MOBILE OBJECT INFORMATION PROVIDING SYSTEM AND MOBILE OBJECT STORAGE DEVICE

Abstract

In the present invention, a radio tag (12) is disposed on a mobile body receiving device (1) and stores identification information of the mobile body receiving device (1). A radio tag reader (30) acquires the identification information from the radio tag (12) by means of radio communication with the radio tag (12). A radio-wave interrupting member (20) is configured to interrupt the radio communication when the mobile body (2) is absent in the mobile body receiving device (1) and to connect the radio communication when the mobile body (2) is present in the mobile body receiving device (1). The radio tag (12) transmits a signal containing the identification information to the radio tag reader (30) by means of radio communication. The radio tag reader (30) transmits information, which includes the time of signal reception and the identification information, to a server (40). The server (40) detects the presence / absence of the mobile body (2) in the mobile body receiving device (1) at the current time on the basis of the information from the radio tag reader (30) and reports the detection result to a terminal device.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a mobile object information providing system and a mobile object storage device. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-125967 (Patent Document 1) discloses a cart-type product registration device used by shoppers in a store. This cart-type product registration device includes a cart body, a product registration device, a secondary battery, a receiving coil, and a receiving circuit. An identification tag having identification information of the cart-type product registration device is attached to the cart body.

[0003] When the cart body is stored on the power supply base on which the power supply coil is arranged, the power receiving coil is electromagnetically coupled to the power supply coil. The power receiving circuit charges the secondary battery with the power generated in the power receiving coil. The power supply base is provided with a detection unit for detecting the identification tag. The detection unit detects the insertion or removal of the cart-type product registration device into or from the power supply base. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-125967 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As shown in Patent Document 1, an identification tag is attached to a shopping cart used in a store, and identification information is read from the identification tag at the shopping cart storage location, making it possible to detect the return of the shopping cart to the storage location.

[0006] However, in a facility that has many shopping carts, such as a large commercial facility, it is necessary to attach an identification tag to each shopping cart in order to manage the shopping carts, which is a time-consuming and labor-intensive task. In addition, there is a concern that not only the initial cost of introducing many identification tags but also the cost of maintaining and managing the many identification tags will be high.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a mobile object information providing system and a mobile object storage device that are capable of providing information about mobile objects to users simply and at low cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A mobile object information providing system according to the present disclosure provides information indicating the presence or absence of a mobile object in a mobile object storage device. The mobile object information providing system includes a wireless tag, a wireless tag reader, a server, and a radio wave blocking member for blocking wireless communication between the wireless tag and the wireless tag reader. The wireless tag is installed in the mobile object storage device and stores identification information of the mobile object storage device. The wireless tag reader acquires the identification information from the wireless tag through wireless communication with the wireless tag. The server is communicatively connected to the wireless tag reader. The radio wave blocking member is configured to block wireless communication when there is no mobile object in the mobile object storage device, and to connect wireless communication when there is a mobile object in the mobile object storage device. The wireless tag transmits a signal including the identification information to the wireless tag reader through wireless communication. The wireless tag reader transmits information including the reception time of the signal and the identification information to the server. The server is capable of communicating with a terminal device, and detects the presence or absence of a mobile object in the mobile object storage device at a current time based on information from the wireless tag reader, and notifies the terminal device.

[0009] A mobile object storage device according to the present disclosure is a mobile object storage device for storing a mobile object, and includes a wireless tag that stores identification information of the mobile object storage device, and a radio wave blocking member for blocking wireless communication between the wireless tag and an external wireless tag reader. The radio wave blocking member has a box-like outer shape and is configured to block wireless communication by storing the wireless tag inside. The radio wave blocking member is disposed at a position where the mobile object stored in the mobile object storage device abuts against the wireless tag. The radio wave blocking member connects wireless communication by exposing the wireless tag from the radio wave blocking member using a force received from a mobile object entering the mobile object storage device. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a mobile object information providing system and a mobile object storage device that are capable of providing information about a mobile object to a user simply and at low cost. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a mobile object information providing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a top view of the wireless communication device as seen from the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a wireless communication device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a wireless communication device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a wireless communication device and a server. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of installation of a plurality of wireless communication devices in a commercial facility. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a cart parking area database stored in a server. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining reception log information. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a vacant cart information database. [Figure 11]11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a generation process of screen data in a server. [Figure 12] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a generation process of screen data in a server. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a terminal device. [Figure 14] 4 is a sequence diagram for explaining the flow of processing executed in the mobile information providing system. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0013] <Application example of mobile information provision system> The mobile object information providing system according to the present embodiment is a system for providing information on mobile objects used within a facility to users of the facility. In the following, a commercial facility will be described as an example of a facility to which the mobile object information providing system according to the present embodiment can be applied.

[0014] In commercial facilities, shopping carts are used as vehicles for transporting merchandise purchased by shoppers, i.e. users. A shopping cart is a so-called pushcart, and is composed of a storage basket for loading merchandise, wheels, a handle, etc.

[0015] Unused shopping carts are usually collected in multiple cart parking areas installed in shopping facilities. Shoppers can go to a cart parking area to use a shopping cart. However, if a shopping cart is not available at a cart parking area, the shopper must go around to several cart parking areas to search for a shopping cart, which takes time and effort. Alternatively, the facility manager who receives an inquiry from the shopper will have to search for an unused shopping cart, which may increase the workload of the manager.

[0016] In this embodiment, the mobile information system is configured to provide shoppers with information indicating the presence or absence of shopping carts at each cart parking area, thereby reducing the effort required by shoppers and improving convenience for shoppers, as well as reducing the workload of facility managers.

[0017] <Configuration of the mobile information provision system> FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a mobile object information providing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile object information providing system 100 includes a cart storage 1, wireless communication devices 10 and 30, a server 40, and a terminal device 50.

[0019] (1) Cart Storage Unit 1 The cart storage 1 is installed in a cart storage area provided in a commercial facility, and is configured to be able to store a plurality of shopping carts 2. The cart storage 1 vertically arranges a plurality of shopping carts 2 facing in a predetermined direction. The cart storage 1 corresponds to one embodiment of the "mobile object storage device."

[0020] (2) Wireless communication device 10 The wireless communication device 10 is installed in a cart storage area. As shown in FIG. 1, the wireless communication device 10 is disposed in a cart storage 1. Specifically, the wireless communication device 10 is disposed in a position where it will come into contact with a part of a leading shopping cart 2 that has entered the cart storage 1. The cart storage 1 is provided with a stopper for stopping a shopping cart 2 that has entered in a predetermined direction (corresponding to the direction of arrow A1 in FIG. 1). The stopper stops the movement of the shopping cart 2 by coming into contact with a part of the shopping cart 2 (for example, a wheel or a storage basket).

[0021] The wireless communication device 10 is disposed at a position where it comes into contact with a part of the shopping cart 2 in a stopped state. In the example of Fig. 1, the wireless communication device 10 is disposed at a position where it comes into contact with a tip part of the storage basket 3 of the shopping cart 2. However, the position where the wireless communication device 10 is disposed is not limited thereto, and it may be any position where it comes into contact with a part of the shopping cart 2 stored in the cart storage 1.

[0022] The wireless communication device 10 is configured to wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication device 30 using a short-distance wireless communication method. For example, a communication method conforming to the NFC (Near Field Communication) standard can be used as the short-distance communication method. The wireless communication device 10 includes an IC (Integrated Circuit) tag (not shown). The IC tag corresponds to one embodiment of a "wireless tag."

[0023] IC tags are generally classified into passive tags and active tags depending on whether they are equipped with a power source. A passive tag is an IC tag that does not have a power source and operates using radio waves from an IC reader as its energy source. An active tag is an IC tag with a built-in power source. In this embodiment, the wireless communication device 10 is configured to include a passive tag. That is, the wireless communication device 10 operates using radio waves received from the wireless communication device 30. The IC tag is, for example, an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag or an NFC tag.

[0024] The IC tag is composed of an antenna, a processing circuit, and a memory. The memory stores identification information (hereinafter, also referred to as a "cart parking area ID") that is individually assigned to each cart parking area. This cart parking area ID is read from the memory based on an instruction from the processing circuit.

[0025] Next, a configuration example of the wireless communication device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 to FIG. Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top view of the wireless communication device 10 as seen from the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 2.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the wireless communication device 10 includes an IC tag 12, a radio wave blocking member 20, a support member 14, a weight member 15, a contact member 16, and an auxiliary member 18.

[0027] As described above, the IC tag 12 is a passive tag. The radio wave shielding member 20 has a rectangular box-like outer shape and houses the IC tag 12 therein. The radio wave shielding member 20 is attached to the cart storage 1. In the example of Fig. 1, the radio wave shielding member 20 is disposed at a position where it abuts against the tip of the storage basket 3 of the shopping cart 2 stored in the cart storage 1.

[0028] The radio wave blocking member 20 is configured to block transmission of radio waves from the wireless communication device 30 to the IC tag 12. Specifically, the radio wave blocking member 20 includes flat plate portions 21, 22, and 23, rotating shaft portions 24 and 25, and cushioning materials 26 and 27. The flat plate portions 21, 22, and 23, the rotating shaft portions 24 and 25, and the cushioning materials 26 and 27 are formed of a material that does not transmit radio waves (attenuates radio waves), such as iron or aluminum.

[0029] Openings are formed on the top and side surfaces of radio wave blocking member 20. The openings on the top surface of radio wave blocking member 20 have a rectangular shape and are covered by flat plate portions 21 and 22. As shown in Fig. 3, each of flat plate portions 21 and 22 has a rectangular shape. Flat plate portions 21 and 22 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction so as to face a direction perpendicular to the cart entry direction indicated by arrow A1 in the figure and be adjacent to each other.

[0030] Cushioning materials 26 and 27 are attached to the flat plate portions 21 and 22, respectively. The cushioning materials 26 and 27 are provided to close the gap between the flat plate portions 21 and 22 and to prevent the flat plate portions 21 and 22 from contacting each other.

[0031] The opening on the side of the radio wave blocking member 20 is formed on the side facing the shopping cart 2 entering the cart storage 1. The opening on the side has a rectangular shape, and is covered by a flat plate portion 23 also having a rectangular shape.

[0032] The upper end of the flat plate portion 23 is connected to the rotating shaft portion 25. The lower end of the flat plate portion 23 is a free end. The flat plate portion 23 has a first surface 23a that forms the inner surface of the radio wave blocking member 20, and a second surface 23b that forms the outer surface of the radio wave blocking member 20. The support member 14 and the weight member 15 are attached to the first surface 23a. The support member 14 supports the IC tag 12. The support member 14 is formed from a material that transmits radio waves (does not attenuate radio waves), such as plastic, wood, paper, etc. The weight member 15 is attached to the lower end of the first surface 23a.

[0033] The abutment member 16 is attached to the second surface 23b of the flat plate portion 23. The abutment member 16 has an abutment portion 17 that abuts against the tip portion of the storage basket 3 of the shopping cart 2. The abutment portion 17 has a cylindrical shape extending horizontally.

[0034] The auxiliary member 18 has a cylindrical shape and is arranged to cover the contact portion 17. The auxiliary member 18 is configured to directly contact the tip portion of the storage basket 3 of the shopping cart 2 and rotate around the contact portion 17. This makes it possible to avoid friction between the contact portion 17 and the storage basket 3.

[0035] A rotating shaft portion 24 is connected to the end of the flat plate portion 21 on the cart storage 1 side. The rotating shaft portion 24 extends in a direction perpendicular to the cart entry direction A1. The flat plate portion 21 is rotatable about the rotating shaft portion 24.

[0036] A rotating shaft portion 25 is connected to the end of the flat plate portion 22 opposite to the flat plate portion 21. The rotating shaft portion 25 extends in a direction perpendicular to the cart entry direction A1. The flat plate portion 22 and the flat plate portion 23 are rotatable about the rotating shaft portion 25.

[0037] When the shopping cart 2 is not stored in the cart storage 1, the radio wave blocking member 20 envelops the IC tag 12, thereby blocking the transmission of radio waves from the wireless communication device 30 to the IC tag 12. Therefore, the IC tag 12 does not operate, and wireless communication between the IC tag 12 and the wireless communication device 30 is not performed.

[0038] The radio wave blocking member 20 enables transmission of radio waves from the wireless communication device 30 to the IC tag 12 when the shopping cart 2 is stored in the cart storage 1. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, when the shopping cart 2 is entered into the cart storage 1, the storage basket 3 of the shopping cart 2 moves in the cart entry direction A1, and its tip portion comes into contact with the contact portion 17 of the contact member 16 via the auxiliary member 18.

[0039] In this state, when the shopping cart 2 is pushed further in the cart entry direction A1, the abutting portion 17 abutting the front end of the storage basket 3 is pushed inside the radio wave blocking member 20. As a result, the flat plate portion 23 connected to the abutting member 16 rotates around the rotating shaft portion 25 in the direction indicated by the arrow A2 in the figure. Furthermore, due to the rotation of the rotating shaft portion 25, the flat plate portion 22 also rotates around the rotating shaft portion 25 in the direction indicated by the arrow A2. As a result, the openings on the side and top of the radio wave blocking member 20 are opened.

[0040] When the flat plate portion 23 rotates, the support member 14 and weight member 15 fixed to the first surface 23a of the flat plate portion 23 also rotate in the direction of arrow A2 around the rotating shaft portion 25. At this time, the rotating support member 14 abuts against the flat plate portion 21. The flat plate portion 21 is pushed up by the support member 14 and rotates in the direction indicated by arrow A3 in the figure around the rotating shaft portion 24.

[0041] When the shopping cart 2 is further pushed forward in the cart entry direction A1, as shown in Fig. 5, the flat plate portion 21 rotates about the rotating shaft portion 24 and the flat plate portions 22 and 23 rotate about the rotating shaft portion 25 as the storage basket 3 moves forward. This causes the support member 14 to be exposed from the opening in the upper surface of the radio wave blocking member 20. Since the support member 14 is made of a material that transmits radio waves, it becomes possible for the wireless communication device 30 to transmit radio waves to the IC tag 12. As a result, the IC tag 12 operates by the radio waves received from the wireless communication device 30.

[0042] As described above, the radio wave blocking member 20 is configured to block the transmission of radio waves from the wireless communication device 30 to the IC tag 12 when there is no shopping cart 2 in the cart storage 1, and to enable the transmission of radio waves from the wireless communication device 30 to the IC tag 12 when there is a shopping cart 2 in the cart storage 1. As a result, when there is no shopping cart 2 in the cart storage 1, the wireless communication device 30 cannot wirelessly communicate with the IC tag 12, but when the shopping cart 2 is stored in the cart storage 1, the wireless communication device 30 can wirelessly communicate with the IC tag 12.

[0043] In this manner, the radio wave blocking member 20 is configured to switch between connecting and blocking the wireless communication between the wireless communication device 30 and the IC tag 12 depending on the presence or absence of the shopping cart 2 in the cart storage 1. Therefore, by detecting the connection and blocking of this wireless communication, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of the shopping cart 2 in the cart storage 1.

[0044] Although not shown, when the shopping cart 2 exits the cart storage 1, the storage basket 3 moves in the opposite direction to the cart entry direction A1, and as a result, the flat plate portions 22 and 23 rotate around the rotating shaft portion 25 in the opposite direction to the arrow A2 by utilizing the gravity of the weight member 15. At this time, the flat plate portion 21 also rotates around the rotating shaft portion 24 in the opposite direction to the arrow A3. The openings on the top and sides of the radio wave blocking member 20 are covered by the flat plate portions 21, 22, and 23, and the IC tag 12 is stored inside the radio wave blocking member 20 again. As a result, the transmission of radio waves from the wireless communication device 30 to the IC tag 12 is blocked.

[0045] In this way, the connection and disconnection of the wireless communication between the wireless communication device 30 and the IC tag 12 is achieved by utilizing the force that the radio wave blocking member 20 receives from the shopping cart 2 entering the cart storage 1. Therefore, there is no need to install a dedicated circuit for detecting the entry and exit of the shopping cart 2 and switching the wireless communication. Therefore, the wireless communication can be switched with a simple and low-cost configuration.

[0046] (3) Wireless communication device 30 The wireless communication device 30 is installed so as to be located within a communication range of about several meters from the wireless communication device 10. In the example of FIG. 1, the wireless communication device 30 is placed in the cart storage 1. The wireless communication device 30 operates by receiving power from a power source (not shown), and is configured to wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication device 10 using a communication method conforming to the NFC standard, for example. As described above, the wireless communication device 10 includes the IC tag 12, which is a passive tag, and therefore operates by radio waves from the wireless communication device 30.

[0047] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the wireless communication device 30. As shown in Fig. 6, the wireless communication device 30 includes, as main components, a processor 31 that executes a program, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 32 that stores data in a non-volatile manner, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 33 that volatilely stores data generated by execution of the program by the processor 31 or data input via an input device (not shown), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 34 that stores data in a non-volatile manner, a communication IF (Interface) 35, and an IC reader 36. The components are connected to each other by a data bus 37.

[0048] The communication IF 35 is an interface for communicating with the server 40. The HDD 34 corresponds to one embodiment of a "non-volatile storage device" for storing reception log information indicating a reception history of a response signal from the wireless communication device 10 (IC tag 12). The wireless communication device 30 may include another non-volatile storage device instead of or in addition to the HDD 34.

[0049] The IC reader 36 acquires the cart parking ID from the IC tag 12 of the wireless communication device 10. The IC reader 36 corresponds to one embodiment of a "wireless tag reader." Specifically, the IC reader 36 includes an antenna and a processing circuit. The IC reader 36 transmits a request signal to the surroundings through the antenna at regular intervals in accordance with the NFC standard. The IC tag 12 of the wireless communication device 10 receives the request signal from the IC reader 36 and operates. The IC tag 12 generates a response signal including the cart parking ID stored in the memory, modulates the response signal, and transmits it to the IC reader 36. When the wireless communication device 30 receives the response signal transmitted from the wireless communication device 10 in response to the request signal, it demodulates the cart parking ID included in the response signal and transmits it to the server 40.

[0050] Furthermore, signal exchange between this IC reader 36 and the IC tag 12 is realized by the radio wave blocking member 20 described above when there is a shopping cart 2 in the cart storage facility 1, but is not realized when there is no shopping cart 2 in the cart storage facility 1.

[0051] Returning to Fig. 1, the wireless communication device 30 is configured to be able to communicate with the server 40 and the terminal device 50. The communication between the wireless communication device 30 and the server 40 and the communication between the server 40 and the terminal device 50 are performed wirelessly. The communication between the wireless communication device 30 and the server 40 may be wired or wireless. The communication between the server 40 and the terminal device 50 is performed via a communication network NW (typically, the Internet).

[0052] 1 shows only one cart parking area, the number of cart parking areas installed in the commercial facility is not limited to this. If multiple cart parking areas are provided in the commercial facility, multiple cart storage units 1 are installed corresponding to the multiple cart parking areas, respectively. Then, multiple wireless communication devices 10 are installed corresponding to the multiple cart storage units 1, respectively, and multiple wireless communication devices 30 are installed corresponding to the multiple wireless communication devices 10, respectively.

[0053] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of installation in a commercial facility of a plurality of wireless communication devices 10 and 30. Fig. 7 shows a schematic plan view of the commercial facility as seen from the ceiling.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 7, the commercial facility has multiple entrances (main entrance ENTa, east entrance ENTb, parking entrance ENTc, and west entrance ENTd) for shoppers to enter and exit the facility. Near each entrance, a cart parking area is set up to collect unused shopping carts 2. A cart storage 1 is installed in each cart parking area.

[0055] A wireless communication device 10 is installed in each cart storage 1. In the example of Fig. 7, four cart storages 1a to 1d are installed so as to correspond to the four entrances ENTa to ENTd, respectively. Wireless communication devices 10a to 10d are installed in the cart storages 1a to 1d, respectively.

[0056] Unique identification information (cart parking area ID) is assigned to each wireless communication device 10. For example, the wireless communication device 10a installed at the main entrance ENTa is assigned the cart parking area ID "a", the wireless communication device 10b installed at the east entrance ENTb is assigned the cart parking area ID "b", the wireless communication device 10c installed at the parking lot entrance ENTc is assigned the cart parking area ID "c", and the wireless communication device 10d installed at the west entrance ENTd is assigned the cart parking area ID "d".

[0057] The cart parking area ID assigned to each wireless communication device 10 is associated with the installation location of the cart parking area and stored in the server 40. Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the cart parking area database stored in the server 40. As shown in Fig. 8, the cart parking area database registers the cart parking area ID and the installation location for each wireless communication device 10 in association with each other.

[0058] The wireless communication device 30 is configured to wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication device 10 present within its communication range. An area RGN in the figure shows a schematic representation of the communication range of the wireless communication device 30. The communication range corresponds to the signal transmission range of the wireless communication device 30, and has a circular shape with a radius of several meters. In the example of Fig. 7, four wireless communication devices 30a to 30d are installed so as to correspond to the four wireless communication devices 10a to 10d, respectively.

[0059] Each wireless communication device 30 transmits a request signal at regular time intervals. When each wireless communication device 30 receives a response signal transmitted from a corresponding wireless communication device 10, the wireless communication device 30 associates the reception time of the response signal with the cart parking ID contained in the response signal and stores the associated information in the HDD 34. Reception log information indicating the reception history of the response signal is generated in the HDD 34 of each wireless communication device 30. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the reception log information. FIG. 9 shows the reception log information of the wireless communication device 30a as an example. The reception log information records the reception time of the response signal and the cart parking ID assigned to the wireless communication device 10a that is the transmission source of the response signal.

[0060] The wireless communication device 30a samples the received signal at a predetermined sampling period (e.g., 30 seconds). In the example of Fig. 9, the wireless communication device 30a samples the response signal transmitted from the wireless communication device 10a every 30 seconds. The reception log information of the wireless communication device 30a records the reception time of the response signal and the cart parking ID "a" of the wireless communication device 10a.

[0061] Each wireless communication device 30 transmits the reception log information stored in the HDD 34 together with a communication device ID, which is identification information of the wireless communication device 30, to the server 40 at a predetermined cycle (for example, every 3 minutes). At this time, by deleting a part of the reception log information already stored in the HDD 34, it is possible to reduce the memory capacity of the HDD 34 used to store the reception history.

[0062] In addition, each wireless communication device 30 is not limited to being configured to periodically transmit reception log information to the server 40 in accordance with the above-mentioned specified period, but may be configured to transmit reception log information for the most recent specified period (e.g., 3 minutes) in response to a transmission request from the server 40.

[0063] (4) Server 40 The server 40 has a function for managing the shopping carts 2 present in the commercial facility. As an example, the server 40 is installed in an operating company that operates the commercial facility. The server 40 can be used by a manager entrusted with the management of the commercial facility by the operating company.

[0064] FIG. 6 shows an example of a hardware configuration of the server 40. As shown in FIG. 6, the server 40 includes, as main components, a processor 41 that executes a program, a ROM 42 that stores data in a non-volatile manner, a RAM 43 that volatilely stores data generated by the execution of the program by the processor 41 or data input via an input device (not shown), an HDD 44 that stores data in a non-volatile manner, and a communication IF 45. The components are mutually connected by a data bus 46. The communication IF 45 is an interface for communicating between the wireless communication device 30 and the terminal device 50. The HDD 45 corresponds to one embodiment of the "non-volatile storage device." The server 40 may include another non-volatile storage device instead of the HDD 45 or in addition to the HDD 45.

[0065] When the server 40 receives the reception log information from the wireless communication device 30, the server 40 registers the reception log information in a database for managing unused shopping carts 2 (hereinafter also referred to as "empty cart information database") stored in the HDD 45. When multiple wireless communication devices 30 are installed in the commercial facility, the reception log information of each wireless communication device 30 is registered in the empty cart information database.

[0066] Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining the empty cart information database. Fig. 10 shows, as an example, a case where the reception log information of the four wireless communication devices 30a to 30d shown in Fig. 7 is registered in the empty cart information database.

[0067] 10, each of the four wireless communication devices 30a to 30d transmits reception log information together with its own communication device ID to the server 40 at a predetermined cycle (e.g., every three minutes). As described above, the reception log information includes the reception time of the response signal from the wireless communication device 10 and the cart parking area ID included in the response signal.

[0068] When the server 40 receives the reception log information from each of the four wireless communication devices 30a to 30d, the server 40 registers the reception log information in the empty cart information database. Specifically, the server 40 arranges all the reception log information of the four wireless communication devices 30a to 30d in the order of the reception time of the response signal. The empty cart information database is configured as a table having a column for the reception time of the response signal and a column for the cart space ID.

[0069] From the contents registered in the empty cart information database, the server 40 can ascertain when and in which cart storage 1 a shopping cart 2 was stored, and when and from which cart storage 1 the shopping carts 2 were cleared. Also, by sorting the reception log information in order of the time of reception of the response signal, it becomes possible to easily ascertain whether or not there is a shopping cart 2 in each cart storage area at the latest time.

[0070] The server 40 generates information indicating the presence or absence of a shopping cart 2 in each cart space at the current time based on the information registered in the vacant cart information database. For example, the server 40 generates screen data (typically a Web screen) indicating the presence or absence of a shopping cart 2 in each cart space. The screen data generation process in the server 40 will be described below with reference to Figs. 11 and 12.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 11, the server 40 first uses the vacant cart information database and the cart space database stored in the HDD 45 to generate display data to be used for generating screen data (WEB screen).

[0072] Specifically, the server 40 extracts reception log information for the most recent predetermined time from the reception log information registered in the vacant cart information database. The server 40 generates data for displaying a web screen by organizing the extracted reception log information for the most recent predetermined time for each cart space using the cart space database.

[0073] In the example of Fig. 11, cart parking IDs "a", "b" and "d" have been detected within the most recent predetermined time period, while cart parking ID "c" has not been detected. Therefore, for each of the main entrance ENTa, the east entrance ENTb and the west entrance ENTd, it can be determined that a shopping cart 2 is stored in the cart storage 1, i.e., there is a shopping cart 2 in the cart parking area. On the other hand, for the parking lot entrance ENTc, it can be determined that not a single shopping cart 2 is stored in the cart storage 1, i.e., there is no shopping cart in the cart parking area.

[0074] The server 40 generates data for displaying a WEB screen so as to include information indicating the presence or absence of a shopping cart 2 in each cart space at the current time based on the reception log information for the most recent predetermined time. Next, the server 40 generates a WEB screen using the generated data for displaying a WEB screen.

[0075] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 12, the server 40 generates an image showing a floor plan of the shopping mall, and places an object 70 indicating the presence or absence of a shopping cart 2 on the floor plan. In the example of Fig. 12, an object 70 indicating the presence or absence of a shopping cart 2 is placed for each of the four cart parking areas. Objects 70 indicating the presence of a shopping cart 2 are placed at the main entrance ENTa, the east entrance ENTb, and the west entrance ENTd, and an object 70 indicating the absence of a shopping cart 2 is placed at the parking entrance ENTc. The server 40 transmits the generated screen data to the terminal device 50, which is the transmission source, based on a request signal transmitted from the terminal device 50.

[0076] (5) Terminal device 50 Returning to FIG. 1, the terminal device 50 is communicatively connected to the server 40 via a communication network NW (typically, the Internet). The terminal device 50 is an information processing device having a communication function and a display function, and is typically a smartphone or a tablet. The terminal device 50 can be used by shoppers. Note that the terminal device 50 is not limited to a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet, and may be a PC (Personal Computer) or the like installed in a commercial facility.

[0077] The terminal device 50 typically has a web browser. The terminal device 50 accesses the server 40 and displays screen data (WEB screen) on the terminal device 50. Note that the terminal device 50 needs to log in to the server 40 in order to display the screen data.

[0078] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the terminal device 50. As shown in Fig. 13, the terminal device 50 accesses the server 40 in accordance with a user operation on the terminal device 50, thereby causing the terminal device 50 to display a WEB screen on the display. As described in Fig. 12, the WEB screen includes an image showing the presence or absence of a shopping cart 2 at the current time for each cart space. This enables the terminal device 50 to inform the shopper U of which cart space the shopping cart 2 is located in.

[0079] <Flow of mobile information provision processing> FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram for explaining the flow of processing executed in the mobile object information providing system 100. As shown in FIG.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 14, in the wireless communication device 30 installed in the cart parking area, the IC reader 36 transmits a request signal to the surrounding area at regular time intervals in process P1.

[0081] In the wireless communication device 10 installed in the cart storage 1, the radio wave blocking member 20 blocks the transmission of radio waves from the wireless communication device 30 to the IC tag 12 when a shopping cart 2 is not stored in the cart storage 1. When a shopping cart 2 is stored in the cart storage 1 in this state, the radio wave blocking member 20 enables the transmission of radio waves from the wireless communication device 30 to the IC tag 12.

[0082] When the IC tag 12 receives a request signal from the IC reader 36 of the wireless communication device 30 in process P2, it is activated by the radio waves of this request signal in process P3. In process P4, the wireless communication device 10 generates a response signal including the cart parking area ID stored in the IC tag 12. In process P5, the wireless communication device 10 modulates the generated response signal and transmits it to the IC reader 36.

[0083] Upon receiving the response signal from the wireless communication device 10, the wireless communication device 30 generates reception log information in process P6. The wireless communication device 30 transmits the generated reception log information to the server 40 in process P7.

[0084] Prior to communication with the wireless communication device 30, the server 40 generates a cart parking area database (FIG. 8) in process P8. In the cart parking area database, the installation locations of cart parking areas (cart storage units 1) installed in a commercial facility are registered in association with cart parking area IDs.

[0085] Upon receiving the reception log information transmitted in process P7, the server 40 generates an empty cart information database (FIG. 10) in process P9. In process P10, the server 40 generates screen data (WEB screen) based on the cart space database generated in process P8 and the empty cart information database generated in process P10.

[0086] In process P11, the terminal device 50 accesses the server 40 in accordance with a user operation on the terminal device 50, and transmits a request to transmit screen data. When the server 40 accepts the request to transmit screen data from the terminal device 50, in process P12, the server 40 transmits the screen data (WEB screen) generated in process P10 to the terminal device 50 that sent the transmission request. In process P13, the terminal device 50 receives the screen data, and displays a screen (WEB screen) based on the screen data on the display.

[0087] As described above, according to the mobile object information system of this embodiment, the cart storage 1 in which the shopping cart 2 is stored is equipped with the wireless communication device 10, and the wireless communication between this wireless communication device 10 and the wireless communication device 30 is switched on and off depending on the presence or absence of the shopping cart 2 in the cart storage 1, making it possible to detect the presence or absence of the shopping cart 2 in the cart storage 1 based on the state of the wireless communication. This makes it unnecessary to equip each shopping cart with a wireless communication device as in the conventional technology, and therefore makes it possible to realize a simple and low-cost mobile object information system.

[0088] Furthermore, in the mobile object information providing system according to the present embodiment, in the above configuration, the wireless communication device 10 is configured using the IC tag 12 and the radio wave blocking member 20, and the radio wave blocking member 20 is configured to switch between transmitting and blocking radio waves from the wireless communication device 30 to the IC tag 12 depending on whether or not a shopping cart 2 is present in the cart storage 1, so that a passive tag can be used for the IC tag 12. This makes it possible to reduce the size and cost of the wireless communication device 10.

[0089] Furthermore, in the above configuration, the radio wave blocking member 20 is used to switch between connecting and blocking wireless communication by utilizing the force that the radio wave blocking member 20 receives from the shopping cart 2 entering the cart storage 1, so there is no need to install a dedicated circuit for detecting the entry and exit of the shopping cart 2 and switching wireless communication. Therefore, wireless communication can be switched with a simple configuration.

[0090] <Other examples of applications of mobile information systems> In the above embodiment, a configuration example has been described in which a passive tag is used as the IC tag 12 included in the wireless communication device 10, but the mobile object information providing system according to the present disclosure can also be realized by using an active tag as the IC tag 12. However, as described above, using a passive tag as the IC tag 12 makes it possible to reduce the size and cost of the wireless communication device 10, which is advantageous in terms of saving space and reducing costs in large facilities where many cart storage units 1 are installed.

[0091] In the above-described embodiment, the configuration of a system that provides shoppers in a commercial facility with information on the presence or absence of a shopping cart in a cart parking area is illustrated, but the application example of the mobile information providing system according to the present embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the mobile information providing system according to the present disclosure can be applied to a system for providing users of a facility such as a medical facility or a nursing home with information on the presence or absence of a wheelchair in a wheelchair parking area. In this case, when a wheelchair is present in the wheelchair parking area, the wireless communication device 10 installed in the wheelchair parking area transmits a signal. The wireless communication device 30 receives this signal and transmits reception log information to the server 40, so that the server 40 can provide the user with information that a wheelchair is present in the wheelchair parking area. Alternatively, the mobile information providing system according to the present disclosure can be applied to a system for providing users with information on the presence or absence of a cart in a cart parking area in a facility such as a golf course or an amusement park.

[0092] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The present disclosure is defined by the claims rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1, 1a to 1d cart storage, 2 shopping cart, 3 storage basket, 10, 10a to 10d, 30, 30a to 30d wireless communication device, 12 IC tag, 14 support member, 15 weight member, 16 abutment member, 17 abutment portion, 18 auxiliary member, 20 radio wave blocking member, 21, 22, 23 flat plate portion, 24, 25 rotating shaft portion, 26, 27 cushioning material, 31, 41 processor, 32, 42 ROM, 33, 43 RAM, 34, 44 HDD, 35, 45 communication IF, 36 IC reader, 37, 46 data bus, 40 server, 50 terminal device, 100 mobile information providing system, NW communication network.

Claims

1. A mobile object information providing system for providing information indicating the presence or absence of a mobile object in a mobile object storage device, comprising: A wireless tag that is installed in the mobile object storage device and stores identification information of the mobile object storage device; a wireless tag reader that acquires the identification information from the wireless tag through wireless communication with the wireless tag; a server communicatively connected to the wireless tag reader; a radio wave blocking member for blocking the wireless communication between the wireless tag and the wireless tag reader, the radio wave blocking member is configured to block the wireless communication when the moving object is not present in the moving object storage device, and to connect the wireless communication when the moving object is present in the moving object storage device, the wireless tag transmits a signal including the identification information to the wireless tag reader by the wireless communication; the wireless tag reader transmits information including a reception time of the signal and the identification information to the server; The server is capable of communicating with a terminal device, and detects the presence or absence of the moving object in the moving object storage device at the current time based on the information from the wireless tag reader, and notifies the terminal device.

2. the wireless tag is a passive tag that operates by radio waves from the wireless tag reader, 2. The mobile object information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the radio wave blocking member is configured to block transmission of radio waves from the radio tag reader to the radio tag when the mobile object is not present in the mobile object storage device.

3. the server includes a non-volatile storage device that stores a first database in which the installation location of the mobile object storage device is associated with the identification information; 3. The mobile object information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the server detects the presence or absence of the mobile object in the mobile object storage device based on the information from the wireless tag reader by using the first database.

4. 4. The mobile object information providing system according to claim 3, wherein the server generates a second database in which the information from the wireless tag reader is arranged in order of the time the signal was received, stores the second database in the non-volatile storage device, and upon receiving a request from the terminal device, detects the presence or absence of the mobile object in the mobile object storage device at the current time based on the information at the most recent predetermined time stored in the second database, and notifies the terminal device.

5. the radio wave blocking member has a box-like outer shape and is configured to block the radio communication by storing the radio tag therein; 5. The mobile body information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the radio wave blocking member is positioned at a position where the mobile body stored in the mobile body storage device abuts against the radio wave blocking member, and the wireless communication is connected by exposing the wireless tag from the radio wave blocking member using a force received from the mobile body entering the mobile body storage device.

6. an opening for exposing the wireless tag is formed in the radio wave blocking member; The radio wave blocking member is A flat plate portion for covering the opening; a contact member that contacts the moving body; a rotating shaft portion connected to the flat plate portion, The mobile body information providing system according to claim 5 , wherein the rotating shaft portion opens the opening by rotating the flat plate portion using a force that the abutting member receives from the mobile body.

7. The mobile object information providing system according to claim 6 , wherein the radio wave blocking member further includes an auxiliary member that covers a portion of the contact member that contacts the mobile object.

8. A moving object storage device for storing a moving object, A wireless tag that stores identification information of the mobile object storage device; a radio wave blocking member for blocking wireless communication between an external radio tag reader and the radio tag; the radio wave blocking member has a box-like outer shape and is configured to block the radio communication by storing the radio tag therein; The radio wave blocking member is positioned at a position where the moving body stored in the moving body storage device abuts, and the wireless communication is connected by exposing the wireless tag from the radio wave blocking member using the force received from the moving body entering the moving body storage device.

9. an opening for exposing the wireless tag is formed in the radio wave blocking member; The radio wave blocking member is A flat plate portion for covering the opening; a contact member that contacts the moving body; a rotating shaft portion connected to the flat plate portion, 9. The movable body storage device according to claim 8, wherein the rotating shaft portion opens the opening by rotating the flat plate portion using a force that the abutting member receives from the movable body.

10. 10. The movable body storage device according to claim 9, wherein the radio wave blocking member further includes an auxiliary member that covers a portion of the abutting member that abuts against the movable body.

11. the wireless tag is a passive tag that operates by radio waves from the wireless tag reader, 11. The mobile object storage device according to claim 8, wherein the radio wave blocking member is configured to block transmission of radio waves from the radio tag reader to the radio tag when the mobile object is not present in the mobile object storage device.

Images