Gas container management system, transport cart, and gas container management method

Abstract

To perform entry / exit management of a high-pressure gas container not in a closed space such as a cylinder cabinet but in an open space in real time.SOLUTION: A gas container control system comprises: a transportation truck for transporting a gas container; a reader that reads information about the gas container transported by the transportation truck; a position information acquisition device that acquires position information of the transportation truck on a moving path until arrival at a destination of the gas container; and a control device that manages the position information of the transportation truck acquired by the position information acquisition device in association with the information of the gas container read by the reader.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas container management system, a transport cart, and a gas container management method.

Background Art

[0002] For high-pressure gas containers, the storage quantity and the in-and-out management records at the storage site are obligatory according to the High-Pressure Gas Safety Act. In a conventional gas container management system, a recording medium such as an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag or a barcode sheet is attached to each high-pressure gas container, and an RF (Radio Frequency) is provided for each cylinder cabinet, so that the high-pressure gas container information within a very small range stored in the cylinder cabinet can be accurately read, and at the same time, the position information management of the high-pressure gas container is also performed, and a technique for calculating the storage quantity at each storage site has been proposed.

[0003] In the industrial gas industry, there is already a standard for attaching an RF tag to a high-pressure gas container, but it is mainly adopted to solve logistical problems, and is different from the above-described gas container management system for streamlining the container management operation. The target of the above-described gas container management system is mainly a semiconductor factory, and in relation to handling a large amount of high-pressure gas having flammability and toxicity, it is common to introduce a cylinder cabinet. However, general users of high-pressure gas often use the high-pressure gas container fixed to a simple mount instead of a cylinder cabinet. Therefore, the container information reading and position information management system of the above-described gas container management system, which is premised on use in the closed space of the above-described cylinder cabinet, cannot be directly introduced.

[0004] Replacing each pedestal with a cylinder cabinet is unrealistic considering price, quantity, volume, etc., and a general-purpose reading and position information management method is required. Regarding RFID tags, they can also be used in an open space, and it is easy to imagine attaching RF antennas to pedestals and entrances / exits to manage the reading and position information of high-pressure gas containers with RFID tags attached. However, considering the readable range, price, quantity, etc., it is unrealistic to cover pedestals scattered in multiple floors and buildings and entrances / exits of different sizes. Also, when using other position information management technologies, as long as they are based on the idea of directly recording the position information of the high-pressure gas container itself, this problem (readable range, price, quantity, etc.) will similarly arise.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Therefore, general users of high-pressure gas still individually record storage amounts and in / out management records in units such as departments and buildings, and it is difficult to integrate this information to grasp the storage amounts, etc. at each storage location in real time. This situation is not desirable from the perspectives of security and compliance with laws and regulations. Thus, there is a need for a technology that enables general users of high-pressure gas to manage the in / out of high-pressure gas containers in real time.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, the object of the present invention is to provide a technology that can manage the in / out of high-pressure gas containers in real time in an open space rather than a closed space such as a cylinder cabinet.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] Aspect 1 of the present invention is a gas container management system comprising a transport cart for transporting a gas container, a reading device for reading information regarding the gas container transported by the transport cart, a position information acquisition device for acquiring position information of the transport cart on a movement path until the transport cart arrives at the transport destination of the gas container, and a control device for managing the position information of the transport cart acquired by the position information acquisition device in association with the information regarding the gas container read by the reading device.

[0009] Aspect 2 of the present invention is the gas container management system according to Aspect 1, wherein the position information acquisition device starts acquiring the position information of the transport cart when the gas container is loaded on the transport cart, and ends acquiring the position information of the transport cart when the transport cart arrives at the place that becomes the transport destination of the gas container.

[0010] Aspect 3 of the present invention is the gas container management system according to Aspect 1 or Aspect 2, wherein the position information acquisition device acquires, in the movement path, at least the position information of the place where the gas container is loaded on the transport cart and the position information of the place that becomes the transport destination of the gas container.

[0011] Aspect 4 of the present invention is the gas container management system according to Aspect 3, wherein the position information acquisition device further periodically acquires the position information of the transport cart between the place where the gas container is loaded and the place that becomes the transport destination of the gas container.

[0012] Aspect 5 of the present invention is the gas container management system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 4, wherein the control device further manages, in association with each other, building information representing the building in which the gas container is installed and the information regarding the gas container, the transport destination includes a plurality of buildings in which the gas container is installed, and the control device includes a calculation unit for calculating the storage amount for each building based on the gas container specified by the information regarding the gas container.

[0013] Aspect 6 of the present invention is that in the gas container management system of Aspect 5, the calculation unit calculates the storage amount by summing up the storage amounts within the same group of buildings that can be regarded as the same building among a plurality of buildings.

[0014] Aspect 7 of the present invention is that in the gas container management system of Aspect 5 or 6, each building is classified into the storage location categories defined by regulations, and further includes a notification unit that issues a notification when the storage amount per building exceeds the upper limit of the storage amount defined for the classified storage location categories.

[0015] Aspect 8 of the present invention is a transport cart for transporting a gas container, comprising: a reading device that reads information regarding the gas container transported by the transport cart; a position information acquisition device that acquires position information of the transport cart on the movement path until the transport cart arrives at the transport destination of the gas container; and a control device that transmits the position information of the transport cart acquired by the position information acquisition device to a management device in association with the information regarding the gas container read by the reading device.

[0016] Aspect 9 of the present invention is a gas container management method for transporting a gas container on a transport cart, reading information regarding the gas container transported by the transport cart, acquiring position information of the transport cart on the movement path until the transport cart arrives at the transport destination of the gas container, and managing the acquired position information of the transport cart in association with the read information regarding the gas container.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to manage the incoming and outgoing of high-pressure gas containers in real time in an open space instead of a closed space such as a cylinder cabinet.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 11

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. (Overview) In the gas container management system according to the present invention, instead of directly recording the position information of the gas container itself as in the prior art, the movement route of the transport cart used when transporting the gas container is recorded. Thereby, it becomes possible to grasp the place where the gas container is finally stored, and the position information of the gas container can be managed indirectly and pseudo. In this way, it becomes possible to manage the incoming and outgoing of high-pressure gas containers in real time in an open space rather than a closed space such as a cylinder cabinet. Hereinafter, a specific configuration for realizing the above processing will be described.

[0020] (Details) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a gas container management system 100 according to the present invention. The gas container management system 100 is applied to a facility in which a gas container B filled with a high-pressure gas used in semiconductor manufacturing or the like is stored, as a system for managing the heavy gas container B. Here, the facility is a factory having a plurality of buildings for storing the gas container B for use, or a factory having a plurality of buildings for storing the gas container B for supplying it to other factories.

[0021] The gas container management system 100 includes one or more transport carts 1 (simply referred to as "carts" in FIG. 1) for transporting the gas container B, one or more communication terminals 2, and one or more management servers 3. In FIG. 1, four buildings BL1 to BL4 and a gas container storage place SP are shown as the transport destinations of the gas container B. The buildings BL1 to BL4 are storage places defined by relevant regulations on high-pressure gas, such as a first-class storage place, a second-class storage place, and other storage places. Note that relevant regulations on high-pressure gas stipulate that buildings with a distance of 30 m or less between their ends can be regarded as the same building. In the following description, it is assumed that the distance between buildings BL2 and BL3 is 30 m or less and they are the same building. Note that the number of transport destinations of the gas container B may be two or more.

[0022] The transport cart 1 is a cart for transporting the gas container B. The transport cart 1 has a function of attaching the communication terminal 2 and measures position information by the attached communication terminal 2. Thereby, the transport cart 1 acquires position information during the period from the timing when the gas container B is placed until the transport cart 1 enters the transport destination. For example, the transport cart 1 may acquire position information periodically during the period from the timing when the gas container B is placed until the transport cart 1 enters the transport destination, or may acquire position information at a predetermined timing such as the timing when the gas container B is placed and the timing when the transport cart 1 enters the transport destination. By acquiring position information at a predetermined timing, power consumption can be suppressed more than acquiring position information periodically.

[0023] The communication terminal 2 is a terminal carried by an employee who transports the gas container B by the transport cart 1. The communication terminal 2 is equipped with at least a function of acquiring position information and acquires the position information. The communication terminal 2 transmits the acquired position information to the management server 3. At this time, the communication terminal 2 transmits information for identifying the gas container B to the management server 3 in association with the position information. The communication terminal 2 may transmit the position information to the management server 3 every time the position information is acquired, or may transmit a plurality of pieces of position information to the management server 3 collectively. The communication terminal 2 is configured using a portable information processing device such as a tablet terminal, a smartphone, and a mobile phone, for example.

[0024] The management server 3 is a device that manages the gas container management system 100. The management server 3 manages the position information of a plurality of gas containers B stored in the facility and the storage amount in the building of the same group based on the position information transmitted from the communication terminal 2. The management server 3 is configured using an information processing device such as a personal computer.

[0025] Next, the outline of the gas container management system 100 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, when the transport cart 1 moves along the route R1 from the gas container storage SP to the building BL4 while holding one gas container B (for example, gas container B1), the transport cart 1 acquires position information by the communication terminal 2 during the movement along the route R1, and transmits the acquired position information to the management server 3. When the transport cart 1 arrives at the building BL4, the gas container B1 is unloaded at the building BL4 and stored in a predetermined storage location. Thereby, the management server 3 can manage that the gas container B1 is stored in the building BL4 based on the position information. Next, when the transport cart 1 moves along the route R2 from the building BL4 to the building BL1 while holding one gas container B (for example, gas container B2), the transport cart 1 acquires position information by the communication terminal 2 during the movement along the route R2, and transmits the acquired position information to the management server 3. When the transport cart 1 arrives at the building BL1, the gas container B2 is unloaded at the building BL1 and stored in a predetermined storage location. Thereby, the management server 3 can manage that the gas container B2 is stored in the building BL4 based on the position information. In the gas container management system 100 according to the present invention, as described above, the location where the gas container B is stored is managed based on the position information of the transport cart 1.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the transport cart 1 and the gas container B transported by the transport cart 1 in the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, a recording medium 5 on which either container information including detailed information of the gas container B or unique information for identifying the gas container B is recorded is attached to the gas container B. Note that the recording medium 5 may be attached to the gas container B, rather than being attached. The recording medium 5 is, for example, a code such as a barcode, a QR code (registered trademark), a chameleon code (registered trademark), or a tag such as an RF-ID tag (UHF (Ultra High Frequency) tag, NFC (Near Field Communication) tag), a Bluetooth (registered trademark) tag, or a GPS (Global Positioning System) tag. The recording medium 5 is attached at a position where it can be easily read by a reader / writer 15 described later. The recording medium 5 may be reused by, for example, recording container information or erasing the container unique number after the gas container B is returned.

[0027] The transport cart 1 has a vehicle body 12 provided with a placement portion 11 for placing the gas container B, a plurality (four in this embodiment) of wheels 13 that support the vehicle body 12 so as to be freely movable, and an attachment portion 14. Note that the transport cart 1 may be an automated guided vehicle (AGV) called an unmanned transport vehicle. The AGV transports the gas container B by automatic driving. A communication terminal 2 and a reader / writer 15 are attached to the attachment portion 14.

[0028] The reader / writer 15 is a writing / reading device capable of writing to and reading from the recording medium 5 attached to the gas container B. The reader / writer 15 is preferably provided at a position where it can recognize the recording medium 5 and read it. The reader / writer 15 does not necessarily have to be attached to the attachment portion 14. For example, the reader / writer 15 may be carried by the user. The reader / writer 15 further has a communication function with an external device (for example, either wired or wireless), and transmits the information read from the recording medium 5 to the external device. Further, the reader / writer 15 receives the information to be written to the recording medium 5 from the external device. The reader / writer 15 writes the received information to be written to the recording medium 5 according to the user's operation. Here, the information to be written is, for example, container information or a container unique number. Note that the reader / writer 15 may be configured to read information or labels pre-printed on the gas container B by utilizing OCR (Optical Character Recognition). The reader / writer 15 is one aspect of the reading device.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the communication terminal 2 in the embodiment. The communication terminal 2 includes a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, a control unit 23, an operation unit 24, and a display unit 25.

[0030] The communication unit 21 communicates with other devices. For example, the communication unit 21 communicates with the reader / writer 15 or the management server 3.

[0031] Position information data 221 is stored in the storage unit 22. The position information data 221 represents the position information acquired by the communication terminal 2. The position information data 221 is stored in time series. The storage unit 22 is configured using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk device or a semiconductor storage device.

[0032] The control unit 23 controls the entire communication terminal 2. The control unit 23 is configured using a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. By executing a program, the control unit 23 realizes the functions of the position acquisition control unit 231, the position information acquisition unit 232, the communication control unit 233, and the display control unit 234.

[0033] Some or all of the position acquisition control unit 231, the position information acquisition unit 232, the communication control unit 233, and the display control unit 234 may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware. The program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium is, for example, a non-transitory storage medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a portable medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read only memory), or a storage device such as a hard disk built into a computer system. The program may be transmitted via a telecommunication line.

[0034] Some of the functions of the position acquisition control unit 231, the position information acquisition unit 232, the communication control unit 233, and the display control unit 234 do not necessarily need to be pre-installed in the communication terminal 2 and may be realized by installing an additional application program in the communication terminal 2.

[0035] The position acquisition control unit 231 controls the timing of acquisition and termination of the position information by the position information acquisition unit 232. Specifically, the position acquisition control unit 231 causes the position information acquisition unit 232 to start acquiring the position information at the timing when an acquisition instruction for the position information is given from the management server 3, and causes the position information acquisition unit 232 to end acquiring the position information at the timing when an end instruction for the position information is given from the management server 3. The timing that triggers the acquisition of the position information is the timing when the gas container B is loaded onto the transport cart 1. The timing that triggers the end of the acquisition of the position information is the timing when the transport cart 1 enters the building.

[0036] The position acquisition control unit 231 calculates the received signal strength of the signal received during the measurement of the position information by the position information acquisition unit 232, and may detect that the transport cart 1 has entered the building when the calculated received signal strength is less than the threshold value. Note that the method for detecting the entry of the transport cart 1 into the building may be other methods. For example, the position acquisition control unit 231 calculates the received signal strength of the signal each time the position information acquisition unit 232 acquires the position information, and may detect that the transport cart 1 has entered the building when the attenuation amount of the calculated received signal strength is equal to or greater than the threshold value, or the above determination may be made using a signal other than the signal received during the position information measurement.

[0037] The position information acquisition unit 232 acquires the position information according to the control of the position acquisition control unit 231. For example, when an acquisition instruction for the position information is given from the position acquisition control unit 231, the position information acquisition unit 232 starts acquiring the position information at the timing when the acquisition instruction is given. When an end instruction for the position information is given from the position acquisition control unit 231, the position information acquisition unit 232 ends acquiring the position information at the timing when the end instruction is given. Note that the position information acquisition unit 232 may periodically acquire the position information from the timing when the acquisition instruction for the position information is given until the timing when the end instruction for the position information is given, or may acquire the position information at the timing when the acquisition instruction for the position information is given and the timing when the end instruction for the position information is given. The position information acquisition unit 232 is one aspect of the position information acquisition device.

[0038] The position information acquisition unit 232 may acquire position information by any method as long as it can acquire position information. For example, the position information acquisition unit 232 may acquire position information by GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), or may acquire position information by RTK (Real Time Kinematic), or may acquire position information by SLAS (Sub-meter Level Augmentation Service), or may acquire position information by CLAS (Centimeter Level Augmentation Service).

[0039] The communication control unit 233 controls the operation of the communication unit 21.

[0040] The display control unit 234 controls the display of the display unit 25. For example, the display control unit 234 controls the display of the display unit 25 using various information stored in the storage unit 22.

[0041] The operation unit 24 is configured using existing input devices such as a keyboard, a pointing device (mouse, tablet, etc.), a touch panel, buttons, etc. The operation unit 24 is operated by the user when inputting the user's instruction to the management server 3. For example, the operation unit 24 receives a screen switching instruction or the like.

[0042] The display unit 25 is an image display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display unit 25 displays various information. The display unit 25 may be an interface for connecting an image display device to the communication terminal 2. In this case, the display unit 25 generates a video signal for displaying information and outputs the video signal to the image display device connected to itself.

[0043] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the management server 3 in the embodiment. The management server 3 includes a communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, a control unit 33, an operation unit 34, and a display unit 35.

[0044] The communication unit 31 communicates with other devices. For example, the communication unit 31 communicates with the communication terminal 2.

[0045] The storage unit 32 stores a container table 321, a container movement history table 322, and a building table 323. The container table 321 is a table in which information about the gas container B is registered. The container movement history table 322 is a table in which information about the movement history of the gas container B is registered. The building table 323 is a table in which information about the building where the gas container B is to be stored is registered. The storage unit 32 is configured using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk device or a semiconductor storage device.

[0046] The control unit 33 controls the entire management server 3. The control unit 33 is configured using a processor such as a CPU and a memory. By executing a program, the control unit 33 realizes the functions of the data management unit 332, the calculation unit 333, the communication control unit 334, and the display control unit 335.

[0047] Some or all of the data management unit 332, the calculation unit 333, the communication control unit 334, and the display control unit 335 may be realized by hardware (including a circuit unit; circuitry) such as an ASIC, a PLD, or an FPGA, or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware. The program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium is, for example, a non-transitory storage medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, or other portable media, or a storage device such as a hard disk built into a computer system. The program may be transmitted via a telecommunication line.

[0048] Some of the functions of the data management unit 332, the calculation unit 333, the communication control unit 334, and the display control unit 335 do not necessarily need to be pre-installed in the management server 3, and may be realized by installing an additional application program in the management server 3.

[0049] The data management unit 332 manages each table stored in the storage unit 32 based on various information obtained from the communication terminal 2. For example, each time position information is acquired, the data management unit 332 updates the information in the container table 321 and the container movement history table 322 based on the acquired position information.

[0050] The calculation unit 333 calculates the storage amount for each building based on the gas containers B stored in each building. At this time, the calculation unit 333 calculates the storage amount for each gas type based on the gas type and the gas filling amount. That is, the calculation unit 333 classifies the stored high-pressure gas into Class 1 gas and Class 2 gas defined by the relevant regulations of high-pressure gas for each building, and calculates the storage amount for each of Class 1 gas and Class 2 gas. Note that the calculation unit 333 calculates the storage amount by aggregating the buildings regarded as the same group (for example, buildings BL2 and BL3).

[0051] The communication control unit 334 controls the operation of the communication unit 31.

[0052] The display control unit 335 controls the display on the display unit 35. For example, when a display instruction for the movement history is input from the user via the operation unit 34, the display control unit 335 causes the display unit 35 to display the movement history of the specified gas container B according to the input display instruction.

[0053] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the container table 321 in the embodiment. The container table 321 has a plurality of records representing information about the containers. In the records of the container table 321, container information and position information are registered in association with each other. The container information includes specific information about the gas container B body. The position information includes information about the storage location of the gas container B. Each record of the container table 321 shown in FIG. 5 has values of container unique number, container owner number, container number, gas type / product name, initial filling amount, gas classification, filling date, lot No., and quality assurance period / container return recommended period as container information, and values of storage location, movement date, and movement history as position information.

[0054] The container unique number represents information for identifying an individual gas container B. The container unique number is, for example, identification information generated based on the identification information of the container manufacturer and the container number. The container owner number represents information for identifying a person who owns (manages) the gas container B. The container number represents a number assigned to the gas container B. The gas type / product name represents information indicating the type of high-pressure gas filled in the gas container B, or represents the product name of the high-pressure gas filled in the gas container B. The initial filling amount represents the amount of high-pressure gas filled in the gas container B in the initial state. The initial state represents a state in which it has not been used since being supplied by the gas supply company. The gas classification represents the classification of high-pressure gas defined by the relevant laws and regulations of high-pressure gas. For example, the gas classification includes Class 1, Class 2, etc. Users of high-pressure gas need to submit notifications to the administrative agency or apply for storage permits according to the total storage amount for each gas classification. The filling date represents the date on which the gas container B was filled. For example, the latest filling date is registered as the filling date. The Lot No. represents information for identifying the place where the gas container B was manufactured.

[0055] The storage location represents the location where the gas container B is currently stored. The moving date represents the date on which the gas container B was transported by the transport cart 1. That is, the moving date represents the date on which the position information was acquired by the transport cart 1. The movement history is an item selected when it is desired to display the history of the points where the gas container B has moved. When the movement history is selected, the history of the position information of the selected gas container B can be displayed on the screen of the display unit 35 in a state where it is plotted on a map.

[0056] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the container movement history table 322 in the embodiment. The container movement history table 322 has a plurality of records representing information related to the movement history of the gas container B. The records included in the container movement history table 322 have, as container transport-related information, the values of the container unique number, the moving date, the person in charge, the cart information, the coordinates, and the time.

[0057] The container unique number represents information for identifying the individual of the gas container B. The moving date represents the date when the position information was acquired by the transport cart 1. The person in charge represents the person who moved the gas container B. The cart information represents information for identifying the transport cart 1 used for transporting the gas container B. The cart information may be any information as long as it can identify the transport cart 1. For example, if a number is pre-assigned to each transport cart 1, the assigned number may be used as the cart information. The coordinates represent the position information acquired along with the transportation of the gas container B. The time represents the time when the position information was acquired.

[0058] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the building table 323 in the embodiment. The building table 323 has a plurality of records representing information about buildings. In the records of the building table 323, building information and container information are registered in association with each other. The building information includes specific information about the building. The container information includes specific information about the main body of the gas container B. Each record of the building table 323 shown in FIG. 7 has, as building information, values of building name, building identification information, building coordinate information, building group ID, legal storage location classification, legal storage amount, and current storage amount, and has, as container information, values of container unique number, initial filling amount, and gas classification.

[0059] The building name represents the name of the building. The building name is, for example, "Building A", "Building B", "Building C", "Building D", "Gas container storage area", etc. The building identification information represents information for identifying the building. The building coordinate information represents information indicating the location where the building is installed. As the building coordinate information, for example, the position information of the place where the transport cart 1 enters the building may be used. Thus, by comparing the position information of the transport cart 1 with the building coordinate information, it is possible to detect the entry of the transport cart 1 into the building. For example, when the position information of the transport cart 1 and the building coordinate information match, it can be determined that the transport cart 1 has entered the building. On the other hand, when the position information of the transport cart 1 and the building coordinate information do not match, it can be determined that the transport cart 1 has not entered the building. With such a configuration, false determination due to external disturbance can be suppressed.

[0060] The building group ID represents information for identifying a set of buildings regarded as the same building in calculating the total storage amount of high-pressure gas. Generally, the total storage amount of high-pressure gas is calculated for each building, but buildings with a distance within 30 m between ends are calculated as the same building. This is stipulated by the relevant regulations on high-pressure gas. The legal storage location classification represents the classification of storage locations stipulated by the relevant regulations on high-pressure gas. For the legal storage location classification, there are, for example, the first-class storage location that requires permission from an administrative agency, the second-class storage location that requires notification to an administrative agency, and other storage locations that do not require procedures. The legal storage amount represents the upper limit of the storage amount for each building group ID stipulated by the relevant regulations on high-pressure gas. The current storage amount represents the amount of high-pressure gas stored for each building group ID.

[0061] FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of the attachment process of the recording medium 5 in the gas container management system 100. The user operates the operation unit 34 of the management server 3 to register the container information of the gas container B to be newly managed (step S101). Specifically, the user registers the container unique number, the container owner number, the container number, the gas type / product name, the initial filling amount, the gas classification, the filling date, the lot No., and the quality assurance period / container return recommended period as the container information. Note that it is not always necessary to register all of the above as the container information, and at least the container unique number, the gas type / product name, and the initial filling amount should be registered at the time of initial registration. In this way, the management server 3 associates the container information with the container unique number.

[0062] The data management unit 332 registers the container information registered by the user in the container table 321. Specifically, the data management unit 332 creates a new record in the container table 321 and registers the container information registered by the user in the created record. Similarly, the data management unit 332 registers the container unique number among the container information registered by the user in the container movement history table 322. Specifically, the data management unit 332 creates a new record in the container movement history table 322 and registers the container unique number registered by the user in the created record.

[0063] When the registration by the data management unit 332 is completed, the communication control unit 334 notifies the communication terminal 2 of the container unique number (step S102). Since it is also assumed that there may be a plurality of gas containers B to be newly managed, the communication control unit 334 may notify the communication terminal 2 of container information other than the container unique number (for example, container number, gas type / product name, etc.). Thereby, even when there are a plurality of gas containers B to be newly managed, the target gas container B can be specified by referring to the container number.

[0064] The notification destination to which the communication control unit 334 notifies the container unique number may be the communication terminal 2 of the employee specified by the container owner number included in the container information registered in the process of step S101, or may be the communication terminal 2 of the employee designated by the user. The communication unit 21 of the communication terminal 2 receives the container unique number transmitted from the management server 3 (step S103).

[0065] The display control unit 234 displays the received container unique number on the display unit 25 (step S104). If container information other than the container unique number is notified from the management server 3 to the communication terminal 2, the display control unit 234 may also display the container information other than the notified container unique number on the display unit 25. The communication terminal 2 notifies the container unique number to the reader / writer 15 according to the user's operation (step S105). The reader / writer 15 writes the container unique number notified from the communication terminal 2 to the recording medium 5 according to the user's operation (step S106). The user attaches the recording medium 5 with the container unique number written thereon to the target gas container B (step S107). By performing this operation on all the gas containers B to be managed, each gas container B can be managed.

[0066] FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are sequence diagrams showing the flow of the movement history recording process of the gas container B in the gas container management system 100. In the processes of FIGS. 9 and 10, it is assumed that the reader / writer 15 operates in the read mode. The user loads the gas container B onto the transport cart 1 (step S201). When the gas container B is loaded onto the transport cart 1, the reader / writer 15 attached to the attachment portion 14 of the transport cart 1 can read the container unique number from the recording medium 5 attached to the gas container B. Thereby, the loading of the gas container B is detected (step S202).

[0067] When the reader / writer 15 reads the container unique number, it transmits a loading detection notification including the read container unique number to the communication terminal 2 (step S203). The loading detection notification is a notification for reporting that the gas container B has been loaded onto the transport cart 1. When the communication terminal 2 receives the loading detection notification from the reader / writer 15, it transmits the received loading detection notification to the management server 3 (step S204). The communication unit 31 of the management server 3 receives the loading detection notification transmitted from the communication terminal 2. The data management unit 332 records the loading date and time of the gas container B identified by the container unique number included in the received loading detection notification (step S205).

[0068] Specifically, the data management unit 332 reads out the container table 321 and the container movement history table 322 stored in the storage unit 32. Next, the data management unit 332 refers to the item of the container unique number in the read container table 321 and selects the record corresponding to the obtained container unique number. The data management unit 332 registers the date and time when the container unique number was obtained in the item of the movement date of the selected record. Similarly, the data management unit 332 refers to the item of the container unique number in the read container movement history table 322 and selects the record corresponding to the obtained container unique number. The data management unit 332 registers the date and time when the container unique number was obtained in the item of the movement date of the selected record.

[0069] When the recording of the date and time by the data management unit 332 is completed, the communication control unit 334 generates a position information recording start instruction and transmits the generated position information recording start instruction to the communication terminal 2 via the communication unit 31 (step S206). The communication unit 21 of the communication terminal 2 receives the position information recording start instruction transmitted from the management server 3. When the position information recording start instruction is received, the position acquisition control unit 231 causes the position information acquisition unit 232 to start acquiring position information. The position information acquisition unit 232 acquires position information according to the control of the position acquisition control unit 231 (step S207). The position information acquisition unit 232 associates the acquired position information with the time information indicating the time when the position information was acquired and stores it in the storage unit 22 as position information data 221 in association with the container unique number.

[0070] The position of the transport cart 1 that has received the position information recording start instruction is the position where the transportation of the gas container B starts. For example, when the gas container B is at the gas container storage place SP, the position of the transport cart 1 that has received the position information recording start instruction is the gas container storage place SP. The position information acquisition unit 232 associates the acquired position information with the time information and outputs it to the communication control unit 233 with the container unique number. The communication control unit 233 controls the communication unit 21 to transmit a position information notification including the position information, the time information, and the container unique number to the management server 3 (step S208). The position information notification is a notification for reporting the position information. The communication unit 31 of the management server 3 receives the position information notification transmitted from the communication terminal 2. The data management unit 332 records the movement history of the gas container B being transported based on the received position information notification (step S209).

[0071] Specifically, the data management unit 332 reads out the container movement history table 322 stored in the storage unit 32. Next, the data management unit 332 refers to the item of the container unique number in the read container movement history table 322 and selects the record corresponding to the container unique number included in the acquired position information notification. At this time, the data management unit 332 selects the record corresponding to the container unique number included in the position information notification and having the movement date matching the movement date registered in the process of step S205. The data management unit 332 registers the acquired position information in the coordinate item of the selected record. Further, the data management unit 332 registers the time information at which the position information was acquired in the time item associated with the coordinate item in which the position information was registered.

[0072] The user transports the gas container B by moving the transport cart 1 (step S210). Even while the gas container B is being transported to the destination, the position information acquisition unit 232 periodically acquires position information (step S211). Then, each time the communication terminal 2 acquires position information, it transmits a position information notification including the acquired position information, time information, and container unique number to the management server 3. Thereafter, in the management server 3, the same processing as in step S209 is performed. For example, in the data management unit 332 of the management server 3, the position information, time information, and container unique number acquired the second time are registered in the second positions of the coordinate item and time item registered earlier. In this way, the data management unit 332 registers the position information and time information acquired on the same day in chronological order. Thereby, the history of the movement route from the transport start point to the transport end point of the gas container B can be recorded.

[0073] Suppose the user enters the building that is the transport destination registered in the management server 3 by moving the transport cart 1 (step S211). The position acquisition control unit 231 of the communication terminal 2 detects the entry of the transport cart 1 into the building (step S212). When the position acquisition control unit 231 detects the entry of the transport cart 1 into the building, it transmits an intrusion detection notification to the management server 3 (step S213). The intrusion detection notification is a notification for reporting that the transport cart 1 has entered the building. The communication unit 31 of the management server 3 receives the intrusion detection notification transmitted from the communication terminal 2. The data management unit 332 records the building information of the transport destination based on the position information included in the received intrusion detection notification (step S214).

[0074] Specifically, the data management unit 332 reads out the building table 323 stored in the storage unit 32. Next, the data management unit 332 refers to the item of building coordinate information in the read building table 323 and selects a record that matches the acquired position information. The data management unit 332 registers the acquired container unique number in the item of container unique number of the selected record. For example, when the acquired position information matches the building coordinate information of "Building A", the data management unit 332 registers the acquired container unique number in the item of container unique number of the record in which the information of "Building A" is registered. Thereby, it is possible to manage which gas container B is stored in which building. At this point, however, the information on the initial filling amount and gas classification is not registered in the item of container information in which the container unique number is registered. Therefore, the data management unit 332 may refer to the container table 321, acquire the information on the initial filling amount and gas classification of the gas container B specified by the container unique number, and register it in the building table 323.

[0075] Furthermore, the data management unit 332 registers the information of the building where the gas container B is stored, specified by the position information, in the item of storage location in the container table 321. Thereby, it is possible to manage in which building the transported gas container B is stored. When the recording of the building information of the transport destination of the gas container B by the data management unit 332 is completed, the communication control unit 334 generates an instruction to end the position information recording, and transmits the generated instruction to end the position information recording to the communication terminal 2 via the communication unit 31 (step S215). The communication unit 21 of the communication terminal 2 receives the instruction to end the position information recording transmitted from the management server 3. When the position information recording end instruction is received, the position acquisition control unit 231 causes the position information acquisition unit 232 to end the acquisition of the position information. The position information acquisition unit 232 ends the acquisition of the position information according to the control of the position acquisition control unit 231 (step S216). The gas container B loaded on the transport cart 1 that has entered the building is unloaded at a predetermined storage location (step S217).

[0076] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of the calculation process of the storage amount of each building in the management server 3 in the embodiment. The process of FIG. 11 may be executed at a predetermined timing or in response to an instruction from the user. The calculation unit 333 calculates the storage amount for each building based on the building table 323 (step S301). Specifically, the calculation unit 333 refers to the building table 323 and acquires information on the initial filling amount of the gas container B stored in the buildings with the same building group ID. The calculation unit 333 calculates the storage amount for each building by summing up the acquired information on the initial filling amount. The calculation unit 333 registers the calculated storage amount for each building in the building table 323 as the current storage amount.

[0077] The notification unit 336 determines whether the notification condition is satisfied based on the storage amount for each building calculated by the calculation unit 333 (step S302). The notification condition is a condition for notifying the storage amount of the gas container B. For example, the current storage amount exceeds the legal storage amount. When there is a building for which the notification condition is satisfied (step S303 - YES), the notification unit 336 issues a notification including that fact (step S303). For example, the notification unit 336 may issue a notification as an alarm in the management server 3 or may issue a notification as an alarm to the communication terminal 2. On the other hand, when there is no building for which the notification condition is satisfied (step S303 - NO), the notification unit 336 ends the process of FIG. 11.

[0078] The gas container management system 100 configured as above includes the transport cart 1 for transporting the gas container B, the reader / writer 15 for reading information (container information or container-specific information) about the gas container B transported by the transport cart 1, the position information acquisition unit 232 for acquiring position information of the transport cart 1 on the movement route until the transport cart 1 arrives at the destination of the gas container B, and the management server 3 for managing the position information of the transport cart 1 acquired by the position information acquisition unit 232 in association with the information about the gas container B read by the reader / writer 15. In this way, the position information on the movement route until the transport cart 1 arrives at the destination of the gas container B is managed in association with the information about the gas container B, so that not only the final storage location of the gas container B but also the location from where the gas container B was transported to where can be managed in real time. In this way, it becomes possible to grasp the amount of high-pressure gas stored on the premises in real time. Therefore, it becomes possible to manage the entry and exit of high-pressure gas containers in real time in an open space (for example, a general high-pressure gas usage environment) rather than in a closed space such as a cylinder cabinet.

[0079] Furthermore, in the gas container management system 100, the position information acquisition unit 232 starts acquiring the position information of the transport container 1 when the gas container B is loaded onto the transport container 1, and ends acquiring the position information of the transport container 1 when the transport container 1 arrives at the destination of the gas container B. This makes it easy to manage where the gas container B was installed and where it has been transported to. Since the acquisition of the position information of the transport container 1 is ended when the transport container 1 arrives at the destination of the gas container B, it is possible to reduce the power consumption required for acquiring the position information.

[0080] Furthermore, in the gas container management system 100, the position information acquisition unit 232 acquires, in the moving route of the transport cart 1, at least the position information of the location where the gas container B is loaded on the transport cart 1 and the position information of the location where the gas container B has been transported to. If position information is constantly acquired on the moving route, the power consumption will increase. On the other hand, in order to manage the gas container B, it is not necessary to constantly acquire position information on the moving route as long as it is possible to grasp from which location the gas container B has been transported to which location. With such a configuration, power consumption can be reduced.

[0081] Furthermore, in the gas container management system 100, since the position information of the transport destination of the gas container B is automatically saved, the burden on the administrator in the management of the gas container B is reduced, and as a secondary effect, an improvement in security is also expected.

[0082] Furthermore, considering a general business establishment, it is assumed that the quantity of the gas container B ≫ the transport cart 1. Therefore, by managing the position information of the gas container B indirectly and pseudo-directly via the transport cart 1, the introduction and operation costs of the reading and position information management system can be significantly reduced.

[0083] <Modification Example 1> In the above-described embodiment, communication with the reader / writer 15 and acquisition of position information were performed using one communication terminal 2. In contrast, it may be configured such that a plurality of communication terminals 2 are provided and the functions are distributed, such as a first communication terminal 2 that communicates with the reader / writer 15 and a second communication terminal 2 that acquires position information.

[0084] <Modification Example 2> The communication terminal 2 may be configured to include a building table 323. When configured in this way, the position acquisition control unit 231 may detect an intrusion into the building based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 232 and the building coordinate information registered in the building table 323. Specifically, when the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 232 matches any of the building coordinate information registered in the building table 323, the position acquisition control unit 231 detects that the transport cart 1 has intruded into the building. Note that the position acquisition control unit 231 may detect an intrusion into the building based on the position information acquired when the received signal strength becomes less than the threshold value and the building coordinate information registered in the building table 323. Thereby, when the signal strength is attenuated due to a cause other than intrusion into the building, since the position information and the building coordinate information do not match, it is possible to avoid misjudgment due to disturbance. Note that the building coordinate information is not limited to specifying the position of the building as a point, and may specify the area occupied by the building. Also, the building coordinate information may specify an area wider than the area actually occupied by the building by only the error margin of the means for acquiring the position information.

[0085] <Modification Example 3> When temporarily returning the gas container B to the gas container storage place SP (there is a possibility of using it again) or transporting it to the residual gas container storage place, the movement route of the transport cart 1 may be recorded in the reverse manner to the method described above. That is, the management server 3 may be configured to record the movement route from the building to the gas container storage place SP or from the building to the residual gas container storage place. At this time, the management server 3 may automatically discriminate it as a temporary return if it is a first period (for example, about half a day) from the residence time in the building, and as a residual gas container if it is a second period (for example, one week or more) longer than the first period. However, alternatively, it may be manually discriminated whether it is a temporary return or a residual gas container. In order to essentially perform automatic discrimination, a pressure sensor for measuring the remaining amount may be attached to the lower part of the transport cart 1.

[0086] <Modification Example 4> In the above-described embodiment, the transport cart 1 is configured to transport one gas container B. The transport cart 1 may be configured to transport a plurality of gas containers B. For example, when the transport cart 1 transports three gas containers B, it is necessary to distinguish the movement paths of each of the three gas containers B. Even in this case, the same processing as that described in the above-described embodiment may be performed. This will be described in detail below. The reader / writer 15 acquires container information or a container unique number from the recording medium 5 attached to each of the three gas containers B. While the transport cart 1 is transporting three gas containers B in the same configuration as described above, the communication terminal 2 acquires position information. In the above-described embodiment, since there was one gas container B, the communication terminal 2 terminated the acquisition of the position information of the transport cart 1 when the gas container B arrived at the building that was the destination of transportation. On the other hand, when the transport cart 1 transports a plurality of gas containers B, the communication terminal 2 is configured not to terminate the acquisition of position information while container information or container unique information is being acquired. Note that the communication terminal 2 may be configured to manually terminate the acquisition of position information. Since a history of position information is recorded in association with the container unique number of each of the three gas containers B, when one gas container B1 is unloaded at a certain building, for the unloaded gas container B1, position information is not registered after unloading. This is because the reader / writer 15 does not acquire container information or a container unique number. Therefore, when the transport cart 1 transports a plurality of gas containers B, after it is detected that the transport cart 1 has entered a building, the reader / writer 15 may acquire container information or a container unique number from the recording medium 5 attached to each of the gas containers B again. As a result, the position information of the gas container B that has been unloaded at a certain building will not be updated in the future. Therefore, even when transporting a plurality of gas containers B, the position information of the gas containers B can be managed.

[0087] <Modification Example 5> It is also assumed that each device (for example, the communication terminal 2 or the reader / writer 15) attached to the transport cart 1 needs to be charged. Therefore, a charging stand may be provided at the storage location (typically a container storage yard) of the transport cart 1.

[0088] <Modification Example 6> The transport cart 1 may further include a detection device that detects the loading of the gas container B onto the transport cart 1 and the unloading of the gas container B from the transport cart 1. The detection device is, for example, a pressure sensor, an NFC (Near Field Communication) reader, or the like. The pressure sensor may be any type of sensor as long as it can detect the pressure associated with the loading onto the transport cart 1. When a pressure sensor is used as the detection device, the pressure sensor is provided in the placement portion 11. The pressure sensor notifies the communication terminal 2 of a detection result indicating that pressure has been applied as the gas container B is loaded onto the transport cart 1. On the other hand, the pressure sensor notifies the communication terminal 2 of a detection result indicating that the pressure has disappeared as the gas container B is unloaded from the transport cart 1. The position acquisition control unit 231 of the communication terminal 2 controls the acquisition timing of the position information by the position information acquisition unit 232 at the timing when the loading of the gas container B onto the transport cart 1 is detected and the loading of the gas container B onto the transport cart 1 is detected according to the detection result notified from the pressure sensor. For example, when the detection result notified from the pressure sensor indicates that pressure has been applied, the position acquisition control unit 231 causes the position information acquisition unit 232 to start acquiring the position information. On the other hand, when the detection result notified from the pressure sensor indicates that the pressure has disappeared, the position acquisition control unit 231 causes the position information acquisition unit 232 to end acquiring the position information.

[0089] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and designs and the like within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention are also included.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0090] 1... Conveyor cart, 2... Communication terminal, 3... Management server, 5... Recording medium, 15... Reader / writer, 21, 31... Communication section, 22, 32... Memory section, 23, 33... Control section, 24, 34... Operation section, 25, 35... Display section, 231... Position acquisition control section, 232... Position information acquisition section, 233, 334... Communication control section, 234, 335... Display control section, 332... Data management section, 333... Calculation section, 336... Notification section

Claims

1. A transport cart for transporting a gas container, A reading device that reads information regarding the gas container transported by the transport cart, A position information acquisition device that acquires position information of the transport cart on a movement route until the transport cart arrives at the destination of the gas container, A control device that manages the position information of the transport cart acquired by the position information acquisition device in association with the information regarding the gas container read by the reading device, Comprising, The position information acquisition device, A gas container management system that starts acquiring the position information of the transport cart when the gas container is loaded on the transport cart, and ends acquiring the position information of the transport cart when the transport cart arrives at the building that is the destination of the gas container.

2. The position information acquisition device, In the movement route, acquires at least the position information of the place where the gas container is loaded on the transport cart and the position information of the building that is the destination of the gas container, The gas container management system according to Claim 1.

3. The position information acquisition device further, Periodically acquires the position information of the transport cart between the place where the gas container is loaded and the building that is the destination of the gas container, The gas container management system according to Claim 2.

4. The control device further manages, in association with each other, building information representing the building where the gas container is installed and the information regarding the gas container, The destination includes a plurality of buildings where the gas container is installed, The control device includes a calculation unit that calculates the storage amount for each building based on the gas container specified by the information regarding the gas container, The gas container management system according to any one of Claims 1 to 3.

5. The calculation unit, Among a plurality of buildings, in the same group of buildings that can be regarded as the same building, calculates the storage amount by adding up the storage amounts within the same group, The gas container management system according to Claim 4.

6. Each building is classified into the classifications of storage locations defined by regulations, Each building further includes a notification unit that issues a notification when the storage amount of each building exceeds the upper limit of the storage amount defined in the classified storage location classification, The gas container management system according to Claim 4.

7. Each time the position information acquisition device acquires position information, it calculates the received signal strength of the signal received during the position information measurement. When the attenuation amount of the calculated received signal strength is equal to or greater than a threshold value, it determines that the carrier cart has arrived at the building that is the destination of the gas container, and ends the acquisition of the position information of the carrier cart for the position information acquisition device. The system further includes a position acquisition control unit. The gas container management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. A carrier cart for transporting a gas container, a reading device that reads information regarding the gas container transported by the carrier cart, a position information acquisition device that acquires the position information of the carrier cart on the movement path until the carrier cart arrives at the destination of the gas container, a control device that transmits the position information of the carrier cart acquired by the position information acquisition device to a management device in association with the information regarding the gas container read by the reading device, comprising: The position information acquisition device is a carrier cart that starts acquiring the position information of the carrier cart when the gas container is loaded on the carrier cart, and ends acquiring the position information of the carrier cart when the carrier cart arrives at the building that is the destination of the gas container.

9. Transport a gas container on a carrier cart, read information regarding the gas container transported by the carrier cart, acquire the position information of the carrier cart on the movement path until the carrier cart arrives at the destination of the gas container, manage the acquired position information of the carrier cart in association with the read information regarding the gas container, a gas container management method that starts acquiring the position information of the carrier cart when the gas container is loaded on the carrier cart, and ends acquiring the position information of the carrier cart when the carrier cart arrives at the building that is the destination of the gas container.

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