Inventory Management System

Abstract

To accurately grasp the storage status of goods at a plurality of entrances. [Solution] The system comprises an RFID tag attached to an item and having written thereon unique information that can identify the item; reading means provided in each of a plurality of entrances 10a to 10f for contactlessly reading the unique information from the RFID tag; and a control computer 50 that, when the unique information is read for each of the plurality of entrances 10a to 10f, determines that the item identified by the unique information is stored in that entrance; when one piece of unique information is read via the reading means provided in a plurality of entrances 10a to 10f, the control computer 50 determines that the item identified by the unique information is stored in the entrance provided with reading means that has the strongest reception strength from the RFID tag for that unique information, and registers this fact in a database 60.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article management system. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Electronic lockers are known that attach RFID tags to items and manage the storage status of the items by reading information from the RFID tags (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-214986 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In systems that manage the storage status of items by reading information from RFID tags attached to items, such as the electronic lockers mentioned above, it can be difficult to accurately determine the storage space, especially when items are stored in multiple spaces.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems associated with the conventional technology described above, and aims to provide an item management system that can accurately grasp the storage status of items at multiple openings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides: An article management system that manages the storage status of articles at multiple door openings, an RFID tag attached to the item and having unique information written thereon that can identify the item; a reading means provided at each of the plurality of entrances for contactlessly reading the unique information from the RFID tag; and a management means for determining, when the unique information is read by the reading means for each of the plurality of openings, that an item identified by the unique information is stored in the opening, When one piece of unique information is read by the reading means installed at the multiple entrances, the management means determines that the item identified by the unique information is stored at the entrance where the reading means is installed that has the strongest reception strength from the RFID tag of the unique information, and registers this in the database.

[0007] In the present invention configured as described above, when unique information is read from an RFID tag via a reading means for each of a plurality of door-equipped entrances, it is determined that an item identified by the read unique information is stored in that entrance. In this configuration, when one unique information is read via reading means provided at a plurality of entrances, it is determined that the item identified by that unique information is stored in the entrance provided with reading means that has the strongest reception strength from the RFID tag of the read unique information, and this fact is registered in the database.

[0008] In this way, for each of the multiple doored entrances, the unique information is read from the RFID tag to determine which entrance the item is stored in.Furthermore, even if one unique information is read via reading means installed at multiple entrances, it is determined that the item is stored in the entrance where the reading means is installed that has the strongest reception strength from the RFID tag of the read unique information, so the storage status of items at the multiple entrances can be accurately grasped.

[0009] In addition, when one piece of unique information is read through the reading means installed at the multiple entrances and the reception strength of the unique information from the RFID tag is the same for the reading means installed at the multiple entrances, the management means may determine that the item identified by the unique information is stored in the entrance where the reading means that reads the unique information the most number of times within a certain reading time is installed, and register this in the database.

[0010] In such a configuration, one unique piece of information is read through a reading means installed at multiple entrances, and even if the reception strength from the RFID tag of the read unique information is the same for the reading means installed at multiple entrances, the storage status of items at multiple entrances can be accurately grasped.

[0011] In addition, the management means may be configured such that, when the unique information can no longer be read from the RFID tag attached to an item that is registered in the database as being stored in each of the multiple openings, it determines that the item identified by the unique information has been removed from that opening and registers this in the database.

[0012] In this configuration, it is possible to know that an article stored in each of the multiple openings has been removed from that opening.

[0013] In addition, the management means may be configured such that, for each of the multiple entrances, when the unique information is read from an RFID tag attached to an item that has been registered in the database as having been removed from that entrance via a reading means installed in that entrance, the management means determines that the item identified by the unique information has been returned to that entrance and registers this in the database.

[0014] In this configuration, it is possible to know that the removed article has been returned to each of the multiple openings.

[0015] In addition, the management means may be configured such that, for each of the multiple entrances, when the unique information is read from an RFID tag attached to an item that is registered in the database as having been removed from that entrance via a reading means installed at an entrance other than the entrance, the management means determines that the item identified by the unique information has been moved and registers this in the database.

[0016] In this configuration, it is possible to know for each of the multiple openings that an item removed has been moved to another opening.

[0017] Furthermore, the unique information includes attribute information that can identify the type of the item, The management means may be configured to set the types of items that can be stored for each of the multiple openings, and to output a warning if the attribute information contained in the unique information read by the reading means is not capable of identifying the types of items that can be stored in the opening where the reading means is installed.

[0018] In such a configuration, a warning can be output for each of the multiple openings when an item that should not be stored therein is stored therein.

[0019] The type of goods that can be stored in each of the plurality of openings may also be configured to be changeable as desired using the association between the attribute information and the type of goods that can be stored in the opening.

[0020] In such a configuration, even when a new type of article is to be stored, it is possible to set a width corresponding to the article without increasing the number of widths.

[0021] Furthermore, the unique information includes attribute-free information indicating that the item can be stored in any of the plurality of openings as the attribute information, The management means may be configured not to output a warning when the unique information read by the reading means includes the attribute-free information, regardless of which of the reading means provided at the multiple entrances the unique information is read by.

[0022] In such a configuration, by including attribute-free information in the unique information written to the attached RFID tag, a specific item can be stored in any opening.

[0023] In addition, the management means may be configured not to output a warning even if, for a specified opening among the multiple openings, the attribute information contained in the unique information read by the reading means is not capable of identifying the type of item that can be stored in the opening where the reading means is installed.

[0024] In such a configuration, any type of item can be stored within a given opening. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to the present invention, for each of multiple door-equipped openings, unique information is read from an RFID tag to determine which opening the item is stored in.Furthermore, even if one unique information is read via reading means installed at multiple openings, it is determined that the item is stored in the opening where the reading means is installed that has the strongest reception strength from the RFID tag of the read unique information, so the storage status of items at multiple openings can be accurately grasped.

[0026] Furthermore, when the management means reads one piece of unique information through the reading means provided at the multiple entrances and the reception strength of the unique information from the RFID tag is the same for the reading means provided at the multiple entrances, it determines that the item identified by the unique information is stored in the entrance where the reading means that reads the unique information the most times within a certain reading time is provided, and registers this fact in a database, it is possible to accurately grasp the storage status of items at the multiple entrances even when one piece of unique information is read through the reading means provided at the multiple entrances and the reception strength from the RFID tag of the read unique information is the same for the reading means provided at the multiple entrances.

[0027] Furthermore, when the management means is unable to read the unique information from the RFID tag attached to an item that is registered in the database as being stored in each of the multiple openings, it determines that the item identified by the unique information has been removed from that opening and registers this in the database, making it possible to know that an item that was stored in each of the multiple openings has been removed from that opening.

[0028] Furthermore, when the management means reads the unique information from an RFID tag attached to an item that has been registered in the database as having been removed from each of the multiple entrances via a reading means installed at that entrance, it determines that the item identified by the unique information has been returned to that entrance, and registers this in the database, making it possible to grasp that the removed item has been returned to that entrance for each of the multiple entrances.

[0029] Furthermore, when the management means reads the unique information from an RFID tag attached to an item that has been registered in the database as having been removed from one of the multiple entrances via a reading means installed at an entrance other than the multiple entrance, it determines that the item identified by the unique information has been moved, and registers this in the database, making it possible to determine that the removed item has been moved to another entrance for each of the multiple entrances.

[0030] In addition, if the unique information includes attribute information that can identify the type of item, the management means sets the type of item that can be stored for each of the multiple openings, and the attribute information included in the unique information read by the reading means is not capable of identifying the type of item that can be stored in the opening where the reading means is installed, a warning can be output when an item that should not be stored is stored in each of the multiple openings.

[0031] Furthermore, in the case where the types of goods that can be stored in each of the multiple openings can be arbitrarily changed by associating the attribute information with the types of goods that can be stored in the openings, even when a new type of goods is to be stored, an opening corresponding to that goods can be set without increasing the number of openings.

[0032] Furthermore, the unique information includes attribute-free information as the attribute information indicating that the item can be stored in any of the multiple openings, and when the unique information read by the reading means includes the attribute-free information, the management means does not output a warning regardless of which of the reading means provided at the multiple openings the unique information is read in.In such a case, for a specific item, by including the attribute-free information in the unique information written in the attached RFID tag, the item can be made to be storable in any of the openings.

[0033] Furthermore, in the case where the management means does not output a warning even if the attribute information contained in the unique information read by the reading means is not capable of identifying the type of item that can be stored in a specified opening among the multiple openings, it is possible to store any type of item in the specified opening. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an article management system of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are diagrams showing the configuration of the locker entrance shown in FIG. 1, where (a) shows a state where no items to be managed are stored, and (b) shows a state where items are stored. [Figure 3] 3A and 3B are diagrams showing the configuration of the RFID tag shown in FIG. 2(b), where (a) is a diagram showing the stacked state and (b) is a diagram showing the configuration of the surface of the inlet. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the reader / writer shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control personal computer shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart for explaining the processing when managing the storage status of items at the frontage in the item management system shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing information received by the control personal computer from the reader / writer. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for registering and updating the storage status of an item in a database. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of information registered in a database. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart for explaining a process when the types of items that can be stored for each opening are set. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data format of a tag ID. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0036] Overall structure Fig. 1 is a diagram showing one embodiment of an article management system of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the openings 10a to 10f of the locker 10 shown in Fig. 1, where (a) is a diagram showing a state where no articles to be managed are stored, and (b) is a diagram showing a state where articles are stored.

[0037] As shown in Figure 1, this embodiment comprises a locker 10, a reader / writer 40, a control computer 50, a database 60, and a host system 70, and manages the storage status of an item 2 in the locker 10 using an RFID tag 20 (see Figure 2) attached to the item 2 (see Figure 2).

[0038] The locker 10 has multiple openings 10a-10f. In this embodiment, the locker 10 has a total of six openings 10a-10f, arranged in three vertical rows and two horizontal rows, but the number is not limited to six as long as there is more than one. As shown in FIG. 2(a), each of the openings 10a-10f is configured by side plates 13-15 arranged upright on three sides of a bottom plate 11, and a top plate 12 arranged opposite the bottom plate 11. A door 16 is rotatably held by a hinge or the like on one of the side plates 13-15. By rotating the door 16 around the connection point with the side plate 15, the openings 10a-10f surrounded by the bottom plate 11, the top plate 12, and the side plates 13-15 can be opened or closed. The bottom plate 11, the top plate 12, the side plates 13 to 15, and the door 16 are made of a material that reflects or absorbs radio waves, such as metal. Alternatively, the bottom plate 11, the top plate 12, the side plates 13 to 15, and the door 16 may be surrounded by a material that reflects or absorbs radio waves.

[0039] In the locker 10 configured as above, an article 2 is stored in each of the openings 10a to 10f, as shown in Fig. 2(b). The article 2 may be an information recording medium such as a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a CMT (Cassette Magnetic Tape), or an LTO (Linear Tape-Open), as well as documents and ID cards. An RFID tag 20 is attached to the article 2.

[0040] Furthermore, in each of the openings 10a to 10f, an antenna 31 is attached to the bottom plate 11, and an antenna 32 is also attached to the top plate 12. The antennas 31 and 32 are examples of the reading means of the present invention. The antenna may be attached to only one of the bottom plate 11 and the top plate 12, or may be attached to the inner surface of the side plates 13 to 15 or the door 16.

[0041] The reader / writer 40 is electrically connected to antennas 31 and 32 provided in each of the openings 10a to 10f via a cable (not shown). Radio waves are emitted from the antennas 31 and 32, which contactlessly read information from RFID tags present within the openings 10a to 10f via the antennas 31 and 32. Spaces exist between the openings 10a to 10f in the locker 10, and cables connecting the reader / writer 40 to the antennas 31 and 32 may be routed through these spaces. Specifically, a space exists between the bottom plate 11 of the opening 10a and the top plate 12 of the opening 10c, and a space exists between the side plate 15 of the opening 10a and the side plate 13 of the opening 10b. Furthermore, a space exists between the bottom plate 11 of the opening 10c and the top plate 12 of the opening 10e, and a space exists between the side plate 15 of the opening 10c and the side plate 13 of the opening 10d. There is also a space between the side panel 15 of the front opening 10e and the side panel 13 of the front opening 10f. Furthermore, a back panel (not shown) is attached to the back of the locker 10 (the side opposite the openings 10a to 10f) so as to cover all of the front openings 10a to 10f, and there is also a space between this back panel and the side panel 14 of the front openings 10a to 10f. A cable connecting the reader / writer 40 to the antennas 31 and 32 may be laid in these spaces. The reader / writer 40 may be provided outside the locker 10 or may be stored in one of the front openings 10a to 10f.

[0042] The control computer 50 is electrically connected to the reader / writer 40 via a cable, and manages the storage status of items in the openings 10a to 10f by having the reader / writer 40 read information from RFID tags present within the openings 10a to 10f via antennas 31 and 32.

[0043] <Configuration of RFID tag 20> 3A and 3B are diagrams showing the configuration of the RFID tag 20 shown in Fig. 2(b), where (a) is a diagram showing the stacked state and (b) is a diagram showing the configuration of the surface of the inlet 24. Note that the configuration of the RFID tag 20 shown in Fig. 3 is merely an example, and other configurations may be used as long as information can be read by the reader / writer 40 via the antennas 31 and 32.

[0044] The RFID tag 20 is used to detect whether or not an article 2 is stored in the openings 10a to 10f. As shown in Fig. 3, the RFID tag 20 is configured such that adhesive layers 27a, 27b are laminated on the front and back of a strip-shaped inlet 24, and a surface sheet 25 is attached to the surface of the inlet 24 via the adhesive layer 27a.

[0045] The inlet 24 has a base substrate 23 , two antennas 22 , and an IC chip 21 .

[0046] The base substrate 23 is made of a non-conductive material such as a film.

[0047] The two antennas 22 are formed by two isosceles triangular conductors arranged side by side with a gap between them on one surface of the base substrate 23. The shape of the antenna 22 is not limited to this, and various other shapes are possible, such as two strip-shaped conductors arranged in a straight line with a gap between them, or an antenna made up of a single conductor.

[0048] The IC chip 21 is provided with two antenna terminals (not shown), and is mounted on the surface of the base substrate 23 on which the antenna 22 is formed, with the surface on which the antenna terminals are provided serving as the mounting surface, and is fixed with anisotropic conductive paste (not shown). The two antenna terminals of the IC chip 21 are connected to the two antennas 22, respectively, and the antenna terminals and the antennas 22 are electrically connected by the anisotropic conductive paste. The IC chip 21 operates using power obtained through contactless communication via the antenna 22, and contactlessly transmits a tag ID, which is unique information pre-encoded in the IC chip 21, via the antenna 22.

[0049] The RFID tag 20 configured as described above is attached to the item 2 stored in the openings 10a to 10f by the adhesive layer 27b, as shown in Fig. 2(b). Note that a so-called metal-compatible tag may be used, in which a metal layer is laminated on the surface of the base substrate 23 opposite to the surface on which the antenna 22 is formed so as to cover the antenna 22 in a plan view. The use of a metal-compatible tag prevents the communication distance in contactless communication via the antennas 31 and 32 from becoming short, even when the item 2 to which the RFID tag 20 is attached is made of metal.

[0050] <Configuration of Reader / Writer 40> FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the reader / writer 40 shown in FIG.

[0051] As shown in Figure 4, the reader / writer 40 shown in Figure 1 has a duplexer 41, a tag data transmission processing unit 42, a digital signal conversion unit 43, a communication unit 44, an RF transmission unit 46, an RF receiving unit 47, and a tag data reception processing unit 48.

[0052] The duplexer 41 transmits the signal output from the RF transmitter 46 as a radio wave signal via the antennas 31 and 32, and also outputs the radio wave signal received via the antennas 31 and 32 to the RF receiver 47.

[0053] The tag data transmission processing unit 42 outputs a signal for detecting an RFID tag by polling, and also outputs a signal for reading information from the RFID tag by non-contact communication.

[0054] The digital signal conversion unit 43 converts the signal output from the tag data transmission processing unit 42 into an analog signal and outputs it to the RF transmission unit 46, and also converts the signal received by the RF receiving unit 47 into a digital signal and outputs it to the tag data receiving processing unit 48.

[0055] The communication unit 44 transmits and receives information to and from the control personal computer 50 .

[0056] The RF transmitter 46 transmits the signal converted into an analog signal by the digital signal converter 43 on a carrier wave via the duplexer 41 and the antennas 31 and 32 .

[0057] The RF receiver 47 receives, via the antennas 31 and 32 and the duplexer 41, a response signal from the RFID tag in response to the signal transmitted from the RF transmitter .

[0058] The tag data receiving and processing unit 48 transmits the signal converted into a digital signal by the digital signal converting unit 43 to the control personal computer 50 via the communication unit 44 as information read from the RFID tag.

[0059] <Configuration of control PC 50> Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control PC 50 shown in Fig. 1. Note that in Fig. 5, the illustration and description of the components of the control PC 50 that are not directly related to the present invention are omitted.

[0060] The control personal computer 50 shown in FIG. 1 has communication units 51 and 52, a reading control unit 56, an article management unit 54, and an output unit 55, as shown in FIG.

[0061] The communication unit 51 transmits and receives information to and from the reader / writer 40 .

[0062] The reading control unit 56 transmits a command to the reader / writer 40 via the communication unit 51 to read information from the RFID tag, and also receives information read by the reader / writer 40 from the RFID tag via the communication unit 51.

[0063] The item management unit 54 is an example of the management means of the present invention. The item management unit 54 manages the storage status of the items 2 in the openings 10a to 10f using a database 60 based on information received by the reading control unit 56 from the reader / writer 40 via the communication unit 51. In this case, the item management unit 54 can also manage the storage status of the items 2 in the openings 10a to 10f using the reception strength of radio waves from the RFID tags 20 at the antennas 31 and 32 for each of the openings 10a to 10f. Furthermore, the item management unit 54 can also manage the storage status of the items 2 in the openings 10a to 10f using the number of times information is read from the RFID tags 20 via the antennas 31 and 32 for each of the openings 10a to 10f.

[0064] The output unit 55 is composed of a display or the like, and displays and outputs the management status of the goods managed by the goods management unit 54.

[0065] The communication unit 52 is for accessing the host system 70 via the communication line 80 .

[0066] Although the present embodiment will be described taking the control PC 50 as an example, the above-described configuration may be any control device such as a computer, including a portable terminal, that can control the reader / writer 40. The configuration of the control PC 50 described above may also be incorporated into the reader / writer 40.

[0067] <Processing in the inventory management system> The following describes the process of managing the storage status of the items 2 in the openings 10a to 10f using the item management system configured as above.

[0068] Fig. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the processing for managing the storage status of the articles 2 in the openings 10a to 10f in the article management system shown in Fig. 1. Note that a description of the polling processing that is executed prior to the reader / writer 40 reading information from the RFID tag 20 will be omitted.

[0069] When managing the storage status of items 2 in the openings 10a to 10f using the item management system shown in Figure 1, first, the reading control unit 56 of the control computer 50 sends a command to the reader / writer 40 via the communication unit 51 to read information from the RFID tag 20 via the antennas 31 and 32.

[0070] In the reader / writer 40, when a command transmitted from the reading control unit 56 via the communication unit 51 is received via the communication unit 44, a signal for reading information from the RFID tag 20 is output from the tag data transmission processing unit 42 in accordance with the received command. The signal output from the tag data transmission processing unit 42 is converted into an analog signal by the digital signal conversion unit 43. Here, an EPC (Electronic Product Code) serving as unique information for identifying the item 2 to which the RFID tag 20 is attached by sticking is written in the RFID tag 20. Therefore, the information read from the RFID tag 20 is the EPC written in the RFID tag 20 as a tag ID. Note that the EPC serving as the tag ID is associated with the item 2 when the RFID tag 20 is attached to the item 2 by sticking. Thus, by reading the tag ID written in the RFID tag 20, the item 2 to which the RFID tag 20 is attached can be identified.

[0071] Thereafter, in the reader / writer 40, the signal converted to an analog signal by the digital signal converter 43 is carried on a carrier wave by the RF transmitter 46 and transmitted via the duplexer 41 and the antennas 31 and 32. This executes the process of reading the tag ID from the RFID tag 20 (step S1).

[0072] When the signal transmitted from the RF transmitter 46 of the reader / writer 40 via the duplexer 41 and the antennas 31 and 32 is received by the RFID tag 20, the RFID tag 20 transmits the tag ID to the reader / writer 40 as a response signal.

[0073] The tag ID of the RFID tag 20 transmitted as a response signal from the RFID tag 20 to the reader / writer 40 is received by the RF receiver 47 of the reader / writer 40 via the antennas 31 and 32 and the duplexer 41 of the reader / writer 40. Then, in the reader / writer 40, the signal received by the RF receiver 47 is first converted into a digital signal by the digital signal converter 43.

[0074] Thereafter, the tag data receiving and processing unit 48 converts the tag ID of the RFID tag 20 into a digital signal and transmits it to the control computer 50 via the communication unit 44. At this time, the reader / writer 40 recognizes the antennas 31 and 32 that read the tag ID from the RFID tag 20, and therefore transmits to the control computer 50 via the communication unit 44 the antenna numbers that can identify the antennas 31 and 32 that read the tag ID from the RFID tag 20, and information indicating the reception strength of the radio waves at the antennas 31 and 32 when the tag ID was read via the antennas 31 and 32.

[0075] When the tag ID, antenna number, and reception strength of the RFID tag 20 transmitted from the reader / writer 40 are received by the reading control unit 56 via the communication unit 51 of the control computer 50, the item management unit 54 first grasps the tag ID received by the reading control unit 56, the number of the antenna that read the tag ID, and the reception strength of the radio waves at the antennas 31 and 32 when the tag ID was read from the RFID tag 20.

[0076] The above-mentioned tag ID reading is performed sequentially for each of the antennas 31 and 32 provided at the entrances 10a to 10f.

[0077] Then, in the goods management unit 54, the tag ID received by the reading control unit 56, the number of the antenna that read the tag ID, and the radio wave reception strength at the antennas 31 and 32 when the tag ID was read from the RFID tag 20 are sorted by tag ID.

[0078] 7 is a diagram showing information received by the control computer 50 from the reader / writer 40. Note that the tag ID is simplified and shown in alphabetical order, but in reality it is composed of multiple bits of information. Also, the antenna number is assigned to the antenna 31 provided in the entrance 10a as "1," the antenna 31 provided in the entrance 10b as "2," the antenna 31 provided in the entrance 10c as "3," and the antenna 31 provided in the entrance 10d as "4." That is, in this example, four entrances 10a to 10d are provided, and one antenna 31 is provided in each of the four entrances 10a to 10d.

[0079] 7, the goods management unit 54 associates and grasps the tag ID received by the reading control unit 56, the number of the antenna that read the tag ID, and the reception strength of the radio waves at the antenna 31 when the tag ID is read from the RFID tag 20. At this time, the reader / writer 40 reads the tag ID via the antennas 31 of the openings 10a to 10d in order for each of the antennas 31 of the openings 10a to 10d.

[0080] Therefore, in the goods management unit 54, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 7, first, the tag ID received by the reading control unit 56 and the radio wave reception strength at the antenna 31 when the tag ID was read are grasped in order of antenna number.

[0081] Here, if one tag ID is read by only the antenna at one entrance, it can be determined that the item 2 to which the RFID tag 20 with the written tag ID is attached is stored in the entrance where that antenna is installed. However, if one tag ID is read by antennas at multiple entrances, it cannot be determined in which of the multiple entrances where the antenna that read the tag ID is installed the item 2 to which the RFID tag 20 with the written tag ID is attached is stored. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the tag IDs of the RFID tags 20 with tag IDs "A" to "C", "F" to "I", "K", and "L" are read only via one antenna. On the other hand, the tag IDs of the RFID tags 20 with tag IDs "D", "E", and "J" are read via two antennas, respectively. Specifically, in the RFID tag 20 with the tag ID "D", the tag ID is read via two antennas with antenna numbers "1" and "2", in the RFID tag 20 with the tag ID "E", the tag ID is also read via two antennas with antenna numbers "1" and "2", and in the RFID tag 20 with the tag ID "J", the tag ID is read via two antennas with antenna numbers "1" and "4".

[0082] Therefore, in the goods management unit 54, first, the antenna number of the antenna that read the tag ID and the radio wave reception strength at the antenna 31 when the tag ID was read are sorted by tag ID (step S2), as shown in the right diagram of Fig. 7. Then, antennas that read the same tag ID are recognized as a group, and when there are multiple antennas that read the tag ID, it becomes easier to compare the radio wave reception strength at those antennas.

[0083] In the commodity management unit 54, when one tag ID is read by antennas at multiple entrances, the reception strength of the radio waves from the RFID tag 20 when the tag ID was read is compared between the antennas that read the tag ID, and it is determined that the commodity 2 is stored in the entrance 10b where the antenna with the strongest reception strength is installed. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the tag ID of the RFID tag 20 with tag ID "D" is read via two antennas with antenna numbers "1" and "2", and the reception strength of the radio waves at the antenna with antenna number "1" is -65 dB, and the reception strength of the radio waves at the antenna with antenna number "2" is -40 dB. Therefore, the commodity management unit 54 determines that the commodity 2 to which the RFID tag 20 with tag ID "D" is attached is stored in the entrance 10b where the antenna with antenna number "2" is installed. Furthermore, the tag ID of the RFID tag 20 with the tag ID "E" is read via two antennas with antenna numbers "1" and "2", and the radio wave reception strength at the antenna with antenna number "1" is -60 dB, and the radio wave reception strength at the antenna with antenna number "2" is -45 dB. Therefore, the item management unit 54 determines that the item 2 with the RFID tag 20 with the tag ID "D" attached is stored in the opening 10 b where the antenna with antenna number "2" is installed. Furthermore, the tag ID of the RFID tag 20 with the tag ID "J" is read via two antennas with antenna numbers "1" and "4", and the radio wave reception strength at the antenna with antenna number "1" is -70 dB, and the radio wave reception strength at the antenna with antenna number "4" is -50 dB. Therefore, the item management unit 54 determines that the item 2 to which the RFID tag 20 with the tag ID "J" is attached is stored in the opening 10d where the antenna with the antenna number "4" is provided.

[0084] In this way, in the item management unit 54, when the same tag ID is read by multiple antennas (Yes in step S3), the reception strength of the radio waves from the RFID tag 20 at the antennas that read the tag ID is compared (step S4). If there is a difference in these reception strengths (Yes in step S5), it is determined that the item identified by that tag ID is stored in an entrance where an antenna with stronger reception strength is installed (step S6), and the storage status of the item 2 is managed using the database 60 (step S7). Note that the method of registering and updating the storage status of the item 2 in the database 60 will be described later.

[0085] On the other hand, when the comparison of the reception strength of the radio waves from the RFID tag 20 at the antennas that read the tag ID shows no difference in reception strength (No in step S5), the item management unit 54 compares the number of times the tag ID has been read via the antenna within a certain reading time between the antennas that read the same tag ID (step S8). The reader / writer 40 reads the tag ID via the antennas 31 of the openings 10a to 10d in order for each of the antennas 31 of the openings 10a to 10d, as described above. Then, within a certain reading time, such as 10 seconds, multiple readings are performed for each of the antennas 31 of the openings 10a to 10d. Therefore, the item management unit 54 compares the number of times the tag ID has been read among the multiple readings within the certain reading time between the antennas, and determines that the item is stored in the opening with the antenna that has the most number of reads (step S9).

[0086] Furthermore, if one tag ID is only read through the antenna at one entrance (No in step S3), the item management unit 54 determines that the item 2 identified by that tag ID is stored in the entrance where that antenna is installed, and manages the storage status of the item 2 using the database 60.

[0087] In step S8, if the number of times tag IDs are read via antennas within a certain read time is compared between antennas that read the same tag ID, and there is no difference in the number of times they are read, the item management unit 54 may notify the host system 70 via the communication unit 52 and communication line 80 that it is not possible to identify the storage opening of the item identified by the tag ID for which the number of reads has been compared. In this case, the host system 70 may display a message or alert on the viewer to prompt the worker or manager to check the current situation.

[0088] The above-described comparison of reception strength is preferably performed using values ​​obtained when the tag ID is read with the door 16 closed. This is because the bottom plate 11, top plate 12, side plate portions 13-15, and door 16 constituting the openings 10a-10f are made of materials that reflect or absorb radio waves. This makes it difficult for the antennas 31 and 32 provided in each of the openings 10a-10f to read the tag IDs of the RFID tags 20 in other openings when the door 16 is closed. Here, as described above, the tag ID is read for a certain period of time by the read control unit 56 of the control PC 50 transmitting a command to the reader / writer 40 via the communication unit 51 to read information from the RFID tag 20 via the antennas 31 and 32. Therefore, even if the door 16 is opened during the reading time, the antenna with the strongest reception strength can be accurately determined as long as the door 16 is subsequently closed during the reading time. Furthermore, a function for detecting whether door 16 is open or closed may be provided, so that tag IDs are read only when door 16 is closed, or tag IDs read when door 16 is open may be excluded from the read tag IDs. The function for detecting whether door 16 is open or closed may, for example, be configured such that an RFID tag for detecting whether door 16 is open is attached to door 16 at a position where the tag ID can be read only when door 16 is closed, and door 16 is determined to be closed when the tag ID is read from this RFID tag for detecting whether door 16 is open by antennas 31 and 32. Alternatively, an RFID tag with a tamper function, which has two wires connected to IC chip 21, may be attached to either door 16 or side plate 13, and a conductive portion for connecting the two wires may be provided on the other of door 16 or side plate 13, and door 16 is determined to be closed when the two wires are conductive.

[0089] The method of registering and updating the storage status of the item 2 in the database 60 will be described below.

[0090] FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining a method for registering and updating the storage status of the item 2 in the database 60.

[0091] In the goods management unit 54, the tag IDs read via the antennas 31 and 32 are used to manage in a database 60 the storage status of the goods 2 in each of the openings 10a to 10f.

[0092] In the goods management unit 54, after reading from the RFID tag 20 as described above, the reading result is first compared with the storage state registered in the database 60 (step S11).

[0093] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of information registered in the database 60. As shown in FIG.

[0094] 9, in the database 60, for each RFID tag 20, the tag ID, the entrance number indicating the entrance where the attached item 2 is stored, and the current status are registered in association with a timestamp indicating the time when the status was updated. The timestamp may be the most recent time when the tag ID was read. Furthermore, the entrance number is associated with the antenna number that can identify the antennas 31, 32 provided in the entrances 10a to 10f. Therefore, as described above, if the item management unit 54 can determine the antenna number of the antenna that read the tag ID, the entrance number can be identified.

[0095] In the goods management unit 54, the result of reading the tag ID from the RFID tag 20 is compared with the storage status registered in the database 60, and if there has been a change in the storage status (Yes in step S12), it is determined whether the change occurred because the tag ID was read or because the tag ID could no longer be read (step S13).

[0096] Then, if a change occurs as a result of the tag ID being read (Yes in step S13), the goods management unit 54 determines whether the read tag ID has already been registered in the database 60 (step S14).

[0097] If the read tag ID is not registered in the database 60 (No in step S14), the item management unit 54 newly registers the read tag ID in the database 60 (step S15). At that time, the entrance number associated with the antenna number of the antenna that read the tag ID and the time of registration are registered in the database 60 in association with the tag ID, and "in stock" is registered as the status.

[0098] On the other hand, if the read tag ID is already registered in the database 60 (Yes in step S14), the status of that tag ID is "out of stock", so it is determined that the item 2 has been returned to the entrance, and the status is changed to "in stock" in the item management unit 54 (step S16).

[0099] Furthermore, if there is a change due to the tag ID no longer being readable (No in step S13), the status of the tag ID that can no longer be read is "in stock", so the status is changed in the goods management unit 54 to "out stock", indicating that the item has been removed from the entrance (step S17). Note that if there is a tag ID whose status remains "out stock" even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the status changed to "out stock", this fact may be displayed on the output unit 55 of the control computer 50 or on the viewer of the upper system 70, etc.

[0100] In this way, the database 60 is updated as needed, and the storage status of the article 2, such as which opening the article 2 is stored in and whether it has been removed from the opening, is managed. This makes it possible to accurately grasp the storage status of the articles in the multiple openings 10a to 10f.

[0101] Furthermore, if a tag ID whose status has been registered in the database 60 as "out of stock" is read via an antenna installed at another entrance, it may be determined that the item has been moved to the entrance where the antenna that read the tag ID is installed, and this may be registered in the database 60. In this case, the status may be "moved" or "entered."

[0102] The information registered in the database 60 may be registered only after the tag ID is read as described above, or a tag ID capable of identifying the item 2 to be stored in each of the openings 10a to 10f may be registered in advance for each of the openings 10a to 10f.

[0103] Here, the types of items that can be stored may be set for each of the openings 10a to 10f.

[0104] FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the process when the types of articles that can be stored for each of the openings 10a to 10f are set.

[0105] In the goods management unit 54, after the tag ID is read as described above (step S21), the attribute information included in the read tag ID is confirmed (step S22).

[0106] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a data format of a tag ID.

[0107] As shown in Fig. 11, the first digit of the tag ID written in the RFID tag 20 may contain attribute information that can identify the type of item 2 identified by this tag ID. For example, if the item 2 is a CD or DVD, "1" is included as the attribute information. If the item 2 is an LTO, "2" is included as the attribute information. If the item 2 is a floppy disk, "3" is included as the attribute information. If the item 2 is anything other than this, "4" is included as the attribute information.

[0108] Meanwhile, in the item management unit 54, of the openings 10a to 10f, the openings 10a and 10b are managed as openings for storing CDs and DVDs, the openings 10c and 10d are managed as openings for storing LTOs, the opening 10e is managed as openings for storing floppy disks, and the opening 10f is managed as openings for storing other items. Specifically, in the item management unit 54, items identified by tag IDs whose attribute information is "1" can be stored in the openings 10a and 10b, items identified by tag IDs whose attribute information is "2" can be stored in the openings 10c and 10d, items identified by tag IDs whose attribute information is "3" can be stored in the opening 10e, and items identified by tag IDs whose attribute information is "4" can be stored in the opening 10f. Note that a single opening may be capable of storing multiple types of items. For example, articles identified by tag IDs whose attribute information is "1" or "2" may be stored in the opening 10a.

[0109] Therefore, the item management unit 54 determines whether the attribute information included in the read tag ID corresponds to an opening that can store the item 2 identified by the tag ID (step S23). The openings 10a-10f may be identified using the antenna numbers of the antennas 31, 32 provided at the openings 10a-10f. As described above, the tag ID read from the RFID tag 20 is transmitted from the reader / writer 40 to the control computer 50 together with the antenna number that can identify the antenna 31, 32 that read the tag ID from the RFID tag 20. Therefore, the item management unit 54 associates the attribute information with the antenna number of the antenna provided at the opening that can store the type of item identified by the attribute information, identifies the opening using the antenna number of the antenna 31, 32 that read the tag ID, and can determine whether the attribute information included in the read tag ID corresponds to an opening that can store the item 2 identified by the tag ID.

[0110] Then, if the attribute information included in the read tag ID does not correspond to an entrance that can store the item 2 identified by that tag ID (No in step S23), an alert is output as a warning (step S24). This alert may be output by displaying it on the output unit 55 of the control PC 50 or on a viewer of the upper system 70. For example, if a tag ID including attribute information "1" is read via the antennas 31 and 32 provided at the entrance 10a, no alert is output by the item management unit 54, but if a tag ID including attribute information "1" is read via the antennas 31 and 32 provided at the entrance 10c, an alert is output by the item management unit 54.

[0111] In this way, by setting the type of item that can be stored for each of the openings 10a-10f, it is possible to set the openings 10a-10f that can store each type of item. At this time, the type of item that can be stored for each of the openings 10a-10f can also be changed as desired. Therefore, even if a new type of item is to be stored, by changing the setting of the type of item that can be stored for each of the openings 10a-10f, it is possible to easily set the openings 10a-10f that can store each type of item. For example, in the item management unit 54, of the openings 10a-10f, openings 10a and 10b are managed as openings for storing CDs and DVDs, openings 10c and 10d are managed as openings for storing LTOs, opening 10e is managed as an opening for storing floppy disks, and opening 10f is managed as an opening for storing other items. In this case, if documents are to be newly stored in the locker 10, it is only necessary to set the openings 10a-10f that can store documents. For example, the attribute information is set to "5" as the first digit of the tag ID written to the RFID tag 20 attached to the document. Meanwhile, the goods management unit 54 changes the opening 10d from an opening for storing LTO to an opening for storing documents. Specifically, the attribute information associated with the antenna numbers of the antennas 31 and 32 attached to the opening 10d is changed from "2" to "5." This makes it possible to set an opening that can store documents even when new documents are to be stored in the locker 10.

[0112] As described above, in a configuration in which the storage openings are set according to the type of item, even if a new type of item needs to be stored, the new type of item can be freely added without increasing the number of openings or changing the shape of the locker 10 by changing the correspondence between the attribute information contained in the tag ID and the type of item that can be stored in the opening.

[0113] Here, when attribute information is included in the tag ID as described above and the type of item that can be stored in each of the openings 10a to 10f is set in the item management unit 54, it is possible to set the items that can be stored in any of the openings 10a to 10f. In this case, for example, "9" may be set as attribute-free information as the attribute information, and when the attribute information included in the tag ID read in the item management unit 54 is "9", it is possible to configure the item to be stored regardless of which of the openings 10a to 10f the antenna that read the tag ID is installed in, and not to output an alert.

[0114] Furthermore, among the openings 10a to 10f, for example, opening 10f may be configured to be able to store any type of item. In this case, the item management unit 54 may be configured to allow the item to be stored and not output an alert, regardless of the value of the first digit of the tag ID read via antennas 31 and 32 provided at opening 10f.

[0115] In addition to the above-described entrances 10a to 10f, a device for disposing of the item 2 may be provided, and this device may also read the tag ID from the RFID tag 20 attached to the item 2 when disposing of the item 2. Then, in the database 60 shown in Fig. 9, the status corresponding to the read tag ID may be set to "discarded."

[0116] Furthermore, the above-mentioned openings 10a to 10f may be fitted with a key for locking the door 16. If the key to be fitted is an electronic lock, it may be possible to configure the system so as to be able to identify the person who puts the article 2 into the openings 10a to 10f or takes the article 2 out of the openings 10a to 10f.

[0117] In addition to the lockers 10 described above, a gate may be set up that has a built-in antenna that can read the tag ID from the RFID tag 20. In such a configuration, for example, when the tag ID is read from the RFID tag 20 attached to an item 2 that is prohibited from being taken out, a patrol light (registered trademark) may be turned on or the door of the room in which the locker 10 is installed may be locked. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 2 Goods 10 Lockers 10a~10f Frontage 11 Bottom plate part 12 Top plate 13~15 Side plate part 16 Doors 20 RFID tags 21 IC chip 22, 31, 32 Antennas 23 Base material 24 Inlet 25 Surface sheet 27a,27b Adhesive layer 40 Reader / Writer 41 Shared device 42 Tag data transmission processing unit 43 Digital signal conversion section 44, 51, 52 Communications Department 46 RF transmitter 47 RF receiver 48 Tag data receiving processing unit 50 Control PC 54 Materials Management Department 55 Output section 56 Reading control section 60 databases 70 Upper System 80 Communication Lines

Claims

1. An article management system that manages the storage status of articles at multiple door openings, an RFID tag attached to the item and having unique information written thereon that can identify the item; a reading means provided at each of the plurality of entrances for contactlessly reading the unique information from the RFID tag; and a management means for determining, when the unique information is read by the reading means for each of the plurality of openings, that an item identified by the unique information is stored in the opening, When one piece of unique information is read through the reading means installed at the multiple entrances, the management means determines that the item identified by the unique information is stored in the entrance where the reading means is installed that has the strongest reception strength from the RFID tag of that unique information, and registers this fact in a database.

2. 2. The article management system according to claim 1, When one piece of unique information is read through the reading means installed at the multiple entrances and the reception strength of the unique information from the RFID tag is the same at the reading means installed at the multiple entrances, the management means determines that the item identified by the unique information is stored at the entrance where the reading means that reads the unique information the most number of times within a certain reading time is installed, and registers this fact in a database.

3. 2. The article management system according to claim 1, The management means is an item management system that, when the unique information can no longer be read from the RFID tag attached to an item that is registered in the database as being stored in each of the multiple openings, determines that the item identified by the unique information has been removed from that opening and registers this fact in the database.

4. 4. The article management system according to claim 3, The management means, for each of the multiple openings, when the unique information is read from an RFID tag attached to an item that has been registered in the database as having been removed from that opening via a reading means installed at that opening, determines that the item identified by the unique information has been returned to that opening and registers this fact in the database.

5. 4. The article management system according to claim 3, The management means is an item management system that, for each of the multiple entrances, when the unique information is read from an RFID tag attached to an item that has been registered in the database as having been removed from that entrance via a reading means installed at an entrance other than the entrance, determines that the item identified by the unique information has been moved and registers this fact in the database.

6. 2. The article management system according to claim 1, The unique information includes attribute information that can identify the type of the item, The management means sets the type of goods that can be stored for each of the multiple openings, and if the attribute information contained in the unique information read by the reading means does not allow for identification of the type of goods that can be stored in the opening where the reading means is installed, the item management system outputs a warning.

7. 7. The article management system according to claim 6, An item management system in which the types of items that can be stored in each of the multiple openings can be changed arbitrarily using the association between the attribute information and the types of items that can be stored in the openings.

8. 7. The article management system according to claim 6, The unique information includes attribute-free information indicating that the item can be stored in any of the plurality of openings as the attribute information, The management means is an item management system that does not output a warning when the unique information read by the reading means includes the attribute-free information, regardless of which of the reading means installed at the multiple entrances the unique information is read by.

9. 7. The article management system according to claim 6, The management means is an item management system that does not output a warning even if the attribute information contained in the unique information read by the reading means is not capable of identifying the type of item that can be stored in a specified opening among the multiple openings, even if the attribute information contained in the unique information read by the reading means is not capable of identifying the type of item that can be stored in the opening where the reading means is installed.

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