Item detection method and system, electronic tag reading device, and server

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the field of warehouse management. A commodity detection method and system, as well as an electronic tag reading device and a server are provided. The method includes the steps of receiving a first electronic tag data of a target storage location detected and transmitted by a first electronic tag reading device mounted on a ceiling, receiving a second electronic tag data of the target storage location detected and transmitted by a second electronic tag reading device used on the ground, and determining the actual commodity in the target storage location according to the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data, where an electronic tag having an identification function is attached to the commodity. Thus, the accuracy of electronic tag data detection is improved, and the detection miss of electronic tag data is improved, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the commodity in the inventory, and then providing advantageous support for warehouse management operations such as inventory check of the commodity.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202111653925.2, filed on December 30, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of warehouse management, and in particular to an item detection method and system, an electronic tag reading device, and a server. [Background technology]

[0003] Inventory taking is the process of comparing items actually stored in a warehouse with items in an inventory record to ensure consistency.

[0004] In some related art, goods are inventoried by staff. Manual inventory is very time-consuming and labor-intensive, so the accuracy of inventory is affected by human resources.

[0005] In other related technologies, goods are identified by using electronic tags, and a handheld electronic tag reading device detects electronic tags on goods in a warehouse while moving over the ground to inventory the goods, and compares the electronic tag data in inventory records, which can alleviate some of the workload of manual inventory.

[0006] In some warehouses, goods are arranged in a pile on the ground. For example, large goods such as refrigerators and washing machines are directly stacked on the ground of the warehouse, with more than 200-300 goods stacked within the effective ground stacking area (e.g., 3m*7m), reaching a height of nearly 10 meters. The storage area where goods are arranged in a pile on the ground has a very large number of electronic tags per unit volume and is surrounded by metal structured home appliances, so in the process of detecting electronic tags using a handheld ground electronic tag reading device, electronic tags will be missed, which will affect the accuracy of inventory checks of goods. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a product detection method including the steps of receiving first electronic tag data detected for a target storage location and transmitted from a first electronic tag reading device mounted on a ceiling, receiving second electronic tag data detected for the target storage location and transmitted from a second electronic tag reading device used on the ground, and determining actual products in the target storage location according to the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data, wherein an electronic tag having an identification function is attached to the product.

[0008] In some embodiments, the step of determining actual items in the target storage location according to the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data includes a step of determining items corresponding to electronic tag IDs in the union of the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data as actual items in the target storage location.

[0009] In some embodiments, the product detection method further includes the steps of comparing an electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data with an electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, and in response to a match between the comparison results, determining that the actual products at the target storage location match the products at the target storage location in the inventory record, in response to the electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data lacking the first electronic tag ID compared to the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, determining that the actual products at the target storage location lack products corresponding to the first tag ID compared to the products at the target storage location in the inventory record, and in response to the electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data having more second electronic tag IDs compared to the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, determining that the actual products at the target storage location have more products corresponding to the second tag ID compared to the products at the target storage location in the inventory record.

[0010] In some embodiments, the step of determining actual products in the target storage location according to the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data includes the steps of selecting an electronic tag ID of the target storage location from the first electronic tag data as a first electronic tag set according to a correspondence between storage locations and electronic tag IDs, selecting an electronic tag ID of the target storage location from the second electronic tag data as a second electronic tag set, and determining products corresponding to electronic tag IDs in the union of the first electronic tag set and the second electronic tag set as actual products in the target storage location.

[0011] In some embodiments, the product detection method further includes the steps of comparing the electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag set and the second electronic tag set with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, and in response to a match between the comparison results, determining that the actual product at the target storage location matches the product at the target storage location in the inventory record, and in response to the electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag set and the second electronic tag set lacking a third electronic tag ID compared to the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, determining that the actual product at the target storage location lacks the product corresponding to the third electronic tag ID compared to the product at the target storage location in the inventory record.

[0012] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a product detection method including the steps of: acquiring information of a target storage location by a first electronic tag reading device mounted on a ceiling; adjusting, by the first electronic tag reading device, a radiation angle of an antenna of the first electronic tag reading device so that the radiation range covers the target storage location according to the information of the target storage location; and reading, by the first electronic tag reading device, first electronic tag data within the radiation range and transmitting the first electronic tag data to a product detection server, wherein the first electronic tag data includes at least an electronic tag ID of the target storage location.

[0013] In some embodiments, adjusting the radiation angle of the antenna of the first electronic tag reading device according to the information of the storage location of the object by the first electronic tag reading device includes calculating a phase shift by the first electronic tag reading device according to the information of the storage location of the object, changing the phase according to the phase shift, and adjusting the radiation angle of the antenna by changing the phase.

[0014] In some embodiments, the product detection method further includes a step of activating the first electronic tag reading device after receiving electromagnetic waves in a preset frequency band before acquiring information of the storage location of the target.

[0015] In some embodiments, the second electronic tag reading device transmits a scan signal to activate the first electronic tag reading device, obtains second electronic tag data of the target storage location through scanning, and transmits the second electronic tag data to a product detection server, the second electronic tag data including at least a portion or all of the electronic tag ID of the target storage location.

[0016] In some embodiments, the server performs product detection, which includes the server selecting, by the server, an electronic tag ID of the target storage location from the first electronic tag data as a first electronic tag set in accordance with a correspondence between the storage location and the electronic tag ID, and determining, by the server, a product corresponding to the electronic tag ID in the first electronic tag set as an actual product in the target storage location, or determining, by the server, a product corresponding to the electronic tag ID in the first electronic tag data as an actual product in the target storage location.

[0017] In some embodiments, the storage location of interest is a ground-based type storage location.

[0018] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a server comprising a memory and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute a product detection method according to an embodiment based on instructions stored in the memory.

[0019] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electronic tag reading device comprising: a control unit configured to calculate a phase shift according to information of a target storage location and transmit the phase shift to a phase shifter; a phase shifter configured to change the phase according to the phase shift and adjust the radiation angle of the antenna by changing the phase so that the radiation range covers the target storage location; an antenna having a radiation angle adjustable by the phase, configured to emit a radiation signal and receive a signal carrying an electronic tag ID returned by an electronic tag within the radiation range; and a communication unit configured to transmit first electronic tag data within the received radiation range to a server, wherein the first electronic tag data includes at least the electronic tag ID of the target storage location.

[0020] In some embodiments, the device further comprises an activation unit configured to receive electromagnetic waves in a preset frequency band and activate the electronic tag reading device.

[0021] In some embodiments, the activation unit comprises an activation antenna configured to receive electromagnetic waves in a preset frequency band, and an activation circuit configured to collect the electromagnetic wave energy and generate a DC signal for activation.

[0022] In some embodiments, the antenna comprises a feed network and an antenna array.

[0023] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an item detection system that includes a server and a first ceiling-mounted electronic tag reading device, such as the electronic tag reading device described above, that is deployed in an area within a warehouse.

[0024] In some embodiments, the system further comprises a second electronic tag reading device configured for use on the ground, to transmit a scanning signal to activate the first electronic tag reading device, to obtain second electronic tag data of the target storage location through scanning, and to transmit the second electronic tag data to a server, wherein the second electronic tag data includes at least a portion or all of the electronic tag ID of the target storage location.

[0025] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that is executed by a processor to perform steps of a product detection method according to an embodiment.

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which need to be used in describing the embodiments and related art, are briefly described below. The present disclosure can be more clearly understood according to the following detailed description that proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] It is clear that the drawings in the following description are merely examples of the present disclosure, and that a person skilled in the art can obtain other drawings without expending inventive effort. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a product to which an electronic tag is attached. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of placing items in a pile on the ground. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a product detection system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of a first electronic tag reading device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 4A-4C are schematic diagrams of beam main lobes of an antenna of a first electronic tag reading device at different radiation angles according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an activation unit according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram of deploying a first electronic tag reading device in an area within a warehouse, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 8A-8C are schematic diagrams of the antenna radiation of one of the first electronic tag reading devices of FIG. 7 at various radiation angles. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic flow diagram of an item detection method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, in which the electronic tag reading device is only a first electronic tag reading device mounted on the ceiling; [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a schematic flow diagram of a merchandise detection method according to other embodiments of the present disclosure, in which the electronic tag reading device comprises a first electronic tag reading device mounted on a ceiling and a second electronic tag reading device used above the ground. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure are clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] Unless otherwise specified, terms such as "first", "second", and the like in this disclosure are used to distinguish between different objects and are not used to denote size, order, or the like.

[0031] The electronic tag may be, for example, an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) electronic tag. The electronic tag communicates with an electronic tag reading device in a contactless data manner so that the electronic tag ID can be detected by the electronic tag reading device. The electronic tag ID can identify the electronic tag and therefore the product to which the electronic tag is attached.

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a product with an electronic tag attached to it. The electronic tag is attached to the outer surface of the product, such as the upper right corner.

[0033] 2 is a schematic diagram of arranging goods in a pile on the ground. The goods arranged in a pile on the ground may be large goods such as refrigerators or washing machines. A storage location where goods are arranged in a pile on the ground is called a pile-on-the-ground type storage location.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic tags of the target storage location are jointly detected by the first electronic tag reading device mounted on the ceiling and the second electronic tag reading device used on the ground, which fully utilizes the advantages of the first electronic tag reading device mounted on the ceiling for detecting high and dense electronic tags and the advantages of the second electronic tag reading device used on the ground for detecting electronic tags near and around the ground, so as to improve the detection accuracy of electronic tag data, improve the detection miss state of electronic tag data, and further improve the accuracy of inventory detection, thereby providing advantageous support for warehouse management operations such as inventory check of goods. In addition, the radiation angle of the antenna of the first electronic tag reading device mounted on the ceiling is adjustable, so that the radiation range can better cover the target storage location, which improves the accuracy of electronic tag data detection and further improves the accuracy of inventory detection.

[0035] 3 shows a schematic diagram of a product detection system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the product detection system includes a server 320 and may further include one or more of a first electronic tag reading device 310 mounted on a ceiling and a second electronic tag reading device 330 used on the ground. The first electronic tag reading device 310 and the second electronic tag reading device 330 are responsible for collecting electronic tag data of products in a storage location. The server 320 may detect the actual products in the storage location according to the collected electronic tag data, and may further compare the collected electronic tag data with the electronic tag data in the inventory record to inventory the inventory products.

[0036] 4 shows a schematic diagram of a first electronic tag reading device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, the first electronic tag reading device 310 includes a control unit 311, a phase shifter 312, an antenna 313, and a communication unit 314, and may further include a peripheral device 315, an activation unit 316, etc. The components are described below respectively.

[0037] The control unit 311 is mainly responsible for processing the server's instructions, processing the electronic tag data, controlling the transport shifter 312, etc. For example, the information of the storage location of the target to be detected is obtained from the server instruction, the phase shift is calculated according to the information of the storage location of the target, and is sent to the phase shifter 312, and the collected first electronic tag data is buffered and sent to the server 320 via the communication unit 314. The first electronic tag data includes at least the electronic tag ID of the target storage location, and may also include electronic tag IDs of other storage locations related to the coverage control accuracy of the first electronic tag reading device 310. Regardless of whether the first electronic tag data includes the electronic tag IDs of other storage locations, as long as it includes the electronic tag ID of the target storage location, the goods in the target storage location can be accurately inventoryed by the selection process of the server 320. Furthermore, the target storage location may be one or more.

[0038] The phase shifter 312 is configured to change the phase according to the phase shift, and adjust the radiation angle of the antenna 313 by changing the phase so that the radiation range can cover the target storage location, and the radiation range may also cover other storage locations. If the radiation range covers other storage locations, the collected first electronic tag data may include the electronic tag IDs of the other storage locations. As described above, regardless of whether the first electronic tag data includes the electronic tag IDs of the other storage locations, as long as it includes the electronic tag ID of the target storage location, the products in the target storage location can be accurately inventoryed by the selection process of the server 320. The phase shifter 312 is, for example, an electrically controlled phase shifter 312.

[0039] The antenna 313, which has an adjustable radiation angle by phase, is configured to radiate radiation signals and receive signals carrying electronic tag IDs returned by electronic tags within the radiation range. The antenna 313 includes a feeding network and an antenna array. The feeding network is connected to the first electronic tag reading device 310 by a radio frequency coaxial cable. The form of the antenna array makes the antenna 313 necessarily have strong directivity, for example, 16 dBi, to reliably read long-distance signals, which can reduce the deployment density of the first electronic tag reading device 310 in the warehouse, and together with the phase difference of the phase shift of the phase shifter 312 to the feeding network, can reduce the probability of the existence of a blind area of ​​the antenna 313 while achieving a wide range of scanning. Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the beam main lobe of the antenna 313 at different radiation angles.

[0040] The communication unit 314 is responsible for communication with external devices, and in this embodiment, the communication unit 314 is mainly responsible for communication with the server 320. The communication unit 314 may use various wireless communication technologies to communicate with the server 320. The communication unit 314 may also communicate by using a combination of wireless communication technologies and wired communication technologies, for example, wireless communication can be used between each communication unit 314 and the relay unit, and wired communication can be used between the relay unit and the server 320, which can not only reduce wiring but also consider data transmission efficiency. The communication unit 314 is configured to transmit the first electronic tag data within the received radiation range to the server 320, and the first electronic tag data includes at least the electronic tag ID of the target storage location, so that the server 320 determines the actual goods in the target storage location according to the first electronic tag data.

[0041] The peripheral device 315 comprises, for example, a support structure, an operating power source, etc. for the first electronic tag reading device 310 .

[0042] The wake-up unit 316 is configured to receive electromagnetic waves of a preset frequency band and wake up the first electronic tag reading device 310. Before the wake-up, the first electronic tag reading device 310 is in a sleep state so that power consumption and electromagnetic radiation are reduced, and after the wake-up, the first electronic tag reading device 310 is in an operating state so that it can receive instructions or collect electronic tag data, etc. As shown in FIG. 6, the wake-up unit 316 includes a wake-up antenna configured to receive electromagnetic waves of a preset frequency band and a wake-up circuit configured to collect electromagnetic wave energy and generate a DC signal for wake-up. The wake-up circuit includes, for example, an impedance matching network that collects the electromagnetic wave energy of the preset frequency band and a rectifier circuit that rectifies the electromagnetic wave energy into DC.

[0043] The first electronic tag reading device 310 is deployed in an area in the warehouse and mounted on the ceiling to achieve full coverage of the warehouse area. As shown in FIG. 7, in a specific warehouse area, assuming that the warehouse area has a size of 50m×40m and is divided into four areas ABCD, one first electronic tag reading device 310 is mounted on the ceiling of each area, each first electronic tag reading device 310 covers one area, the ceiling mounting height of the first electronic tag reading device 310 is, for example, 12m, the horizontal plane (H plane) scan angle of the main lobe of the antenna 313 of the first electronic tag reading device 310 in the control of the phase shifter 312 is 90° or more, and the controllable operating range of each first electronic tag reading device 310 is 25m, the full range coverage of the warehouse area can be achieved by deploying four first electronic tag reading devices 310.

[0044] As described above, the first electronic tag reading device 310 adjusts the radiation angle of the antenna 313 by changing the phase, assuming that the corresponding relationship between the phase shift Δφ and the main lobe direction angle Δθ of the antenna 313 is Δθ=f(n×Δφ), where the value of n is 0, 1, 2, 3, ..., N, and N is the number of times the phase shift is changed to achieve the main lobe angle scan range. As shown in FIG. 8, assuming that N is 5, according to the deployment of the first electronic tag reading device 310 in FIG. 7, when n=0, Δθ=0°, when n=1, Δθ=18°, when n=2, Δθ=36°, etc., when n=5, Δθ=90°. Assume that the radiation range of the first electronic tag reading device 310 includes 6×12 storage locations. When n=0, the main lobe direction of antenna 313 is directed to 12 storage locations N(1,1) through N(1,12), when n=1, the main lobe direction of antenna 313 is directed to 12 storage locations N(2,1) through N(2,12), and so on, when n=5, the main lobe direction of antenna 313 is directed to 12 storage locations N(6,1) through N(6,12).

[0045] The second electronic tag reading device 330 may be, for example, a handheld PDA (personal digital assistant). The second electronic tag reading device 330 transmits a scan signal to activate the corresponding first electronic tag reading device 310 mounted on the ceiling, obtains storage location number data and second electronic tag data of the product in the storage location through scanning, and transmits the storage location number data and the second electronic tag data to the server 320, where the second electronic tag data includes at least a part or all of the electronic tag of the target storage location.

[0046] The server 320 is, for example, a cloud server 320. The server 320 is responsible for issuing instructions to the first electronic tag reading device 310 and / or the second electronic tag reading device 330, collecting electronic tag data reported by the first electronic tag reading device 310 and / or the second electronic tag reading device 330, detecting actual goods in storage locations according to the collected electronic tag data, and further comparing the collected electronic tag data with the electronic tag data in inventory records to inventory goods.

[0047] When the electronic tag is detected by using only the first electronic tag reading device 310 mounted on the ceiling, the server 320 is configured to: transmit information of the target storage location to the first electronic tag reading device 310; receive first electronic tag data detected and transmitted by the first electronic tag reading device 310, where the first electronic tag data includes at least the electronic tag ID of the target storage location; and detect items in the target storage location according to the first electronic tag data.

[0048] A first method for server 320 to detect an item in a target storage location according to the first electronic tag data is, for example, for server 320 to determine a product corresponding to the electronic tag ID in the first electronic tag data as an actual product in the target storage location.

[0049] The product detection method is applicable when the first electronic tag reading device can accurately cover the target storage location such that the first electronic tag data includes electronic tag data of the target storage location and does not include electronic tag data of other storage locations.

[0050] Based on the first method, the server 320 may further inventory the stocked goods by using the following method, where the server 320 compares the consistency between the electronic tag ID in the first electronic tag data and the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record to inventory the goods in the target storage location. If the comparison result is a match, it is determined that the actual goods in the target storage location are consistent with the goods in the target storage location in the inventory record; if the electronic tag ID in the first electronic tag data lacks the first electronic tag ID compared with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, it is determined that the actual goods in the target storage location lack the goods corresponding to the first tag ID compared with the goods in the target storage location in the inventory record; if the electronic tag ID in the first electronic tag data has more second electronic tag IDs compared with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, it is determined that the actual goods in the target storage location have more goods corresponding to the second tag ID compared with the goods in the target storage location in the inventory record. Thus, the abnormality of the storage of goods is detected more comprehensively.

[0051] A second method for server 320 to detect products in a target storage location according to the first electronic tag data is, for example, for server 320 to select the electronic tag ID of the target storage location as a first electronic tag set from the first electronic tag data according to the correspondence between the storage location and the electronic tag ID, and to determine the product corresponding to the electronic tag ID in the first electronic tag set as the actual product in the target storage location.

[0052] The product detection method is applicable when the first electronic tag data includes electronic tag data of a target storage location and another storage location, but the first electronic tag reading device cannot accurately cover the target storage location, for example, when it covers the target storage location and some of the surrounding storage locations, so that the first electronic tag reading device can still determine the products in the target storage location and the requirements for the accuracy of the working coverage range of the first electronic tag reading device are low.

[0053] Based on the second method, the server 320 may further inventory the stock items by using the following method, in which the consistency between the first electronic tag set of the detected target storage location and the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record is compared to inventory the items in the target storage location. If the comparison result is a match, it is determined that the actual items in the target storage location are consistent with the items in the target storage location in the inventory record, and if the first electronic tag set lacks a third electronic tag ID compared with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, it is determined that the actual items in the target storage location lack the items corresponding to the third electronic tag ID compared with the items in the target storage location in the inventory record.

[0054] When the electronic tag is detected by using a first electronic tag reading device 310 mounted on the ceiling and a second electronic tag reading device 330 used on the ground, the server 320 is configured to receive first electronic tag data detected for the target storage location and transmitted from the first electronic tag reading device mounted on the ceiling, receive second electronic tag data detected for the target storage location and transmitted from the second electronic tag reading device detected for the target storage location and used on the ground, and determine actual goods in the target storage location according to the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data.

[0055] A third method for determining, by the server 320, actual products in a target storage location according to the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data includes a step of determining a product corresponding to an electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data as an actual product in the target storage location.

[0056] The product detection method is applicable when the electronic tag reading device can accurately cover the target storage location so that the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data include electronic tag data of the target storage location and do not include electronic tag data of other storage locations.

[0057] Based on the third method, the server 320 may further inventory the stocked goods by using the following method, where the electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data is compared with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, and if the comparison result is a match, it is determined that the actual goods at the target storage location are consistent with the goods at the target storage location in the inventory record; if the electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data is lacking the first electronic tag ID compared with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, it is determined that the actual goods at the target storage location are lacking the goods corresponding to the first tag ID compared with the goods at the target storage location in the inventory record; if the electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data has more second electronic tag IDs compared with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, it is determined that the actual goods at the target storage location have more goods corresponding to the second tag ID compared with the goods at the target storage location in the inventory record. Thus, the abnormality of the storage of goods is detected more comprehensively.

[0058] A fourth method for determining actual products in a target storage location by server 320 according to first and second electronic tag data includes the steps of selecting an electronic tag ID of the target storage location from the first electronic tag data as a first electronic tag set according to the correspondence between the storage location and the electronic tag ID, selecting an electronic tag ID of the target storage location from the second electronic tag data as a second electronic tag set, and determining products corresponding to the electronic tag IDs in the union of the first and second electronic tag sets as actual products in the target storage location.

[0059] The product detection method is applicable when the electronic tag reading device does not precisely cover the target storage location, for example, covers the target storage location and some of the surrounding storage locations, so that the electronic tag data includes electronic tag data of the target storage location and other inventory locations, but the products in the target storage location can still be determined, and the requirements for the accuracy of the working coverage range of the electronic tag reading device are low.

[0060] Based on the fourth method, the server 320 may further inventory the inventory items by using the following method, in which the electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag set and the second electronic tag set is compared with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, and if the comparison results in a match, it is determined that the actual item at the target storage location matches the item at the target storage location in the inventory record, and if the electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag set and the second electronic tag set lacks a third electronic tag ID compared with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, it is determined that the actual item at the target storage location lacks the item corresponding to the third electronic tag ID compared with the item at the target storage location in the inventory record.

[0061] 9 shows a schematic flow diagram of a merchandise detection method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In these embodiments, the electronic tag reading device is only a first electronic tag reading device mounted on the ceiling.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 9, the commodity detection method of this embodiment includes the following steps.

[0063] In step 910, the server transmits a detection command including information of the target storage location to a first electronic tag reading device mounted on a ceiling that can cover the target storage location, and the first electronic tag reading device mounted on the ceiling receives the detection command transmitted by the server and obtains the information of the target storage location from the detection command.

[0064] The target storage locations may be, for example, ground-level storage locations or other commodity-intensive storage locations.

[0065] In step 920, the first electronic tag reading device adjusts the radiation angle of the antenna of the first electronic tag reading device according to the information of the target storage location, so that the radiation range can cover the target storage location.

[0066] In some embodiments, the first electronic tag reading device calculates a phase shift according to information of the storage location of the object, changes the phase according to the phase shift, and adjusts the radiation angle of the antenna by changing the phase.

[0067] In step 930, the first electronic tag reading device reads the first electronic tag data within the radiation range and transmits the first electronic tag data to the server, where the first electronic tag data includes at least the electronic tag ID of the target storage location.

[0068] In step 940, the server detects the actual item in the target storage location according to the first electronic tag data.

[0069] A first method for server 320 to detect an item in a target storage location according to the first electronic tag data is, for example, for server 320 to determine a product corresponding to the electronic tag ID in the first electronic tag data as an actual product in the target storage location.

[0070] The product detection method is applicable when the first electronic tag reading device can accurately cover the target storage location such that the first electronic tag data includes electronic tag data of the target storage location and does not include electronic tag data of other storage locations.

[0071] A second method for server 320 to detect products in a target storage location according to the first electronic tag data is, for example, for server 320 to select the electronic tag ID of the target storage location as a first electronic tag set from the first electronic tag data according to the correspondence between the storage location and the electronic tag ID, and determine the product corresponding to the electronic tag ID in the first electronic tag set as the actual product in the target storage location.

[0072] The product detection method is applicable when the first electronic tag data includes electronic tag data of a target storage location and another storage location, but the first electronic tag reading device cannot accurately cover the target storage location, for example, when it covers the target storage location and some of the surrounding storage locations, so that the first electronic tag reading device can still determine the products in the target storage location and the requirements for the accuracy of the working coverage range of the first electronic tag reading device are low.

[0073] In step 950, the server may also inventory items at the target storage location.

[0074] Based on the first method, the server 320 may further inventory the stocked goods by using the following method, where the server 320 compares the consistency between the electronic tag ID in the first electronic tag data and the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record to inventory the goods in the target storage location. If the comparison result is a match, it is determined that the actual goods in the target storage location are consistent with the goods in the target storage location in the inventory record; if the electronic tag ID in the first electronic tag data lacks the first electronic tag ID compared with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, it is determined that the actual goods in the target storage location lack the goods corresponding to the first tag ID compared with the goods in the target storage location in the inventory record; if the electronic tag ID in the first electronic tag data has more second electronic tag IDs compared with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, it is determined that the actual goods in the target storage location have more goods corresponding to the second tag ID compared with the goods in the target storage location in the inventory record. Thus, the abnormality of the storage of goods is detected more comprehensively.

[0075] Based on the second method, the server 320 may further inventory the stock items by using the following method, in which the consistency between the first electronic tag set of the detected target storage location and the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record is compared to inventory the items in the target storage location. If the comparison result is a match, it is determined that the actual items in the target storage location are consistent with the items in the target storage location in the inventory record, and if the first electronic tag set lacks a third electronic tag ID compared with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, it is determined that the actual items in the target storage location lack the items corresponding to the third electronic tag ID compared with the items in the target storage location in the inventory record.

[0076] If the detection task also includes other target storage locations, the detection of the next target storage location continues according to the item detection method until the detection task is completely finished.

[0077] According to the above embodiment, the electronic tags of the products are collected by using a first electronic tag reading device mounted on the ceiling, and the radiation angle of the antenna is adjustable so that the radiation range can cover the target storage location, which improves the accuracy of electronic tag data detection, improves the detection miss of electronic tag data detection, and further improves the accuracy of inventory goods, thereby providing advantageous support for warehouse management operations such as inventory check of goods. The solution of this embodiment can be applied to product inventory check scenes using high-density electronic tags, for example, product inventory check scenes of the type piled up on the ground.

[0078] 10 shows a schematic flow diagram of a merchandise detection method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In these embodiments, the electronic tag reading device includes a first electronic tag reading device mounted on a ceiling and a second electronic tag reading device used above the ground.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 10, the commodity detection method of this embodiment includes the following steps.

[0080] In step 1010, the server transmits a detection command, including information on the storage location of the target, to a second electronic tag reading device used on the ground.

[0081] The target storage locations may be, for example, ground-level storage locations or other commodity-intensive storage locations.

[0082] In step 1020, in response to the detection command, the second electronic tag reading device transmits a scan signal to activate the first electronic tag reading device mounted on the ceiling corresponding to the target storage location, obtains second electronic tag data of the target storage location through scanning, and transmits the second electronic tag data to a server, the second electronic tag data including at least a part or all of the electronic tag ID of the target storage location.

[0083] In addition, the second electronic tag reading device may further scan the storage location number of the object and transmit the storage location number of the object along with the second electronic tag data to the server.

[0084] In step 1030, a first electronic tag reading device mounted on the ceiling corresponding to the target storage location is activated, and the server sends a detection command including information of the target storage location to the first electronic tag reading device, and the first electronic tag reading device receives the detection command sent by the server and obtains the information of the target storage location from the detection command.

[0085] In step 1040, a first electronic tag reading device mounted on a ceiling corresponding to the target storage location adjusts the radiation angle of the antenna of the first electronic tag reading device according to the information of the target storage location so that the radiation range can cover the target storage location.

[0086] In step 1050, a first electronic tag reading device mounted on the ceiling corresponding to the target storage location reads first electronic tag data within the radiation range and transmits the first electronic tag data to a server, where the first electronic tag data includes at least the electronic tag ID of the target storage location.

[0087] In step 1060, the server determines the actual goods in the target storage location according to the acquired first and second electronic tag data.

[0088] A third method for determining, by the server 320, actual products in a target storage location according to the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data includes a step of determining a product corresponding to an electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data as an actual product in the target storage location.

[0089] The product detection method is applicable when the electronic tag reading device can accurately cover the target storage location so that the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data include electronic tag data of the target storage location and do not include electronic tag data of other storage locations.

[0090] A fourth method for determining actual products in a target storage location by server 320 according to first and second electronic tag data includes the steps of selecting an electronic tag ID of the target storage location from the first electronic tag data as a first electronic tag set according to the correspondence between the storage location and the electronic tag ID, selecting an electronic tag ID of the target storage location from the second electronic tag data as a second electronic tag set, and determining products corresponding to the electronic tag IDs in the union of the first and second electronic tag sets as actual products in the target storage location.

[0091] The product detection method is applicable when the electronic tag reading device does not precisely cover the target storage location, for example, covers the target storage location and some of the surrounding storage locations, so that the electronic tag data includes electronic tag data of the target storage location and other inventory locations, but the products in the target storage location can still be determined, and the requirements for the accuracy of the working coverage range of the electronic tag reading device are low.

[0092] In step 1070, the server may also inventory items at the target storage location.

[0093] Based on the third method, the server 320 may further inventory the stocked goods by using the following method, where the electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data is compared with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, and if the comparison result is a match, it is determined that the actual goods at the target storage location are consistent with the goods at the target storage location in the inventory record; if the electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data is lacking the first electronic tag ID compared with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, it is determined that the actual goods at the target storage location are lacking the goods corresponding to the first tag ID compared with the goods at the target storage location in the inventory record; if the electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data has more second electronic tag IDs compared with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, it is determined that the actual goods at the target storage location have more goods corresponding to the second tag ID compared with the goods at the target storage location in the inventory record. Thus, the abnormality of the storage of goods is detected more comprehensively.

[0094] Based on the fourth method, the server 320 may further inventory the inventory items by using the following method, in which the electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag set and the second electronic tag set is compared with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, and if the comparison results in a match, it is determined that the actual item at the target storage location matches the item at the target storage location in the inventory record, and if the electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag set and the second electronic tag set lacks a third electronic tag ID compared with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, it is determined that the actual item at the target storage location lacks the item corresponding to the third electronic tag ID compared with the item at the target storage location in the inventory record.

[0095] If the detection task also involves the location of other objects, the detection continues to detect the location of the next object according to the merchandise detection method until the detection task is completely finished.

[0096] According to the above embodiment, the electronic tags of the target storage location are jointly detected by the first electronic tag reading device mounted on the ceiling and the second electronic tag reading device used on the ground, which fully utilizes the advantages of the first electronic tag reading device mounted on the ceiling for detecting high and dense electronic tags and the advantages of the second electronic tag reading device used on the ground for detecting electronic tags near and around the ground, so as to improve the accuracy of electronic tag data detection, improve the detection miss of electronic tag data, and further improve the accuracy of inventory product detection, thereby providing advantageous support for warehouse management operations such as inventory check of products. The solution of this embodiment can be applied to product inventory check scenes using high-density electronic tags, for example, product inventory check scenes of types piled up on the ground.

[0097] An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, performs steps of the item detection method.

[0098] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided as a method, a system, or a computer program product. Thus, the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk memories, CD-ROMs, optical memories, etc.) having computer program code embodied therein.

[0099] The present disclosure will be described with reference to flow diagrams and / or block diagrams of merchandise detection methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each flow and / or block of the flow diagrams and / or block diagrams, and combinations of flows and / or blocks in the flow diagrams and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or a processor of other programmable data processing devices to generate a machine such that the instructions executed through the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing devices create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more flows and / or one or more blocks of the flow diagrams and / or block diagrams.

[0100] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a particular manner to produce a product including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one or more flows of the flow diagrams and / or one or more blocks of the block diagrams, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a particular manner to produce a product including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one or more flows of the flow diagrams and / or one or more blocks of the block diagrams.

[0101] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device to cause a series of operational steps to be executed on the computer or programmable device to generate a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions executing on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing a function specified in one or more flows of the flow diagrams and / or one or more blocks of the block diagrams.

[0102] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, and is not used to limit the present disclosure, and any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. within the scope of the gist and principle of the present disclosure should be included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 310 First electronic tag reading device 311 Control Unit 312 Phase Shifter 313 Antenna 314 Communication Unit 315 Peripheral Devices 316 Launch Unit 320 Server, Cloud Server 330 Second electronic tag reading device

Claims

1. receiving first electronic tag data detected for a storage location of interest and transmitted from a first electronic tag reading device mounted on the ceiling; receiving second electronic tag data detected for the storage location of the object and transmitted from a second electronic tag reading device used on the ground; determining an actual product in the target storage location according to the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data, where an electronic tag having an identification function is attached to the product; A product detection method comprising:

2. The step of determining an actual item in the target storage location according to the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data includes: determining a product corresponding to an electronic tag ID in a union of the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data as the actual product in the target storage location; The product detection method of claim 1 , comprising:

3. comparing the electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data with the electronic tag ID of the storage location of the object in an inventory record; responsive to a match, determining that the actual items at the target storage location match the items at the target storage location in the inventory record; in response to the absence of a first electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data compared to the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, determining that the actual product in the target storage location lacks a product corresponding to the first electronic tag ID compared to the product in the target storage location in the inventory record; in response to the electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data having more second electronic tag IDs compared to the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, determining that the actual products at the target storage location have more products corresponding to the second electronic tag IDs compared to the products at the target storage location in the inventory record; The product detection method of claim 2, further comprising:

4. The step of determining an actual item in the target storage location according to the first electronic tag data and the second electronic tag data includes: a step of selecting an electronic tag ID of the target storage location from the first electronic tag data as a first electronic tag set according to a correspondence relationship between storage locations and electronic tag IDs, selecting the electronic tag ID of the target storage location from the second electronic tag data as a second electronic tag set, and determining a product corresponding to an electronic tag ID in a union of the first electronic tag set and the second electronic tag set as the actual product in the target storage location; The product detection method of claim 1 , comprising:

5. comparing the electronic tag ID in the union of the first set of electronic tags and the second set of electronic tags with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in an inventory record; responsive to a match, determining that the actual items at the target storage location match the items at the target storage location in the inventory record; determining, in response to the electronic tag ID in the union of the first electronic tag set and the second electronic tag set lacking a third electronic tag ID when compared with the electronic tag ID of the target storage location in the inventory record, that the actual product at the target storage location lacks a product corresponding to the third electronic tag ID when compared with the product at the target storage location in the inventory record; The product detection method of claim 4, further comprising:

6. Acquiring information of a storage location of the target by a first electronic tag reading device attached to a ceiling; adjusting, by the first electronic tag reading device, a radiation angle of an antenna of the first electronic tag reading device according to the information of the storage location of the object so that a radiation range covers the storage location of the object; A step of reading first electronic tag data within the radiation range by the first electronic tag reading device and transmitting the first electronic tag data to a server for product detection, the first electronic tag data including at least an electronic tag ID of the storage location of the target; A product detection method comprising:

7. said step of adjusting, by said first electronic tag reading device, a radiation angle of an antenna of said first electronic tag reading device according to said information of the storage location of said object, calculating a phase shift according to the information of the storage location of the object by the first electronic tag reading device, changing a phase according to the phase shift, and adjusting the radiation angle of the antenna by changing the phase; The product detection method according to claim 6.

8. The merchandise detection method according to claim 6, further comprising a step of activating the first electronic tag reading device after receiving electromagnetic waves in a preset frequency band before acquiring the information of the storage location of the target.

9. a step of transmitting a scan signal by a second electronic tag reading device to activate the first electronic tag reading device and acquiring second electronic tag data of the target storage location through scanning; and a step of transmitting the second electronic tag data to the product detection server, the second electronic tag data including at least a part or all of the electronic tag ID of the target storage location; The merchandise detection method of claim 8, further comprising:

10. The server performs product detection, selecting, by the server, an electronic tag ID of the target storage location from the first electronic tag data as a first electronic tag set according to a correspondence relationship between storage locations and electronic tag IDs, and determining a product corresponding to the electronic tag ID in the first electronic tag set as an actual product in the target storage location; or determining, by the server, a product corresponding to the electronic tag ID in the first electronic tag data as the actual product in the target storage location; The merchandise detection method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

11. The commodity detection method according to claim 1 , wherein the target storage location is a storage location of a type where items are piled up on the ground.

12. Memory, a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 5 and claim 10 based on instructions stored in the memory; A server comprising:

13. a control unit configured to calculate a phase shift according to information of the target storage location and to send said phase shift to a phase shifter; a phase shifter configured to change a phase according to the phase shift and adjust a radiation angle of an antenna by changing the phase so that a radiation range covers a storage location of the object; the antenna having the radiation angle adjustable by the phase, configured to radiate a radiation signal and receive a signal carrying an electronic tag ID returned by an electronic tag within the radiation range; a communication unit configured to transmit the received first electronic tag data within the radiation range to a server, the first electronic tag data including at least an electronic tag ID of the storage location of the target; An electronic tag reading device comprising:

14. an activation unit configured to receive electromagnetic waves in a preset frequency band and activate the electronic tag reading device; The electronic tag reading device of claim 13 further comprising:

15. The starting unit includes: an initiation antenna configured to receive the electromagnetic waves in the preset frequency band; a wake-up circuit configured to collect electromagnetic energy and generate a DC signal for wake-up; 15. The electronic tag reading device according to claim 14, comprising:

16. 14. The electronic tag reading device of claim 13, wherein the antenna comprises a power feed network and an antenna array.

17. A server according to claim 12; A first electronic tag reading device installed on the ceiling in an area of ​​the warehouse according to any one of claims 13 to 16; A product detection system comprising:

18. A second electronic tag reading device configured to be used on the ground, to transmit a scan signal to activate the first electronic tag reading device, to obtain second electronic tag data of the storage location of the object through scanning, and to transmit the second electronic tag data to the server, the second electronic tag data including at least a part or all of the electronic tag ID of the storage location of the object.

20. The product detection system of claim 17, further comprising:

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program that is executed by a processor to perform the steps of the product detection method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

20. A computer program comprising instructions for execution by a processor to carry out the product detection method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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