Inventory Management System

Abstract

This makes it easier to manage consumables, including tracking their degree of wear and tear. [Solution] The item management system 1 comprises a consumable item 30 equipped with a recording unit 60, a location acquisition means 110 for acquiring location information indicating the location of the consumable item 30, a recording means 182 for recording usage information indicating the degree of wear of the consumable item in the recording unit, a reading means 182 for reading the usage information from the recording unit, a location information transmission means 113 for transmitting the location information acquired by the location acquisition means, a usage information transmission means 181 for transmitting the usage information read by the reading means, and a management means 200 that receives the location information transmitted from the location information transmission means and the usage information transmitted from the usage information transmission means and manages information related to the consumable item. The management means 200 is configured to have a management processing unit 250 that links and manages the location information of the consumable item and the usage information of the consumable item.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an article management system for managing consumable articles.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in an article management system, a great deal of load is imposed on the work of inputting information of a large number of articles. In order to simplify this work, the following methods are known. A method of attaching an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag to an article and reading information of the article by reading the tag with an external reader by short-range wireless communication to manage the article is known. Also, a method of attaching a QR code (registered trademark) to an article and reading information of the article by reading the code with a camera to manage the article is known.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, an example of a system using an RFID tag for managing the inventory of articles is disclosed. In the system of Patent Document 1, for example, at the timing of receipt, shipment, and inventory taking, information read by a reader from an RFID tag attached to an article is collected by a server and processed. Thereby, the inventory status can be easily determined.

[0004] In Patent Document 2, a used article management device capable of managing used articles with a QR code is disclosed. In the used article management device, an image obtained by photographing a used article is recorded in a server in association with the receipt time and receipt location of the used article, etc., and this information is issued as a QR code. A manager can confirm the state of the used article at the time of receipt, the receipt time of the used article, the receipt location of the used article, etc. by reading the QR code attached to the used article with a reading terminal.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] In the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the state of the managed items changes, the system cannot automatically manage the change in state, and it is necessary to manually input when a change in state occurs. For example, if the managed items are toner cartridges used in printers, the system cannot automatically manage when an item changes from an unused state to a used state, and therefore cannot automatically distinguish between unused and used items.

[0007] Furthermore, the system disclosed in Patent Document 2 requires updating the QR code with newly changed information whenever the status of the managed item changes, making it difficult to apply to systems that are meant to be used easily.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention aims to facilitate the management of consumable items, including the degree of consumption of the consumable items. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The above objective is achieved by the article according to the present invention. In summary, the present invention is an article management system comprising: a consumable article equipped with a recording unit; a location acquisition means for acquiring location information indicating the location of the consumable article; a recording means for recording usage information indicating the degree of wear of the consumable article in the recording unit; a reading means for reading the usage information from the recording unit; a location information transmission means for transmitting the location information acquired by the location acquisition means; a usage information transmission means for transmitting the usage information read by the reading means; and a management means for receiving the location information transmitted from the location information transmission means and the usage information transmitted from the usage information transmission means, and managing information related to the consumable article, wherein the management means has a management processing unit that manages the location information of the consumable article and the usage information of the consumable article in a linked manner. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to easily manage consumable items, including the degree of consumption of the consumable items. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inventory management system. [Figure 2(A)] This is a block diagram showing an example of a tag reader configuration. [Figure 2(B)] This is a block diagram showing an example of a user terminal configuration. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing an example of a printer configuration. [Figure 4] This is an example of a management server configuration. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an item table, a location table, a leader table, and a user table. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the movement amount table and the tag detection table. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the management processing unit in Example 1. [Figure 8]It is a block diagram for explaining the relationship between an item tag, a memory tag, and a management server. [Figure 9] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an integrated table in Example 1. [Figure 10] It is a timing chart showing the flow of item management processing in Example 1. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart showing the operation of the replacement item selection unit in Example 1. [Figure 12] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a user interface used for notifying replacement items in Example 1. [Figure 13] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of the management processing unit in Example 2. [Figure 14] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a user interface used for purchase guidance of a toner cartridge in Example 2. [Figure 15] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an integrated table in Example 2. [Figure 16] It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of administrator information in Example 2. [Figure 17] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a user interface used for setting a part of administrator information in Example 2. [Figure 18] It is a schematic diagram showing an administrator update list in Example 2. [Figure 19] It is a flowchart showing the operation of the administrator identification unit in Example 2. [Figure 20] It is a flowchart showing the operation of the replacement item selection unit in Example 2. [Figure 21] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of the management processing unit in Example 3. [Figure 22] It is a schematic diagram showing examples of collection guidance and recycling guidance in Example 3. [Figure 23] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a user interface used for designating a collection location in Example 3. [Figure 24] It is a flowchart showing the operation of the information integration unit in Example 3. [Figure 25] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a user interface used to specify the number of recovered items to be notified in Example 3. [Figure 26] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the integrated table in Example 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The article management system according to the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] [Example 1] {Overview of the inventory management system: Figure 1} Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the item management system 1 in this embodiment. In this embodiment, an example of managing consumable items, in particular toner cartridges (hereinafter also simply referred to as "cartridges") for electrophotographic printers such as laser beam printers, using the item management system 1 will be described. According to the item management system 1 in this embodiment, the item manager can determine the location of replacement cartridges when the toner in a cartridge installed in a printer runs out.

[0014] Figure 1 shows several locations 10a, 10b, and 10c under the management of the item management system 1. Cartridges 30a, 30b, and 30c are located in location 10a. Cartridges 30d, 30e, and 30f are located in location 10b. A printer 180 and cartridge 30g are located in location 10c. Figure 1 also shows a user 20 in location 10a, carrying a portable system 100. The user 20 can move between locations 10a, 10b, and 10c (and other locations) while carrying the portable system 100. In this specification, the expression "a user is carrying an object" broadly encompasses various ways in which the user moves with that object (for example, moving while holding or wearing the object).

[0015] The item management system 1 uses wireless devices called tags, which are capable of wireless communication, to manage the location of items.

[0016] Location tags are wireless devices installed in each of the locations 10a, 10b, and 10c where items may be placed in the item management system 1. Figure 1 shows location tag 40a installed in location 10a, location tag 40b installed in location 10b, and location tag 40c installed in location 10c. The installation locations of location tags 40a, 40b, and 40c may be fixed or changeable. If the location where the location tags are installed moves, the location tags may also be moved along with the movement of the location.

[0017] An item tag is a wireless device attached to each item managed in the item management system 1. Each item also has a non-volatile memory called a memory tag, which is used when the item is installed in a device in which it is used. In this embodiment, the cartridge is equipped with a memory tag. When the cartridge is installed in the printer, the printer's reader unit can read and write information (hereinafter also referred to as "usage information") indicating the usage status (degree of wear) of the consumable item (cartridge in this embodiment) to the memory tag. For example, Figure 1 shows the item tag 50a and memory tag 60a attached to cartridge 30a, the item tag 50b and memory tag 60b attached to cartridge 30b, and the item tag 50c and memory tag 60c attached to cartridge 30c. Also in Figure 1, the item tag 50h attached to printer 180, and the item tag 50g and memory tag 60g attached to cartridge 30g. Other cartridges are similarly equipped with item tags and memory tags. Item tags are typically attached to the item itself, but they may also be attached to the packaging (internal or external) such as the outer box in which the item is contained. The item tag only needs to be readable by a tag reader, as described later. Memory tags are attached to the item itself.

[0018] In the following explanation, when it is not necessary to distinguish between locations 10a, 10b, and 10c, the letters a, b, and c at the end of the symbols may be omitted, and they may be collectively referred to as location 10. The same applies to cartridges 30 (cartridges 30a, 30b, ...), location tags 40 (40a, 40b, ...), item tags 50 (item tags 50a, 50b, ...), memory tags 60 (memory tags 60a, 60b, ...), and other elements. Furthermore, the number of locations 10, cartridges 30, and printers 180 managed in the item management system 1 is not limited to the example shown in Figure 1, and may be any number (typically multiple). Similarly, the number of users 20 using the item management system 1 is not limited to the example shown in Figure 1, and may be any number (typically multiple).

[0019] In this embodiment, each of the tags, such as the location tag 40 and the item tag 50, is a passive RFID tag (passive tag). A passive tag consists of a small IC (Integrated Circuit) chip with built-in memory and an antenna, and stores identification information and other information that identifies the tag in the memory. In this specification, the identification information is also simply called "ID," and the identification information that identifies the tag is also called "tag ID." The tag ID may be considered as information that identifies the object to which the tag is attached. For example, in Figure 1, the location tags 40a, 40b, and 40c each have unique tag IDs 41a, 41b, and 41c embedded within the tag (stored in memory). Similarly, for example, the item tags 50a, 50b, and 50c each have unique item tag IDs 51a, 51b, and 51c embedded within the tag (stored in memory). The same applies to the other location tags and item tags. The IC chip in a passive tag operates by utilizing the energy of electromagnetic waves emitted from the tag reader. It modulates the tag ID and other information stored in its memory into an information signal, which is then transmitted (returned) from the antenna.

[0020] In other embodiments, each tag may be an active RFID tag. If each tag actively (for example, periodically) transmits information to its surroundings using power from a built-in battery, the tag may be called a beacon tag. In yet another embodiment, each tag may be a wireless device that responds to a signal from a reader and returns information, for example, using NFC (Near Field Communication) or Bluetooth®. Each tag may be called by any name, such as IC tag, IC card, or responder.

[0021] The item management system 1 includes a portable system 100, a printer 180, and a management server 200. The portable system 100, printer 180, and management server 200 are connected to a network 5. Network 5 may be a wired network, a wireless network, or any combination thereof. Examples of network 5 may include the internet, an intranet, and a cloud network.

[0022] The portable system 100 includes at least a tag reader 110. The tag reader 110 is a reader capable of reading information stored in a wireless device such as an RFID tag. The tag reader 110 can detect a cartridge 30, for example, by reading the item tag ID 51 from the item tag 50 attached to the cartridge 30. The tag reader 110 performs readings periodically or in response to some trigger, such as user operation, and transmits the tag reading results to the management server 200. The tag reader 110 may be able to communicate directly with the management server 200, or it may be able to communicate indirectly with the management server 200 via some relay device (for example, a user terminal 160 described later). An example of a specific configuration of the tag reader 110 will be described later.

[0023] In the example shown in Figure 1, the portable system 100 further includes a user terminal 160. The user terminal 160 may be any type of terminal device or information processing device, such as a notebook PC (Personal Computer), tablet PC, smartphone, or smartwatch. The user terminal 160 may be used for interaction with the user 20 by the item management system 1. An example of a specific configuration of the user terminal 160 will be described later. Note that the item management system 1 may also include a user terminal used by the user 20 that is not included in the portable system 100. That user terminal may have the same configuration as the user terminal included in the portable system 100.

[0024] The printer 180 is a device that prints images formed with toner onto recording materials such as paper, using a cartridge 30 (cartridge 30g in Figure 1). The printer 180 has the function of reading and writing information to a memory tag 60 (memory tag 60g in Figure 1) attached to the cartridge 30g, and the function of communicating with the management server 200. The printer 180 may communicate directly with the management server 200, or it may communicate indirectly with the management server 200 via some kind of relay device (for example, the user terminal 160 described later). The printer 180 is also equipped with an item tag 50 (item tag 50h in Figure 1) for location management. The item tag 50h has a unique item tag ID 51h embedded within the tag (stored in memory). When the printer 180 is used and the usage information of the cartridge 30g is updated, the printer 180 transmits the information of the memory tag 60g attached to the printer 180 to the management server 200. Each memory tag 60g has a unique memory tag ID 61g embedded within the tag (stored in memory). The management server 200 manages the usage information of cartridge 30 for each memory tag ID 61.

[0025] The management server 200 is an information processing device that manages the status, location information, usage information, and other information related to the management of multiple cartridges 30 in a database. The management server 200 may be implemented as an application server, database server, or cloud server using, for example, a high-performance general-purpose computer. The management server 200 receives tag reading results from the tag reader 110 and updates the location information database based on the received tag reading results. The management server 200 also updates the usage information database based on the contents of the memory tag 60 transmitted from the printer 180. By managing the location information database and the usage information database in a linked manner, the management server 200 can manage location information and usage information together. A specific example of the configuration of the management server 200 will be described later.

[0026] Although Figure 1 shows a single management server 200, the functions of the management server 200 described later may be provided by a single device, or by multiple physically separate devices cooperating with each other. Furthermore, while this embodiment describes an example where the management server 200 holds the database, a separate device may hold part or all of the database. For example, some data may be held by a wireless device (e.g., a location tag 40 or an item tag 50), a tag reader 110, or a user terminal 160.

[0027] Furthermore, although Figure 1 shows an example in which the portable system 100 includes a tag reader 110 and a user terminal 160, which are separate devices, the portable system 100 is not limited to such an example. For example, the tag reader 110 may have some or all of the functions of the user terminal 160 described later, and the user terminal 160 may have some or all of the functions of the tag reader 110 described later. Also, some or all of the functions of the management server 200 described in this embodiment may be implemented in the user terminal 160.

[0028] {Example configuration of a mobile system: Figure 2(A), Figure 2(B)} <Example of a tag reader configuration> Figure 2(A) is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a tag reader 110 included in the portable system 100 in this embodiment. Referring to Figure 2(A), the tag reader 110 comprises a control unit 111, a storage unit 112, a communication unit 113, a measurement unit 114, an operation unit 115, and a reading unit 116.

[0029] The control unit 111 comprises a memory for storing computer programs and one or more processors (e.g., a CPU (Central Processing Unit)) for executing computer programs. The control unit 111 may also be an IC (Integrated Circuit), such as a microcontroller (e.g., a single-chip microcontroller). The control unit 111 controls all the functions of the tag reader 110 as described herein. For example, the control unit 111 causes the reading unit 116 to read RFID tags within the tag reading range, and temporarily stores the read information, reading time, and signal reception level as reading result data in the storage unit 112. In parallel with reading the RFID tags, the control unit 111 also causes the measurement unit 114 to measure the position of the tag reader 110, and temporarily stores information indicating the measurement result as measurement result data in the storage unit 112. The control unit 111 then transmits the read result data and measurement result data stored in the storage unit 112, along with the reader identification information (hereinafter also referred to as "reader ID") of its own device (the tag reader 110), to the management server 200 via the communication unit 113. Each tag reader 110 has a unique reader ID, which is stored, for example, in the storage unit 112 (such as the ROM described later).

[0030] The storage unit 112 may include any type of storage medium, such as semiconductor memory like ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory), an optical disk, or a magnetic disk. In this embodiment, the storage unit 112 stores the above-mentioned read result data, measurement result data, and the reader ID of the tag reader 110.

[0031] The communication unit 113 is a communication interface for the tag reader 110 to communicate with the management server 200. The communication unit 113 may be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface. For example, the communication unit 113 may be a WLAN interface for communicating with a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) access point, or a cellular communication interface for communicating with a cellular base station. The communication unit 113 may also be a connection interface for connecting to a relay device (for example, a Bluetooth® interface or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface).

[0032] The measurement unit 114 is a unit capable of measuring the position of the tag reader 110. In this embodiment, the measurement unit 114 uses a self-position estimation technique also known as PDR (Pedestrian Dead Reckoning). The measurement unit 114 measures the relative amount of movement of the tag reader 110 from a certain reference position and outputs information indicating the measured amount of movement to the control unit 111. The reference position for measuring the relative amount of movement may be, for example, the position of the tag reader 110 when the tag reader 110 is activated. The relative amount of movement of the tag reader 110 can be treated as a relative position. For example, the measurement unit 114 includes a 3-axis accelerometer 114a, a gyroscope 114b, and a geomagnetic sensor 114c. The 3-axis accelerometer 114a measures the acceleration applied to the tag reader 110 in a device coordinate system specific to the tag reader 110 and outputs first sensor data. The gyro sensor 114b measures the angular velocity of the tag reader 110, i.e., the change in the attitude of the tag reader 110, and outputs second sensor data. The geomagnetic sensor 114c measures the orientation of the tag reader 110 in real space and outputs third sensor data. Based on the sensor data from these sensors, the measurement unit 114 can measure the relative movement of the tag reader 110 by accumulating the acceleration while converting the direction of the acceleration of the tag reader 110 to the direction in the coordinate system of real space. The information indicating the relative movement output from the measurement unit 114 to the control unit 111 may be a two-dimensional vector in the horizontal plane, or it may be a three-dimensional vector that also includes a component in the height direction.

[0033] As will be described later, in this embodiment, the position coordinates of the installation location of each position tag 40 are known and registered in the database. Therefore, the current absolute position (its position coordinates) of the tag reader 110 can be estimated based on the relative amount of movement from the time the tag reader 110 detected a position tag 40 to the present time, and the known position coordinates of the position tag 40. In this embodiment, an example in which the management server 200 estimates the absolute position of the tag reader 110 will be mainly described, but the control unit 111 or measurement unit 114 of the tag reader 110 may also access the database to estimate the absolute position of the tag reader 110. In other embodiments, the measurement unit 114 may use GPS (Global Positioning System) to measure the current geographical position of the tag reader 110. In yet another embodiment, the measurement unit 114 may perform base station positioning or wireless LAN positioning, which estimates the current position using the known position coordinates of the connected base station or wireless LAN access point.

[0034] Alternatively, instead of the tag reader 110 including the measurement unit 114, the portable system 100 may include a separate measuring device (for example, one capable of measuring relative movement using self-localization technology) from the tag reader 110.

[0035] The operation unit 115 receives operations from the user 20. The operation unit 115 may include, for example, a physical input device such as a button, switch, or lever located on the housing of the tag reader 110. The operation unit 115 receives operations from the user 20 via the input device and outputs an operation signal to the control unit 111. The operation unit 115 may also include an audio input interface such as a microphone.

[0036] The reading unit 116 is a unit capable of reading information stored in each of the location tags 40 and item tags 50 under the management of the item management system 1. Referring to Figure 2(A), the reading unit 116 includes an RF controller 120, a power amplifier 121, a filter 122, a first coupler 123, a second coupler 124, an antenna 125, a power detection unit 126, and a canceller 127. The RF controller 120 outputs a transmission signal (for example, a signal modulated in the UHF band) from the TX terminal to the power amplifier 121 according to the control of the control unit 111. The power amplifier 121 amplifies the transmission signal input from the RF controller 120 and outputs it to the filter 122. The amplification factor of the transmission signal here may be variably controllable, and the higher the amplification factor, the higher the output strength of the electromagnetic waves radiated from the tag reader 110. The filter 122 may be, for example, a low-pass filter, which removes unwanted low-frequency components of the transmission signal after amplification by the power amplifier 121. The first coupler 123 distributes the transmitted signal that has passed through the filter 122 to the second coupler 124 and the power detection unit 126. The second coupler 124 outputs the transmitted signal input from the first coupler 123 to the antenna 125, and outputs the received signal input from the antenna 125 to the RF controller 120. The antenna 125 transmits the transmitted signal input from the second coupler 124 into the air as an electromagnetic wave. In addition, the antenna 125 receives a signal returned from an RFID tag within the reading range of the tag reader 110 as a response to the transmitted signal, and outputs the received signal to the coupler 124. For example, the antenna 125 may be an omnidirectional antenna. As another example, the antenna 125 may be a directional antenna whose beam direction can be variably controlled. The power detection unit 126 detects the power level of the signal input from the first coupler 123 and outputs a signal RF_DETECT indicating the detected power level to the control unit 111. The canceller 127 receives a signal CARRIER_CANCEL from the control unit 111, which indicates the power level of the carrier wave. Based on CARRIER_CANCEL, the canceller 127 cancels the carrier wave component of the transmitted signal, thereby extracting the desired signal component of the received signal that should be output to the RX terminal of the RF controller 120.The RF controller 120 demodulates the signal input from the RX terminal, obtains the tag ID and other information returned from the RFID tag, and outputs the obtained information to the control unit 111. The RF controller 120 also measures the received level of the signal input from the RX terminal (hereinafter also referred to as "received strength") and outputs information indicating the measurement result to the control unit 111.

[0037] In this embodiment, the reading unit 116 may attempt to read the tag periodically (e.g., once every second) without requiring explicit instructions from the user 20. Data transmission from the communication unit 113 to the management server 200 may also be performed periodically (e.g., once every few seconds) or each time a tag is read, without requiring explicit instructions from the user 20. The control unit 111 may exclude records (sets of data) that are identical to records already transmitted within the most recent predetermined period from the data to be transmitted in order to reduce the communication load by omitting the transmission of redundant data. In other embodiments, one or both of the tag reading attempts by the reading unit 116 and the transmission of data to the management server 200 may be performed in response to the detection of input from the user 20 via the operation unit 115. When the communication unit 113 communicates indirectly with the management server 200 via a relay device, data transmission to the management server 200 may be performed only while the connection between the communication unit 113 and the relay device is valid. In this embodiment, the communication unit 113 constitutes a location information transmission means that transmits location information acquired by the location acquisition means.

[0038] <Example of user terminal configuration> Figure 2(B) is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a user terminal 160 included in the portable system 100 in this embodiment. Referring to Figure 2(B), the user terminal 160 includes a control unit 161, a storage unit 162, a communication unit 163, a shooting unit 164, an operation unit 165, a display unit 171, an audio output unit 172, and a vibration unit 173.

[0039] The control unit 161 comprises a memory for storing computer programs and one or more processors for executing computer programs. The processor may be a CPU or an IC (Integrated Circuit) such as a microcontroller (e.g., a single-chip microcontroller). The control unit 161 may include a timer circuit or a software timer for measuring time. The control unit 161 controls all the functions of the user terminal 160 as described herein. For example, when the location of cartridge 30 is checked in the item management system 1, the control unit 161 causes the display unit 171 to display a screen showing the current location of the portable system 100 and the locations of surrounding items. By showing the location of the item to be managed on this screen, the user 20 is guided to the location of the item. Several examples of screens for guiding the user 20 to the location of the item will be described later.

[0040] The storage unit 162 may include any type of storage medium, such as semiconductor memory like ROM or RAM, an optical disk, or a magnetic disk. In this embodiment, the storage unit 162 temporarily stores, for example, map image information and location information (location information of the portable system 100, cartridge 30, and printer 180) received from the management server 200 (described later) in order to display them on the screen of the display unit 171.

[0041] The communication unit 163 is a communication interface for the user terminal 160 to communicate with the management server 200. The communication unit 163 may be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface. For example, the communication unit 163 may be a WLAN interface or a cellular communication interface. Although not shown in Figure 2(B), the user terminal 160 may further include connection interfaces for connecting to peripheral devices (e.g., a Bluetooth® interface or a USB interface).

[0042] The imaging unit 164 is a so-called camera unit that captures images of the real world and generates still or video image data. The imaging unit 164 outputs the generated image data to the control unit 161. For example, the image data generated by the imaging unit 164 may be used for optical character recognition or for reading visible codes such as barcodes or QR codes (registered trademarks).

[0043] The operation unit 165 receives operations and information input from the user 20. The operation unit 165 may include input devices such as a touch sensor, keypad, keyboard, button, or pointing device. The operation unit 165 receives operations from the user 20 via the input device and outputs an operation signal to the control unit 161. The operation unit 165 may also include other types of input devices, such as an audio input interface like a microphone or a vibration detection sensor.

[0044] The display unit 171 can display arbitrary information such as image information and text information. The display unit 171 may be configured with, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode). The audio output unit 172 outputs sound. The audio output unit 172 may be, for example, a speaker. The vibration unit 173 can vibrate the user terminal 160. The vibration unit 173 may be, for example, a vibrator including an eccentric motor. One or more of the display unit 171, audio output unit 172, and vibration unit 173 may function as a notification unit 170 that notifies the user 20 of information. The user terminal 160 may also be configured with a touch panel or the like that has the functions of both an operation unit and a display unit. Although not shown in Figure 2(A), the tag reader 110 may be provided with a notification function similar to the notification unit 170 described above.

[0045] {Example printer configuration: Figure 3} Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the printer 180 in this embodiment. Figure 3 shows the printer 180 with the cartridge 30 installed in the main body of the device. Referring to Figure 3, the printer 180 includes a communication unit 181, a reading unit 182, a toner amount detection unit 183, a display unit 184, an operation unit 185, and a control unit 186. The cartridge 30 installed in the printer 180 is equipped with an item tag 50 and a memory tag 60, as described above.

[0046] In this embodiment, the printer 180 has an image forming unit (not shown) that forms an image on a recording material with toner using an electrophotographic method. The cartridge 30 may constitute at least a part of the image forming unit of the printer 180. The cartridge 30 contains toner as a developer for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor, and is used by being detachably attached to the main body of the printer 180. The cartridge 30 may be detachably attached to the main body of the printer 180 substantially by itself, or it may be integrated with other elements as a unit. For example, the cartridge 30 may be a unitized developing device comprising a developing member that supplies toner to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor and a container that contains toner, or a unit in which the photoreceptor and the developing device are integrated.

[0047] The communication unit 181 is a communication interface for the printer 180 to communicate with the management server 200. The communication unit 181 may be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface. For example, the communication unit 181 may be a WLAN interface or a cellular communication interface. Although not shown in Figure 3, the printer 180 may further include connection interfaces for connecting to peripheral devices (e.g., a Bluetooth® interface or a USB interface).

[0048] The reading unit 182 reads and writes information to the memory tag 60 provided on the cartridge 30. The reading unit 182 may be configured to read and write information to the memory tag 60 by being connected to the memory tag 60 via a contact part, or it may be configured to read and write information to the memory tag 60 without contact.

[0049] In this embodiment, the reading unit 182, which acts as a reading means for reading and writing information to the memory tag 60 as a recording unit, constitutes a recording means for recording usage information indicating the degree of wear of consumable items in the recording unit and a reading means for reading the usage information from the recording unit. In this embodiment, the communication unit 181 constitutes a usage information transmission means for transmitting the usage information read by the reading means.

[0050] The toner quantity detection unit 183 is an example of a wear-to-use detection means for detecting the degree of wear of the cartridge 30 as a consumable item. In this embodiment, the toner quantity detection unit 183 detects the remaining amount of toner contained inside the cartridge 30 as information regarding the amount of cartridge 30 used. Based on this remaining amount of toner, the toner quantity detection unit 183 detects the remaining lifespan of the cartridge 30, which is an example of usage information. Any known toner quantity detection unit can be used as the toner quantity detection unit 183. Known toner quantity detection units 183 include weight detection methods, optical detection methods, and capacitive methods. The weight detection method detects the amount of toner inside a container based on the weight of the container containing the toner. The optical detection method uses a light source that irradiates light into the inside of the container and a light receiving unit that receives the light that has passed through the inside of the container, and detects the amount of toner inside the container based on changes in the light receiving state of the light receiving unit. Furthermore, the capacitive method uses electrodes whose detected capacitance changes in accordance with changes in the state of toner inside the container, and detects the amount of toner inside the container based on the detected change in capacitance. The information indicating the remaining lifespan of the cartridge 30 detected by the toner amount detection unit 183 is sequentially updated and stored in the memory tag 60 of the cartridge 30 by the reading unit 182. In this embodiment, the remaining lifespan of the cartridge 30 is set to 100% when the remaining toner inside the cartridge 30 is at its maximum amount (amount in an unused state), and the remaining lifespan of the cartridge 30 is set to 0% when the remaining toner inside the cartridge 30 falls below a predetermined amount (the degree of consumption is above a predetermined value). In this embodiment, when the remaining toner falls below a predetermined amount, it corresponds to the case where the toner inside the cartridge 30 has practically run out (the amount has decreased to the point where proper printing cannot be performed).

[0051] In this embodiment, the remaining toner amount inside the cartridge 30 is detected as information regarding the amount of cartridge 30 used, and the remaining lifespan (%) of the cartridge 30 is detected, but the embodiment is not limited to this example. In addition to or instead of the remaining toner amount, the amount of use of the components constituting the cartridge 30 (such as the number of rotations or rotation time) may be detected to determine the remaining lifespan (%) of the cartridge 30. Any indicator that can determine when to replace the cartridge 30 can be used. Furthermore, the degree of wear of the cartridge 30 is not limited to being expressed as remaining lifespan (100% at the start of use and 0% at the end of lifespan), but may also be expressed as usage amount (0% at the start of use and 100% at the end of lifespan).

[0052] The display unit 184 can display arbitrary information such as image information and text information. The display unit 184 may be configured, for example, with an LCD or an OLED. The display unit 184 can function as a notification unit that notifies the user 20 of information.

[0053] The control unit 185 accepts operations from the user 20. The control unit 185 may include physical input devices such as buttons, switches, or levers located on the casing of the printer 180. The printer 180 may also be configured to have a touch panel or the like that combines the functions of both a control unit and a display unit.

[0054] The control unit 186 comprises a memory for storing computer programs and one or more processors for executing computer programs. The processor may be a CPU or an IC such as a microcontroller (e.g., a single-chip microcontroller). The control unit 186 controls all functions of the printer 180. For example, the operation of the reader unit 182, communication unit 181, toner amount detection unit 183, and display unit 184 in the printer 180 is controlled by the control unit 186.

[0055] {Example configuration of the management server: Figures 4-9} <Basic Configuration> Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management server 200 as a management means in this embodiment. Referring to Figure 4, the management server 200 comprises a communication unit 210, a location information database 220, a location information management unit 230, a usage information management unit 240, and a management processing unit 250. Hereinafter, the database will also be referred to as "DB".

[0056] The communication unit 210 is a communication interface for the management server 200 to communicate with other devices. The communication unit 210 may be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface. In this embodiment, the communication unit 210 communicates with the portable system 100 (for example, one or both of the tag reader 110 and the user terminal 160) and the printer 180.

[0057] The location information DB220 is a database that stores status, location information, and other information related to the estimation of the location of multiple items under the management of the item management system 1. The location information DB220 is stored in the memory of the management server 200. In this embodiment, the location information DB220 includes an item table 310, a location table 320, a leader table 330, a user table 340, a movement amount table 350, and a tag detection table 360.

[0058] The location information management unit 230 provides management functions for managing data in the location information database 220. The location information management unit 230 includes a location estimation unit 231 that estimates the locations of the cartridge 30 and the printer 180 from the information in the location information database 220 and updates the location information.

[0059] The usage information management unit 240 manages the usage information of the cartridge 30 that is transmitted from the printer 180 and recorded on the memory tag 60. The usage information management unit 240 includes a usage information table 241 that stores the usage information of the cartridge 30.

[0060] The management processing unit 250 acquires location information from the location information management unit 230 and usage information from the usage information management unit 240, and performs management processing for the cartridge 30. The configuration and operation of the management processing unit 250 may differ depending on the embodiment of the present invention, and the configuration and operation in this embodiment will be described later.

[0061] In this embodiment, the location information management unit 230, the usage information management unit 240, and the management processing unit 250 are collections of multiple software modules. Each software module can operate by one or more processors (not shown) of the management server 200 executing a computer program stored in memory (not shown).

[0062] <Example of location information database data structure> Figures 5(A) to (D) are schematic diagrams showing examples of the configurations of the item table 310, location table 320, leader table 330, and user table 340 of the location information DB 220. Figures 6(A) and (B) are schematic diagrams showing examples of the configurations of the movement amount table 350 and tag detection table 360 ​​of the location information DB 220.

[0063] • Item table (Figure 5(A)) The item table 310 has six data items: tag ID 311, item ID 312, name 313, type 314, location 315, and coordinates 316.

[0064] Tag ID 311 is identification information that uniquely identifies the item tag 50 attached to each cartridge 30 and printer 180 under the management of the item management system 1. The content of the information in Tag ID 311 (hereinafter also referred to as "value") is the same as the value of item tag ID 51 stored internally by the corresponding item tag 50. Item ID 312 is identification information that uniquely identifies each cartridge 30 and printer 180. Note that item ID 312 and item tag ID 51 can be substituted for each other. Name 313 represents the name of each cartridge 30 and printer 180. In the example in Figure 5(A), the items identified by item IDs "IT01", "IT02", "IT03", and "IT11" are given the names "Item A", "Item B", "Item G", and "Item H", respectively. Here, "Item A," "Item B," "Item G," and "Item H" may correspond, for example, to the cartridges 30a, 30b, 30d and the printer 180 shown in Figure 1. Type 314 represents the type to which each cartridge 30 is classified. In the example in Figure 5(A), the type (category) of "Item A," "Item B," and "Item G" is "Type 1" and represents cartridges 30, while the type of "Item H" is "Type 2" and represents printer 180. In this example, there is one type each of cartridges 30 and printer 180, but the item management system 1 may manage multiple types of cartridges 30 and printers 180, respectively.

[0065] The values ​​for the name 313 and type 314 of each cartridge 30 and printer 180 may be determined by the user and pre-registered via a user interface (hereinafter also referred to as "UI") provided by the location information management unit 230. Alternatively, or in addition to this, the values ​​for the name 313 and type 314 may be stored as item-related information in the item tag 50 and read by the tag reader 110. In the latter case, the management server 200 can register the values ​​for the name 313 and type 314 of the cartridge 30 and printer 180 in the item table 310, for example, as follows: In other words, the management server 200 receives the values ​​for the name 313 and type 314 of each cartridge 30 and printer 180 from the tag reader 110 in response to the initial tag reading from the item tag 50 of each cartridge 30 and printer 180 by the tag reader 110. The management server 200 then registers the received values ​​for the name 313 and type 314 of the cartridge 30 and printer 180 in the item table 310.

[0066] Location 315 represents the location where each cartridge 30 and printer 180 was last detected by the tag reader 110, using the location ID in the location table 320 that identifies that location. In the example in Figure 5(A), "Item A" and "Item B" are located at the location identified by location ID "PL01". "Item G" and "Item H" are located at the location identified by location ID "PL02". Coordinate 316 represents the position coordinates of the estimated location where each cartridge 30 and printer 180 is located. The values ​​of location 315 and coordinate 316 can be updated by the location estimation unit 231 when the movement of an item is detected by the tag reader 110, as will be described later.

[0067] • Location table (Figure 5(B)) The location table 320 has six data items: tag ID 321, location ID 322, name 323, coordinates 324, map image 325, and scale 326.

[0068] Tag ID 321 is identification information that uniquely identifies the location tag 40 installed at each of the locations 10 under the management of the item management system 1. The value of Tag ID 321 is the same as the value of Tag ID 41 stored internally by the corresponding location tag 40. Location ID 322 is identification information that uniquely identifies each location 10. Note that Location ID 322 and Tag ID 41 can be substituted for each other. Name 323 represents the name of each location 10. In the example in Figure 5(B), the name of the location 10 identified by location ID "PL01" is "Location A", and the name of the location 10 identified by location ID "PL02" is "Location C". In practice, these names may be, for example, "1st floor living room", "2nd floor conference room", and "3rd floor warehouse". Coordinates 324 represent the location coordinates of the installation location of the location tag 40 installed at each location 10. Map image 325 is a data item that stores map image data of each location 10. The scale 326 indicates the ratio for converting distances on the map image 325 to distances in real space (for example, how many meters in real space does one pixel of the image correspond to?). The map image data stored in the map image 325 may be obtained from an external data source or uploaded by the user at the necessary time. Furthermore, the map image data stored in the map image 325 may be updated by obtaining from an external data source or by uploading by the user at the necessary time.

[0069] The location name 323 may be determined by the user and pre-registered via a UI provided by the location information management unit 230. Alternatively, or in addition to this, the name 323 may be stored as related information in the location tag 40 and read by the tag reader 110. In the latter case, similar to the name 313 of the cartridge 30 mentioned above, the location name 323 can be registered in the location table 310, for example, upon the first tag reading.

[0070] • Leader table (Figure 5(C)) The leader table 330 has three data items: leader ID 331, name 332, and user 333.

[0071] The Leader ID 331 is identification information that uniquely identifies each tag reader 110 used within the item management system 1. The Name 332 represents the name of each tag reader 110. In the example in Figure 5(C), the name of the tag reader 110 identified by Leader ID "RD01" is "Leader A," and the name of the tag reader 110 identified by Leader ID "RD02" is "Leader B." The User 333 represents the user 20 who uses each tag reader 110, as indicated by the value of User ID 341 in the User Table 340.

[0072] The name 332 of the tag reader 110 may be determined by the user and pre-registered via a UI provided by the location information management unit 230. Alternatively, or in addition to the above, the name 332 may be stored as related information in the storage unit 112 of the tag reader 110, and this may be sent to the management server 200 and registered in the reader table 330.

[0073] • User table (Figure 5(D)) User table 340 has two data items: User ID 341 and Name 342.

[0074] User ID 341 is identification information that uniquely identifies each of the 20 users who use the item management system 1. Name 342 represents the name of each user. In the example in Figure 5(D), the name of user 20 identified by user ID "U001" is "User A", and the name of user 20 identified by user ID "U002" is "User B". Although not shown in Figure 5(D), the user table 340 may also include authentication information (e.g., password) used when each user 20 logs in to the item management system 1.

[0075] The user's name 342 may be determined by the user and may be registered in advance via the UI provided by the location information management unit 230.

[0076] • Movement amount table (Figure 6(A)) The movement amount table 350 is an information table for storing records of measurement result data received from the tag reader 110 (hereinafter referred to as "measurement result records"). The movement amount table 350 has three data items: measurement time 351, reader ID 352, and movement amount 353.

[0077] The measurement time 351 represents the time when the measurement was performed for the measurement result shown in each measurement result record. The leader ID 352 is identification information that identifies the tag reader 110 that performed the measurement for the measurement result shown in each measurement result record. In the example in Figure 6(A), the six records in the displacement table 350 show the measurement results of the displacement performed by the tag reader 110, identified by leader ID "RD01", at six different times "T01" to "T06". The displacement 353 represents the relative displacement as a measurement result. Here, the displacement 353 represents the relative displacement in the form of a two-dimensional vector in a real-space coordinate system.

[0078] • Tag detection table (Figure 6(B)) The tag detection table 360 ​​is an information table for storing records of read result data received from the tag reader 110 (hereinafter referred to as "read result records"). The tag detection table 360 ​​has five data items: read time 361, tag ID 362, reader ID 363, reception level 364, and detection location 365.

[0079] The reading time 361 represents the time when the tag ID was read for each reading result record. The tag ID 362 represents the tag ID read for each reading result record. The reader ID 363 is identification information that identifies the tag reader 110 that read the tag ID for each reading result record. In the example in Figure 6(B), the first record in the tag detection table 360 ​​shows that the tag reader 110, identified by the reader ID "RD01", read the tag ID "TGA" (for example, the tag ID 41a of the location tag 40a of location 10a) at time "T01". The second record shows that the tag reader 110 read the tag ID "TG01" (for example, the item tag ID 51a of the item tag 50a of cartridge 30a) at time "T05". The third record indicates that the tag reader 110a read tag ID "TG02" (for example, item tag ID 51b of item tag 50b on cartridge 30b) at time "T06".

[0080] The reception level 364 represents the reception level of the signal received by the tag reader 110 when the tag ID was read for each read result record. The detection position 365 represents the position coordinates of the location where the tag reader 110 was located at the time the tag ID was read from the item tag 50 (for example, the detection position of the item tag 50 and the corresponding cartridge 30).

[0081] <Location Estimation> The position estimation unit 231 estimates the position of the portable system 100 based on the result of the tag reader 110 reading the tag ID from the position tag 40. For example, the position estimation unit 231 estimates the current position of the portable system 100 based on the relative movement of the portable system 100 from the time the tag reader 110 read the tag ID from the position tag 40, and the known position of the position tag 40. In addition, the position estimation unit 231 updates the position indicated by the position information of the cartridge 30 or printer 180 to which the item tag 50 is attached, in response to the tag reader 110 reading the tag ID from the item tag 50, as follows: That is, the position estimation unit 231 updates the position indicated by the position information of the cartridge 30 or printer 180 to which the item tag 50 is attached, based on the estimated current position of the portable system 100. The position information of the cartridge 30 or printer 180 here may include, for example, the location 315 and coordinates 316 of the item table 310.

[0082] More specifically, the position estimation unit 231 adds each record of measurement result data received from the mobile system 100 via the communication unit 210 to the movement amount table 350 as a measurement result record. The position estimation unit 231 also adds each record of reading result data received from the mobile system 100 via the communication unit 210 to the tag detection table 360 ​​as a reading result record. When an item tag 50 is detected by the tag reader 110, the position estimation unit 231 derives the position coordinates of the item tag 50 based on the relative movement amount of the tag reader 110 from the detection position of the location tag 40 in the same location 10 and the known position coordinates of the location tag 40. Note that when an item tag 50 (i.e., an item) is said to be present in a certain location 10 (present in the same location as a location tag 40 in a certain location 10), it typically means that it is present in the closest location to the location tag 40 placed in that location 10 among multiple location tags placed in each of multiple locations. For example, let (X,Y) be the relative movement of the tag reader 110 at the time the item tag 50 is detected. Also, let (U0,V0) be the position coordinates of the most recently detected location tag 40, and (X0,Y0) be the relative movement of the tag reader 110 at the time the location tag 40 is detected. In this case, the position coordinates (U,V) of the item tag 50 can be derived according to the following equation (1). (U,V)=(U0+(X-X0),V0+(Y-Y0)) (1)

[0083] The position estimation unit 231 adds the position coordinates of the item tag 50, which can be derived using equation (1), to the detection position 365 column of the tag detection table 360.

[0084] The position estimation unit 231 may estimate that the cartridge 30 or printer 180 to which the item tag 50 is attached is located at the detection position of the item tag 50 derived using equation (1). Alternatively, if the same item tag 50 is detected multiple times within a certain period, the position estimation unit 231 may estimate the position of the cartridge 30 or printer 180 as follows: That is, the position estimation unit 231 may estimate that the corresponding cartridge 30 or printer 180 is located at the detection position of the item tag 50 derived based on the relative movement of the tag reader 110 at the time when the signal reception level was highest. Or, if the same item tag 50 is detected multiple times within a certain period, the position estimation unit 231 may estimate the position of the cartridge 30 or printer 180 as follows: That is, the position estimation unit 231 may estimate that the corresponding cartridge 30 or printer 180 is located at the center (for example, the center of gravity) of the multiple detection positions of the item tag 50 derived using equation (1). The position estimation unit 231 updates the coordinates 316 column of the corresponding record in the item table 310 with the latest estimated position coordinates of the cartridge 30 or printer 180. In addition, if the location 10 where the cartridge 30 or printer 180 is located changes, the position estimation unit 231 also updates the location 315 column of the corresponding record for the cartridge 30 or printer 180 in the item table 310.

[0085] In this embodiment, a location acquisition means is configured to acquire location information indicating the location of a consumable item, which includes a location tag 40, a wireless location device capable of wireless communication, a tag reader 110 (measuring unit 114), etc., that provides a reference for the location information of the consumable item. In this embodiment, this location acquisition means acquires the location information of the consumable item based on communication taking place between the item tag 50, which is a wireless item device capable of wireless communication attached to the consumable item, and the location wireless device.

[0086] The above describes a configuration in which the item tag 50 in this embodiment is read by the tag reader 110 to identify the location of the cartridge 30 and printer 180. However, the method of identifying the location does not have to be the one described above. For example, a QR code indicating the item tag ID 51 may be printed on the cartridge 30 and printer 180, and the location may be identified by reading the QR code with a camera (not shown) installed to photograph the surroundings at each location. In this case, for example, since the cartridge 30 is in an outer box (packaging) before use, the QR code may be printed on the outer box in addition to or instead of the cartridge 30 itself, and unused cartridges 30 may be managed by the location of the outer box. Alternatively, the camera unit 164 of the user terminal 160 included in the portable system 100 may be used as the camera to photograph the QR code.

[0087] <Configuration of the management and processing unit> Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the management processing unit 250 in this embodiment. The location information access unit 251 has the function of receiving the item tag ID 51 and location information of the cartridge 30 from the location information management unit 230. The replacement timing detection unit 252, acting as a replacement timing detection means, has the function of detecting the replacement timing of the cartridge 30 installed in the printer 180. The usage information access unit 255 has the function of receiving the memory tag ID 61 and usage information of the cartridge 30 from the usage information management unit 240. The information integration unit 254 has the function of associating and managing the information received by the location information access unit 251 and the information received by the usage information access unit 255, and includes an integrated table 270 that combines the two pieces of information. Details of the integrated table 270 will be described later. The replacement item selection unit 253, acting as a selection means, has the function of selecting a candidate cartridge 30 to be newly installed in the printer 180 from among the cartridges 30 under the management of the item management system 1 when the replacement timing of the cartridge 30 is detected. Administrator information 256 is information used to identify user 20, and it is registered which user 20 should be notified about the replacement cartridge 30.

[0088] <Management linking item tags and memory tags> Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating the relationship between the item tag 50, memory tag 60, and management server 200 in the item management system 1 of this embodiment. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an integrated table 270 for managing the information of the item tag 50 and the memory tag 60 together in the management server 200. The block diagram of the management server 200 in Figure 4 is also used to explain the management of the item tag 50 and the memory tag 60 in association.

[0089] As described above, in the item management system 1, a unique item tag ID 51 is assigned to each item tag 50 attached to the cartridge 30, read by the reading unit 116 of the tag reader 110, and sent to the management server 200 via the communication unit 113. In addition, location information is assigned to each item tag 50 attached to the cartridge 30 and recorded in the item table 310.

[0090] When cartridge 30 is inserted into printer 180, the usage information stored in memory tag 60 is read by the reader unit 182 of printer 180. This usage information is then transmitted to management server 200 via communication unit 181 of printer 180. The data transmitted at this time includes a unique memory tag ID 61 for each memory tag 60, and this information is stored in usage information table 241 for each memory tag ID 61.

[0091] When the location information management unit 230 adds information about a new cartridge 30 to the item table 310, it notifies the management processing unit 250 of the item tag ID 51 and the location information. When the management processing unit 250 receives the information about the new item tag ID 51, it queries the ID linking DB 500, for example, which is located in the cloud, for the item tag ID 51. The ID linking DB 500 records the item tag ID 51 and memory tag ID 61 associated with the same cartridge 30. For example, the ID linking DB 500 records the item tag ID 51 and memory tag ID 61 that were set for each cartridge 30 at the factory during production. When the management processing unit 250 queries the ID linking DB 500 for the item tag ID 51, the memory tag ID 61 for the same cartridge 30 is sent back from the ID linking DB 500 to the management processing unit 250. The management processing unit 250 receives information about memory tag ID 61 from the usage information management unit 240, associates it with information about item tag ID 51, and creates an integrated table 270.

[0092] Among the elements of the integrated table 270 shown in Figure 9, item tag ID 271 and memory tag ID 272 may be the information of item tag ID 51 and memory tag ID 61 obtained as described above. Also, among the elements of the integrated table 270 shown in Figure 9, location 273 and position information 274 are information received from the position information management unit 230. Also, among the elements of the integrated table 270 shown in Figure 9, usage status 275 and remaining lifespan 276 are information received from the usage information management unit 240. When the cartridge 30 has not yet been installed in the printer 180 and the information of the memory tag ID 61 of the cartridge 30 has not been recorded in the usage information table 241, the usage status 275 is set to unused and the remaining lifespan 276 is left blank and recorded in the integrated table 270.

[0093] In this embodiment, the usage information table 241 may be an information table having data items from the elements of the integrated table 270, excluding the items for item tag ID 271, location 273, and location information 274.

[0094] In this embodiment, the ID linking DB 500 is assumed to be located in the cloud, but the system is not limited to this example. For example, the same ID linking DB 500 as described above may be configured by inputting the linking data between the item tag ID 51 and the memory tag ID 61 attached to the same cartridge 30, and this can be placed in the management server 200 (stored in memory). The ID linking DB 500 may be located on a network 5 that may include the internet, intranet, and cloud network, a wired network, a wireless network, or any combination thereof. Here, "located in the cloud" means that, similar to the management server 200, it is provided (stored in memory) by a server that can be implemented as an application server, database server, or cloud server using, for example, a general-purpose computer. Furthermore, "querying the ID linking DB 500" or "receiving a response from the ID linking DB 500" means, more specifically, querying a device equipped with the ID linking DB 500, such as the server mentioned above, and receiving a response from that device.

[0095] {Details of inventory management operations: Figures 10-12} <Operation when the printer is first installed> Figure 10(A) is a timing chart showing the state of each part when cartridge 30 is newly installed in printer 180. The numbers in parentheses for each item indicate the elements of the block diagram in Figure 8.

[0096] When a new cartridge 30 is installed in the printer 180, the printer 180 begins reading the contents of the memory tag 60 using the reader unit 182 (T101). If the printer 180 reads the memory tag 60 and the cartridge 30 is unused, the reader unit 182 changes the status to "in use" and rewrites the memory tag 60 (T102). At this time, it is also possible to write 100% remaining lifespan to the memory tag 60. Once the rewriting is complete, the printer 180 transmits the data from the memory tag 60 to the management server 200 using the communication unit 181 (T103). Figure 10(A) shows that data indicating a change in usage status is transmitted at T103, but some or all of the other data from the memory tag 60 is also transmitted at this time. When the usage information management unit 240 of the management server 200 receives the usage information, which is the data from the memory tag 60, from the printer 180, it updates the usage information table 241 (T104). At this point, the usage status in the usage information table 241 becomes "in use" and the remaining lifespan becomes 100%. If the data for the memory tag ID 61 of the memory tag 60 is not found in the usage information table 241, the usage information management unit 240 sends usage information to the management processing unit 250. As a result, the management processing unit 250 updates the integrated table 270 associated with the memory tag ID 61 (T105). That is, the usage status 275 in the integrated table 270 becomes "in use" and the remaining lifespan 276 in the integrated table 270 becomes 100%.

[0097] <Operation during replacement item management> • Overall operation during replacement parts management Figure 10(B) is a timing chart showing the state of each part when cartridge 30 is used in printer 180 and the toner level reaches 0%. The numbers in parentheses for each item indicate the elements of the block diagrams in Figures 1, 7, and 8.

[0098] When the printer 180 is used, the toner in the cartridge 30 is consumed and eventually runs out. When the printer 180 detects that the toner in the cartridge 30 has run out using the remaining life detection unit 183, the reader unit 182 writes "remaining life 0%" to the memory tag 60 (T111). In this embodiment, the content written to the memory tag 60 is "remaining life 0%", but it could also be flag information indicating that the toner has run out, or both. At this time, the printer 180 also changes the usage status information in the memory tag 60 to "used" using the reader unit 182. When the printer 180 has finished writing to the memory tag 60, it sends the written content to the management server 200 (T112). When the usage information management unit 240 of the management server 200 receives the data from the printer 180, it updates the remaining life in the usage information table 241 to 0% (T113). At this time, the usage information management unit 240 rewrites the usage status of the usage information table 241 to used. Almost simultaneously with updating the usage information table 241, the usage information management unit 240 informs the management processing unit 250 of the update, and the management processing unit 250 updates the integrated table 270 (T114). That is, at this point, the usage status 275 in the integrated table 270 becomes used, and the remaining life 276 in the integrated table 270 becomes 0%.

[0099] The replacement timing detection unit 252 within the management processing unit 250 detects that the remaining lifespan in the integrated table 270 has reached 0%, determines that it is time to replace the cartridge 30, and instructs the replacement item selection unit 253 to select a replacement cartridge 30 (T115). Alternatively, the replacement timing detection unit 252 may determine that it is time to replace the cartridge when it detects that the usage status 275 has changed to used. Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the replacement item selection unit 253. Details of the operation according to the flowchart in Figure 11 will be described later. Once the selection of a replacement cartridge 30 is complete, the management processing unit 250 sends the created list of replacement cartridges 30 (hereinafter also referred to as the "replacement cartridge list") to the user terminal 160 (T116). Which user terminal 160 to send it to is registered in the administrator information 256. The administrator information 256 has one or more users registered for each printer 180. Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display based on the replacement cartridge list on the user terminal 160. Details of the display shown in Figure 12 will be described later.

[0100] Furthermore, the usage information for cartridge 30 is not limited to recording information regarding usage amount (remaining life information) and usage status (unused, in use, used), but may also record at least one of these. The information regarding usage amount and usage status can be considered examples of the degree of wear and tear on consumables.

[0101] ·Replacement item selection operation Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the replacement part selection unit 253.

[0102] The replacement item selection unit 253 reads the data for one cartridge 30 from the integrated table 270 and checks the value of the usage status 275 (S101). The replacement item selection unit 253 determines whether the value of the usage status 275 is unused or not (S102). If the replacement item selection unit 253 determines in S102 that it is unused, it adds the cartridge 30 to the replacement cartridge list (S103). The replacement cartridge list, which serves as replacement candidate information, includes the item tag ID 51 (or item ID), memory tag ID 61, location 273, and position information 274. If the replacement item selection unit 253 determines in S102 that it is not unused, it proceeds to process S104 without adding the cartridge 30 to the replacement cartridge list. Processes S101 to S103 are repeated for all cartridges 30 registered in the integrated table 270 until the process is complete (S104). Once the replacement cartridge list is created, the replacement cartridge selection unit 253 sorts it by location information 274, in order of proximity to the printer 180 (S105).

[0103] By doing so, it is possible to create a list of unused (new) cartridges 30 that are available for replacement, excluding the used cartridges 30.

[0104] • Display of replacement cartridge list Referring to Figure 12, an example of a UI displayed on the user terminal 160 based on the selected list of replacement cartridges 30 (replacement cartridge list) will be described. The UI shown in Figure 12 is displayed on the display unit 171 of the user terminal 160 under the control of the control unit 161, based on information (replacement cartridge list, map information, etc.) transmitted by the management processing unit 250 of the management server 200.

[0105] Figure 12(A) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the UI displayed on the user terminal 160 when the replacement cartridge list is not empty. The message display unit 400 displays a message to inform the user 20 that the toner in cartridge 30 installed in printer 180 has run out and that cartridge 30 should be replaced. The printer name display unit 401 displays the name of the printer 180 in which cartridge 30 has run out of toner (cartridge 30 is empty) and which is the cartridge 30 that needs to be replaced. The management processing unit 250 can identify the printer 180 in which the empty cartridge 30 is installed, for example, based on the location information (location) of the empty cartridge 30 and the location information (location) of the printer 180. The printer name display unit 401 also functions as a button as an input unit, and pressing it switches to a map display of the location where the printer 180 is installed. Note that while pressing (or pressing down) is one example of how to operate the input means, the operation method is not limited to pressing, and any operation method such as simply touching is acceptable.

[0106] The cartridge list display units 402-405 display the names of the locations where the cartridges 30 included in the replacement cartridge list are located. The number of displayed locations changes depending on the number of cartridges 30 included in the replacement cartridge list. In the example in Figure 12(A), it shows that there are 2 replaceable cartridges 30 at location A, 1 at location B, and 1 at location C. The cartridge list display units 402-405 also function as input buttons, and pressing them switches to a map display showing the locations where the cartridges 30 are located.

[0107] Figure 12(B) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the UI for the map display that switches when the printer name display unit 401 or the cartridge list display units 402-405 are pressed. When the button that serves as both the printer name display unit 401 or the cartridge list display units 402-405 is pressed, a map image is displayed using an image recorded in the location table 320. In addition, icons of items based on location information are superimposed on the map image. The location name display unit 410 displays the name of the location on the displayed map. The printer icon 411 displays the location of the printer 180 on the map. The cartridge icon 412 displays the location of the replaceable cartridge 30 on the map.

[0108] Figure 12(C) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the UI displayed on the user terminal 160 when the replacement cartridge list is empty. When the replacement cartridge list is empty, there are no replaceable cartridges 30, so the message display unit 420 displays a message to inform the user 20 of the information necessary to purchase cartridge 30. Specifically, the model name (model number) of the printer 180, the model name (model number) of the cartridge 30, and the address of the purchase homepage (website) are displayed.

[0109] In this embodiment, the replacement part selection unit 253 was described as selecting an unused cartridge 30 as a replacement part, but a replacement part may be selected under different conditions. For example, a cartridge 30 that is still usable (a consumable item whose degree of wear is below a predetermined degree of wear), regardless of whether it has been used or not, and which is not currently installed in the printer 180, may be selected.

[0110] In this embodiment, the selected replacement items were sorted in order of proximity to the cartridge 30 based on their distance from the cartridge 30 to be replaced, and the replacement candidates were displayed on the user terminal 160 with a priority order. In other words, in this embodiment, the priority order was determined such that replacement candidates located at a first distance from the location indicated by the location information of the consumable item for which replacement timing was detected were ranked higher than replacement candidates located at a second distance, which is further than the first distance. However, the sorting criteria for the selected replacement items are not limited to the items described in this embodiment. For example, replacement candidates may be sorted and prioritized based on the start date of use or the expiration date of the cartridge 30. For example, the priority order could be determined such that replacement candidates with a first start date are ranked higher than replacement candidates with a second start date, which is later than the first start date. Alternatively, the priority order could be determined such that replacement candidates with a first expiration date are ranked higher than replacement candidates with a second expiration date, which is later than the first expiration date.

[0111] Furthermore, in this embodiment, information identifying replacement candidates with a first priority is displayed above information identifying replacement candidates with a second priority (lower than the first priority), but this is not the only way to do so. For example, information identifying the highest priority replacement candidate may be highlighted, or a predetermined mark may be placed on the information identifying the highest priority replacement candidate.

[0112] Alternatively, the location information of the printer 180 may be pre-registered as location coordinates in the item management system 1, or the location information may be obtained by attaching an item tag to the printer 180.

[0113] Furthermore, a display based on the replacement cartridge list, as shown in Figure 12, may be displayed on the display unit 184 of the printer 180 in which the cartridge 30 to be replaced is installed, or on the display unit 171 of the user terminal 160 of a user 20 who is near the printer 180 (for example, the closest one).

[0114] By doing so, when managing consumables such as cartridge 30, it becomes possible to automatically manage used and unused items, preventing the need to unnecessarily search for used items.

[0115] As explained above, according to this embodiment, when the condition of the consumables being managed changes, the management information is automatically updated, making it possible to manage the consumables, including changes in their condition.

[0116] [Example 2] Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be described. In the article management system of this embodiment, elements having the same or corresponding functions or configurations as those of the article management system of Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in Embodiment 1, and detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0117] <Overview of this embodiment> In this embodiment, the item management system 1 records the administrator who manages each item. According to the item management system 1 of this embodiment, the administrator of an item is identified by the location information of the item, so the user can change the administrator of an item without any special procedures.

[0118] In the following explanation, the person in charge of the inventory management system 1, which manages and understands the status of all items, will be referred to as the "manager," while the person who uses and manages individual items will simply be referred to as the "administrator." Here, the manager and administrator may be specific individuals, or they may be groups or departments to which multiple people belong.

[0119] <Configuration of the management and processing unit> Figure 13 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the management processing unit 250 in this embodiment. In the block diagram of Figure 13, elements having the same function as those in the block diagram of Figure 7 in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0120] In this embodiment, the functions of the information integration unit 1303, administrator information 1306, administrator identification unit 1307, and replacement part selection unit 1305 in the block diagram of Figure 13 differ from those in Embodiment 1.

[0121] <Information Integration Department> In this embodiment, when the location information of a cartridge 30 under the management of the item management system 1 changes, the information integration unit 1303 notifies the administrator identification unit 1307 of the change in location. At this time, the information integration unit 1303 notifies the administrator identification unit 1307 of the item ID (which may also be an item tag ID) of the cartridge 30 and its location information. Furthermore, when the number of replacement items (unused cartridges 30) selected by the replacement item selection unit 1305 (described later) falls below a predetermined value N (where N is 0 or a positive integer), the information integration unit 1303 has a function to guide the administrator of the cartridge 30 that needs to be replaced to purchase a replacement cartridge 30. In other words, the information integration unit 1303 has a function to send purchase information to guide the purchase of consumable items in order to provide notification to the user terminal 160. The predetermined value N may be a number predetermined in the item management system 1, or it may be changed by the manager or administrator during the operation of the item management system 1.

[0122] Figures 14(A) and 14(B) are schematic diagrams showing an example of a UI in which the information integration unit 1303 guides the administrator to purchase a cartridge 30. The UI shown in Figures 14(A) and 14(B) is displayed on the display unit 171 on the user terminal 160 under the control of the control unit 161, based on information transmitted by the management processing unit 250 of the management server 200. The purchase guidance window 1401 is displayed on the user terminal 160 held by the administrator. The administrator presses the "YES" button 1402 if they wish to purchase a new cartridge 30, and the "NO" button 1403 if they do not wish to purchase one. When the "NO" button 1403 is pressed, the purchase guidance window 1401 is closed. When the "YES" button 1402 is pressed, the display changes from the purchase guidance window 1401 in Figure 14(A) to the purchase guidance window 1404 in Figure 14(B). In the purchase guidance window 1404, the administrator can select the desired number of cartridges to purchase from a pull-down display (hereinafter also referred to as the "pull-down menu") 1405. After the desired number of cartridges is selected, the administrator presses the "Purchase Request" button 1406, and a request to order cartridges 30 is sent to the manager of the inventory management system 1. As a result, a purchase guidance message similar to the message display unit 420 in Figure 12(C) is displayed on, for example, the display unit 171 of the manager's user terminal 160. In the purchase guidance window 1404, if the administrator does not wish to purchase cartridges 30, they press the "Cancel" button 1407. Note that the arrow shown in Figure 14(B) is a cursor 1408 for performing operations, and user operations may be performed by operating the cursor 1408 using the operation unit 165.

[0123] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the integrated table 1309 in this embodiment. In the integrated table 1309 of Figure 15, the same reference numerals are used for the same items as in the integrated table 270 of Figure 9 in Embodiment 1. In the integrated table 1309 of Figure 15, the administrator 1501 corresponds to the administrator information of the cartridge 30, which is identified by the administrator identification unit 1307 from the location information of the cartridge 30. Details of the administrator identification unit 1307 will be described later. The start date of use 1502 is the date on which the cartridge 30 was first installed in the printer 180, and the date on which the usage status 275 changed from "unused" to "in use". In this embodiment, the start date of use information is stored in the memory tag 60 in the printer 180. The expiration date 1503 is the expiration date of the cartridge 30, and in this embodiment, it is stored in the memory tag 60 when the cartridge 30 is manufactured. The start date of use 1502 and the expiration date 1503 are read from the memory tag 60 after the cartridge 30 is installed in the printer 180. These are then added to the integrated table 1309 via the usage information access unit 255 after the usage information table 241 has been updated. The start date of use 1502 and the expiration date 1503 are recorded in the integrated table 1309 with the data left blank if the unused cartridge 30 has not yet been installed in the printer 180 and the information of the memory tag ID 61 of that cartridge 30 has not been recorded in the usage information table 241.

[0124] <Administrator information> In this embodiment, the administrator information 1306 is a table of information that associates location information under the management of the item management system 1 with the item's administrator. Figure 16 shows a specific example of the administrator information 1306 in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the administrator information 1306 is an information table having five data items: location ID 1601 (which may also be a tag ID), name 1602, administrator 1603, representative (person in charge) 1604, and contact information 1605. In the example in Figure 16, the administrator information 1306 information table has the administrator, representative, and representative's contact information for location IDs "PL01", "PL02", "PL03", and "PL0Z". For example, the name of the location with location ID "PL01" is "Location A", its administrator is "Department 1", its representative (person in charge) is "Taro Yamada", and its contact information is yamada@xxx.co.jp. Similarly, information is also registered for location IDs "PL02", "PL03", and "PL0Z". Furthermore, administrator information 1306 may be predetermined before the operation of the item management system 1, or it may be set by a manager or administrator during operation.

[0125] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a UI for setting the location represented by the location ID 1601 and name 1602, and the administrator 1603, in the information table of administrator information 1306. The cartridge administrator information display window 1701 shown in Figure 17 is one of the management screens used by the manager of the item management system 1 to manage the item management system 1. This display window 1701 is displayed on a display device such as a PC display (monitor) or a touch panel tablet terminal based on information transmitted by the management processing unit 250 of the management server 200. This display device may be the display unit 171 of the user terminal 160 that constitutes the portable system 100 used by the manager, or it may be a separate user terminal used by the manager. The display window 1701 has a selection unit 1702, an area display unit 1703, an administrator display unit 1704, and a change application unit 1705. The arrows shown on the display window 1701 are cursors 1707 for performing operations, and the operation of the cursors 1707 by the user is performed by the operation unit 165. The selection section 1702 is an item for selecting the location (area) where the administrator to be changed. The administrator display section 1704 displays the administrator for the location (area) shown in the area display section 1703, and displays administrator options when the administrator is to be changed. The change application section 1705 is pressed when applying the administrator change displayed in the administrator display section 1704. In the example in Figure 17, the administrator for location A is Section 1, the administrator for location B is Section 2, and the checkbox in the selection section 1702 for location C is checked in order to change the administrator for location C. By selecting the checkbox in the selection section 1702 for location C, the user can change the administrator information for the selected location (area). When the checkbox in the selection section 1702 is selected by the cursor 1707, the display of the administrator display section 1704 in the selected area display section 1703 changes to a pull-down menu 1706. The user can change the administrator by selecting the administrator to change from the pull-down menu 1706.When the administrator is changed by operating the pull-down menu 1706, the change button on the change application unit 1705 becomes active, and the user can apply the administrator change by pressing the change button using the cursor 1707. Note that the representative 1604 and contact information 1605 in the administrator information 1306 in Figure 16 are set using a different UI than that in Figure 17, and the representative and contact information (email address in this embodiment) are entered for each administrator. The location and administrator information set using the UI in Figure 17 and the representative and contact information set using the separate UI mentioned above are integrated to form the administrator information 1306.

[0126] <Administrator identification section> The administrator identification unit 1307 identifies the administrator of an item in accordance with the administrator information 1306, linked to the location information of that item. The administrator identification unit 1307 receives a notification from the information integration unit 1303 of a change in location information, which includes the item ID 312 and the coordinates 316 indicating the location of the item. Upon receiving a notification of a change in location information, the administrator identification unit 1307 stores the item ID, location coordinates, and notification reception time (notification date and time) for each cartridge 30 whose location information has been notified to have changed. The administrator identification unit 1307 records the item ID, location information, and notification time (notification date and time) of the cartridges 30 that are subject to notification for administrator update confirmation, as described later, in the administrator update list 1308. Figure 18 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the administrator update list 1308. The administrator update list 1308 consists of three items: item ID 1801 (which may also be an item tag ID), location information 1802, and notification date and time 1803. In the example in Figure 18, the location information (Ua,Va) for item ID "IT01" was notified at 14:30:23 on October 10, 2023, and the location information (Uz,Vz) for item ID "IT02" was notified at 13:15:03 on October 10, 2023. The administrator identification unit 1307 periodically checks for administrator updates for each item ID cartridge 30 in the administrator update list 1308.

[0127] Figure 19 is a flowchart illustrating the process by which the administrator identification unit 1307 identifies the administrator of cartridge 30. If the administrator identification unit 1307 finds an unconfirmed cartridge 30 in the administrator update list (S201), it checks whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the notification time of the cartridge 30 (S202). If the administrator identification unit 1307 determines in S202 that a predetermined time has elapsed, it determines that the movement of cartridge 30 has been completed and obtains the administrator information corresponding to the location information of the cartridge 30 from the administrator information 1306 (S203). The predetermined time may be a time predetermined in the item management system 1, or it may be changed by a manager or administrator during the operation of the item management system 1. Subsequently, the administrator identification unit 1307 notifies the information integration unit 1303 of the change in the administrator of cartridge 30 (S204), deletes the information of cartridge 30 from the administrator update list (S205), and returns to the process in S201. Furthermore, if the administrator identification unit 1307 determines in S202 that the notification time has not elapsed beyond a predetermined time, it marks the cartridge 30 in the administrator update list as confirmed (S206) and returns to processing S201. Also, once the administrator identification unit 1307 has confirmed all cartridges 30 in the management update list in S201, it terminates the administrator identification process. Note that the notification of change of administrator for cartridge 30 sent from the administrator identification unit 1307 to the information integration unit 1303 in S204 is information that associates the item ID of cartridge 30 with the administrator. When the information integration unit 1303 receives the notification of change of administrator from the administrator identification unit 1307, it updates the administrator information for the item ID of the notified cartridge 30 from the management information of cartridge 30 that the information integration unit 1303 holds.

[0128] In this embodiment, administrator information 1306 (more specifically, the memory in which it is stored) functions as a source information holding means that holds source information (administrator information) indicating the source (administrator) of the consumables. In this embodiment, administrator identification unit 1307 constitutes a source identification means that identifies the source of the consumables based on the location information of the consumables. Furthermore, the administrator identification unit 1307, as a source identification means, can change the source of the consumables held in the source information when the location information of the consumables acquired by the location acquisition means changes.

[0129] <Replacement item selection section> When the replacement part selection unit 1305 receives notification from the replacement timing detection unit 252 that a cartridge 30 needs to be replaced, it begins selecting a replacement part. In this embodiment, the replacement part selection unit 1305 selects a replacement part from among the cartridges 30 managed by the same administrator as the cartridge 30 that needs to be replaced. Figure 20 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the replacement part selection unit 1305 in this embodiment. In the flowchart of Figure 20, the same steps as those performed by the replacement part selection unit 253 in the flowchart of Figure 11 in Embodiment 1 are given the same step numbers. First, the replacement part selection unit 1305 references and stores the administrator of the item ID of the cartridge 30 that needs to be replaced, as notified by the replacement timing detection unit 252, from the integrated table 1309 (S301). Next, the replacement part selection unit 1305 reads the data for one cartridge 30 from the integrated table 1309 and checks the value of the usage status 275 and the administrator 1501 (S302). The replacement item selection unit 1305 determines whether the value of the usage status 275 is unused and whether the administrator 1501 is the same as the administrator stored in S301 (S303). If the replacement item selection unit 1305 determines in S303 that the cartridge 30 is unused and the administrator is the same, it adds the cartridge 30 to the replacement cartridge list (S103). If the replacement item selection unit 253 determines in S303 that the cartridge 30 is not unused or the administrator is not the same, it proceeds to process S104 without adding the cartridge 30 to the replacement cartridge list. Furthermore, if the replacement item selection unit 1305 has not checked all the cartridges 30 registered in the integration table 1309, it returns to process S302 (S104). In other words, the processes from S302 to S103 are repeated until all the cartridges 30 registered in the integration table 1309 have been checked.

[0130] Then, the information integration unit 1303, via the communication unit 210, displays the location information of the replacement cartridge 30 on the user terminal 160, in the same manner as in Embodiment 1.

[0131] In this embodiment, an example was described in which the replacement item selection unit 305 selects an unused cartridge 30 as a replacement item. However, replacement items may be selected based on different conditions. For example, a cartridge 30 that is still usable, regardless of whether it has been used or not, and is not currently installed in the printer 180, may be selected. In this embodiment, the selected replacement items were sorted in order of proximity to the cartridge 30 to be replaced, and the replacement candidates were displayed on the user terminal 160 with a priority order. However, the sorting criteria for the selected replacement items are not limited to the items described in this embodiment. For example, the items may be sorted based on the start date of use or the expiration date of the cartridge 30, and replacement candidates may be prioritized.

[0132] <Specific example> Here, as a concrete example, we will explain a case where the company's inventory management department purchases cartridge 30 in bulk, distributes the cartridge 30 from the inventory management department to each department of the company, and the departments to which the cartridges were distributed are responsible for requesting replacements or new purchases of the cartridges 30 thereafter.

[0133] First, the inventory management department distributes cartridges 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d located at location Z (not shown) to each department. As shown in Figure 16, location Z is within the management scope of the inventory management department, and the inventory management department is the manager of the items in location Z before distribution. For example, cartridges 30a and 30b are distributed to location A, which is within the management scope of Department 1, and cartridges 30c and 30d are distributed to location B, which is within the management scope of Department 2. Once the cartridges 30 are distributed to each department (location), the location information of the location tag 40 attached to each cartridge 30 changes and is transmitted to the information integration unit 1303 via the location information access unit 251. When the location information of a cartridge 30 changes, the information integration unit 1303 sends a location information change notification to the manager identification unit 1307, pairing the item ID of the cartridge 30 whose location information has changed with its location information. For example, when cartridge 30a with item ID "IT01" moves from location Z at coordinates (Uz,Vz) to location A at coordinates (Ua,Va), and its location information changes, information consisting of the item ID "IT01" and the location coordinates (Ua,Va) is transmitted. As cartridge 30a moves from location Z to location A, each time its location information changes, a notification of the change in location information is sent to the administrator identification unit 1307 via the information integration unit 1303.

[0134] Then, when the administrator identification unit 1307 receives a location information change notification, it adds or updates the item ID, location coordinates, and notification time information to the administrator update list. The administrator identification unit 1307 checks at regular intervals (e.g., every minute) that the location information of cartridge 30 in the administrator update list has not changed for a predetermined time (e.g., 5 minutes) or longer. For example, in the example in Figure 18, when the administrator identification unit 1307 checks the administrator update list 1308 at 14:35:30 on October 10, 2023, it determines that the location information of item ID "IT01" has not changed for a predetermined time or longer. Based on this, the administrator identification unit 1307 determines that the item's movement is complete and changes the item's administrator to the administrator of the location where the movement is complete. Specifically, the administrator identification unit 1307 obtains the administrator "Section 1" corresponding to the item's location information after the movement is complete from the administrator information 1306. Then, the Administrator Identification Unit 1307 notifies the Information Integration Unit 1303 that the administrator of cartridge "IT01" has been changed to "Section 1". The Information Integration Unit 1303 changes the administrator 1501 for item ID "IT01" in the item management information in the integration table 1309 from "Item Management Section" to "Section 1". After the above notification, the Administrator Identification Unit 1307 also removes the cartridge "IT01" whose administrator has been updated from the Administrator Update List 1308.

[0135] In this way, according to this embodiment, the manager of an item can be changed based on the location information of the item under the management of the item management system 1. Similarly, after cartridges 30b, 30c, and 30d are distributed to each department, the manager of cartridge 30b is changed from the "Item Management Department" to the "Department 1," and the managers of cartridges 30c and 30d are changed from the "Item Management Department" to the "Department 2."

[0136] Furthermore, Sections 1 and 2 are responsible for managing cartridges 30x, 30y, and 30z that were distributed by the Inventory Management Section prior to this distribution. Section 1 is responsible for managing cartridges 30x and 30y, and Section 2 is responsible for managing cartridge 30z. Cartridge 30x is assumed to be used, and cartridge 30y is assumed to be unused.

[0137] After the cartridge 30 is distributed to each department, it is installed in the printer 180 used by the department to which it was distributed. After the cartridge 30 is installed in the printer 180, the reading unit 182 reads the information from the memory tag 60 attached to the cartridge 30 and transmits it to the management server 200 via the communication unit 181. After the information from the memory tag 60 is transmitted to the management server 200, the management processing unit 250 creates an integrated table 1309. The creation of the integrated table 1309 is as described above.

[0138] For example, after cartridge 30 is distributed to each department, cartridge 30a is inserted into the printer 180 and used, while cartridges 30b, 30c, and 30d are stored unused. When the cumulative usage of cartridge 30a increases and the printer 180 detects that the toner in cartridge 30a has run out, the reader unit 182 writes "remaining life 0%" to the memory tag 60. Subsequently, the remaining life of item ID "IT01" in the usage information table 241 is updated to 0% via the usage information management unit 240, and then the management processing unit 250 completes the update of the integrated table 1309.

[0139] When the replacement timing detection unit 252 in the management processing unit 250 detects that the remaining lifespan of cartridge 30a in the integrated table 1309 has reached 0%, it determines that the replacement timing for cartridge 30a has arrived and instructs the replacement item selection unit 1305 to select a replacement cartridge 30 with item ID "IT01". The replacement timing detection unit 252 notifies the replacement item selection unit 1305 of the item ID of the cartridge 30 that needs to be replaced. The operation of the replacement item selection unit 1305 is as described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 20. When the replacement item selection unit 1305 receives notification of the item ID of the cartridge 30 that needs to be replaced from the replacement timing detection unit 252, it selects a cartridge 30 from the integrated table 1309 that has the same administrator as the administrator of the item ID of the cartridge 30 that needs to be replaced, and whose usage status 275 value is unused. Specifically, the replacement selection unit 1305 adds unused cartridges 30b and 30y, whose administrator is "Section 1," to the replacement cartridge list for cartridge 30a. Then, the replacement selection unit 1305 sorts the replacement cartridge list in order of proximity to the cartridge 30 that needs replacing, and displays the replacement cartridge list on the user terminal 160.

[0140] When cartridge 30a is replaced with cartridge 30y, and the cumulative usage of cartridge 30y increases until the toner runs out, the remaining lifespan of cartridge 30y becomes 0%. The replacement part selection unit 1305 selects a replacement part in the same way as when cartridge 30a reached 0% lifespan. At this point, when the number of replacement parts becomes 1, the information integration unit 1303 determines that the number of replacement parts selected by the replacement part selection unit 1305 is less than or equal to a predetermined number, in this example, 1 or less. The information integration unit 1303 then displays the purchase guidance window 1401 for the new cartridge 30 shown in Figure 14(A) on the user terminal 160 of the administrator of the cartridge 30 that needs replacing. Furthermore, when the "YES" button 1401 indicating the desire to purchase a cartridge is pressed in the purchase guidance window 1401 in Figure 14(A), the purchase guidance window 1404 shown in Figure 14(B) is displayed for selecting the desired number of cartridges to purchase. This allows the administrator to select the desired number of cartridges 30 to purchase. When the "Purchase Request" button 1406 is pressed in the purchase guidance window 1404, which is used to select the desired number of cartridges to purchase, a request to purchase cartridge 30 is sent to the manager of the inventory management system 1.

[0141] The location information of the printer 180 may be pre-registered as location coordinates in the item management system 1, or the location information may be obtained by attaching an item tag to the printer 180.

[0142] Furthermore, the purchase instructions shown in Figure 14 may be displayed on the display unit 184 of the printer 180 in which the cartridge 30 to be replaced is installed, or on the display unit 171 of the user terminal 160 of a user 20 who is near the printer 180 (for example, the closest one).

[0143] As explained above, this embodiment allows for the registration and modification of item managers based on the location information of items. Therefore, managers and users of items can maintain the appropriate status of item managers without having to be aware of the registration and modification process. Furthermore, when presenting replacement consumables to users, presenting the consumables managed by the manager determined based on the item's location information prevents managers from mistakenly using the wrong items, thus enabling correct use and management of items.

[0144] [Example 3] Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be described. In the article management system of this embodiment, elements having the same or corresponding functions or configurations as those in the article management systems of Embodiments 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in Embodiments 1 and 2, and detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0145] <Overview of this embodiment> Consumable items should be recycled rather than discarded after use, in order to make effective use of resources and reduce waste. To recycle, it is necessary to collect used consumable items with the cooperation of the users of the consumable items. Users of consumable items will not discard used items but will request collection from a designated company or other party. In this embodiment, after the replacement of a used item is detected, the item management system 1 will issue guidance to the user regarding the recycling of the used item. According to this embodiment, by using the location information of items under the management of the item management system 1 to provide guidance to item managers and administrators that helps promote the recycling of used items, it is possible to lower the hurdles to recycling used items and improve the recycling rate of used items.

[0146] Cartridge 30, once the toner inside is depleted, i.e., used, is not discarded but can be collected and reused as a new resource. In this embodiment, when a cartridge 30 under the management of the inventory management system 1 becomes used, the manager of the inventory management system 1 requests a designated external company to collect the used cartridge for recycling. Hereinafter, the used cartridge 30 will also be simply referred to as a "used cartridge." In this embodiment, used cartridges are collected at a predetermined location within the company (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "collection location"). In this embodiment, the user of the cartridge 30 takes the used cartridge to the collection location.

[0147] In this embodiment, the item management system 1 detects when a used cartridge has been replaced and confirms the location of the used cartridge. If the used cartridge is not at the collection point, the item management system 1 issues a notice to the person in charge of the used cartridge, prompting them to take the used cartridge to the collection point. Furthermore, when a predetermined number of used cartridges have been collected at the used cartridge collection point, the item management system 1 issues a notice to the manager. This notice advises the manager to request the collection of the used cartridges for recycling from a designated external company, such as a cartridge sales company.

[0148] <Configuration of the management and processing unit> Figure 21 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the management processing unit 250 in this embodiment. In the block diagram of Figure 21, elements having the same function as those in the block diagrams of Figures 7 and 13 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0149] The following describes the functions of the information integration unit 2103, the exchange detection unit 2101, and the recycling guidance unit 2102 in this embodiment.

[0150] <Exchange detection unit> As a replacement detection means, the replacement detection unit 2101 detects when a cartridge 30 that needs to be replaced has been replaced with another cartridge 30. In this embodiment, two detection methods will be described. One is a method in which the replacement detection unit 2101 detects the replacement of a cartridge 30 based on a change in the usage information of the cartridge 30 that the printer 180 sends to the management server 200 (hereinafter also referred to as "usage information-based replacement detection"). The other is a method in which the replacement detection unit 2101 detects the replacement of a cartridge 30 based on a change in the location information of the cartridge 30 to be replaced that the information integration unit 2103 notifies the replacement detection unit 2101 of (hereinafter also referred to as "location-based replacement detection").

[0151] First, let's explain the detection of replacement due to usage information. When the printer 180 detects that the memory tag 60 attached to the cartridge 30 is unreadable by the reading unit 182, it determines that the cartridge 30 has been removed from the printer 180. The printer 180 sends information to the management server 200 via the communication unit 181 indicating that the cartridge 30 has been removed. Information indicating that the cartridge 30 has been removed from the printer 180 is reflected in the integrated table 2109 via the usage information access unit 255. When the memory tag 60 attached to a replacement cartridge 30, different from the cartridge 30 removed from the printer 180, is read by the reading unit 182, information indicating that a new cartridge 30 has been installed is reflected in the integrated table 2109 via the communication unit 181 and the usage information access unit 255. The replacement detection unit 2101 detects that the cartridge 30 has been replaced when a cartridge 30 with a remaining lifespan that is not 0% is installed in the printer 180. Furthermore, the means for detecting the insertion and removal of the cartridge 30 from the printer 180 is not limited to reading and writing to the memory tag 60 by the reading unit 182. For example, in place of or in addition to the above means, the printer 180 may be provided with other means for detecting insertion and removal, such as a switch whose state changes depending on the insertion and removal of the cartridge 30.

[0152] Next, location-based replacement detection will be explained. The replacement detection unit 2101 detects that a cartridge 30 has been replaced when the location of the cartridge 30 to be replaced changes from the installation location of the printer 180 in which the cartridge 30 was installed to a different location. Specifically, the unit detects that a cartridge 30 has been replaced when the location information 274 of a cartridge 30 with a remaining lifespan 276 of 0% in the integrated table 2109 changes to a different location from the location information of the printer 180 in which the cartridge 30 was installed. The location information of the printer 180 may be pre-registered as location coordinates in the item management system 1, or the location information may be obtained by attaching an item tag 50 to the printer 180.

[0153] Regardless of whether the exchange detection is based on usage information or location, when the exchange detection unit 2101 detects the exchange of cartridge 30, it notifies the information integration unit 2103 of information indicating that cartridge 30 has been replaced. The notification of cartridge 30 replacement includes notifying the item ID (or item tag ID) of the used cartridge.

[0154] The item management system 1 may be configured such that the exchange detection unit 2101 can perform exchange detection using two detection methods: usage information factor exchange detection and location factor exchange detection, or it may perform exchange detection using only one of these detection methods.

[0155] <Recycling Information Department> As a means of providing recycling guidance, the recycling guidance unit 2102 notifies the administrator or manager of the used cartridge of guidance encouraging the recycling of the replaced used cartridge. When the recycling guidance unit 2102 receives a recycling notification instruction from the information integration unit 2103, it notifies the administrator of the cartridge 30 or the manager of the item management system 1 of guidance encouraging recycling (recycling information). In this embodiment, the recycling guidance unit 2102 provides two types of guidance to encourage recycling. One is guidance for the user of the cartridge 30 to take the used cartridge to a collection point (hereinafter also referred to as "collection guidance"). The other is guidance for the manager of the item management system 1 to arrange for the recycling of the cartridges 30 collected at the collection point (hereinafter also referred to as "recycling guidance").

[0156] Figure 22 is a schematic diagram showing examples of collection guidance and recycling guidance. The recycling guidance unit 2102 changes the guidance method depending on whether the method for detecting the replacement of the cartridge 30 is based on usage information or location.

[0157] Figures 22(A) and (B) show examples of recall notices when the method for detecting the replacement of cartridge 30 is usage information-based replacement detection. This recall notice is displayed on the display unit (display device, monitor) 184 of the printer 180 in which the replaced cartridge 30 was installed, or on the display unit 171 of the user terminal 160 of a user 20 who is near the printer 180 (for example, the closest one). Based on information transmitted by the management processing unit 250, this recall notice is displayed on the printer's display unit 184 by the control unit 186 of the printer 180, or on the user terminal 160's display unit 171 by the control unit 161 of the user terminal 160. The guidance window 2201 in Figure 22(A) displays the cartridge 30 recall notice in its center, and when the "Show Location" button 2203 is pressed, the location display window 2204 in Figure 22(B) is displayed. The location display window 2204 displays the current location icon 2205 and the recall location icon 2206. The current location icon 2205 indicates the location of the printer 180 when displayed on the display unit 184 of the printer 180, and indicates the location of the user terminal 160 when displayed on the display unit 171 of the user terminal 160. The location of the user terminal 160 is detected and displayed using the method described above (Examples 1 and 2). The collection location icon 2206 displays the location designated as the collection location for used cartridges, as described later.

[0158] On the other hand, if the method for detecting the replacement of cartridge 30 is location-based replacement detection, the retrieval notice will be displayed as follows: It will be displayed on the display unit 184 of the printer 180 located near (for example, the closest to) a pre-registered representative (person in charge), or on the display unit 171 of the user terminal 160 of that representative (person in charge). Figure 22(C) shows an example of a retrieval notice when the method for detecting the replacement of cartridge 30 is location-based replacement detection. This retrieval notice is displayed on the printer's display unit 184 by the control unit 186 of the printer 180, or on the user terminal 160's display unit 171 by the control unit 161 of the user terminal 160, based on information transmitted by the management processing unit 250. In this case, the retrieval notice is sent via email to the representative of the administrator of the replaced cartridge 30. S405 in the flowchart diagram of Figure 24, which will be described later, is the trigger for the notice. The body of the email contains the model name of the cartridge 30 to be placed at the retrieval location, the item ID, the name of the printer 180 that was using the cartridge 30, and a link to the display of the retrieval location. The item ID information may be the item tag ID 51 of the item tag 50 of the cartridge 30. Furthermore, the item ID information is linked to a page (display) showing the location of the cartridge 30, making it easier for administrators to confirm the location of used cartridges and take them to the collection point.

[0159] Furthermore, the replacement detection unit 2101 may be capable of both replacement detection based on usage information of consumables and replacement detection based on location information of consumables, as described above. In this case, the recycling guidance unit 2102 may be able to change at least one of the multiple notification units, specifically the notification unit that notifies recycling information and the content of the recycling information, depending on whether replacement is detected based on usage information or based on location information.

[0160] Figure 22(D) shows an example of a recycling notification sent to the manager of the inventory management system 1 when a predetermined number of used cartridges, M (where M is a positive integer) or more, are collected at the collection point. S408 in the flowchart diagram of Figure 24, which will be described later, is the trigger for the notification, and an email is sent to the manager. The body of the email contains a URL to a page for arranging recycling (for example, a website on the internet), the model name of the cartridge 30 to be collected, and the collection location.

[0161] Furthermore, the collection notice and recycling notice (recycling arrangement notice) are not limited to being displayed on the display unit 184 of the printer 180 or the display unit 171 of the user terminal 160. For example, they may be displayed on a display device such as a display or tablet terminal located near the printer 180 (e.g., the closest one). Also, the recycling notice is not limited to being notified by email. For example, it may be notified to an administrator's representative or manager via a business communication tool such as Teams (a registered trademark of Microsoft).

[0162] <Designation of collection location> The method for specifying a used cartridge collection location will be explained using the example of a case where there is a used cartridge collection location at location D (not shown) and the manager of the item management system 1 registers the used cartridge collection location in the item management system 1. Figure 23 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a UI for specifying a used cartridge collection location. The collection location specification window 3101 is one of the management screens used by the manager of the item management system 1 to manage the item management system 1. The collection location specification window 3101 is displayed on a display device such as the display of a peripheral device such as a PC or a tablet terminal, based on information transmitted by the management processing unit 250 of the management server 200. This display device may be the display unit 171 of the user terminal 160 that constitutes the portable system 100 used by the manager, or it may be a separate user terminal used by the manager. The central area 3104 of the collection location specification window 3101 displays locations under the management of the item management system 1. The manager specifies the used cartridge collection location in the central area 3104 by operating the cursor 3102 on the operation unit 165, etc. When a collection location (location D in this example) is specified by operating the cursor 3102, a mark 3103 indicating the recycling location is displayed. After specifying the collection location, the manager presses the "Confirm" button 3105 by operating the cursor 3102. As a result, the collection location and position information of the cartridge 30 with the model name displayed in the cartridge model name display unit 3106 is stored in the management data for each cartridge 30 model name in the integrated table 2109. The cartridge model name display unit 3106 displays the model name of the cartridge 30 to be collected. The cartridge model name display unit 3106 also serves as a cartridge model name selection unit for selecting the model name of the cartridge 30 to which the collection location is to be specified. When the manager manages the model names of multiple cartridges 30, the manager selects the model name of the cartridge 30 to which the collection location is to be specified from the pull-down menu on the cartridge model name display unit 3106. The cartridge model name of the cartridge 30 displayed in the pull-down menu is the cartridge model name of the cartridge 30 in the integrated table 2109.

[0163] The method for specifying the collection location is not limited to the method described above; for example, it may also be possible to directly specify the location coordinates under the management of the item management system 1. Furthermore, multiple collection locations may be set, as long as they are within the range managed by the item management system 1. When setting multiple collection locations, an integrated table 2109 can be created that links information for multiple collection locations to the model name of a single cartridge 30.

[0164] <Notification regarding collection and recycling information> When the information integration unit 2103 receives notification of the item ID of a used cartridge from the replacement detection unit 2101, it stores the item ID in the list of replaced items held internally within the information integration unit 2103. The information integration unit 2103 periodically (for example, every hour) checks whether the items on the list of replaced items are at the collection location. Figure 24 is a flowchart illustrating the operation by which the information integration unit 2103 confirms the location of a used cartridge.

[0165] If the Information Integration Unit 2103 finds any unconfirmed cartridges in the list of replaced items (S401), it obtains the location information of the collection location for the cartridge 30 with the item ID to be confirmed (S402). The Information Integration Unit 2103 then checks whether the location information of the cartridge 30 is the same as the location information of the collection location (S403). If the Information Integration Unit 2103 determines in S403 that the location information of the cartridge 30 and the location information of the collection location are the same, it adds the number of used cartridges collected (number of collected cartridges) (S404). If the Information Integration Unit 2103 determines in S403 that the location information of the cartridge 30 and the location information of the collection location for used cartridges are not the same, it does the following: It instructs the Recycling Guidance Unit 2102 to notify the administrator of the cartridge 30 of the collection location (collection location notification) (S405). After processing S404 and S405, the information integration unit 2103 confirms the cartridge 30 in the replaced items list (S406) and returns to processing S401. If the information integration unit 2103 has checked all cartridges 30 in the replaced items list (S401), it proceeds to processing S407.

[0166] Next, the information integration unit 2103 determines whether the number of collected used cartridges is equal to or greater than a predetermined value M (S407). If the information integration unit 2103 determines in S407 that the number of collected cartridges is equal to or greater than the predetermined value M, it instructs the recycling guidance unit 2102 to notify the manager of the item management system 1 of the recycling guidance (S408). If the information integration unit 2103 determines in S407 that the number of collected cartridges is not equal to or greater than the predetermined value M, it terminates the process.

[0167] If there are multiple model names for the cartridge 30 under the management of the item management system 1, the processing in S402, S404, and S407 may be performed using the information regarding the model name of the cartridge 30 in the list of replaced items.

[0168] As mentioned above, the predetermined value M is a positive integer. The predetermined value M may be a number predetermined in the item management system 1, or it may be changed by the manager during the operation of the item management system 1. Figure 25 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a UI for the manager to change the predetermined value M. The collection notification number specification window 2501 is one of the management screens for the manager of the item management system 1 to manage the item management system 1. The collection notification number specification window 2501 is displayed on a display device such as the display of a peripheral device such as a PC or a tablet terminal, based on information transmitted by the management processing unit 250 of the management server 200. This display device may be the display unit 171 of the user terminal 160 that constitutes the portable system 100 used by the manager, or it may be a separate user terminal used by the manager. The manager selects the predetermined value M, which is the number of used cartridges for which recycling notification is issued, from the pull-down menu 2502 by operating the cursor 2507 on the operation unit 165. Furthermore, to change the predetermined value M setting, the manager presses the "Change" button 2503 using the cursor 2507, and to not reflect the setting change, presses the "Cancel" button 2504 using the cursor 2507. The cartridge model name display unit 2506 displays the model name of the cartridge 30 to be collected. The cartridge model name display unit 2506 also serves as a cartridge model name selection unit for selecting the model name of the cartridge 30 to be collected. When the manager manages the model names of multiple cartridges 30, they select the model name of the cartridge 30 to be collected from the pull-down menu on the cartridge model name display unit 2506. The cartridge model names displayed in the pull-down menu are the cartridge model names in the integrated table 2109.

[0169] Figure 26 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of management information for each cartridge model (model number) in the integrated table 2109. This management information is an information table that has the following items: the model name 2601 of the cartridge 30 managed by the item management system 1, the cartridge collection location 2602, the location information of the collection location 2603, the number of notification cartridges 2604 indicating a predetermined value M, and the number of used cartridges collected at the collection location 2605. The information specified by the UI for specifying the collection location in Figure 23 is recorded in the collection location 2602 and location information 2603. The number of notification cartridges 2604 records the predetermined value M specified in the collection notification cartridge number specification window 2501 in Figure 25. The number of collected cartridges 2605 is the number of used cartridges placed at the collection location, and is the value of the number of collected cartridges counted in S404 in the flowchart diagram in Figure 25.

[0170] In this way, by requesting the collection of used cartridges in bulk, the effort required from the user for collection can be reduced compared to requesting collection of each cartridge individually.

[0171] As explained above, according to this embodiment, based on the usage status and location information of the item, the user will receive notifications (collection notifications, recycling notifications) prompting them to recycle at the appropriate time when user action is required, without requiring the user to take any special action. These notifications make it easy for the user to take action regarding the recycling of used cartridges.

[0172] [others] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0173] In the embodiments described above, the consumable item was a toner cartridge that was detachably mounted and used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The consumable item may be, for example, a belt unit, roller unit, or waste toner container that is detachably mounted and used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The belt unit may be, for example, an intermediate transfer belt that transports a toner image that has been primarily transferred from a photoreceptor to a recording material for secondary transfer, or a unit equipped with a recording material carrying belt that carries and transports a recording material on which the toner image has been transferred from the photoreceptor. The consumable item may also be an ink cartridge that is detachably mounted and used in an inkjet image forming apparatus. Furthermore, the consumable item is not limited to those used in an image forming apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0174] 1. Inventory Management System 5 Network 10 locations 20 users 30 Goods 40. Location tags (wireless location devices) 50. Item tags (wireless devices for items) 100 Mobile Systems 110 Tag reader (reading device) 160 User terminals (terminal devices / information processing devices) 200 Management Server (Information Processing Device) 220 Location Information Database 230 Location information management department 240 Usage Information Management Department 250 Management Processing Unit

Claims

1. Consumable items equipped with a recording unit, A location acquisition means for acquiring location information indicating the location of the consumable item, A recording means for recording usage information indicating the degree of wear of the consumable items in the recording unit, A reading means for reading the usage information from the recording unit, A location information transmission means that transmits the location information acquired by the location acquisition means, A usage information transmission means that transmits the usage information read by the reading means, A management means that receives the location information transmitted from the location information transmission means and the usage information transmitted from the usage information transmission means, and manages information related to the consumable items, It has, The item management system is characterized in that the management means has a management processing unit that manages the location information of the consumable item and the usage information of the consumable item in a linked manner.

2. It has a notification unit that notifies the user of information based on the information sent from the management processing unit, The management processing unit includes a replacement timing detection means for detecting the replacement timing of the consumables based on the usage information, and a selection means for selecting a replacement candidate consumable from a plurality of consumables managed by the management means, which is a consumable that is a candidate for replacement for the consumable whose replacement timing has been detected. The item management system according to claim 1, characterized in that the management processing unit sends out replacement candidate item information, including the location information of the replacement candidate item selected by the selection means, for notification by the notification unit.

3. The item management system according to claim 2, characterized in that the selection means selects consumable items as replacement candidates whose degree of wear indicated by the usage information is less than or equal to a predetermined degree of wear.

4. The selection means determines the priority order for which the selected replacement candidate items should be used in place of the consumable item for which the replacement timing has been detected. The article management system according to claim 2, characterized in that the management processing unit sends out the replacement candidate information so that the notification unit provides notification according to the priority.

5. The item management system according to claim 4, characterized in that the management processing unit sends out the replacement candidate information to the notification unit such that the information identifying the replacement candidate with a first priority is displayed above the information identifying the replacement candidate with a second priority that is lower than the first priority.

6. The item management system according to claim 4, characterized in that the selection means determines the priority based on the position information of the consumable item for which the replacement timing has been detected.

7. The item management system according to claim 6, characterized in that the selection means determines the priority order such that the ranking of replacement candidate items located at a first distance from the position indicated by the position information of the consumable item for which the replacement timing has been detected is higher than the ranking of replacement candidate items located at a second distance, which is further than the first distance.

8. The item management system according to claim 4, characterized in that the selection means determines the priority order based on the start date of use of the replacement candidate items.

9. The item management system according to claim 8, characterized in that the selection means determines the priority order such that the ranking of the replacement candidate items whose start date of use is the first start date of use is higher than the ranking of the replacement candidate items whose start date of use is a second start date that is later than the first start date of use.

10. The item management system according to claim 4, characterized in that the selection means determines the priority order based on the expiration date of the replacement candidate items.

11. The item management system according to claim 10, characterized in that the selection means determines the priority order such that the ranking of the replacement candidate items whose expiration date is a first expiration date is higher than the ranking of the replacement candidate items whose expiration date is a second expiration date which is later than the first expiration date.

12. The item management system according to claim 2, characterized in that the management processing unit sends out purchase information to the notification unit to provide notification when the number of consumable items selected as replacement candidates by the selection means is less than or equal to a predetermined value N (where N is 0 or a positive integer) to guide the purchase of the consumable items.

13. The article management system according to claim 12, characterized in that the management processing unit can accept a change in the predetermined value N.

14. The management processing unit includes a management source information holding means for holding management source information indicating the management source of the consumable item, and a management source identification means for identifying the management source of the consumable item based on the location information of the consumable item. The item management system according to claim 2, characterized in that the management source identification means can change the management source of the consumable item held in the management source information when the location information of the consumable item acquired by the location acquisition means changes.

15. The item management system according to claim 14, characterized in that the selection means selects a candidate replacement item from among a plurality of consumable items managed by the management means, from among the consumable items managed by the same management source as the consumable item for which the replacement timing has been detected.

16. The article management system according to claim 2, characterized in that the management processing unit includes replacement detection means for detecting when the consumable item has been replaced, and recycling guidance means for sending recycling information to the notification unit to provide notification when the replacement of the consumable item is detected by the replacement detection means, in order to provide notification for the recycling of the consumable item.

17. The replacement detection means detects that the consumable item has been replaced based on the usage information of the consumable item, The article management system according to claim 16, characterized in that the recycling guidance means transmits the recycling information so that it transmits the recycling information to the notification unit, which is determined based on the location information of the consumable item that has been detected to have been replaced by the replacement detection means, among a plurality of notification units.

18. The article management system according to claim 17, characterized in that the recycling guidance means transmits the recycling information to the notification unit among the plurality of notification units that is closest in distance from the position indicated by the position information of the consumable item that has been detected to have been replaced by the replacement detection means.

19. The replacement detection means detects that the consumable item has been replaced based on the position information of the consumable item, The article management system according to claim 16, characterized in that the recycling guidance means transmits the recycling information so that the recycling information is notified in a predetermined notification unit among a plurality of notification units.

20. The replacement detection means is capable of detecting that a consumable item has been replaced based on the usage information of the consumable item, and is also capable of detecting that a consumable item has been replaced based on the location information of the consumable item. The article management system according to claim 16, characterized in that the recycling guidance means can change at least one of the notification units that notifies the recycling information and the content of the recycling information among a plurality of notification units, depending on whether it is detected that the consumable item has been replaced based on the usage information or whether it is detected that the consumable item has been replaced based on the location information.

21. The article management system according to claim 16, characterized in that the recycling guidance means transmits the recycling information so that, when the location indicated by the location information of the consumable item detected to have been replaced by the replacement detection means is not within a predetermined range, the recycling information is notified in a predetermined notification unit among a plurality of notification units.

22. The item management system according to claim 16, characterized in that the recycling guidance means transmits the recycling information so that, when the number of consumable items whose location is within a predetermined range is greater than or equal to a predetermined value M (where M is a positive integer), a predetermined notification unit among a plurality of notification units will broadcast the recycling information.

23. The article management system according to claim 22, characterized in that the management processing unit can accept changes to the predetermined value M.

24. The aforementioned consumable article has a wireless device capable of wireless communication, The position acquisition means includes a wireless positioning device capable of wireless communication that provides a reference for the position information of the consumable item. The article management system according to any one of claims 1 to 23, characterized in that the position acquisition means acquires location information of the consumable article based on communication between the article wireless device and the position wireless device.

25. The aforementioned consumable item is a cartridge that is detachably attached to and used in an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material. The image forming apparatus comprises the recording means and the reading means, and includes a reading means for reading and writing information to the recording unit, a usage information transmission means, and a wear level detection means for detecting the wear level of the cartridge. The article management system according to any one of claims 1 to 23, characterized in that the reading means writes information indicating the degree of wear detected by the degree of wear detection means to the recording unit as usage information.

26. The article management system according to claim 25, characterized in that the consumption level detection means detects the degree of consumption of the cartridge based on the amount of toner contained in the cartridge.

Images