Item management system, item management method, and information processing device

Abstract

To improve the efficiency of article management.SOLUTION: An article management system includes a plurality of wireless devices attached to a plurality of articles, respectively, a reading device capable of reading identification information stored in the wireless devices, and a management unit for managing a database for storing location information for the plurality of articles. The database further stores article set data defining an article set including N (N being an integer greater than or equal to 2) pieces of the plurality of articles. The management unit updates the location information of the N pieces of articles included in the article set according to the article set data when the reading device detects at least M (M being an integer less than N) pieces of the wireless devices out of the wireless devices attached to the N pieces of articles.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an article management system, an article management method, and an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a technology that enables information embedded in small devices, also known as tags, to be read by an external reader via near-field wireless communication. For example, by attaching RFID tags with embedded unique identification information to items, it becomes possible to efficiently track the location of items in inventory and distribution management, and it also makes it easier to visualize information about items under management. Among these, passive RFID tags, which transmit information using electromagnetic wave energy emitted from a reader, are inexpensive to manufacture because they do not require batteries, and can operate semi-permanently, so they are being used in a variety of applications beyond inventory and distribution management.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a system that utilizes RFID tags for inventory management of goods. The system in Patent Document 1 can easily determine the inventory status by collecting and processing information read by a reader (also called a scanner) from RFID tags attached to goods at the timing of arrival, shipment, and inventory, for example. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-150241 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when multiple items are placed close to each other in the same place, the propagation path of the electromagnetic waves between the reader and the RFID tag is easily blocked by the items or other obstacles, which often makes item management cumbersome, such as taking a long time to detect all the items or forcing the user to hold the reader at various angles.

[0006] In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide a mechanism for improving the efficiency of item management. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect, there is provided an item management system including a plurality of wireless devices attached to a plurality of items, respectively, a reading device capable of reading identification information stored in the wireless devices, and a management unit that manages a database that stores location information of the plurality of items, wherein the database further stores item set data that defines an item set including N items (N is an integer equal to or greater than 2) of the plurality of items, and the management unit updates the location information of the N items included in the item set in accordance with the item set data when at least M wireless devices (M is an integer less than N) of the wireless devices attached to the N items are detected by the reading device. Corresponding methods and information processing devices are also provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the efficiency of item management. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an item management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a tag reader according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management server according to an embodiment. [Figure 4]3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams showing examples of the configuration of an item table, a location table, a reader table, and a user table according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 4A and 4B are explanatory diagrams showing examples of the configuration of a movement amount table and a tag detection table according to an embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a set table according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a first embodiment of a user interface (UI) for managing item collection data. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a second embodiment of a UI for managing item collection data. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a first explanatory diagram for specifically explaining tracking of positions of a collection of items. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a second explanatory diagram for specifically explaining tracking of positions of a collection of items. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a first explanatory diagram for specifically explaining the dissolution of the definition of an item set. [Figure 12A] FIG. 2 is a second explanatory diagram for specifically explaining the dissolution of the definition of an item set. [Figure 12B] FIG. 3 is a third explanatory diagram for specifically explaining the dissolution of the definition of an item set. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a UI for inquiring about location information. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a tag reading process executed by a tag reader. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a set registration / editing process executed by the management server. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a data reception process executed by the management server. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a meeting position update process executed by the management server. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0011] <1. System Overview> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an item management system 1 according to one embodiment. The item management system 1 is a system that manages information about multiple items in a database. In this embodiment, the item management system 1 manages at least location information indicating the location of each item. The location information may indicate the location of each item, for example, by two-dimensional or three-dimensional position coordinates, or by an identifier that identifies one of multiple predefined locations as the location of the item. An item may be an inanimate object (e.g., a machine, equipment, tool, material, consumer good, part, vehicle, or robot) or a living object (e.g., an animal or plant).

[0012] The item management system 1 can be used for various purposes, such as production management, inventory management, or distribution management, at any location, such as a factory, warehouse, logistics center, or sales office. FIG. 1 shows three locations 10a, 10b, and 10c under the management of the item management system 1. Items 30a and 30b are present at location 10a. Multiple items, including items 30c and 30d, are present at location 10b. FIG. 1 also shows users 20a and 20b. User 20a carries or wears tag reader 100a. User 20b carries or wears tag reader 100b. Each user 20a, 20b may move between locations 10a, 10b, and 10c and is involved in or supervises operations such as manufacturing, storage, or shipping.

[0013] In the item management system 1, an item set may be formed from multiple items 30. To give a few examples, an item set may be formed by manufacturing a product using items as components, assembling items to form an assembly, packing items into a package, placing items in a container, or stacking items on some kind of support. In this specification, an item set (also simply referred to as a set) refers to a collection of items that can be moved together, for example, by being connected to each other, assembled, stacked, or placed in the same container. In the example of FIG. 1 , at location 10b, six items 30, including items 30c and 30d, are loaded on the same transport pallet 35a. Item set 60a is a collection that includes these six items that can be moved together as constituent items. Item set 60a can be moved by being transported by a user or a machine. As will be described in detail later, the item management system 1 enables a definition of such an item set including N items (N is an integer greater than or equal to 2) to be registered in a database, and realizes management of location information for each item set.

[0014] The item management system 1 utilizes wireless devices also called tags to manage location information. The location tags are wireless devices installed at each of the locations 10a, 10b, and 10c where an item may be placed in the item management system 1. FIG. 1 shows a location tag 40a installed at location 10a, a location tag 40b installed at location 10b, and a location tag 40c installed at location 10c. The installation locations of each of the location tags 40a, 40b, and 40c may be fixed or may be changeable. If the location itself moves, the location tag may also be moved along with the location movement.

[0015] An item tag is a wireless device attached to each item managed by the item management system 1. Fig. 1 shows an item tag 50a attached to an item 30a, an item tag 50b attached to an item 30b, an item tag 50c attached to an item 30c, and an item tag 50d attached to an item 30d.

[0016] In the following description, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the locations 10a, 10b, and 10c, the alphabet at the end of the reference numeral will be omitted and these will be collectively referred to as the location 10. The same applies to the users 20 (users 20a, 20b), the items 30 (items 30a, 30b, ...), the location tags 40 (40a, 40b, ...), the item tags 50 (item tags 50a, 50b, ...), the tag readers 100 (tag readers 100a, 100b), and other elements. The number of locations 10 and the number of items 30 managed by the item management system 1 are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1 and may be any number. Similarly, the number of users 20 and the number of tag readers 100 using the item management system 1 are also not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1 and may be any number.

[0017] In this embodiment, each of the tags, such as the position tag 40 and the item tag 50, is a passive RFID tag (passive tag). A passive tag is composed of a small IC (Integrated Circuit) chip with built-in memory and an antenna, and stores identification information and other information for identifying the tag in the memory. In this specification, the identification information is also referred to simply as an ID, and the identification information for identifying the tag is also referred to as a tag ID. Note that the tag ID may also be considered as information for identifying the object to which the tag is attached. In the example of FIG. 1, the position tags 40a, 40b, and 40c have unique tag IDs 41a, 41b, and 41c embedded therein, respectively. The item tags 50a and 50b have unique tag IDs 51a and 51b embedded therein, respectively. The IC chip of the passive tag operates using electromagnetic wave energy emitted from a tag reader, modulates the tag ID and other information stored in the memory into an information signal, and transmits (returns) the information signal from the antenna.

[0018] In another embodiment, each tag may be an active RFID tag. When each tag actively (e.g., periodically) transmits information to the surroundings using power from a built-in battery, the tag may be called a beacon tag. In yet another embodiment, each tag may be a wireless device that responds to a signal from a reader and returns information using, for example, the NFC (Near Field Communication) method or the Bluetooth (registered trademark) method. Each tag may be called any name, such as an IC tag, an IC card, or a responder.

[0019] The article management system 1 includes a tag reader 100, a management server 200, and a user terminal 300. The tag reader 100, the management server 200, and the user terminal 300 are connected to a network 5. The network 5 may be a wired network, a wireless network, or any combination thereof. Examples of the network 5 may include the Internet, an intranet, and a cloud network.

[0020] The tag reader 100 is a reading device capable of reading information stored in a wireless device such as an RFID tag. The tag reader 100 can detect an item 30, for example, by reading a tag ID 51 from an item tag 50 attached to the item 30. The tag reader 100 performs reading periodically or in response to some trigger such as a user operation, and transmits the tag reading result to the management server 200. The tag reader 100 may be capable of communicating directly with the management server 200, or may be capable of communicating indirectly with the management server 200 via some relay device. An example of a specific configuration of the tag reader 100 will be further described later.

[0021] The management server 200 is an information processing device that manages location information and other information of multiple items 30 in a database. The management server 200 may be implemented as an application server, a database server, or a cloud server using, for example, a high-performance general-purpose computer. The management server 200 receives tag reading results from each tag reader 100 and updates the database to reflect the latest management status of each item 30 based on the received tag reading results. The management server 200 also has an information providing function that provides information about the items 30 to the user 20. The information about the items 30 is typically provided to the user on the screen of the user terminal 300. An example of a specific configuration of the management server 200 will be further described below.

[0022] In the example of FIG. 1, the management server 200 is a cloud server deployed in a cloud environment. Although a single management server 200 is shown in FIG. 1, the functions of the management server 200, which will be described in detail later, may be provided by a single device, or may be provided by multiple physically separate devices working together. In addition, in this embodiment, an example is described in which the management server 200 holds a database containing information about the items 30, but a device separate from the management server 200 may hold part or all of the database. For example, some data may be held by a wireless device (e.g., a location tag or an item tag) or a tag reader.

[0023] The user terminal 300 is a terminal device used by a user 20 of the item management system 1. The user terminal 300 may be, for example, a general-purpose terminal such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a smartphone, or may be a dedicated terminal specialized for the purpose of item management. The user terminal 300 may be portable or stationary. The user terminal 300 typically includes an input device for accepting user input, a communication interface for communicating with other devices (e.g., the management server 200), and a display device for displaying information. As an example, the user terminal 300 is used by the user 20 to query the management server 200 for location information. As another example, the user terminal 300 is used by the user 20 to register the definition of an item set consisting of multiple items 30 in a database. Examples of user interfaces provided to the user 20 in these situations will be further described below.

[0024] 1, tag reader 100 and user terminal 300 are depicted as separate devices, but an integrated device having the functions of both tag reader 100 and user terminal 300 may be provided. Furthermore, user terminal 300 carried by user 20 may relay communication between tag reader 100 and management server 200.

[0025] <2. Tag reader configuration example> 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of tag reader 100 according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 2, tag reader 100 includes control unit 101, storage unit 102, communication unit 103, measurement unit 104, power source 105, and reading unit 106.

[0026] The control unit 101 includes a memory for storing a computer program and one or more processors (e.g., a CPU (Central Processing Unit)) for executing the computer program. The control unit 101 controls the overall functions of the tag reader 100 described in this specification. For example, the control unit 101 causes the reading unit 106 to read an RFID tag within the tag reading range and temporarily stores the read information and the read time in the memory unit 102 as read result data. In addition, the control unit 101 causes the measuring unit 104 to measure the position of the tag reader 100 in parallel with reading the RFID tag and stores the measurement result in the memory unit 102. The control unit 101 then transmits the read result data and measurement result data stored in the memory unit 102, together with the reader identification information (also referred to as a reader ID) of the device itself, to the management server 200 via the communication unit 103.

[0027] The storage unit 102 may include any type of storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory such as a read only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM), an optical disk, or a magnetic disk. In this embodiment, the storage unit 102 stores the reading result data, measurement result data, and the reader ID of the tag reader 100.

[0028] The communication unit 103 is a communication interface for the tag reader 100 to communicate with the management server 200. For example, the communication unit 103 may be a WLAN interface for communicating with a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) access point, or a cellular communication interface for communicating with a cellular base station. The communication unit 103 may also be a connection interface for connecting to a relay device (for example, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) interface or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface).

[0029] The measurement unit 104 is a positioning module that measures the position of the tag reader 100. In this embodiment, the measurement unit 104 measures the relative movement amount of the tag reader 100 from a certain starting point and outputs the measured movement amount to the control unit 101. The reference position for measuring the relative movement amount may be, for example, the position of the tag reader 100 at the time the tag reader 100 is activated. The relative movement amount of the tag reader 100 may be treated as a relative position. For example, the measurement unit 104 includes a three-axis acceleration sensor 104a, a gyro sensor 104b, and a geomagnetic sensor 104c. The three-axis acceleration sensor 104a measures the acceleration applied to the tag reader 100 in a device coordinate system specific to the tag reader 100 and outputs first sensor data. The gyro sensor 104a measures the angular velocity of the tag reader 100, i.e., the change in the attitude of the tag reader 100, and outputs second sensor data. Geomagnetic sensor 104c measures the orientation of tag reader 100 in real space and outputs third sensor data. Based on the sensor data from these sensors, measurement unit 104 can measure the relative movement amount of tag reader 100 by accumulating the acceleration while converting the direction of acceleration of tag reader 100 into a direction in a coordinate system of real space. The measurement of the movement amount here may be performed according to any known self-position estimation method (also known as Pedestrian Dead Reckoning (PDR) method). The relative movement amount output from measurement unit 104 to control unit 101 may be a two-dimensional vector in a horizontal plane, or a three-dimensional vector including a component in the height direction.

[0030] As will be described later, in this embodiment, the location coordinates of the installation location of each position tag 40 are known and registered in a database. Therefore, the current absolute location (position coordinates) of the tag reader 100 can be derived based on the relative movement amount from the time when the tag reader 100 detected a certain position tag 40 to the current time and the known location coordinates of the position tag 40. In this embodiment, an example in which the management server 200 derives the absolute location of the tag reader 100 will be mainly described. However, the control unit 101 or the measurement unit 104 of the tag reader 100 may access a database to derive the absolute location of the tag reader 100. In another embodiment, the measurement unit 104 may measure the current geographical location of the tag reader 100 using a GPS (Global Positioning System). In still another embodiment, the measurement unit 104 may perform base station positioning or wireless LAN positioning to estimate the current location using the known location coordinates of the connected base station or wireless LAN access point.

[0031] 2 shows an example in which tag reader 100 includes measurement unit 104, measurement unit 104 may also be included in an external device that is capable of communicating with tag reader 100 and that is carried by the user together with tag reader 100. In that case, tag reader 100 receives movement amount information indicating the relative movement amount measured by measurement unit 104 from the external device.

[0032] Power supply 105 includes a battery and a DC-DC converter, and supplies power to control unit 101, memory unit 102, communication unit 103, measurement unit 104, and reading unit 106 of tag reader 100 to operate the electronic circuits. The battery may be a primary battery or a rechargeable secondary battery. Although not shown, tag reader 100 may have a connection terminal for connecting tag reader 100 to an external power source to charge power supply 105.

[0033] The reading unit 106 is a reading module capable of reading information stored in each of the position tags 40 and item tags 50 under the management of the item management system 1. Referring to FIG. 2, the reading unit 106 includes an RF controller 110, a power amplifier 111, a filter 112, a first coupler 113, a second coupler 114, an antenna 115, a power detection unit 116, and a canceller 117. The RF controller 110 outputs a transmission signal (e.g., a signal modulated in the UHF band) from the TX terminal to the power amplifier 111 in accordance with the control of the control unit 101. The power amplifier 111 amplifies the transmission signal input from the RF controller 110 and outputs it to the filter 112. The filter 112 may be, for example, a low-pass filter, and is configured to remove unwanted components from the transmission signal after amplification by the power amplifier 111. frequency The first coupler 113 distributes the transmission signal that has passed through the filter 112 to the coupler 114 and the power detection unit 116. The second coupler 114 outputs the transmission signal input from the first coupler 113 to the antenna 115, and outputs the received signal input from the antenna 115 to the RF controller 110. The antenna 115 transmits the transmission signal input from the coupler 114 into the air as an electromagnetic wave. The antenna 115 also receives a signal returned from an RFID tag present within the reading range of the tag reader 100 in response to the transmission signal, and outputs the received signal to the coupler 114. The power detection unit 116 detects the power level of the signal input from the first coupler 113, and outputs a signal RF_DETECT indicating the detected power level to the control unit 101. The canceller 117 receives a signal CARRIER_CANCEL indicating the power level of the carrier wave from the control unit 101. Then, based on CARRIER_CANCEL, the canceller 117 cancels the carrier component of the signal received from the antenna 115 using the second coupler 114, thereby extracting the desired signal component of the received signal to be output to the RX terminal of the RF controller 110. The RF controller 110 demodulates the signal input from the RX terminal, acquires the tag ID and other information returned from the RFID tag, and outputs the acquired information to the control unit 101.

[0034] In this embodiment, the tag reading attempt by the reading unit 106 may be performed periodically (e.g., once per second) without requiring an explicit instruction from the user. Data transmission from the communication unit 103 to the management server 200 may also be performed periodically (e.g., once every few seconds) or each time a tag is read, without requiring an explicit instruction from the user. In order to omit transmission of redundant data and reduce communication load, the control unit 101 may exclude from the data to be transmitted records that are identical to records already transmitted within a predetermined period of time. Note that in other embodiments, one or both of the tag reading attempt by the reading unit 106 and the transmission of data to the management server 200 may be performed in response to user input via a user interface provided in the tag reader 100. When the communication unit 103 communicates indirectly with the management server 200 via a relay device, data transmission to the management server 200 may be performed only while the connection between the communication unit 103 and the relay device is active.

[0035] <3. Management Server Configuration Example> <3-1. Basic configuration> 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management server 200 according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 3, the management server 200 includes a communication unit 210, an item database (DB) 220, and a management unit 230.

[0036] The communication unit 210 is a communication interface that allows the management server 200 to communicate with other devices. The communication unit 210 may be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface. In this embodiment, the communication unit 210 communicates with the tag reader 100 and the user terminal 300 in the item management system 1. The item DB 220 is a database that stores location information and other information about multiple items under the management of the system. In this embodiment, the item DB 220 includes an item table 310, a location table 320, a reader table 330, a user table 340, a movement amount table 350, a tag detection table 360, and a collection table 370. The management unit 230 is a collection of multiple software modules that provide management functions for managing data in the item DB 220. Each software module may operate when one or more processors (not shown) of the management server 200 executes a computer program stored in a memory (not shown). In this embodiment, the management unit 230 includes a location management unit 231 , a group management unit 232 , a setting unit 233 , and an information providing unit 234 .

[0037] <3-2. Data configuration example> 4(A) to 4(D) respectively show examples of the configuration of the item table 310, location table 320, reader table 330, and user table 340 of the item DB 220. FIGS. 5(A) and 5(B) respectively show examples of the configuration of the movement amount table 350 and tag detection table 360 ​​of the item DB 220.

[0038] The item table 310 has seven data items: tag ID 311, item ID 312, name 313, type 314, location 315, coordinates 316, and set 317. The tag ID 311 is identification information that uniquely identifies the item tag 50 attached to each item 30 under the management of the system. The value of the tag ID 311 is the same as the tag ID value stored internally in the corresponding item tag 50. The item ID 312 is identification information that uniquely identifies each item 30. The name 313 indicates the name of each item 30. In the example of FIG. 4(A), the items identified by the item IDs "IT01," "IT11," "IT02," and "IT12" are given the names "item A," "item B," "item C," and "item D," respectively. Here, "item A," "item B," "item C," and "item D" may correspond to the items 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d shown in FIG. 1, respectively. The type 314 indicates the type into which each item 30 is classified. In the example of FIG. 4A , the types of "item A" and "item C" are "Type 1," and the types of "item B" and "item D" are "Type 2." The values ​​of the name 313 and type 314 of each item 30 may be determined by a user and registered in advance via a user interface provided by the management unit 230. Alternatively, the values ​​of the name 313 and type 314 may be stored in the item tag 50 as item-related information and read by the tag reader 100. In the latter case, the management server 200 may receive the values ​​of the name 313 and type 314 of each item 30 from the tag reader 100 in response to an initial tag read from the item tag 50 of each item 30, and register them in the item table 310. The location 315 indicates the location where each item 30 was last detected by the tag reader 100, using a location ID that identifies the location. In the example of FIG. 4(A), "item A" and "item B" are located at a location identified by location ID "PL01." "item C" and "item D" are located at a location identified by location ID "PL02." Coordinates 316 represent the latest location coordinates of each item 30. The values ​​of location 315 and coordinates 316 can be updated by the location management unit 231 when the tag reader 100 detects the movement of an item, as will be described later.The set 317, together with a set table 370 described later, can be treated as item set data that defines an item set including N items 30 (N is an integer of 2 or more). When each item 30 is a constituent item of an item set, the set 317 represents the item set to which each item 30 belongs by a set ID that identifies the item set. The significance of the set 317 will be explained in detail later.

[0039] The location table 320 has six data items: tag ID 321, location ID 322, name 323, coordinates 324, map image 325, and scale 326. The tag ID 321 is identification information that uniquely identifies the location tag 40 installed at each location 10 under the management of the system. The value of the tag ID 321 is the same as the tag ID value stored internally in the corresponding location tag 40. The location ID 322 is identification information that uniquely identifies each location 10. The name 323 represents the name of each location 10. In the example of FIG. 4(B), the name of the location 10 identified by the location ID "PL01" is "factory," the name of the location 10 identified by the location ID "PL02" is "warehouse," and the name of the location 10 identified by the location ID "PL03" is "shipping site." The "factory," "warehouse," and "shipping site" here may correspond to the locations 10a, 10b, and 10c shown in FIG. 1, respectively. Coordinates 324 represent the location coordinates of the installation location of the location tag 40 installed at each location 10. Map image 325 is a data item in which map image data of each location 10 is stored. Scale 326 indicates a ratio for converting a distance on the map of map image 325 into a distance in real space (for example, the number of meters in real space that one pixel of the image corresponds to). Note that the map image data stored in map image 325 may be obtained from an external data source or uploaded by a user and updated as needed.

[0040] The reader table 330 has three data items: reader ID 331, name 332, and user 333. The reader ID 331 is identification information that uniquely identifies each tag reader 100 used in the system. The name 332 represents the name of each reader. In the example of FIG. 4(C), the name of the tag reader 100 identified by the reader ID "RD01" is "Reader A," and the name of the tag reader 100 identified by the reader ID "RD02" is "Reader B." Here, "Reader A" and "Reader B" may correspond to the tag readers 100a and 100b shown in FIG. 1, respectively. The user 333 represents the user 20 who uses each reader 100 by the value of the user ID 341 in the user table 340.

[0041] The user table 340 has two data items: a user ID 341 and a name 342. The user ID 341 is identification information that uniquely identifies each user 20 who uses the item management system 1. The name 342 represents the name of each user. In the example of FIG. 4(D), the name of the user 20 identified by the user ID "U001" is "User A," and the name of the user 20 identified by the user ID "U002" is "User B." Here, "User A" and "User B" may correspond to the users 20a and 20b shown in FIG. 1, respectively.

[0042] The movement amount table 350 is a table for storing records of measurement result data received from the tag reader 100 (hereinafter referred to as measurement result records). The movement amount table 350 has three data items: measurement time 351, reader ID 352, and movement amount 353. The measurement time 351 indicates the time when the measurement was performed for the measurement result indicated by each measurement result record. The reader ID 352 is identification information that identifies the tag reader 100 that performed the measurement for the measurement result indicated by each measurement result record. In the example of FIG. 5(A), the six records in the movement amount table 350 indicate the results of movement amount measurements performed by the tag reader 100a identified by the reader ID "RD01" at six different times "T01" to "T06". The movement amount 353 indicates the relative movement amount as a measurement result. Here, the movement amount 353 represents the relative movement amount in the form of a two-dimensional vector in a coordinate system of real space.

[0043] The tag detection table 360 ​​is a table for storing records of read result data received from the tag reader 100 (hereinafter referred to as read result records). The tag detection table 360 ​​has four data items: read time 361, tag ID 362, reader ID 363, and detection position 364. The read time 361 indicates the time when the tag ID was read for each read result record. The tag ID 362 indicates the tag ID read for each read result record. The reader ID 363 is identification information that identifies the tag reader 100 that performed the tag reading for each read result record. In the example of FIG. 5(B), the first record in the tag detection table 360 ​​indicates that the tag reader 100a identified by the reader ID "RD01" read the tag ID "TGA" (for example, the tag ID 41a of the position tag 40a at location 10a) at time "T01". The second record indicates that the tag reader 100a read tag ID "TG01" (e.g., item tag 51a of item tag 50a of item 30a) at time "T05." The third record indicates that the tag reader 100a read tag ID "TG11" (e.g., item tag 51b of item tag 50b of item 30b) at time "T06." The detection position 364 indicates the position coordinates of the point where the tag reader 100 was located at the time tag reading from item tag 50 was performed (i.e., the detection position of item tag 50 and corresponding item 30).

[0044] <3-3. Basic location tracking> The position management unit 231 of the management unit 230 adds each record of the measurement result data received from each tag reader 100 via the communication unit 210 to the movement amount table 350 as a measurement result record. In addition, the position management unit 231 adds each record of the reading result data received from each tag reader 100 via the communication unit 210 to the tag detection table 360 ​​as a reading result record. When an item tag 50 is detected by the tag reader 100, the position management unit 231 derives the detection position of the detected item tag 50 based on the relative movement amount of the tag reader 100 from the detection position of the position tag 40 within the same location 10 and the known position coordinates of the position tag 40. For example, the relative movement amount of the tag reader 100 at the time when the item tag 50 is detected by a certain tag reader 100 is set to (X, Y). Furthermore, the position coordinates of the most recently detected position tag 40 are (U0, V0), and the relative movement amount of the tag reader 100 at the time of detection of the position tag 40 is (X0, Y0). Then, the position coordinates (U, V) of the detected position of the item tag 50 in real space (i.e., the detected position of the corresponding item 30) can be derived according to the following equation: (U,V)=(U0+(X-X0),V0+(Y-Y0)) The position management unit 231 adds the position coordinates indicating the detection position of the item tag 50 derived in this manner to the detection position 364 column of the tag detection table 360. The position management unit 231 also updates the coordinates 316 column of the record of the corresponding item 30 in the item table 310 with the position coordinates indicating the latest detection position of the item tag 50. Furthermore, if the location 10 where the item 30 is located changes, the position management unit 231 also updates the location 315 column of the record of the corresponding item 30 in the item table 310.

[0045] In this way, the location management unit 231 reflects the latest status regarding where each of the items 30 under the management of the system is currently stored and where it is located in the data in the item DB 220. In particular, in this embodiment, the location information of each item 30 is updated as needed based on the results of measurements and tag readings performed by each tag reader 100 without any explicit instructions from the user, making it possible to easily grasp the storage status of multiple items 30.

[0046] <3-4. Collective management> As described in relation to the location 10b in Figure 1, when multiple items 30 are placed close to each other in the same location 10, the propagation path of electromagnetic waves between the tag reader 100 and the item tags 50 is likely to be obstructed by the items 30 or other obstacles. In this case, attempting to detect all of the items 30 using the tag reader 100 can be cumbersome, taking a long time or forcing the user 20 to hold the tag reader 100 at various angles. In this embodiment, in order to eliminate the complication associated with managing multiple items 30 and improve the efficiency of item management, the above-mentioned set 317 and set table 370, which are data items in the item table 310, are incorporated into the item DB 220.

[0047] <3-4-1. Data configuration example> FIG. 6 shows an example of the configuration of a set table 370, which is a table for defining item sets. Referring to FIG. 6, the set table 370 has six data items: set ID 371, set name 372, number of items 373, update date and time 374, location 375, and status 376. The set ID 371 is identification information that uniquely identifies each item set registered in the set table 370. The set name 372 indicates the name of each item set. In the example of FIG. 4(A), the item sets identified by the set IDs "GR01" and "GR02" are given the names "pallet_1" and "package_2," respectively. The number of items 373 indicates the number of items 30 that make up each item set. The update date and time 374 indicates the date and time when the record for each item set was last updated. The location 375 indicates the location where each item set was last detected by the tag reader 100, using a location ID that identifies the location. The status 376 is a flag that indicates whether each item set is valid or not. As will be explained later, if an item set is once registered and then no longer satisfies the conditions for being a item set due to, for example, the departure of a constituent item, the status 376 can be set to "invalid."

[0048] In this embodiment, the list of constituent items 30 that make up each item set is defined by a set 317 in the item table 310. For example, referring to Fig. 4(A), the set 317 of "item C" and "item D" indicates "GR01", and these items 30 belong to the item set identified by the set ID "GR01". On the other hand, the set 317 of "item A" and "item B" is blank, and therefore these items 30 do not belong to any item set.

[0049] 4 to 6 are merely examples of the table configuration of the item DB 220. For example, the set 317 as a data item may be omitted from the item table 310, and instead an independent table indicating the association between each item 30 and each item set may be added to the item DB 220.

[0050] <3-4-2. Registration and editing of item sets> The set management unit 232 accepts new registration of an item set by the user 20 and editing of an already registered item set via the user interface (UI) of the user terminal 300. In the first and second embodiments described in this section, a screen for allowing the user 20 to specify the constituent items of the item set is displayed on the display of the user terminal 300, and a definition of the item set consisting of the constituent items specified by the user 20 on the screen is registered in the item DB 220. In the third embodiment, instead of the constituent items of the item set being specified on the screen by the user 20, the definition of the item set is registered in the item DB 220 from a data file.

[0051] (1) First Example In the first embodiment, the set management unit 232 displays a set management screen 400 (hereinafter simply referred to as screen 400) illustrated in FIG. 7 on the display of the user terminal 300. The screen 400 includes screen elements that allow the user 20 to specify or select names of constituent items for an item set that is the target of new registration or editing. The screen 400 may be a web screen displayed by a standard browser, or may be an application screen displayed by a dedicated application for item management. The screen 400 may be displayed after successful login authentication to the item management system 1.

[0052] The screen 400 includes, for example, radio buttons 411, 412, and 413 for allowing the user to select an edit menu. The radio button 411 can be selected when registering a new item collection. The radio button 412 can be selected when modifying the name or list of constituent items of an existing item collection. The radio button 413 can be selected when deregistering an existing item collection.

[0053] The screen 400 further includes a set ID field 421 and a set name field 422. The set ID field 421 displays the set ID of a newly registered item set or an existing item set to be edited. In the case of newly registering an item set, the set management unit 232 may automatically assign a set ID to the newly registered item set so that the set ID does not overlap with the set IDs of other item sets. The set name of the newly registered item set is input by the user into the set name field 422. In the case of editing an item set, the user specifies the set ID or set name of the item set to be edited in the set ID field 421 or set name field 422, respectively.

[0054] Screen 400 further includes radio buttons 431 and 432 for allowing the user to select a search method for searching for candidate constituent items of the item set, as well as a reader ID field 433, a read time field 434, and an item name field 435. In addition, screen 400 includes a search button 436, a candidate item area 441, a constituent item area 442, an add icon 443, a delete icon 444, and a confirm button 451.

[0055] The radio button 431 can be selected when searching for candidate constituent items from the results of tag reading by the tag reader 100. When the user selects the radio button 431, the user specifies the reader ID and reading time of the tag reader 100 as search conditions in the reader ID field 433 and the reading time field 434, and operates the search button 436. The collection management unit 232 then extracts from the tag detection table 360 ​​a list of item tags 50 that were detected by the specified tag reader 100 at a time close to the specified time. The collection management unit 232 then displays a list of items 30 corresponding to the extracted item tags 50 in the candidate item area 441.

[0056] The radio button 432 can be selected when searching for candidate constituent items by specifying a specific item 30 as a reference item. When the user selects the radio button 432, the user specifies the name of one of the items that constitutes the item set to be newly registered or edited in the item name field 435 and operates the search button 436. The set management unit 232 then extracts a list of the item 30 having the specified name and other items 30 located nearby from the item table 310. The set management unit 232 then displays the list of extracted items 30 in the candidate item area 441.

[0057] 7, pairs of item IDs and names of four items 30 are displayed together with check boxes in the candidate item area 441. The user can add one or more desired candidate items displayed in the candidate item area 441 to the list of constituent items by checking the boxes and operating the add icon 443.

[0058] The constituent item area 442 is an area that displays a list of items that make up the item set that is being newly registered or edited. In the example of Fig. 7, pairs of item IDs and names of three items 30 are displayed in the constituent item area 442 along with check boxes. The user can delete one or more constituent items displayed in the constituent item area 442 from the list by checking those constituent items and operating the delete icon 444.

[0059] The user sets a desired name in the set name field 422, and when the list of constituent items displayed in the constituent item area 442 is the intended list, the user operates the enter button 451. The set management unit 232 then reflects the definition of the item set edited by the user in the item table 310 and the set table 370. For example, in the case of a new item set registration, the set management unit 232 adds a record of a newly assigned set ID to the set table 370 and registers information such as the set name and number of items in that record. The set management unit 232 also updates the set 317 column of the record in the item table 310 corresponding to the items 30 that make up the new item set to indicate the set ID of the new item set. Meanwhile, in the case of editing an item set, the set management unit 232 reflects the changed set name and the edited number of items in the record of the item set to be edited in the set table 370. Furthermore, the set management unit 232 reflects the addition and deletion of constituent items of the item set in the set 317 column of the item table 310 .

[0060] If the user wishes to delete the registration of an existing item set, the user selects radio button 413 and then specifies the set ID of the target item set in the set ID field 421 (or specifies the set name in the set name field 422). The set management unit 232 then extracts a list of items 30 that make up the specified item set from the item table 310 and displays it in the constituent item area 442. When the user then operates the confirm button 451, the set management unit 232 deletes the registration of the item set by, for example, changing the value of status 376 of the corresponding record in the set table 370 to "invalid." At the same time, the set management unit 232 updates the set 317 column of the record in the item table 310 that corresponds to the item 30 that made up the deleted item set to a blank field.

[0061] According to the first embodiment, a user can add a target item 30 to the definition of an item set without error while checking the item ID or name of the item 30 (for example, the ID or name printed on a label attached to the item 30 or on the surface of the item 30). For example, a user may register item set data while checking each item 30 each time a task is completed at a work site where an item set is assembled or packaged. Alternatively, a user may collectively register item set data at a warehouse or other location 10 where multiple items 30 are stored as an item set. When candidate items are displayed based on the results of tag reading, only candidate items based on the results of tag reading by a tag reader 100 associated with the logged-in user in the reader table 330 may be displayed on the screen and selectable as constituent items. These also apply to other embodiments.

[0062] Although the example described here is one in which data is input via a GUI (Graphical User Interface), data may also be input via a voice UI using a speaker and microphone. Also, instead of identifying candidate items based on the results of tag reading by tag reader 100, candidate items that can be added to the item collection may be identified by reading visible codes such as barcodes affixed to the surface of each item with a code reader.

[0063] (2) Second Example In the second embodiment, the collection management unit 232 displays a collection management screen 500 (hereinafter simply referred to as screen 500) illustrated in FIG. 8 on the display of the user terminal 300. The screen 500 displays the detected position of the item 30 based on the result of tag reading by the tag reader 100 on a map image of the location 10 where the tag reader 100 was used. The screen 500 may also be a web screen or an application screen displayed by a dedicated application. The screen 500 may also be displayed after successful login authentication to the item management system 1.

[0064] The set management screen 500 includes the radio buttons 411, 412, and 413, which are the screen elements described in relation to the set management screen 400 of FIG.

[0065] The screen 500 further includes a location selection field 531 , a map display button 532 , a candidate item area 541 , a map display area 542 , a component item area 551 , a delete icon 552 , and an enter button 551 .

[0066] In the case of registering a new item set, the user selects the location 10 where the items 30 constituting the item set are located in the location selection field 531 and operates the map display button 532. The set management unit 232 then extracts a list of items 30 (candidate items) located in the selected location 10 from the item table 310 and displays the list of extracted items 30 in the candidate item area 541. The set management unit 232 also displays a map image of the selected location 10 in the map display area 542 based on map image data acquired from the location table 320, and superimposes item icons representing the candidate items on the map image. For example, the set management unit 232 may superimpose different item icons on the map image depending on the type of each candidate item indicated by the type 314 in the item table 310. In the example of FIG. 8 , multiple items 30, including “Item H” to “Item M” located in the “Shipping Site,” are candidate items, and at least four types of item icons corresponding to these candidate items are displayed in the map display area 542 superimposed on the map image of the “Shipping Site.”

[0067] The user, for example, drags pointer 543 in map display area 542 so that the item icon of the desired candidate item is included in drag area 544, thereby specifying the candidate item to be added to the list of items constituting the item collection. Drag area 544 may be, for example, a rectangular area determined based on the start and end points of the drag operation. Instead of dragging, the user may specify the candidate item to be added to the list of constituent items by touching or clicking the item icon of the desired candidate item. In the example of FIG. 8 , as a result of dragging pointer 543, drag area 544 includes "item I," "item J," and "item K." Therefore, these three items 30 are selected as constituent items and displayed in constituent item area 551. The user may check one or more constituent items displayed in constituent item area 551 and operate delete icon 552 to delete those constituent items from the list of constituent items.

[0068] In the case of editing an item set, a location where an existing item set having the set ID specified in the set ID field 421 or the set name specified in the set name field 422 exists is automatically selected in the location selection field 531. Then, when the map display button 532 is operated, the set management unit 232 automatically displays a list of items 30 present in the selected location 10 in the candidate item area 541 and a map image of the location together with item icons in the map display area 542. The set management unit 232 also displays a list of items 30 that constitute the specified existing item set in the constituent item area 551. Here again, the user may specify items 30 to be added to the item set in the map display area 542. The user may also check one or more items 30 in the constituent item area 551 and operate the delete icon 552 to delete those items 30 from the list of constituent items.

[0069] When the user operates the enter button 451, the set management unit 232 reflects the definition of the item set edited by the user in the item table 310 and the set table 370.

[0070] According to the second embodiment, the user 20 can appropriately define a set of items consisting of the desired constituent items 30 while visually checking the latest positional relationships between the items 30 on a map image based on the results of tag reading by the tag reader 100.

[0071] (3) Third Example In the third embodiment, the set management unit 232 may register item set data in the item DB 220 based on a data file created by the user 20 or a system administrator. For example, the set management unit 232 displays a simple file dialog on the display of the management server 200 or the user terminal 300, and accepts input of the data file via the displayed file dialog. The input data file may include the contents of one or more records to be added to the set table 370 as described using FIG. 6, and a list of item IDs of multiple items 30 associated with each set ID. The set management unit 232 adds an item set record to the set table 370 and updates the set 317 column in the item table 310 according to the description in the data file.

[0072] By incorporating a function for registering item set data in bulk based on such a data file, it becomes possible to register definitions of a large number of item sets in the item DB 220 in a short time.

[0073] <3-4-4. Tracking the location of a set of objects> When at least M item tags 50 out of the item tags 50 attached to N items 30 constituting an item set are detected by the tag reader 100, the set management unit 232 updates the location information of the N items 30 in accordance with the item set data, where M is an integer smaller than N.

[0074] More specifically, the set management unit 232 may update the position information of N items 30 belonging to the same set of items when the relationship between the detection positions of the item tags 50 of at least M items 30 detected by the tag reader 100 satisfies a predetermined condition. The predetermined condition includes, for example, that at least M item tags 50 are detected by the tag reader 100 within a period not exceeding a predetermined time length, and the distance between the detection positions of the item tags 50 does not exceed a preset distance threshold.

[0075] Note that updating the location information of the N items 30 included in the item set may include at least one of updating the location information associated with each of the N items 30 and updating the location information associated with the item set. For example, the location information associated with each item 30 may include one or both of the location 315 and coordinates 316 of each item 30 stored in the item table 310. The location information associated with an item set may include the location 375 of one item set stored in the set table 370. Note that the set table 370 may also further include data items representing coordinates indicating a representative location of each item set (e.g., the location of any one of the constituent items or the center of gravity between the locations of multiple constituent items).

[0076] 9 and 10, tracking of locations as an item set will be described in more detail along an exemplary scenario. The left side of FIG. 9 shows items 30c, 30d, 30e, 30f, 30g, and 30h present at location 10b and loaded on pallet 35a. User 20a registers item set 60a consisting of these N1 (N1=6) items 30 in item DB 220. Item set 60a is identified by, for example, a set ID "GR01."

[0077] After that, for example, it is assumed that user 20b carried pallet 35a and moved articles 30c, 30d, 30e, 30f, 30g, and 30h to location 10c. User 20b is carrying tag reader 100b. Tag reader 100b detects position tag 40c installed at location 10c and article tags 50 of M1 (M1 < N1) articles 30 that make up article set 60a. In the example on the right in FIG. 9, it is assumed that M1 = 3, and article tags 50 of articles 30c, 30d, and 30e are detected by tag reader 100b.

[0078] [[ID=][4]]Figure 10 shows how the set management unit 232 updates the article set data in the article DB 220 in the above-described scenario. According to the tag detection table 360 shown in the upper part of FIG. 10, first, at reading time "T11", position tag 40c identified by tag ID "TGC" is detected by tag reader 100b identified by reader ID "RD02". After that, at reading times "T12", "T13", and "T14", three article tags 50 identified by tag IDs "TG02", "TG12", and "TG21", respectively, are detected by the same tag reader 100b. These article tags 50 are attached to articles 30c, 30d, and 30e, respectively. The time difference W1 between reading times "T12" and "T14" is shorter than a predetermined time length W TH1 (W1 < W TH1 ), and the maximum distance D1 between the detection positions of articles 30c, 30d, and 30e is smaller than the distance threshold D TH (D1 < D TH \ ).

[0079] The collection management unit 232 determines that the tag reading results received from the tag reader 100b satisfy the conditions for updating the location information of the item collection 60a and starts updating the comprehensive location information. The middle section of FIG. 10 shows the update of the item table 310, where the values ​​of location 315 for the six records associated with collection ID "GR01" have been updated to location ID "PL03," which identifies location 10c. The values ​​of coordinates 316 for items 30c, 30d, and 30e actually detected by tag reader 100b have been updated to the coordinates of their actual detection locations, and the values ​​of coordinates 316 for the remaining items 30f, 30g, and 30h that belong to the same item collection 60a but were not detected have been updated to representative values. The bottom section of FIG. 10 shows the update of the collection table 370, where the value of update date / time 374 for the record with collection ID "GR01" has been updated to the date and time of the update, and the value of location 375 has been updated to location ID "PL03," which identifies location 10c.

[0080] As described above, in this embodiment, even if the item tags 50 of some of the items 30 constituting a predefined item set are not detected, the location information of the undetected items 30 is updated based on the detection results of the item tags 50 of the remaining items 30. Therefore, the user 20 is not forced to perform the cumbersome task of holding the tag reader 100 over the item set at various angles in order to comprehensively read the tag IDs every time an item 30 moves.

[0081] <3-4-5. Elimination of the definition of the set of items> The collection management unit 232 dissolves the definition of a collection of N items when the distance between the detection positions of two or more item tags 50 detected by the tag reader 100 within a predetermined period of time among the item tags 50 attached to the items 30 that make up a collection of items exceeds the distance threshold. The distance threshold here is the above-mentioned threshold D TH may be equal to or different from.

[0082] As one example, the set management unit 232 may cancel the definition of an item set by assigning a flag indicating invalidation to the item set data (changing the value of status 376 in the set table 370 to "invalid"). As another example, the set management unit 232 may cancel the definition of an item set by deleting the item set data (deleting the record from the set table 370 and changing the column for set 317 in the item table 310 to blank). As yet another example, the set management unit 232 may cancel the definition of an item set including N items by excluding some items from the definition of the item set, and redefine the item set to include fewer constituent items.

[0083] When the above-described conditions for dissolving the definition of an item set are met, the set management unit 232 may inquire of the user 20 as to whether or not to dissolve the definition of the item set, and may dissolve the definition of the item set containing N items only when the user 20 selects to dissolve the definition. On the other hand, the set management unit 232 may not dissolve the definition of the item set when the user 20 selects not to dissolve the definition of the item set. By requesting the user 20 to select or approve the dissolution of the definition in this manner, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the definition of the item set is dissolved against the user 20's intention, such as when one or a small number of items 30 accidentally fall out of the item set. If the user 20 declines to dissolve the definition in response to the inquiry and returns the dropped item 30 to its original position in the item set, the definition of the item set may be maintained without another inquiry regarding the dissolution of the definition of the item set. The set management unit 232 may allow the user to select whether to invalidate the existing item set or to redefine the item set by excluding only some of the constituent items in a UI (e.g., a query screen) for querying the user 20 as to whether to dissolve the definition of the item set.

[0084] 11 to 13, the resolution of the definition of an item set will be described in more detail along an exemplary scenario. On the left side of FIG. 11, items 30i, 30j, and 30k present at location 10c and loaded on pallet 35b are shown. User 20a registers item set 60b consisting of these N2 items 30 (N2=3) in item DB 220. Item set 60b is identified by, for example, set ID "GR02."

[0085] Thereafter, for example, assume that user 20a transports pallet 35b to location 10d, but after the transport, pallet 35b at location 10c is loaded with only items 30j and 30k, and item 30i is moved to location 10e for some reason. Tag reader 100a of user 20a at location 10d detects position tag 40d installed at location 10d and item tags 50 of items 30j and 30k. Tag reader 100b of user 20b at location 10e detects position tag 40e installed at location 10e and item tag 50 of item 30i.

[0086] 12A shows an example of how the collection manager 232 updates the item collection data in the item DB 220 in the above-described scenario. According to the tag detection table 360 ​​shown in the upper part of FIG. 12A, first, at read time "T21," a position tag 40d identified by a tag ID "TGD" is detected by a tag reader 100a identified by a reader ID "RD01." Then, at read times "T22" and "T23," the same tag reader 100a detects two item tags 50 identified by tag IDs "TG32" and "TG33," respectively. These item tags 50 are attached to items 30j and 30k, respectively. Furthermore, at read time "T24," a position tag 40e identified by a tag ID "TGE" is detected by a tag reader 100b identified by a reader ID "RD02." Thereafter, at a reading time "T25", the same tag reader 100b detects an item tag 50 identified by a tag ID "TG31". This item tag 50 is attached to an item 30i. The time difference W2 between the reading times "T22" and "T25" is a predetermined time length WTH2 shorter than (W2 <W TH2 ) The distance D between the detection position of the item 30j and the detection position of the item 30k 21 is the distance threshold D TH Although the distance D between the detection position of the item 30i and the detection position of the item 30k is smaller than 22 is the distance threshold D TH greater than (D 21 <D TH <D 22 ).

[0087] The set management unit 232 determines that the tag reading results received from the two tag readers 100 satisfy the conditions for dissolving the definition of the item set 60b. The middle section of FIG. 12A shows how the item table 310 is updated in this case, with the set 317 columns of the three records associated with the set ID "GR02" changed to blank. The values ​​of location 315 and coordinates 316 for each record are also updated to reflect the latest tag reading results. The bottom section of FIG. 12A shows how the set table 370 is updated, with the value of update date / time 374 for the record with set ID "GR02" changed to the date and time of the update, the location 375 column changed to blank, and the value of status 376 changed to "invalid."

[0088] 12B shows another example of how the collection management unit 232 updates the item collection data in the item DB 220 in the same scenario as in FIG. 12A. The contents of the tag detection table 360 ​​shown in the upper part of FIG. 12B are the same as those shown in FIG. 12A. The collection management unit 232 updates the item collection data in the item DB 220 in the same scenario as in FIG. 12A. TH2 The distance between the detection positions of the objects 30i, 30j, and 30k detected with a time difference W2 shorter than the distance threshold D TH Exceeds (D TH <D 22), it is determined that the condition for dissolving the definition of item set 60b is met. The middle section of FIG. 12B shows how the item table 310 is updated in this case, with the set 317 column of the record for item 30i (identified by tag ID "TG31"), which was associated with set ID "GR02," being changed to blank. Meanwhile, in the example of FIG. 12B, the value of set 317 for the records for items 30j and 30k (identified by tag IDs "TG32" and "TG33," respectively), remains set ID "GR02." The values ​​of location 315 and coordinate 316 for these three records are updated to reflect the latest tag reading results. The bottom section of FIG. 12B shows how the set table 370 is updated, with the value of item count 373 for the record with set ID "GR02" being changed to "2," the value of update date / time 374 being changed to the date and time of the update, and the value of location 375 being changed to "PL04." 12B, the definition of the item set 60b including three items 30 is canceled, and the item set 60b is redefined as a set including two items 30. Note that the item set may be redefined by invalidating the existing item set and adding a record of a new item set to the set table 370.

[0089] In this manner, in this embodiment, when some of the constituent items of an item set are detected at a position away from the detection positions of the other constituent items, it is automatically determined that the set should be disassembled, and the definition of the original item set is dissolved (after approval by the user 20, if necessary). This makes it easy to adapt the item set data to the actual movement situation of the items 30, and also reduces the need for the user 20 to actively edit the item set data.

[0090] <3-4―6. Various Settings> The setting unit 233 sets some parameters for the above-mentioned item management. The parameters set by the setting unit 233 include, for example, one or more of the following: Number M: The minimum number of components that must be detected to track the location of a set of items Distance Threshold D TH: A threshold value that is compared with the distance between the detected positions of the constituent items to determine whether to maintain or dissolve the definition of the item set. Duration W TH1 : The length of the period for counting the number M Duration W TH2 : The length of the period in the condition for dissolving the definition of the item set. W TH2 is W TH1 may be equal to or different from (e.g., W TH2 is W TH1 (It can be set to a value greater than

[0091] The setting unit 233 may set each of the above parameters to a common value regardless of the item set, or may set a different value for each item set. For example, the setting unit 233 may determine a setting value of the parameter M for each item set based on the number N of items constituting each item set (e.g., M=N-1, M=N / 2, etc.).

[0092] The value of each parameter may be variably set by the user. The setting unit 233 may display a setting screen for receiving input of the value of each parameter on the display of the user terminal 300, and set the value input by the user 20 on the setting screen to each parameter. For example, a user who operates the system in an environment where there is a higher possibility that the propagation path of electromagnetic waves is obstructed can set the parameter M to a smaller value, thereby more actively utilizing the update of comprehensive location information as an item set and reducing the complexity of location tracking. In addition, the user may set the distance threshold D to a value that is smaller than the value of the parameter M in accordance with the physical size of the item set being handled. TH (For example, the larger the expected item set size, the larger D TH By setting the number of items to a larger number, the possibility of making an erroneous decision regarding the disassembly of the collection of items can be reduced.

[0093] <3-5. Location Information Inquiry> The information providing unit 234 provides the information held in the item DB 220 to the user 20. For example, the information providing unit 234 may provide the user 20 with location information of the items 30 that are tracked individually by the location management unit 231 or collectively as an item set by the set management unit 232 on the display of the user terminal 300.

[0094] FIG. 13 shows an example of an inquiry screen 600 that may be displayed on the display of the user terminal 300 to provide location information to the user 20. Here, it is assumed that a user 20a using the user terminal 300 has logged in to the system and is inquiring about location information. The login user name "User A" is displayed at the top of the screen. The inquiry screen 600 includes a map display area 610 and an item list display area 620. The map display area 610 is an area that displays a map image of a selected location from among the locations 10 that the logged-in user is permitted to view, with item icons representing the items 30 present at the selected location superimposed on the map image. In the example of FIG. 13, the location 10b (i.e., "warehouse") is selected for viewing. The map display area 610 displays a map image of the location 10b, along with item icons representing multiple items 30 detected at the location 10b, superimposed on the detected positions of the items. The information providing unit 234 may superimpose different item icons on the map image depending on the type of each item 30 indicated by the type 314 in the item table 310. The item list display area 620 is an area that displays data related to the items 30 present in the selected location in a table format. In the example of Fig. 13, the item list display area 620 displays the item ID, name, and last detection time of each item 30, as well as the set name of the item set to which it belongs.

[0095] The information providing unit 234 may, for example, control the display of location information in the map display area 610 in a manner that makes it possible to distinguish between the items 30 that make up an item set. In the example of Fig. 13, a dotted frame surrounding the items 30 that make up each item set and a speech bubble indicating the name of the set are displayed in the map display area 610. Even if the items that make up such an item set are not necessarily detected by the tag reader 100, they are recognized in approximately the correct position as a result of detecting the other M items that belong to the same item set, and this location information is provided to the user 20.

[0096] Note that the inquiry screen 600 shown in FIG. 13 is merely one example of a screen for providing location information to the user 20. The information providing unit 234 may provide the location information to the user 20 via a screen having any other configuration. Furthermore, the information providing unit 234 may provide the location information to the user 20 by outputting audio based on the location information from the speaker of the user terminal 300. Furthermore, the information providing unit 234 may provide the location information of the item 30 tracked through the mechanism of this embodiment (for example, in the form of a data file) to another system or some application that cooperates with the item management system 1.

[0097] <4. Processing flow> In this section, examples of the flow of several processes that can be executed in the article management system 1 will be explained using the flowcharts of Figures 14 to 17. In the following explanation, processing steps will be abbreviated as S (step).

[0098] <4-1. Tag reading process (tag reader)> 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of tag reading processing executed by tag reader 100. The tag reading processing of FIG.

[0099] First, in S111, the reader 106 attempts to read the tag ID from a nearby RFID tag by emitting electromagnetic waves within the tag reading range. If the tag ID is received from the nearby RFID tag using the energy of the electromagnetic waves as a result of the tag reading attempt (S112-Yes), the process proceeds to S113. On the other hand, if the tag ID is not received (S112-No), the process proceeds to S115.

[0100] If a tag ID is received, in S113 the control unit 101 acquires the current time as the tag ID read time by, for example, referring to an internal real-time clock. Next, in S114, the control unit 101 transmits read result data including the read tag ID, the read time, and the reader ID of the tag reader 100 to the management server 200 via the communication unit 103. Then, the process proceeds to S115.

[0101] 14, the control unit 101 may request the detected RFID tag to transmit information other than the tag ID and may further receive information returned from the RFID tag. In this case, the control unit 101 may transmit reading result data that additionally includes the received information to the management server 200 in S114.

[0102] At S115, the measurement unit 104 measures the amount of relative movement of the tag reader 100 based on sensor data output from, for example, a three-axis acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor. Next, at S116, the control unit 101 acquires the current time as the measurement time. Then, at S117, the control unit 101 transmits measurement result data including the amount of relative movement measured by the measurement unit 104, the measurement time, and the reader ID of the tag reader 100 to the management server 200 via the communication unit 103.

[0103] Next, in S118, the control unit 101 determines whether or not to end the tag reading process. For example, if a user operation instructing to end reading is detected, the tag reading process is ended. If not, the above-mentioned steps S111 to S117 may be repeated again.

[0104] <4-2. Set registration / editing process (management server)> Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a set registration / editing process executed by the management server 200. The set registration / editing process in Fig. 15 can be executed, for example, when the user 20 accesses the set management screen 400 or 500 provided by the set management unit 232 of the management server 200 using the user terminal 300.

[0105] First, in S201, the collective management unit 232 accepts login by a user and displays the called collective management screen on the display of the user terminal 300 (for example, in response to successful user authentication).

[0106] The subsequent processing branches depending on whether or not "New registration of an item set" was selected from the edit menu in S202. If "New registration of an item set" was selected, the processing proceeds to S203. On the other hand, if "Modify or delete registration of an existing item set" was selected, the processing proceeds to S206.

[0107] If new registration is selected, in S203, the set management unit 232 determines a set ID that uniquely identifies the new item set. Next, in S204, the set management unit 232 acquires the name of the new item set input by the user. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S210.

[0108] If modifying or deregistering an existing item set is selected, in S206 the set management unit 232 accepts input of search conditions for searching for the item set to be edited in the item DB 220. The search conditions entered here may include any conditions, such as a condition specifying a set ID or a set name. Next, in S207, the set management unit 232 acquires item set data that matches the search conditions accepted in S206 from the item DB 220. Then, based on the acquired item set data, the set management unit 232 displays information such as the set ID, set name, and list of constituent items of the item set to be edited on the screen.

[0109] The subsequent process branches depending on whether or not "Delete registration of item set" was selected from the edit menu in S208. If "Delete registration of item set" was selected, the process proceeds to S209. On the other hand, if "Modify item set" was selected, the process proceeds to S210.

[0110] If deregistration of the item set is selected, in S209 the set management unit 232 cancels the definition of the item set to be edited (for example, in response to operation of the confirm button 451). Cancellation of the definition of the item set here may include, for example, invalidating or deleting the record in the set table 370, and deleting the value of the set 317 of the record of the item 30 belonging to the item set to be edited in the item table 310.

[0111] In the case of new registration or editing, in S210, the collection management unit 232 acquires data on candidate items that can be added to the list of constituent items from the item DB 220. As one example, the collection management unit 232 may acquire data (e.g., item ID, item name, and detection location) on one or more items 30 detected by a specified tag reader 100 during a specified time period. As another example, the collection management unit 232 may acquire data on a specified reference item and other items 30 located near the reference item. Next, in S211, the collection management unit 232 presents to the user candidate items that can be added to the list of constituent items in list format (see FIG. 7) or map format (see FIG. 8) based on the data acquired in S210.

[0112] Next, in S212, the set management unit 232 accepts, on the screen, editing (addition or deletion) of the constituent items of the item set that is the target of new registration or editing. For example, the user may select a desired item 30 from the presented candidate items and add it to the list of constituent items, or may select an item 30 to be deleted from the list of constituent items and delete it from the list. Acceptance of editing of the constituent items may continue until, in S213, the set management unit 232 determines (in response to operation of the enter button 451, for example) that the user has finished editing. When the set management unit 232 determines that the user has finished editing, the process proceeds to S214.

[0113] In S214, the set management unit 232 updates the item set data in the item DB 220 to reflect the results of the editing received in S212. For example, in the case of a new registration, the set management unit 232 adds a record for the new item set to the set table 370, and changes the value of set 317 in the record in the item table 310 corresponding to the constituent items of the new item set to the set ID of the new item set. In addition, in the case of editing an existing item set, the set management unit 232 reflects the changed set name and the number of constituent items after editing in the corresponding record in the set table 370, and also reflects the addition and deletion of constituent items of the item set in the set 317 column in the item table 310.

[0114] When the updating of the item set data in the item DB 220 is completed, the set registration / editing process of FIG. 15 ends.

[0115] <4-3. Data registration process (management server)> Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of data reception processing executed by the management server 200. The data reception processing of Fig. 16 can be repeated periodically while the item management function of the management server 200 is operating.

[0116] First, in S231, the location management unit 231 of the management server 200 receives the measurement result data periodically transmitted from the tag reader 100. Next, in S232, the location management unit 231 adds to the movement amount table 350 a measurement result record including the measurement time, reader ID, and movement amount indicated by the received measurement result data.

[0117] While repeating S231 and S232, the position management unit 231 waits in S233 to receive read result data from the tag reader 100. When the read result data is received from the tag reader 100, the process proceeds to S234. In S234, the process branches depending on whether the tag reader 100 has detected the position tag 40 or the item tag 50. If the tag reader 100 has detected the position tag 40 (the read result data for the position tag 40 has been received), the process proceeds to S236. On the other hand, if the tag reader 100 has detected the item tag 50 (the read result data for the item tag 50 has been received), the process proceeds to S241.

[0118] In S236, the position management unit 231 adds a read result record including the read time, tag ID, and reader ID indicated by the read result data for the detected position tag 40 to the tag detection table 360. Then, the process returns to S231.

[0119] In S241, the position management unit 231 derives the detection position of the detected item 30 based on the relative movement amount of the tag reader 100 at the read time (i.e., the detection time) indicated by the read result data for the detected item tag 50. For example, the position management unit 231 can derive the detection position of the detected item 30 by adding the relative movement amount of the tag reader 100 from the point where the position tag 40 was detected to the known position coordinates of the detected position tag 40. Note that S241 may be omitted until the position tag 40 is detected for the first time after the tag reader 100 is started. Next, in S242, the position management unit 231 adds a read result record to the tag detection table 360, which includes the read time, tag ID, reader ID, and detection position derived in S241 of the detected item tag 50. Next, in S243, the location management unit 231 updates the location information (for example, the values ​​of the location 315 and coordinates 316) of the detected item 30 in the item table 310.

[0120] Next, in S244, the location management unit 231 determines whether the detected item 30 belongs to an item set by referring to the item table 310. If the detected item 30 belongs to an item set, the location management unit 231 calls the set management unit 232 and causes the set management unit 232 to execute the set location update process of S250. If the detected item 30 does not belong to an item set, the set location update process of S250 is skipped and the process returns to S231.

[0121] <4-4. Meeting location update process (management server)> 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the meeting location update process executed by the management server 200. The meeting location update process of FIG. 17 can be executed in S250 of the data reception process of FIG.

[0122] First, in S251, the collection management unit 232 acquires the detection positions of the items 30 belonging to the same item collection that were detected by the tag reader 100 within a predetermined period from the tag detection table 360. The predetermined period here is, for example, a time length W set by the setting unit 233, with the reading time of the last detected item 30 as the end point. TH1 Here, W TH1 =W TH2 Next, in S252, the collection management unit 232 calculates the number N of items 30 (belonging to the same item collection) detected within the predetermined period. D In addition, in S253, the collection management unit 232 determines the maximum distance D between the detection positions of the articles 30 acquired in S251. MAX Calculate.

[0123] Next, in S254, the group management unit 232 calculates the maximum distance D calculated in S253. MAX is the distance threshold D set by the setting unit 233. TH D MAX D TH If it exceeds , the item set may have been disassembled, so the process proceeds to S255. MAX D TH If it does not exceed the threshold, the process proceeds to S257.

[0124] In S255, the set management unit 232 inquires of the user 20 via the user interface of the user terminal 300 whether or not to cancel the definition of the item set. For example, the set management unit 232 may cause the display of the user terminal 300 to display one or more of the set ID, set name, list of constituent items of the target item set, and item ID, item name, and detection position of any constituent item that may have fallen off. In response to the inquiry, the user 20 selects whether or not to cancel the definition of the item set. If the user 20 selects to cancel the definition of the item set, in S256 the set management unit 232 cancels the definition of the item set in the item DB 220 (for example, by invalidating the definition, redefining it with fewer constituent items, or deleting the record). On the other hand, if the user 20 selects not to cancel the definition of the item set, S256 is skipped, and the set position update process of FIG. 17 ends.

[0125] In S257, the collection management unit 232 calculates the number N of items 30 in the same item collection determined in S252. D It is determined whether the number N is equal to or greater than the number M set by the setting unit 233. D If the number N is less than M, the position of the item set is not tracked, and the set position update process of FIG. 17 ends. D If is greater than or equal to M, the process proceeds to S258.

[0126] In S258, the set management unit 232 determines to track the position of the item set, and updates the position information of the item set (for example, the value of location 375 of the corresponding record in the set table 370). Also, in S259, the set management unit 232 updates the position information of each constituent item belonging to the same item set (for example, the values ​​of location 315 and coordinates 316 of the record of each constituent item in the item table 310). Then, the set position update process in Fig. 17 ends.

[0127] <5. Summary> Various embodiments and examples of the technology according to the present disclosure have been described in detail above using FIGS. 1 to 17. According to the above-described embodiments, in an item management system, location information of multiple items is stored in a database. Each item is attached with a wireless device storing identification information. A reading device reads the identification information from the wireless device, and the location information of the items is updated based on the reading result. In this item management system, the database further stores item set data defining an item set including N items (N is an integer equal to or greater than 2) from among the multiple items. When at least M wireless devices (M is an integer less than N) of the wireless devices attached to the N items included in the same item set are detected by the reading device, the location information of the N items is updated in accordance with the item set data. This configuration allows the user to comprehensively update the location information of the items without forcing the user to perform the cumbersome task of detecting the wireless devices of all items included in the item set one by one with the reading device. Therefore, it is possible to reduce user work time and improve management efficiency, particularly in various situations requiring tracking of item locations, such as production management, inventory management, and distribution management.

[0128] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, a reading device capable of measuring positions is used, and when at least M wireless devices are detected by the reading device, the position information is updated according to the item group data when the relationship between the detected positions satisfies a predetermined condition. Therefore, it is possible to track the positions of the items under management in accordance with the actual positional relationships, for example, by comprehensively updating the position information after determining that at least M items are located near each other. On the other hand, if the distance between the detected positions of two or more wireless devices included in the same item group detected within a predetermined period exceeds a threshold, the definition of the item group is dissolved. This reduces the possibility of inappropriately updating the position information according to item group data that does not reflect the actual positional relationships, such as when the constituent items of a once-formed item group are separated and moved, or when some items fall off.

[0129] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, a screen for allowing the user to specify items that constitute the item set is displayed on the display of the user terminal, and the items specified by the user on the screen can be registered in the database as items that constitute the item set. Therefore, the user can register the definition of the item set after confirming on the screen whether the items that should constitute the item set are appropriate, along with related information. This registration process only needs to be performed once when the item set is formed, and as long as the constituent items move together as an item set, the positions of the constituent items can be tracked with a simplified process that only detects some of the constituent items.

[0130] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, each wireless device is an RFID tag, and the reader detects each RFID-tagged item by reading information returned from the RFID tag using electromagnetic wave energy emitted within the reading range. Therefore, there is no need to install a battery or a complex transceiver in the wireless device attached to each item, and the mechanism according to the above-described embodiment can be adopted at low cost even in a situation where a large number of items are managed in an item management system.

[0131] When the reading device measures the location based on sensor data output from the 3-axis acceleration sensor, gyro sensor, and geomagnetic sensor, it does not need to communicate with external devices such as GPS satellites or wireless base stations to measure the location. Therefore, it is possible to track the locations of items individually and collectively in environments where external communication is difficult, such as underground, in tunnels, or indoors.

[0132] <6. Other embodiments> The above-described embodiment can also be realized in the form of a process in which a program for realizing one or more functions is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program, or by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0133] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0134] 1: Item management system, 5: network, 10a, 10b, ...: locations, 20a, 20b, ...: users, 30a, 30b, ...: items, 40a, 40b, ...: location tags, 50a, 50b, ...: item tags (wireless devices), 60a, 60b: item collection, 100a, 100b: tag readers (reading devices), 200: management server (information processing device), 220: item DB (database), 230: management unit, 300: user terminal

Claims

1. a plurality of wireless devices attached to a plurality of articles, respectively; a reader capable of reading identification information stored in the wireless device; a management unit that manages a database that stores location information of the plurality of items; Including, the database further stores item set data defining an item set including N items (N is an integer of 2 or more) among the plurality of items; When at least M (M is an integer less than N) wireless devices among the wireless devices attached to the N items are detected by the reading device, the management unit updates the location information of the N items included in the item set according to the item set data. Inventory management system.

2. the reading device is capable of measuring a position; When the at least M wireless devices are detected by the reading device, and a relationship between the detected positions satisfies a predetermined condition, the management unit updates the position information of the N items included in the item set according to the item set data. The article management system according to claim 1 .

3. The article management system according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined condition includes that a distance between the detected positions of the at least M wireless devices detected by the reader within a predetermined period of time does not exceed a distance threshold.

4. The article management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the integer M is variably set by a user.

5. The article management system according to claim 3 , wherein the distance threshold is variably set by a user.

6. the reading device is capable of measuring a position; the management unit dissolves the definition of the item set including the N items when a distance between detection positions of two or more wireless devices detected by the reader within a predetermined period of time among the wireless devices attached to the N items exceeds a distance threshold. The article management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. When the distance between the detection positions of the two or more wireless devices detected by the reading device within the predetermined period among the wireless devices attached to the N articles exceeds the distance threshold, querying a user whether to resolve the definition of the item set containing the N items; not resolving the definition of the item set if the user selects not to resolving the definition of the item set; The article management system according to claim 6.

8. 8. The item management system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the management unit cancels the definition of the item set including the N items by assigning a flag indicating invalidation to the item set data defining the item set, deleting the item set data, or excluding some items from the definition of the item set.

9. The management unit a screen for allowing a user to specify the items that make up the item set is displayed on a display of the user terminal; registering the item designated by the user on the screen in the database as an item constituting the item set; The article management system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. the database further stores the names of each of the plurality of items; the screen includes a screen element for allowing the user to specify or select names of items that constitute the item set; The article management system according to claim 9.

11. The management unit presenting the result of the wireless device detection by the reader to the user on the screen; prompting the user to specify the items that constitute the item set based on the detection results; The article management system according to claim 9.

12. the reading device is capable of measuring a position; the management unit presents the detection result to the user by displaying the detected location of the wireless device detected by the reader on a map image of the location where the reader was used. The article management system according to claim 11.

13. An item management system as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein updating the location information of the N items included in the item set when the at least M wireless devices are detected by the reading device includes at least one of updating location information associated with each of the N items and updating location information associated with the item set including the N items.

14. the wireless device is an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, The reader detects the wireless device by emitting electromagnetic waves within a reading range and reading the identification information returned from the wireless device using the energy of the electromagnetic waves. The article management system according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. An item management system described in any one of claims 2, 3, 5 to 8 and 12, wherein the reading device measures the relative position of the reading device from a reference position based on sensor data output from a three-axis acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor and a geomagnetic sensor.

16. A method for managing location information of a plurality of items, comprising: Each of the plurality of articles is provided with a wireless device; The method comprises: registering item set data in a database that defines an item set including N items (N is an integer of 2 or more) from among the plurality of items; Detecting at least M (M is an integer less than N) wireless devices among the wireless devices attached to the N articles using a reader capable of reading identification information stored in the wireless devices; updating the location information of the N items included in the item set according to the item set data in response to detecting the at least M wireless devices; A method comprising:

17. An information processing device for managing location information of a plurality of items in a database, Each of the plurality of articles is provided with a wireless device; The information processing device includes: a communication unit that communicates with a reader that can read the identification information stored in the wireless device; a management unit that registers in the database item set data that defines an item set including N items (N is an integer of 2 or more) from among the plurality of items; Equipped with When at least M (M is an integer less than N) wireless devices among the wireless devices attached to the N items are detected by the reading device, the management unit updates the location information of the N items included in the item set according to the item set data. Information processing device.

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