Information reading system

Abstract

To provide an information reading system capable of easily introducing article management using an RFID tag.SOLUTION: The information reading system 1 includes the single mobile terminal 3 that reads the first information (tag ID) recorded in the RFID tag 12 attached to the book 10 as an example of an article and the second information (ISBN) readably attached to the book 10, and the control device 2 that records the first information and the second information read by the mobile terminal 3 in association with each other. A two-dimension code 13 corresponding to first information is added to the book 10 at a position readable by the portable terminal 3. The portable terminal 3 reads the two-dimension code 13.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information reading system. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART In recent years, a technology for managing items using wireless tags such as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags has become known.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology in which an RFID tag is embedded in the spine of a book, which is an example of an article, in advance when the book is bound, and information recorded in the RFID tag is used for book management. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-326474 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In conventional technologies such as Patent Document 1, RFID tags must be embedded in the managed items beforehand during the manufacturing stage. If RFID tags could be used for item management at any opportunity, such as during the distribution stage after the manufacturing stage, it would be easier to popularize item management using RFID tags.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide an information reading system that makes it easy to introduce item management using RFID tags. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An information reading system according to one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention comprises a single reading device that reads first information recorded on a wireless tag attached to an item and second information attached to the item in a readable manner, and a control device that records the first information and the second information read by the reading device in association with each other, wherein a two-dimensional code corresponding to the first information is attached to the item in a position readable by the reading device, and the reading device reads the two-dimensional code.

[0008] According to this aspect, the reading device can acquire the first information by reading a two-dimensional code attached to a readable position on the item, instead of reading the first information from a wireless tag. Furthermore, since the second information is also attached to the item in a readable manner, the reading device can also acquire the second information. Therefore, two types of information can be read from the managed item using a single reading device, simplifying the system configuration. Furthermore, since the configuration in which the first information is acquired by reading the two-dimensional code 13 allows the first information to be easily acquired even in an environment where there is no reader device that reads information from a wireless tag, a system for managing items based on wireless tags can be introduced with a simple configuration and at low cost. As a result, the information reading system of this aspect makes it easy to introduce item management using RFID tags.

[0009] In a work management system according to another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the first information is first identification information including unique information assigned to each of the wireless tags, the second information is second identification information relating to the type of item, the item has a two-dimensional code corresponding to the first identification information attached to it in a position readable by the reading device, and a barcode corresponding to the second identification information attached to it in a position readable by the reading device, and the reading device may be configured to read the two-dimensional code and the barcode.

[0010] According to this aspect, the first information read by the reading device is first identification information including unique information assigned to each tag, so by linking this unique information to second identification information related to the type of item and recording it, it becomes easy to distinguish and manage the items by unit.

[0011] In a work management system according to another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the reading device may acquire the first identification information from the read two-dimensional code and the second identification information from the read barcode, and the control device may be configured to link and record the first identification information and the second identification information acquired by the reading device.

[0012] According to this aspect, the reading device can perform the processing up to obtaining the first identification information and the second identification information, and the control device only needs to perform the processing of linking and recording the information received from the reading device. Therefore, the series of tasks of reading and recording information can be distributed in a balanced manner between the reading device and the control device, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0013] In a work management system according to another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the reading device may be an imaging device, and may transmit first image information obtained by imaging the two-dimensional code and second image information obtained by imaging the barcode to the control device, and the control device may acquire the first identification information from the two-dimensional code included in the first image information, acquire the second identification information from the barcode included in the second image information, and record the acquired first identification information and second identification information in association with each other.

[0014] According to this aspect, the reading device does not need to have a function for reading the first identification information and the second identification information from the image information, so that the application for information reading control to be installed in the reading device can be simplified.

[0015] In a work management system according to another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the first image information and the second image information may be included in a single image information captured together of the two-dimensional code and the barcode.

[0016] According to this aspect, the time and effort required to photograph two types of codes separately can be eliminated, and the work efficiency when acquiring image information can be improved.

[0017] In a work management system according to another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the item may be a book, the first information may be tag-specific information assigned to each wireless tag, the second information may be an ISBN relating to the type of book, and the control device may be configured to record the tag-specific information and the ISBN in association with each other.

[0018] According to this embodiment, it is possible to easily introduce a book management system that uses RFID tags.

[0019] In a work management system according to another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the two-dimensional code corresponding to the tag-specific information may be configured to be placed adjacent to the printed location of a barcode corresponding to the ISBN in the book.

[0020] According to this aspect, it is easy to capture a two-dimensional code and a barcode together in a single captured image, which eliminates the need to capture two types of codes separately, thereby improving work efficiency when acquiring image information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an information reading system that makes it easy to introduce item management using RFID tags. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information reading system according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] Functional block diagram of information reading system [Figure 3] Hardware configuration diagram of mobile terminal and control device [Figure 4]Flowchart of information reading control performed by the information reading system DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. To facilitate understanding of the description, the same components in the drawings will be denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0024] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information reading system 1 according to an embodiment. The information reading system 1 is a device that acquires information about a wireless tag and an object from a measured object (item) to which the wireless tag is affixed, and manages the information by linking the information.

[0025] In this embodiment, an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag 12 is used as an example of a wireless tag, and a book 10 is used as an example of an article. The RFID tag 12 is also called an IC tag, an RF-ID tag, or an RF tag. Here, the "book" used in this embodiment can be defined as a book that is purchased and sold by a bookstore as a publication with an ISBN code.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the information reading system 1 includes a control device 2 and a mobile terminal 3.

[0027] The mobile terminal 3 is an example of a single reading device that reads first information recorded in an RFID tag 12 attached to the book 10 and second information attached to the book 10 in a readable manner. The mobile terminal 3 includes, for example, a smartphone or a tablet, and has an imaging unit 31. The imaging unit 31 is an optical device for taking photos and videos. In the example of FIG. 1, the mobile terminal 3 acquires the first information and the second information by using the imaging unit 31 to capture images of the portions of the book 10 related to the first information and the second information.

[0028] Here, when the managed item is a book 10, the "first information" refers to tag-specific information (first identification information) assigned to each RFID tag 12, such as unique information (such as EPC or TID) assigned to each tag when the tag is manufactured and capable of individually identifying the tag. The "second information" refers to an ISBN (second identification information) related to the type of book 10. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a barcode 11 (hereinafter also referred to as "ISBN code 11") corresponding to the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is printed on the back cover of the book 10. In other words, the ISBN code 11 is attached to the front of the book 10 in a position readable by the mobile terminal 3. The first information may be information other than the tag-specific information, and the second information may be information other than the ISBN or information other than the type of item.

[0029] In this embodiment, in order to enable a single mobile terminal 3 to read both the first information and the second information, a two-dimensional code 13 corresponding to the tag-specific information is added to the book 10 at a position readable by the mobile terminal 3. The mobile terminal 3 acquires the first information by reading the two-dimensional code 13 instead of directly reading the first information from the RFID tag 12. The mobile terminal 3 also acquires the second information by reading the ISBN code 11.

[0030] In this embodiment, the two-dimensional code 13 corresponding to the first information (tag-specific information) is preferably placed adjacent to the printed location of the ISBN code 11 on the book 10. In the example of FIG. 1 , the RFID tag 12 is attached directly below the ISBN code 11 using a sheet-like label 14. The label 14 covers the entire tag and is attached to the book 10 using an adhesive layer around the tag on the back side. The label 14 is made of a material that can be printed on its surface, such as paper or resin. In this embodiment, the two-dimensional code 13 corresponding to the tag-specific information of the RFID tag 12 is printed on the surface of the label 14. As a result, in this embodiment, the ISBN code 11 and the two-dimensional code 13 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction of the book 10 on the back cover of the book 10.

[0031] It should be noted that it is sufficient that at least the two-dimensional code 13 is attached to the book 10 so as to be readable by the mobile terminal 3, and the two-dimensional code 13 does not necessarily have to be formed integrally with the RFID tag 12. For example, the RFID tag 12 may be installed so as not to be exposed on the surface of the book 10, for example by being embedded inside the spine during manufacturing, or a label 14 containing only the two-dimensional code 13 without the RFID tag 12 may be attached to the surface of the book 10. Alternatively, only the two-dimensional code 13 may be printed on the surface of the book 10. Even when only the two-dimensional code 13 is attached to the surface of the book 10 in this way, it is preferable to place the two-dimensional code 13 directly below the ISBN code 11, as in the example of FIG. 1.

[0032] By arranging the ISBN code 11 and the two-dimensional code 13 adjacent to each other on the back cover of the book 10 in this way, the imaging unit 31 of the portable terminal 3 can photograph the two types of codes 11 and 13 together so that they fit into a single image, making the code reading operation easier.

[0033] Generally, the back cover of a book 10 often has a two-line barcode called the book JAN (Japanese Article Number) code printed mainly in the upper left corner. The JAN code is the Japanese name for a globally recognized product identification code, and is also known internationally as the EAN (European Article Number) code, GTIN-13, or GTIN-8. The upper barcode of the book JAN code contains ISBN information, while the lower barcode contains information such as the C code (book classification code) and the book's retail price. The ISBN code 11 according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 corresponds to the upper barcode of the book JAN code.

[0034] In particular, in this embodiment, when the label 14 on which the two-dimensional code 13 is printed is placed adjacent to the printed location of the ISBN code 11, it is preferable to affix the label 14 directly above the barcode below the book JAN code, i.e., the barcode containing information such as the C code, so that the barcode is covered and hidden. This prevents misreading of other information such as the C code when reading the ISBN or tag ID, and therefore makes it possible to more reliably obtain the ISBN and tag ID information required for database creation in this embodiment.

[0035] The two-dimensional code 13 only needs to be affixed to at least a position on the surface of the book 10 that can be read by the imaging unit 31 of the mobile terminal 3 so that it can be imaged by the imaging unit 31, and may be placed in any position, such as a part of the back cover other than directly below the ISBN code 11, or on the spine. In this case, a first image including the two-dimensional code 13 and a second image including the ISBN code 11 may be captured separately.

[0036] The portable terminal 3 may be a single reading device that reads the first information recorded in the RFID tag 12 attached to the book 10 and the second information attached in a readable manner to the book 10, and may be another device such as a code reader that can read both barcodes and two-dimensional codes. Alternatively, the portable terminal 3 may be configured to use a function other than the imaging unit 31 of the portable terminal 3.

[0037] The control device 2 links and records the tag-specific information (tag ID) and ISBN read by the mobile terminal 3. The control device 2 is connected to the mobile terminal 3 so that they can communicate with each other via wired or wireless communication. When the control device 2 receives the tag ID and ISBN together from the mobile terminal, it links and records this set of information. The information recorded in the control device 2 can be viewed by users of the information reading system 1 or output to an external device.

[0038] Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of the information reading system 1. As functions related to a series of operations of the information reading system 1 described above, as shown in Fig. 2, the mobile terminal 3 has an image capture control unit 32 and an information acquisition unit 33, and the control device 2 has an information recording unit 21 and an article information storage unit 22.

[0039] The photography control unit 32 of the portable terminal 3 controls the operation of the imaging unit 31 of the portable terminal 3. The photography control unit 32 causes the imaging unit 31 to perform an imaging operation in response to, for example, a user of the information reading system 1 (for example, a bookstore clerk) inputting a photography command via an application for the information reading system installed in the portable terminal 3. The photography control unit 32 outputs image information photographed and acquired by the imaging unit 31 to the information acquisition unit 33. This image information includes the area on the surface of the book 10 where the barcode 11 and the two-dimensional code 13 are arranged.

[0040] The information acquisition unit 33 acquires the tag ID of the RFID tag 12 and the ISBN of the book 10 based on the image information input from the photography control unit 32. The information acquisition unit 33 can, for example, extract the area of ​​the two-dimensional code 13 from the image information and read the tag ID from the two-dimensional code 13. It can also extract the area of ​​the barcode 11 from the image information and read the ISBN from the barcode 11. The information acquisition unit 33 outputs a group of information including the acquired tag ID and ISBN to the control device 2.

[0041] The information recording unit 21 of the control device 2 extracts the tag ID and the ISBN from the information group including the tag ID and the ISBN input from the information acquisition unit 33 of the mobile terminal 3. The information recording unit 21 outputs the extracted tag ID and ISBN to the product information storage unit 22 as a set of data.

[0042] The product information storage unit 22 of the control device 2 is a database that records tag IDs and ISBNs in association with each other based on the data set of the tag IDs and ISBNs input from the information recording unit 21. Note that information other than the tag IDs and ISBNs may be added to the data set recorded in the product information storage unit 22. The information recorded in the product information storage unit 22 can be viewed by users of the information reading system 1 or output to the outside.

[0043] 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of the mobile terminal 3 and the control device 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the mobile terminal 3 and the control device 2 can be physically configured as a computer system including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 102 and a ROM (Read Only Memory) 103 as main storage devices, an input device 104 such as a keyboard and a mouse as input devices, an output device 105 such as a display, a communication module 106 as a data transmission / reception device such as a network card, an auxiliary storage device 107, etc. The functions of the mobile terminal 3 and the control device 4 described with reference to FIG. 2 are realized by loading predetermined computer software onto hardware such as the CPU 101 and RAM 102, thereby operating the communication module 106, the input device 104, and the output device 105 under the control of the CPU 101, and reading and writing data from and to the RAM 102 and the auxiliary storage device 107.

[0044] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of information reading control performed by the information reading system 1. The processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 is performed, for example, when a bookstore clerk wants to perform inventory management based on RFID tags for books 10 that were not RFID-tagged when bound or received. In this situation, as a preprocessing step before performing the processing of the flowchart in FIG. 4, the clerk prepares RFID tags 12 in the same number as the number of books 10 to be managed and later affixes one RFID tag 12 to each book 10. In this case, as illustrated and described in FIG. 1, for example, a label 14 covering the RFID tag 12 has a two-dimensional code 13 printed thereon corresponding to the tag ID of the RFID tag 12, and the clerk preferably affixes the label 14 directly below the ISBN code 11 printed on the back cover of the book 10.

[0045] Another example is a situation in which RFID tag 12 is attached to book 10 in advance, for example, embedded inside the spine during manufacturing so as not to be exposed on the surface of book 10, but there is no RFID reader at the location where tag-based management of book 10 is desired, and the tag ID cannot be read directly from the tag. In this situation, as a preprocessing step before performing the processing of the flowchart in Figure 4, a store clerk affixes label 14 on the surface of book 10 to be included in the management target, on which is printed two-dimensional code 13 corresponding to the tag ID of RFID tag 12 that is attached to book 10 in advance. Alternatively, two-dimensional code 13 may be printed on the surface of book 10.

[0046] In step S1, an application for controlling information reading that is installed in the mobile terminal 3 is started by the user of the information reading system 1. In the above case, the user is, for example, a bookstore clerk.

[0047] In step S2, in response to an operation input from the user via the application started in step S1, the photographing control unit 32 of the mobile terminal 3 uses the imaging unit 31 of the mobile terminal 3 to photograph an image including the ISBN code 11 printed on the back cover of the book 10 and the two-dimensional code 13 printed on the surface of the label 14 of the RFID tag 12 attached to the book 10. The photographing control unit 32 outputs the image information photographed and acquired by the imaging unit 31 to the information acquisition unit 33.

[0048] 1, if the two-dimensional code 13 is attached immediately below and adjacent to the ISBN code 11 on the back cover of the book 10, it is easy to capture the two-dimensional code 13 and the barcode 11 together in a single captured image in step S2. This eliminates the need to take separate images of the two types of codes 11 and 13, improving work efficiency when acquiring image information.

[0049] In step S3, the information acquisition unit 33 of the mobile terminal 3 acquires the ISBN of the book 10 from the ISBN code 11 and the tag ID of the RFID tag 12 from the two-dimensional code 13 of the image information acquired in step S2.

[0050] In step S4, the information acquisition unit 33 transmits to the control device 2 the information group of the ISBN and tag ID acquired in step S3.

[0051] In step S5, the information recording unit 21 of the control device 2 links the ISBN and tag ID sent and received from the information acquisition unit 33 of the mobile terminal 3 in step S4 and records them as a set of data in the item information storage unit 22.

[0052] If there are multiple books 10 to be included in the management target, the processing of steps S2 to S5 is performed sequentially for each book. When the information reading control for all books 10 is completed, this control flow ends. As a result, multiple sets of data, each including an ISBN and a tag ID, are added to the product information storage unit 22 for each of the multiple books 10 to be included in the management target.

[0053] As described above, the information reading system 1 of this embodiment includes a single portable terminal 3 that reads first information (tag ID) recorded on an RFID tag 12 attached to a book 10 as an example of an article, and second information (ISBN) attached in a readable manner to the book 10, and a control device 2 that records the first information and the second information read by the portable terminal 3 in association with each other. A two-dimensional code 13 corresponding to the first information is attached to the book 10 in a position readable by the portable terminal 3. The portable terminal 3 reads the two-dimensional code 13.

[0054] With this configuration, the mobile terminal 3 can acquire the first information by reading the two-dimensional code 13 attached to a readable position on the book 10, instead of reading the first information (tag ID) from the RFID tag 12. Furthermore, because the second information (ISBN) is also attached to the book 10 in a readable manner, the mobile terminal 3 can also acquire the second information. Therefore, a single mobile terminal 3 can read two types of information from the book 10, which is an example of an item to be managed, simplifying the system configuration. Furthermore, since the configuration in which the first information (tag ID) is acquired by reading the two-dimensional code 13 allows the first information to be easily acquired even in an environment where there is no reader device, such as an RFID reader, that reads information from the RFID tag 12. This allows a system for managing items based on the RFID tag 12 to be introduced with a simple configuration and at low cost. Furthermore, once the first information (tag ID) and the second information (ISBN) can be acquired, these multiple pieces of information are automatically linked and organized into a database, simplifying the creation of a database required for using RFID tags for item management. As a result, the information reading system 1 of this embodiment can easily introduce article management using RFID tags.

[0055] Furthermore, in the information reading system 1 of this embodiment, the first information is first identification information including unique information (tag ID) assigned to each RFID tag 12, and the second information is second identification information (ISBN) relating to the type of book 10 as an example of an article. A two-dimensional code 13 corresponding to the first identification information is attached to the book 10 at a position readable by the portable terminal 3, and a barcode 11 corresponding to the second identification information is attached to the book 10 at a position readable by the portable terminal 3. The portable terminal 3 reads the two-dimensional code 13 and the barcode 11.

[0056] With this configuration, the first information read by the mobile terminal is first identification information including unique information assigned to each tag, so if this unique information is recorded in association with second identification information related to the type of book 10, it becomes easy to distinguish and manage each book 10 separately.

[0057] Furthermore, in the information reading system 1 of this embodiment, the mobile terminal 3 acquires first identification information (tag ID) from the read two-dimensional code 13, and acquires second identification information (ISBN) from the read barcode 11. The control device 2 records the first identification information and the second identification information acquired by the mobile terminal 3 in association with each other.

[0058] With this configuration, the mobile terminal 3 can perform the process of obtaining the first identification information (tag ID) and the second identification information (ISBN), and the control device 2 only needs to perform the process of linking and recording the information received from the mobile terminal 3. This allows the series of tasks of reading and recording information to be distributed in a balanced manner between the mobile terminal 3 and the control device 2, improving work efficiency.

[0059] In a configuration using the imaging unit 31 of the portable terminal 3 as a reader, as in the above embodiment, the portable terminal 3 may acquire image information and then transmit the acquired image information to the control device 2. In this configuration, the information recording unit 21 of the control device 2 first acquires a tag ID from the two-dimensional code 13 included in the image information received from the portable terminal 3 and acquires an ISBN from the barcode 11 included in the image information. Next, the acquired tag ID and ISBN are linked and recorded in the item information storage unit 22. In this configuration, the portable terminal 3 does not need to have the function of reading the tag ID and ISBN from the image information, so the application for information reading control installed on the portable terminal 3 can be simplified. Simplifying the application is particularly effective when a single control device 2 aggregates information acquired by multiple portable terminals 3, as it allows key functions to be shared among multiple portable terminals 3, thereby reducing system operation costs.

[0060] The present embodiment has been described above with reference to specific examples. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these specific examples. Design modifications to these specific examples made by a person skilled in the art as appropriate are also included within the scope of the present disclosure as long as they comprise the features of the present disclosure. The elements of the above-described specific examples, as well as their arrangement, conditions, shape, etc., are not limited to those exemplified and can be modified as appropriate. The elements of the above-described specific examples can be combined in various ways as appropriate, as long as no technical contradictions arise. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1 Information reading system 2. Control device 3. Mobile terminal (reader) 10 Books (goods) 11 ISBN code (barcode) 12 RFID tags (wireless tags) 13 QR Code

Claims

1. a single reader that reads first information recorded in a wireless tag attached to an article and second information attached to the article in a readable manner; a control device that associates the first information and the second information read by the reading device and records them; Equipped with a two-dimensional code corresponding to the first information is attached to the article at a position readable by the reader; The reader reads the two-dimensional code. Information reading system.

2. the first information is first identification information including unique information assigned to each of the wireless tags, the second information is second identification information relating to the type of the item, the two-dimensional code corresponding to the first identification information is attached to the article at a position readable by the reading device, and the barcode corresponding to the second identification information is attached to the article at a position readable by the reading device; The reading device reads the two-dimensional code and the barcode.

2. The information reading system according to claim 1.

3. the reading device acquires the first identification information from the read two-dimensional code and acquires the second identification information from the read barcode; the control device records the first identification information and the second identification information acquired by the reading device in association with each other; 3. The information reading system according to claim 2.

4. the reading device is an imaging device, and transmits first image information obtained by capturing an image of the two-dimensional code and second image information obtained by capturing an image of the barcode to the control device; the control device acquires the first identification information from the two-dimensional code included in the first image information, acquires the second identification information from the barcode included in the second image information, and records the acquired first identification information and the acquired second identification information in association with each other.

3. The information reading system according to claim 2.

5. the first image information and the second image information are included in a single image information obtained by capturing an image of the two-dimensional code and the barcode together; 5. The information reading system according to claim 4.

6. the article is a book, the first information is tag-specific information assigned to each of the wireless tags, the second information is an ISBN related to the type of book; The control device records the tag-specific information and the ISBN in association with each other.

6. The information reading system according to claim 1.

7. the two-dimensional code corresponding to the tag-specific information is arranged adjacent to a printed location of a barcode corresponding to the ISBN in the book; 7. The information reading system according to claim 6.

Images