according to item 8 or 9, further comprising: (Item 11) A target tag which is an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag attached to a management object; A user tag which is an RFID tag carried by a user who handles the managed object; At least one reader capable of moving in real space and reading information from an RFID tag; a determination unit that determines a status regarding the possession or use of the managed object by the user based on a result of an attempt by the at least one reading device to read information from the target tag and the user tag; A status management system including: (Item 12) the at least one reading device is capable of measuring the amount of movement of the reading device; The determination unit is determining that the managed object is held or used by the user when a relative movement amount of the first reading device between a third time point when the information is read from the target tag by the first reading device and a fourth time point when the information is read from the user tag by the first reading device is less than a third threshold value; When the amount of relative movement exceeds the third threshold, it is determined that the managed object is not held or used by the user. Item 11. A status management system according to item 11. (Item 13) Item 13. The status management system of item 12, wherein the relative movement of the first reading device between the third time point and the fourth time point corresponds to a linear displacement between a point where the first reading device is located at the third time point and a point where the first reading device is located at the fourth time point. (Item 14) the at least one reading device is capable of measuring the amount of movement of the reading device; The status management system includes: At least one location tag, which is an RFID tag installed at a known location; A position estimation unit, estimating the location of the managed object based on the relative movement of a first reader between two times when information is read from the target tag and a first location tag by the first reader and the known location of the first location tag; and a location estimation unit that estimates the location of the user based on a relative movement amount of the second reading device between two times when information is read from the user tag and the second location tag by the second reading device, and a known location of the second location tag; Further comprising: The determination unit is determining that the managed object is held or used by the user when a distance between the estimated location of the managed object and the estimated location of the user is less than a fourth threshold; If the distance exceeds the fourth threshold, it is determined that the managed object is not held or used by the user. Item 11. A status management system according to item 11. (Item 15) The status management system according to any one of items 11 to 14, wherein the determination unit determines that the managed object is not held or used by the user when the at least one reading device does not read information from one of the target tag and the user tag, but reads information from the other of the target tag and the user tag. (Item 16) The status management system includes: a notification unit that notifies a user that the managed object may not be held or used by the user when the at least one reading device reads information from one of the target tag and the user tag without reading information from the other of the target tag and the user tag; 16. The status management system according to any one of items 11 to 15, further comprising: (Item 17) A method for managing a status of a managed object, comprising: At least one reader capable of moving within a real space and reading information from an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag is caused to attempt to read information from a target tag, which is an RFID tag attached to the managed object; causing the at least one reader to attempt to read information from a container tag, which is an RFID tag attached to a container capable of housing the managed object; determining a status of the container with respect to the managed object based on the results of the attempt to read information from the object tag and the container tag; The method includes: (Item 18) A method for managing a status of a managed object, comprising: At least one reader capable of moving within a real space and reading information from an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag is caused to attempt to read information from a target tag, which is an RFID tag attached to the managed object; causing said at least one reader to attempt to read information from a user tag, which is an RFID tag carried by a user who handles said managed object; determining a status regarding the possession or use of the managed property by the user based on results of attempts to read information from the target tag and the user tag; The method includes: (Item 19) 19. A computer program product that, when executed by a processor of an information processing device, causes the processor to perform the method according to item 17 or 18. (Item 20) A memory for storing the computer program according to item 19; A processor for executing the computer program; An information processing device comprising:

[0161] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0162] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5: status management system, 10: network, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19: environment, 20, 25: user, 30, 31: managed object, 35, 36: container, 40: location tag, 50, 51: target tag, 55, 56: container tag, 70: user tag, 100: tag reader (reading device), 200, 400, 600: management server, 231: data registration unit, 432: location estimation unit, 233, 433, 633: judgment unit, 235: information provision unit

Claims

1. A target tag which is an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag attached to a management object; a container tag which is an RFID tag attached to a container capable of accommodating the managed object; At least one reader capable of moving in real space and reading information from an RFID tag; a determination unit that determines a status regarding the accommodation of the managed object by the container based on a result of an attempt by the at least one reading device to read information from the target tag and the container tag; A status management system including:

2. the at least one reading device is capable of measuring the amount of movement of the reading device; The determination unit is When a relative movement amount of the first reading device between a first time point when the information is read from the target tag by the first reading device and a second time point when the information is read from the container tag by the first reading device is less than a first threshold value, the managed object is determined to be contained in the container; When the amount of relative movement exceeds the first threshold, it is determined that the managed object is not accommodated in the container. The status management system according to claim 1 .

3. 3. The status management system of claim 2, wherein the relative movement of the first reading device between the first time point and the second time point corresponds to a linear displacement between a point where the first reading device is located at the first time point and a point where the first reading device is located at the second time point.

4. the at least one reading device is capable of measuring the amount of movement of the reading device; The status management system includes: At least one location tag, which is an RFID tag installed at a known location; A position estimation unit, estimating the location of the managed object based on the relative movement of a first reader between two times when information is read from the target tag and a first location tag by the first reader and the known location of the first location tag; and a position estimating unit that estimates the position of the container based on a relative movement amount of the second reading device between two times when information is read from the container tag and a second position tag by the second reading device, and a known position of the second position tag; Further comprising: The determination unit is determining that the managed object is housed in the container when a distance between the estimated location of the managed object and the estimated location of the container is less than a second threshold; When the distance exceeds the second threshold, it is determined that the managed object is not accommodated in the container. The status management system according to claim 1 .

5. The status management system according to claim 2 , wherein the container is transparent to electromagnetic waves for information reading by the at least one reading device.

6. The status management system according to claim 5, wherein the determination unit determines that the managed object is not contained in the container when the at least one reading device does not read information from one of the target tag and the container tag, but reads information from the other of the target tag and the container tag.

7. The status management system includes: a notification unit that notifies a user that the managed object may not be accommodated in the container when information is read from the other of the target tag and the container tag without reading information from one of the target tag and the container tag by the at least one reading device; The status management system according to claim 5 , further comprising:

8. the container shields electromagnetic waves for reading information by the at least one reading device; The determination unit is In an initial state, it is determined that the managed object is accommodated in the container; determining that the managed object is not contained in the container when information is read from the target tag by the at least one reading device; The status management system according to claim 1 .

9. 9. The status management system according to claim 8, wherein the determination unit determines that the managed object is contained in the container when information is read from the container tag without reading information from the target tag by at least one reading device that has patrolled within an area where the managed object and the container may be present.

10. The status management system includes: a notification unit that notifies a user of the possibility that the managed object is contained in the container when information is read from the container tag without being read from the target tag by the at least one reading device that has patrolled within an area where the managed object and the container may be present; The status management system according to claim 8, further comprising:

11. A target tag which is an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag attached to a management object; a user tag which is an RFID tag carried by a user who handles the managed object; At least one reader capable of moving in real space and reading information from an RFID tag; a determination unit that determines a status regarding the possession or use of the managed object by the user based on a result of an attempt by the at least one reading device to read information from the target tag and the user tag; A status management system including:

12. the at least one reading device is capable of measuring the amount of movement of the reading device; The determination unit is if a relative movement amount of the first reading device between a third time point when the information is read from the target tag by the first reading device and a fourth time point when the information is read from the user tag by the first reading device is below a third threshold, it is determined that the managed object is held or used by the user; When the amount of relative movement exceeds the third threshold, it is determined that the managed object is not held or used by the user. The status management system according to claim 11.

13. 13. The status management system of claim 12, wherein the relative movement of the first reading device between the third time point and the fourth time point corresponds to a linear displacement between a point where the first reading device is located at the third time point and a point where the first reading device is located at the fourth time point.

14. the at least one reading device is capable of measuring the amount of movement of the reading device; The status management system includes: At least one location tag, which is an RFID tag installed at a known location; A position estimation unit, estimating the location of the managed object based on the relative movement of a first reader between two times when information is read from the target tag and a first location tag by the first reader and the known location of the first location tag; and a location estimation unit that estimates the location of the user based on a relative movement amount of the second reading device between two times when information is read from the user tag and the second location tag by the second reading device, and a known location of the second location tag; Further comprising: The determination unit is determining that the managed object is held or used by the user when a distance between the estimated location of the managed object and the estimated location of the user is less than a fourth threshold; If the distance exceeds the fourth threshold, it is determined that the managed object is not held or used by the user. The status management system according to claim 11.

15. The status management system of claim 11, wherein the determination unit determines that the managed object is not held or used by the user when the at least one reading device reads information from one of the target tag and the user tag without reading information from the other of the target tag and the user tag.

16. The status management system includes: a notification unit that notifies a user that the managed object may not be held or used by the user when the at least one reading device reads information from one of the target tag and the user tag without reading information from the other of the target tag and the user tag; The status management system of claim 11 further comprising:

17. A method for managing a status of a managed object, comprising: At least one reader capable of moving within a real space and reading information from an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag is caused to attempt to read information from a target tag, which is an RFID tag attached to the managed object; causing the at least one reader to attempt to read information from a container tag, which is an RFID tag attached to a container capable of housing the managed object; determining a status of the container with respect to the managed object based on the results of the attempt to read information from the object tag and the container tag; The method includes:

18. A method for managing a status of a managed object, comprising: At least one reader capable of moving within a real space and reading information from an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag is caused to attempt to read information from a target tag, which is an RFID tag attached to the managed object; causing said at least one reading device to attempt to read information from a user tag, which is an RFID tag carried by a user who handles said managed object; determining a status regarding the possession or use of the managed property by the user based on results of attempts to read information from the target tag and the user tag; The method includes:

19. A computer program which, when executed by a processor of an information processing device, causes the processor to perform the method according to claim 17 or 18.

20. A memory for storing a computer program according to claim 19; A processor for executing the computer program; An information processing device comprising:

Images