Information processing device, system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, a reading system, an information processing method, and a program capable of more surely managing the loading or unloading of an article.SOLUTION: An information processing device 1 includes: a traffic line specifying section 2 which specifies a traffic line of movement of an object in a predetermined region near a gate; an RSSI acquisition section 3 which acquires an RSSI of a signal from an RFID tag near the gate; and a passage determination part 4 which, based on the specified traffic line and the acquired RSSI, determines whether or not an article specified by the identification information read from the RFID tag has passed through the gate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, a reading system, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, various technologies using RFID (radio frequency identifier) ​​have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that uses RFID tags to manage whether or not an article has passed through a gate. The technology described in this document uses the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) of the signal from the RFID tag to determine whether or not the article to which the tag is attached has passed through the gate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-1132 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, while the magnitude of the RSSI can generally be used to determine whether a tag is approaching or moving away from a gate, it cannot determine whether the tag has actually passed through the gate. In other words, there is a risk that a tag (item) that has not actually passed through the gate may be mistakenly determined to have passed through the gate. For this reason, when managing whether an item has been brought in or taken out by reading the RFID tag attached to the item at a gate (inlet or outlet), there is a need for technology that can more reliably determine whether the tag has passed through the gate.

[0005] Therefore, one of the objectives that the embodiments disclosed in this specification aim to achieve is to provide an information processing device, a reading system, an information processing method, and a program that can more reliably manage the import and export of items. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information processing device according to the first aspect includes: a flow line identification unit that identifies a flow line of an object within a predetermined area near the gate; an RSSI acquisition unit that acquires RSSI of a signal from an RFID tag near the gate; a passage determination unit that determines whether an article specified by identification information read from the RFID tag has passed through the gate based on the specified flow line and the acquired RSSI; It has.

[0007] A reading system according to a second aspect includes: a sensor for detecting an object; a reader that communicates with the RFID tag to read information stored in the RFID tag and measure the RSSI of the signal from the RFID tag; Information processing device Equipped with The information processing device includes: a flow line identification unit that identifies a flow line of an object within a predetermined area near the gate based on the detection result of the sensor; an RSSI acquisition unit that acquires RSSI of a signal from an RFID tag near the gate from the reader; a passage determination unit that determines whether an article identified by identification information read from the RFID tag by the reader has passed through the gate based on the identified flow line and the acquired RSSI; It has.

[0008] In the information processing method according to the third aspect, Identifying the movement of objects within a specified area near the gate, Acquire RSSI of a signal from an RFID tag near the gate; Based on the identified flow line and the acquired RSSI, it is determined whether or not an article identified by the identification information read from the RFID tag has passed through the gate.

[0009] A program according to a fourth aspect includes: a flow line identifying step of identifying a flow line of an object within a predetermined area near the gate; an RSSI acquisition step of acquiring an RSSI of a signal from an RFID tag near the gate; a passage determination step of determining whether an article specified by identification information read from the RFID tag has passed through the gate based on the specified flow line and the acquired RSSI; to be executed by the computer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the above aspects, it is possible to provide an information processing device, a reading system, an information processing method, and a program that can more reliably manage the carrying in or carrying out of an article. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of an information processing device according to an outline of an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a reading system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the area around the gate, as viewed from the side. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the detection area of ​​the sensor, as viewed from above the gate. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a flow line that satisfies the start condition for the RFID tag reading process. [Figure 7]FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a flow line that satisfies the start condition for the RFID tag reading process. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a flow line that does not satisfy the start condition for the RFID tag reading process. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a flow line that does not satisfy the start condition for the RFID tag reading process. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a flow line that satisfies a termination condition for the RFID tag reading process. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a flow line that satisfies a termination condition for the RFID tag reading process. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a flow line that satisfies a termination condition for the RFID tag reading process. [Figure 13] 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a flow line in which the end condition for the RFID tag reading process is satisfied and it is determined that the article has not passed through the gate. FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a flow line in which the end condition for the RFID tag reading process is satisfied and it is determined that the article has not passed through the gate. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation flow of the reading system according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] 17 is a flowchart showing an example of a specific process flow of step S111 shown in FIG. 16. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a reading system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration around the gate according to the second embodiment, in which the gate is seen from above. [Figure 20] 17 is a flowchart showing an example of a specific process flow of step S111 shown in FIG. 16. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] <Outline of the embodiment> Before describing the embodiments in detail, an overview of the embodiments will be described. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing device 1 according to the outline of the embodiments. As shown in Fig. 1, the information processing device 1 includes a traffic line identification unit 2, an RSSI acquisition unit 3, and a passage determination unit 4.

[0013] The flow line identification unit 2 identifies the flow line of an object's movement within a predetermined area near the gate. The RSSI acquisition unit 3 acquires the RSSI of the signal from the RFID tag near the gate. The passage determination unit 4 determines whether an item identified by the identification information read from the RFID tag has passed through the gate based on the flow line identified by the flow line identification unit 2 and the RSSI acquired by the RSSI acquisition unit 3.

[0014] When determining whether a tag has passed through a gate using only the traffic flow, not only RFID tags that have actually passed through the gate but also RFID tags present near the gate are read, which may result in tags that have not actually passed through the gate being erroneously determined to have passed through the gate. Furthermore, when determining whether a tag has passed through a gate using only RSSI, it is not possible to distinguish between an RFID tag that approached the gate, passed through it, and then moved away from it, and an RFID tag that approached the gate but then moved away from it without passing through it. Therefore, in this case, too, there is a risk that tags that have not actually passed through the gate may be erroneously determined to have passed through the gate. In contrast, the information processing device 1 determines whether a tag has passed through a gate using two types of information: the RSSI of the signal from the RFID tag and the traffic flow occurring in the area near the gate. This reduces the above-mentioned erroneous determination. Therefore, the loading and unloading of items can be more reliably managed.

[0015] In the present disclosure, a gate is a partition of space set up to manage the inflow or outflow of goods and does not necessarily have to be a physical structure. A gate can also be referred to as a transport entrance, a loading entrance, or an unloading entrance. For example, when managing the inflow of goods to a certain location, the inflow of the goods is deemed to have occurred when the goods are moved from the entrance side of the gate (loading entrance) to the exit side. Similarly, when managing the outflow of goods from a certain location, the outflow of the goods is deemed to have occurred when the goods are moved from the entrance side of the gate (unloading entrance). Specifically, the inflow or outflow of goods may refer to, for example, the inflow or outflow of goods in a warehouse or store. Furthermore, when a gate is installed in a store selling goods, managing the passage of goods through the gate (i.e., managing the outflow of goods) means identifying the goods to be purchased. In this way, the information processing device 1 can be used to manage the inflow or outflow of goods in various environments.

[0016] <First Embodiment> Next, the details of the embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the reading system 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the periphery of the gate 50, as viewed from the side. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the detection areas of the sensors 200A and 200B, as viewed from above. As shown in FIG. 2, the reading system 10 includes a reading device 100, sensors 200A and 200B, an information processing device 300, and a DB server 400. The reading system 10 is a system that manages the transport (specifically, the carrying in or carrying out) of the article 90 by managing the passage of the article 90 through the gate. The reading system 10 identifies the article 90 that has passed through the gate 50 by reading the RFID tag 91 attached to the article 90 to be managed. As a result, the reading system 10 manages whether or not the transport has been carried out for each article 90.

[0017] In the description of this embodiment, for the sake of convenience, an entrance and an exit are defined for the gate 50, but the reading system 10 may manage transport passing through the gate in both directions, rather than just in one direction.

[0018] The reading device 100 is a device for communicating with an RFID tag 91 attached to an item 90 subject to carry-in or carry-out management to read information stored in the RFID tag 91, and includes an RFID reader 101 and an antenna 102. The reading device 100 is connected to the information processing device 300 so as to be able to communicate with it via wired or wireless communication. Note that the RFID tag 91 has identification information for uniquely identifying the item 90 stored in advance, for example, and the reading device 100 reads the information stored in the RFID tag 91.

[0019] The RFID reader 101 is a control circuit that communicates with the RFID tag 91 via the antenna 102 in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol and reads information stored in the RFID tag 91. The RFID reader 101 also measures the RSSI of the signal from the RFID tag 91 that is received by the antenna 102. The RFID reader 101 outputs the information read from the RFID tag 91 to the information processing device 300. The RFID reader 101 also outputs time-series data of the RSSI of the signal from the RFID tag 91 to the information processing device 300. More specifically, the RSSI time-series data is data that associates the identification information of the RFID tag that transmitted the signal with the RSSI value and time information.

[0020] The antenna 102 is installed in a position where it can transmit and receive radio waves to and from the RFID tag 91 passing through the gate, and transmits radio waves to the RFID tag 91 and receives radio waves transmitted from the RFID tag 91. In this embodiment, a total of four antennas 102 are installed, two on each side of the gate 50, but the number of antennas 102 is not limited as long as it is one or more. Furthermore, the antenna 102 may be installed as a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna separately.

[0021] The sensors 200A and 200B are sensors that detect objects in a predetermined area. The sensors 200A and 200B are connected to the information processing device 300 so as to be able to communicate with each other via wire or wirelessly. The sensors 200A and 200B detect various objects, such as a person, an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle), or an article that has entered the predetermined area. The sensor 200A is a sensor that detects objects in a predetermined detection area 51A (also referred to as a first area) on the entrance side of the gate 50 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The sensor 200B is a sensor that detects objects in a predetermined detection area 51B (also referred to as a second area) on the exit side of the gate 50 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). In this embodiment, the sensor 200A is provided near the top of the entrance side of the gate 50, and the sensor 200B is provided near the top of the exit side of the gate 50.

[0022] In this embodiment, sensors 200A and 200B are sensors that detect objects by emitting light beams 201 to partial regions 510A and 510B obtained by dividing predetermined detection regions 51A and 51B into a grid pattern and receiving reflected light of the light beams 201. Note that light beams 201 are, for example, infrared rays, but are not limited to infrared rays. Sensors 200A and 200B detect objects by detecting whether each light beam 201 emitted to each partial region 510A and 510B is blocked by an object. Sensor 200A emits light beams to each of partial regions 510A (see FIGS. 3 and 4) obtained by dividing detection region 51A on the entrance side of gate 50 into a grid pattern and receives reflected light of each emitted light beam. Similarly, sensor 200B emits a light beam to each of partial regions 510B (see FIGS. 3 and 4) obtained by dividing detection region 51B on the exit side of gate 50 into a grid pattern, and receives the reflected light of each emitted light beam.

[0023] The sensors 200A and 200B detect the presence of an object based on the difference in the light reception state of the reflected light between when an object is present and when it is not present. This difference in the light reception state may be a difference in the reflection time or a difference in the amount of received light.

[0024] As described above, sensors 200A and 200B emit light beams toward their respective partial regions 510A and 510B. Therefore, if the total number of partial regions 510A or 510B within detection region 51A or 51B is n, sensors 200A and 200B obtain n detection results as object detection results. When an object moves within detection region 51A or 51B, the range of partial region 510A or 510B where a detection result indicating the presence of the object is obtained changes over time. The transition of the range of partial region 510A or 510B where a detection result indicating the presence of the object is obtained corresponds to the movement direction. Therefore, by analyzing the time-series data of the n detection results from sensors 200A and 200B, the movement direction of the object within detection region 51A or 51B can be identified. In other words, the movement path can be identified. Furthermore, because the detection results from sensors 200A and 200B include time information, the occurrence period of the movement path (the period during which the movement occurred) can also be identified. In this embodiment, the flow line is identified by the information processing device 300. For this purpose, the sensors 200A and 200B each sequentially transmit the above-described n detection results to the information processing device 300. As a result, the information processing device 300 acquires time-series data of the detection results of the partial areas 510A and 510B by the sensors 200A and 200B.

[0025] In this embodiment, the entrance sensor 200A and the exit sensor 200B are used to detect objects, but a single sensor that detects both the detection areas 51A and 51B may also be used.

[0026] As described above, in this embodiment, a sensor that emits light beams 201 to each of partial areas 510A and 510B is used to detect an object, but any other sensor that can detect an object to identify its movement line may be used. For example, a camera that captures images of the movement of an object in detection areas 51A and 51B may be used.

[0027] The DB server 400 is a database server that stores information about each item 90. The DB server 400 manages various information about the items, including at least information indicating the transport status of the item (hereinafter referred to as transport information), for example, in association with the identification information of the item 90. The transport information is information indicating whether or not the transport of the item has been completed. In this embodiment, the transport information stored in the DB server 400 is updated by the information processing device 300 based on read information from the RFID tag 91 that has passed through the gate 50.

[0028] The information processing device 300 is a device that controls the reading device 100 based on the detection results of the sensors 200A and 200B, and manages whether or not an item has been transported for each item based on the detection results of the sensors 200A and 200B and the RSSI measured by the reading device 100. The information processing device 300 is communicably connected to the reading device 100, the sensors 200A and 200B, and the DB server 400. Note that in the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the information processing device 300 communicates with the DB server 400 to update the transport information of the item 90 managed in the database, but the information processing device 300 may have such a database. That is, the DB server 400 may be omitted from the reading system 10.

[0029] 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 300. As shown in FIG. 5, the information processing device 300 includes a communication control unit 301, a flow line identification unit 302, a reading control unit 303, and a data update unit 304.

[0030] The communication control unit 301 communicates with other devices and transmits and receives information to and from the other devices. Specifically, the communication control unit 301 acquires information stored in the RFID tag 91 from the RFID reader 101 of the reading device 100. The communication control unit 301 also acquires RSSI time-series data from the RFID reader 101 of the reading device 100. Therefore, the communication control unit 301 corresponds to the RSSI acquisition unit 3 in FIG. 1. That is, the communication control unit 301 acquires the RSSI of the signal from the RFID tag 91 near the gate 50. The communication control unit 301 may also be referred to as an RSSI acquisition unit. The communication control unit 301 also acquires detection results from the sensors 200A and 200B. The communication control unit 301 also transmits and receives information about the item 90 to and from the DB server 400.

[0031] The trajectory identification unit 302 corresponds to the trajectory identification unit 2 in FIG. 1. Based on the detection results of the sensor 200A, the trajectory identification unit 302 identifies the trajectory of an object's movement within a predetermined detection area 51A on the entrance side of the gate 50 and identifies the period during which the trajectory occurred. The trajectory identification unit 302 also identifies the trajectory of an object's movement within a predetermined detection area 51B on the exit side of the gate 50 and identifies the period during which the trajectory occurred. In this embodiment, the trajectory identification unit 302 uses time-series data of the detection results acquired from the sensors 200A and 200B to analyze the temporal transition of the ranges of the partial areas 510A and 510B in which detection results indicating the presence of an object are obtained. As a result, the trajectory identification unit 302 identifies the trajectory of the object and the period during which the trajectory occurred. Specifically, the trajectory identification unit 302 identifies the object's movement direction (movement path) as the trajectory. When a camera is used as a sensor for detecting an object, the flow line identifying unit 302 analyzes an image captured by the camera to identify the flow line of the object and the period during which it occurred.

[0032] The data update unit 304 updates the transportation information for the item 90 that has passed through the gate 50. To this end, the data update unit 304 determines whether or not the item 90 identified by the identification information read from the RFID tag 91 has passed through the gate 50. The data update unit 304 uses the identified flow line and the acquired RSSI to determine whether or not the item 90 identified by the identification information read from the RFID tag 91 has passed through the gate 50. The data update unit 304 corresponds to the passage determination unit 4 in FIG. 1. For this reason, the data update unit 304 may also be referred to as a passage determination unit. Details of the processing by the data update unit 304 will be described later.

[0033] The reading control unit 303 determines whether the flow line identified by the flow line identification unit 302 matches a pattern that is predetermined as a condition for starting a process of reading the RFID tag 91. More specifically, if the identified flow line of the object's movement within the detection area 51A matches this predetermined pattern, the reading control unit 303 controls the reading device 100 to start a process of reading the RFID tag 91 near the gate 50. Specifically, the reading control unit 303 instructs the reading device 100 to start a process of reading the RFID tag 91. As a result, the reading device 100 starts the reading process, and if an RFID tag 91 that can communicate with the reading device 100 is present, the reading device 100 reads information from the RFID tag 91.

[0034] In this embodiment, specifically, the predetermined pattern as a start condition for the reading process of the RFID tag 91 is a movement pattern of approaching a predetermined position near the entrance of the gate 50. That is, the reading control unit 303 performs control to start the reading process of the RFID tag 91 when the identified flow line indicates movement approaching a predetermined position near the entrance of the gate 50. Note that the predetermined position near the entrance is specifically, for example, the edge of the detection area 51A on the gate 50 side.

[0035] 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams showing examples of a flow line that satisfies the conditions for starting the reading process of the RFID tag 91. In Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, the hatched partial area 510A indicates the partial area 510A where the presence of an object was detected, and the arrows indicate the flow line. As shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, when the flow line of the identified object indicates movement approaching a predetermined position near the entrance of the gate 50 (specifically, the edge of the detection area 51A on the gate 50 side), the reading control unit 303 performs control to start the reading process.

[0036] 8 and 9 are schematic diagrams showing examples of traffic lines that do not satisfy the conditions for starting the reading process of the RFID tag 91. In FIGS. 8 and 9, the hatched partial area 510A indicates the partial area 510A where the presence of an object was detected, and the arrows indicate the traffic lines. FIG. 8 shows an example of a traffic line that corresponds to movement across the periphery of gate 50. FIG. 9 shows an example of a traffic line that corresponds to movement that approaches gate 50 and then turns back.

[0037] The reading control unit 303 also determines whether the flow line identified by the flow line identification unit 302 matches a pattern that is predetermined as a condition for ending the reading process of the RFID tag 91. More specifically, if the identified flow line of the object's movement within the detection area 51B matches this predetermined pattern, the reading control unit 303 controls the reading process to end. Specifically, the reading control unit 303 instructs the reading device 100 to end the reading process of the RFID tag 91. This ends the reading process by the reading device 100.

[0038] Specifically, in this embodiment, one of the patterns predetermined as the termination condition for the reading process of the RFID tag 91 is a movement pattern moving away from the vicinity of the exit of the gate 50. That is, when the identified flow line indicates movement moving away from the vicinity of the exit of the gate 50, the reading control unit 303 performs control to terminate the reading process of the RFID tag 91.

[0039] 10 and 11 are schematic diagrams showing examples of a flow line that satisfies the termination condition for the reading process of the RFID tag 91. In Fig. 10 and Fig. 11, the hatched partial area 510B indicates the partial area 510B where the presence of an object was detected, and the arrows indicate the flow line. As shown in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11, when the flow line of the identified object indicates movement away from the vicinity of the exit of the gate 50, the reading control unit 303 performs control to terminate the reading process.

[0040] The pattern predetermined as the end condition of the reading process may be a movement pattern from near the exit of gate 50 to outside of detection area 51B as shown in Figures 10 and 11, or a movement pattern that does not leave detection area 51B. In other words, the pattern predetermined as the end condition of the reading process may be a movement pattern (see Figure 12) that moves away from near the exit of gate 50 to a predetermined position within detection area 51B. In this case, the reading process can be ended even if the object has not moved outside of detection area 51B, and it is possible to prevent the reading process from being continued unnecessarily.

[0041] However, even if a flow line satisfying the start condition of the reading process is obtained, it is possible that the carrier does not pass through the gate 50 or passes through it once and then turns back. In this case, the above-mentioned flow line satisfying the end condition of the reading process is not obtained. Therefore, a predetermined pattern other than the above-mentioned pattern is also used as the end condition of the reading process of the RFID tag 91. Such a pattern is a movement pattern moving away from the vicinity of the entrance of the gate 50 on the entrance side of the gate 50. Therefore, the reading control unit 303 controls the reading process to end when the flow line identified after the start of the reading process indicates movement away from the vicinity of the entrance of the gate 50 on the entrance side of the gate 50. In other words, the reading control unit 303 controls the reading process to end when the flow line identified for the movement of the object within the detection area 51A after the start of the reading process indicates movement away from the vicinity of the entrance of the gate 50. In such a case, the transport information should not be updated, assuming that the item 90 identified by the identification information read from the RFID tag 91 has passed through the gate 50. Therefore, if the flow line identified after the start of the reading process indicates movement away from the vicinity of the entrance of gate 50 on the entrance side of gate 50, data update unit 304 determines that item 90 has not passed through gate 50. In other words, if, after the start of the reading process, movement away from the vicinity of the entrance of gate 50 is detected on the entrance side of gate 50, rather than movement away from the vicinity of the exit of gate 50, data update unit 304 determines that item 90 has not passed through gate 50.

[0042] 13 and 14 are schematic diagrams showing examples of a flow line that satisfies the end condition of the reading process and determines that the article 90 has not passed through the gate 50. In FIGS. 13 and 14, the hatched partial areas 510A and 510B indicate the partial areas 510A and 510B where the presence of an object was detected, and the arrows indicate the flow line. FIG. 13 shows an example of a flow line that corresponds to a movement that turns back without passing through the gate 50. FIG. 14 shows an example of a flow line that corresponds to a movement that passes through the gate 50 but turns back. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, if, after the start of the reading process, the entrance side of the gate 50 indicates movement away from the vicinity of the entrance of the gate 50, the reading control unit 303 controls the reading process to end. Then, the data update unit 304 determines that the article 90 identified by the read identification information has not passed through the gate 50. This prevents the transportation information from being updated to incorrect information.

[0043] Here, consider a case where an article 90 is left unattended near the entrance of gate 50. In this case, too, the article 90 identified by the identification information read from the RFID tag 91 is assumed to have passed through gate 50, and the transport information should not be updated. Therefore, if the flow line identified after the start of the reading process indicates that the object is staying near the entrance of gate 50, the data update unit 304 determines that the article 90 has not passed through gate 50. In other words, if the flow line identified regarding the movement of an object within the detection area 51A after the start of the reading process indicates that the object is staying near the entrance of gate 50, the data update unit 304 determines that the article 90 has not passed through gate 50. In other words, if the data update unit 304 detects that the object is staying near the entrance of gate 50, rather than moving away from the exit of gate 50, after the start of the reading process, the data update unit 304 determines that the article 90 has not passed through gate 50. This prevents the transport information from being updated to incorrect information. In this case, the reading control unit 303 controls the reading process to end. That is, if the flow line identified after the start of the reading process indicates that the object will remain near the entrance to the gate 50, the reading control unit 303 controls the reading process to end.

[0044] As described above, the reading control unit 303 controls the reading process to end if the movement line identified after the start of the reading process matches any of the patterns predetermined as the end conditions for the reading process. As described above, these predetermined patterns are, for example, movement away from the vicinity of the exit of gate 50, movement away from the vicinity of the entrance of gate 50 on the entrance side of gate 50, and the object remaining near the entrance of gate 50.

[0045] The data update unit 304 determines whether the item 90 identified by the identification information read from the RFID tag 91 has passed through the gate 50. As described above, when the reading process is terminated due to the identification of a flow line other than the flow line corresponding to the movement pattern moving away from the exit vicinity of the gate 50, the data update unit 304 determines that the item 90 has not passed through the gate 50. In other words, the data update unit 304 determines that the item 90 identified by the identification information read by this reading process has not passed through the gate 50. Therefore, in this case, the data update unit 304 does not update the transport information of this item 90 to transport information indicating that it has passed through the gate 50.

[0046] On the other hand, when the reading process is completed by identifying a flow line corresponding to a movement pattern moving away from the exit of gate 50, data update unit 304 determines that article 90 has passed through gate 50. The article 90 identified by the identification information obtained in this reading process is treated as a candidate for article 90 that has passed through gate 50. Here, the candidate for article 90 that has passed gate 50 may include an article 90 that has not actually passed through gate 50. For example, when article 90 passes through gate 50, if another article 90 is present near gate 50 (reader 100), the identification information of the RFID tag 91 of this other article 90 may also be read. Note that such unintended reading may occur due to unexpected signal reflection, etc., even if a directional antenna is used as antenna 102.

[0047] When the reading process is completed by identifying a flow line corresponding to a movement pattern moving away from the exit of gate 50, that is, when it is determined that an article 90 has passed through gate 50, data update unit 304 identifies which article 90 has passed through gate 50. To do this, data update unit 304 refers to the RSSI of the signal from RFID tag 91 read by this reading process.

[0048] It is assumed that the time-series data of the RSSI of the signal from the RFID tag 91 of the article 90 that actually passed through the gate 50 will be the following time-series data. The RFID tag 91 of the article 90 that actually passed through the gate 50 gradually approaches the antenna 102 provided on the gate 50, and then gradually moves away from the antenna 102. Therefore, it is assumed that the time-series data of the RSSI of the signal from the RFID tag 91 of the article 90 that actually passed through the gate 50 will gradually increase and then gradually decrease. For this reason, the data update unit 304 determines whether the article 90 of interest actually passed through the gate 50 based on whether the transition of the RSSI of the article 90 of interest during the occurrence period of the identified flow line corresponds to a predetermined fluctuation pattern corresponding to the flow line. Here, in this embodiment, when any article 90 passes through the gate 50, two flow lines are identified. The first flow line is the flow line of the object's movement within the predetermined detection area 51A on the entrance side of the gate 50. More specifically, this is a flow line of movement approaching a predetermined position near the entrance of gate 50, i.e., a flow line that corresponds to the start condition of the reading process. The second flow line is a flow line of movement of an object within a predetermined detection area 51B on the exit side of gate 50. More specifically, this is a flow line of movement away from the exit vicinity of gate 50, i.e., a flow line that corresponds to the end condition of the reading process. Hereinafter, the first flow line described above will be referred to as the IN flow line, and the second flow line will be referred to as the OUT flow line.

[0049] As described above, the data update unit 304 determines whether the article 90 has passed through the gate 50 based on whether the transition of the RSSI during the occurrence period of the identified flow line corresponds to a fluctuation pattern predetermined for the identified flow line. Here, the occurrence period of the IN flow line corresponds to the occurrence period of the movement represented by the IN flow line, and the occurrence period of the OUT flow line corresponds to the occurrence period of the movement represented by the OUT flow line. The occurrence period of the IN flow line is a period during which the RFID tag 91 gradually approaches the antenna 102 provided at the gate 50. Therefore, the RSSI value increases during this period. Therefore, when the identified flow line is an IN movement, the predetermined fluctuation pattern corresponding to the identified flow line is specifically a fluctuation pattern representing an increase in RSSI. In contrast, the occurrence period of the OUT flow line is a period during which the RFID tag 91 gradually moves away from the antenna 102 provided at the gate 50. Therefore, the RSSI value decreases during this period. Therefore, when the identified flow line is an OUT movement, the predetermined fluctuation pattern corresponding to the identified flow line is specifically a fluctuation pattern representing a decrease in RSSI. Therefore, the data update unit 304 determines whether the item 90 of interest (RFID tag 91) has passed through the gate 50 based on whether the transition of the RSSI for the item 90 of interest (RFID tag 91) during the period in which the IN flow line occurs indicates an increase in the RSSI. The data update unit 304 also determines whether the item 90 of interest (RFID tag 91) has passed through the gate 50 based on whether the transition of the RSSI for the item 90 of interest (RFID tag 91) during the period in which the OUT flow line occurs indicates a decrease in the RSSI.

[0050] In this embodiment, if the transition of the RSSI for the item 90 (RFID tag 91) of interest satisfies the above-mentioned conditions in both the period when the IN flow line occurs and the period when the OUT flow line occurs, the data update unit 304 determines that the item 90 has passed through the gate 50. Note that if the transition of the RSSI for the item 90 (RFID tag 91) of interest satisfies the above-mentioned conditions in either the period when the IN flow line occurs or the period when the OUT flow line occurs, the data update unit 304 may determine that the item 90 has passed through the gate 50.

[0051] In this way, the data update unit 304 determines not only whether the RSSI transition shows a predetermined pattern, but also whether the RSSI transition during the same period as the occurrence period of the traffic line shows the predetermined pattern. Therefore, it is possible to more accurately identify the article 90 that actually passed through the gate 50 compared to when it is determined only whether the RSSI transition shows a predetermined pattern.

[0052] When the data update unit 304 identifies the item 90 that has passed through the gate 50, it updates the transport information of this item 90 to transport information indicating that the item 90 has passed through the gate 50.

[0053] Next, a description will be given of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 300. Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 300. As shown in Fig. 15, the information processing device 300 includes a communication interface 350, a memory 351, and a processor 352.

[0054] The communication interface 350 is used to communicate with other devices. In this embodiment, the communication interface 350 includes an interface for communicating with the RFID reader 101 and an interface for communicating with the DB server 400.

[0055] The memory 351 is configured by, for example, a combination of a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory. The memory 351 is used to store software (computer programs) including one or more instructions executed by the processor 352, data used for various processes of the information processing device 300, and the like.

[0056] The processor 352 reads and executes software (computer programs) from the memory 351 to perform the processes of the communication control unit 301, the flow line identification unit 302, the reading control unit 303, and the data update unit 304 shown in Fig. 5. The processor 352 may be, for example, a microprocessor, an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), or a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 352 may include multiple processors.

[0057] In this way, the information processing device 300 has the functionality of a computer. Similarly, the DB server 400 has a processor and a memory, and has the functionality of a computer. The RFID reader 101 may also have a processor and a memory, and have the functionality of a computer. Therefore, the functions of the RFID reader 101 may be realized by the execution of a program by a processor. In this way, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the functions of the reading system 10 can be realized in various ways, using only hardware, only software, or a combination thereof, and are not limited to any one of them.

[0058] The above-described program can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic storage media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical storage media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, and semiconductor memories (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (Random Access Memory)). The program can also be supplied to a computer by various types of transitory computer-readable media. Examples of transitory computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The transitory computer-readable media can supply the program to a computer via a wired communication path such as an electric wire or optical fiber, or via a wireless communication path.

[0059] Next, a description will be given of the operation of the reading system 10. Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the operation of the reading system 10 according to the first embodiment. The flow of the operation of the reading system 10 will be described below with reference to Fig. 16.

[0060] In step S100, the flow line identification unit 302 identifies the flow line of the object movement and the time of occurrence (period of occurrence) based on the detection results of the sensors 200A and 200B. Note that this process by the flow line identification unit 302 is continuously performed even while the processes from step S101 onwards are being performed.

[0061] Next, in step S101, the reading control unit 303 determines whether the flow line identified by the flow line identification unit 302 corresponds to a pattern predetermined as a start condition for the reading process of the RFID tag 91. That is, the reading control unit 303 determines whether the identified flow line indicates movement approaching the entrance of gate 50. If the identified flow line does not indicate movement approaching the entrance of gate 50, the reading process is not started, and the process returns to step S100. On the other hand, if the identified flow line indicates movement approaching the entrance of gate 50, the process proceeds to step S102.

[0062] In step S102, the reading control unit 303 determines that the conditions for starting the reading process are satisfied, and performs control to start the reading process of the RFID tag 91.

[0063] Next, in step S103, the data update unit 304 determines whether the flow line after the start of the reading process indicates that the object is staying near the entrance to gate 50. If the object is staying at the entrance to gate 50 for a predetermined time or longer, the process proceeds to step S104; if not, the process proceeds to step S106.

[0064] In step S104, the reading control unit 303 performs control to end the reading process.

[0065] Then, in step S105, the data update unit 304 determines that the article 90 identified by the identification information read from the RFID tag 91 by the reading process started in step S102 has not passed through the gate 50. After step S105, the process returns to step S100.

[0066] On the other hand, in step S106, the data update unit 304 determines whether the flow line after the start of the reading process indicates a movement that turns back from near the entrance of gate 50. If the flow line indicates a movement that turns back from near the entrance of gate 50, the process proceeds to step S107; if not, the process proceeds to step S109.

[0067] In step S107, the reading control unit 303 performs control to end the reading process.

[0068] Then, in step S108, the data update unit 304 determines that the article 90 identified by the identification information read from the RFID tag 91 by the reading process started in step S102 has not passed through the gate 50. After step S108, the process returns to step S100.

[0069] On the other hand, in step S109, the data update unit 304 determines whether the flow line after the start of the reading process indicates movement away from the vicinity of the exit of gate 50. If the flow line indicates movement away from the vicinity of the exit of gate 50, the process proceeds to step S110; if not, the process returns to step S103.

[0070] In step S110, the reading control unit 303 performs control to end the reading process.

[0071] Then, in step S111, the data update unit 304 performs processing to update the transport information of the item 90 that has passed through the gate 50 to transport information indicating that the item has passed through the gate 50. The processing flow of this step will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 17.

[0072] Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of a specific processing flow of step S111 shown in Fig. 16. In this processing, the data update unit 304 determines whether or not the RSSI of each RFID tag 91 read by the reading processing started in step S102 shows a specific pattern during a specific period. As a result, the data update unit 304 identifies the RFID tag 91 (item 90) that has passed through the gate 50. The processing flow will be described below with reference to Fig. 17.

[0073] First, in step S150, the data update unit 304 extracts the identification information of the RFID tags 91 that have, from among the read RFID tags 91, the RSSI transition during the occurrence period of the flow line at the entrance side that matches a predetermined first pattern. That is, the data update unit 304 extracts the RFID tags 91 that have the RSSI transition during the occurrence period of the flow line identified in step S101 that matches a fluctuation pattern that indicates an increase in RSSI.

[0074] Next, in step S151, the data update unit 304 extracts the identification information of the RFID tags 91 extracted in step S150, of which the RSSI transition during the period when the flow line occurs on the exit side is in a predetermined second pattern. That is, the data update unit 304 extracts the RFID tags 91, of which the RSSI transition during the period when the flow line identified in step S109 occurs is in a fluctuation pattern that indicates a decrease in RSSI.

[0075] Then, in step S152, the data update unit 304 determines that the item 90 identified by the identification information extracted in step S151 has passed through the gate 50. Then, the data update unit 304 updates the transport information for this item 90 to a value indicating that the transport has been completed.

[0076] The first embodiment has been described above. According to the reading system 10, gate passage determination is performed using two types of information: the RSSI of the signal from the RFID tag and the movement path occurring in the area near the gate. This makes it possible to more reliably manage the carrying in and out of items. In particular, in this embodiment, it is determined not only whether the RSSI transition shows a predetermined pattern, but also whether the RSSI transition over the same period as the occurrence period of the movement path shows the predetermined pattern. This makes it possible to more accurately identify the item 90 that actually passed through the gate 50.

[0077] <Embodiment 2> Next, a description will be given of embodiment 2. This embodiment differs from embodiment 1 in that transport information is updated appropriately even in an environment where a plurality of gates 50 are installed side by side.

[0078] Fig. 18 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the reading system 20 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 19 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration around the gate according to the second embodiment, in which the gate is viewed from above. In this embodiment, the reading system 20 manages which article 90 has passed through which gate 50 in an environment where two gates 50 exist. Note that although the number of gates 50 is two here, it may be three or more.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 18, the reading system 20 differs from the reading system 10 shown in FIG. 2 in that it further includes a reading device 110 and sensors 210A and 210B. The reading device 110 includes an RFID reader 111 and an antenna 112. The reading device 110 and the sensors 210A and 210B have the same configurations and perform the same processes as the reading device 100 and the sensors 200A and 200B described in the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted. However, the reading device 100 and the sensors 200A and 200B are equipment for the first gate 50, and the reading device 110 and the sensors 210A and 210B are equipment for the second gate 50. Note that, as shown in FIG. 19, the sensor 210A is a sensor that detects an object within a predetermined detection area 52A (also referred to as a first area) on the entrance side of the second gate 50. Sensor 210B is a sensor that detects an object within a predetermined detection area 52B (also referred to as a second area) on the exit side of second gate 50. Sensors 210A and 210B detect an object by emitting light rays to partial areas 520A and 520B that are obtained by dividing predetermined detection areas 52A and 52B into a grid pattern and receiving reflected light of the light rays.

[0080] When reading processes are performed at multiple gates 50 at the same time, the RFID tag 91 of an article 90 that has passed through a first gate 50 may be read not only by the reader 100 for this first gate 50, but also by the reader 110 for the second gate 50. Similarly, the RFID tag 91 of an article 90 that has passed through a second gate 50 may be read not only by the reader 110 for this second gate 50, but also by the reader 100 for the first gate 50. Two typical cases will now be described in detail.

[0081] The first case is a case where the timing at which the first article 90 passes through the first gate 50 and the timing at which the second article 90 passes through the second gate 50 are different, but the periods during which the reading processes for reading these passages are performed partially overlap. That is, although there is a difference between the period during which the reading process of the reader 100 is performed and the period during which the reading process of the reader 110 is performed, the periods partially overlap. In other words, although there is a difference between the period during which a flow line occurs for the first gate 50 and the period during which a flow line occurs for the second gate 50, the periods partially overlap. In such a case, the gate 50 that was passed can be identified by performing the process described in the first embodiment, i.e., by determining whether the RSSI transition during the same period as the period during which the flow line occurs shows a predetermined pattern. This is because: In this case, the RSSI transition of the RFID tag 91 of the first article 90 during the period during which the flow line occurs for the first gate shows a predetermined pattern. However, the transition of the RSSI of the RFID tag 91 of the second item 90 during the period when the flow line for the first gate occurs does not show a predetermined pattern. Therefore, although it is determined that the first item 90 has passed through the first gate 50, it is not determined that the second item 90 has passed through the first gate 50. Similarly, in this case, the transition of the RSSI of the RFID tag 91 of the second item 90 during the period when the flow line for the second gate occurs shows a predetermined pattern. However, the transition of the RSSI of the RFID tag 91 of the first item 90 during the period when the flow line for the second gate occurs does not show a predetermined pattern. Therefore, although it is determined that the second item 90 has passed through the second gate 50, it is not determined that the first item 90 has passed through the second gate 50.

[0082] The second case is a case where the timing at which the first article 90 passes through the first gate 50 and the timing at which the second article 90 passes through the second gate 50 are the same, and the periods during which the reading processes for reading the passage of the articles 90 are performed completely overlap. That is, this is a case where the period during which the reading process of the reader 100 is performed completely overlaps with the period during which the reading process of the reader 110 is performed. In other words, this is a case where the period during which a flow line occurs through the first gate 50 and the period during which a flow line occurs through the second gate 50 completely overlap. In such a case, not only the transition in the RSSI of the RFID tag 91 of the first article 90 during the period during which a flow line occurs through the first gate, but also the transition in the RSSI of the RFID tag 91 of the second article 90 may exhibit a predetermined pattern. Similarly, not only the transition in the RSSI of the RFID tag 91 of the second article 90 during the period during which a flow line occurs through the second gate, but also the transition in the RSSI of the RFID tag 91 of the first article 90 may exhibit a predetermined pattern. Therefore, in this embodiment, even in such a case, the data update unit 304 performs the following processing to identify which item 90 has passed through which gate 50. That is, the data update unit 304 in this embodiment identifies which gate 50 the item 90 has passed through based on the magnitude of the RSSI of the signal from the same RFID tag 91 for each gate 50. Details of the processing by the data update unit 304 in this embodiment will be described later with reference to a flowchart.

[0083] In this embodiment, the communication control unit 301 distinguishes between information from the RFID reader 101 of the reading device 100 and information from the RFID reader 111 of the reading device 110 when acquiring the information. The information from the RFID reader 101 (RFID reader 111) is, specifically, information stored in the RFID tag 91 and RSSI time-series data. That is, the communication control unit 301 acquires the RSSI of each signal received at each of the multiple gates 50, distinguishing which gate 50 the RSSI of the signal is received from. Furthermore, the communication control unit 301 distinguishes between information from the sensors 200A, 200B, 210A, and 210B when acquiring the information, distinguishing which gate 50 the information corresponds to. Therefore, in this embodiment, the information processing device 300 can distinguish which gate 50 the RSSI time-series data corresponds to. Similarly, the information processing device 300 can distinguish which gate 50 the flow line identified by the flow line identification unit 302 corresponds to.

[0084] In this embodiment, the processing shown in Fig. 20 is performed as the processing of step S111 in Fig. 16 instead of the processing shown in Fig. 17. In this embodiment, the series of processing shown in Fig. 16 and Fig. 20 is performed for each gate 50, and this series of processing for each gate 50 is performed in parallel. Below, details of the processing of the data update unit 304 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 20. In the following description, the processing for the first gate 50 will be described as an example.

[0085] First, in step S250, the data update unit 304 extracts the identification information of RFID tags 91 whose RSSI transition during the period when the flow line occurs on the entrance side (detection area 51A) is in a predetermined first pattern from among the RFID tags 91 read by the reader 100. That is, the data update unit 304 extracts RFID tags 91 whose RSSI transition during the period when the flow line identified in step S101 occurs is in a fluctuation pattern that indicates an increase in RSSI.

[0086] Next, in step S251, the data update unit 304 extracts the identification information of RFID tags 91 extracted in step S250, the RFID tags 91 having RSSI transitions in a period during which the flow line occurs on the exit side (detection area 51B) that match a predetermined second pattern. That is, the data update unit 304 extracts RFID tags 91 having RSSI transitions in a period during which the flow line identified in step S109 occurs that match a fluctuation pattern that indicates a decrease in RSSI.

[0087] Next, in step S252, the data update unit 304 determines whether the identification information extracted in step S251 is also extracted in the processing for another gate 50. That is, the data update unit 304 determines whether the identification information extracted in step S251 in the processing for the first gate 50 is also extracted in the processing for the second gate 50. If the identification information extracted in step S251 is also extracted in the processing for the other gate 50, the process proceeds to step S253; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S254. In the second case described above, the identification information of the RFID tag 91 of the first item that passed through the first gate 50 and the identification information of the RFID tag 91 of the second item that passed through the second gate 50 are extracted in both the processing for the first gate 50 and the processing for the second gate 50. Therefore, in the second case described above, the process proceeds to step S253.

[0088] In step S253, the data update unit 304 identifies which gate 50 the article 90 has passed through, based on the magnitude of the RSSI of the signal from the same RFID tag 91 for each gate 50. If the identification information extracted at the gate 50 of interest (i.e., the first gate 50 in this case) is also extracted in the processing for the other gates 50, the data update unit 304 identifies the article 90 that has passed through the gate 50 of interest, for example, as follows: The data update unit 304 compares the RSSI of the signal from the RFID tag 91 having this identification information, measured by the reader of the gate 50 of interest, with the RSSI of the signal from the RFID tag 91 having this identification information, measured by the reader of the other gates 50. Then, if the RSSI measured by the reader of the gate 50 of interest is the largest, the data update unit 304 determines that the article 90 corresponding to the RFID tag 91 having this identification information has passed through the gate 50 of interest (the first gate 50). For example, suppose a first article 90 passes through a first gate 50. In this case, the distance between the RFID tag 91 of the first article 90 and the reader 100 of the first gate 50 is shorter than the distance between the RFID tag 91 of the first article 90 and the reader 110 of the second gate 50. Therefore, the RSSI of the signal from the RFID tag 91 of the first article 90 measured by the reader 100 is greater than that measured by the reader 110. Therefore, by the above-described determination, it is possible to appropriately determine which article 90 passed through which gate 50.

[0089] The data update unit 304 may identify the article that has passed through the gate 50 of interest as follows: The data update unit 304 may determine that the article 90 that corresponds to the RFID tag 91 having the largest RSSI measured by the reader of the gate 50 of interest (first gate 50) among the RFID tags 91 extracted in step S251 has passed through the gate 50 of interest.

[0090] When the data update unit 304 identifies the item 90 that has passed through the gate 50 of interest, it updates the transport information of this item 90 to a value indicating that transport through the gate 50 of interest has already been completed.

[0091] In response to this, in step S254, the data update unit 304 determines that the item 90 identified by the identification information extracted in step S251 has passed through the gate 50 of interest. Then, the data update unit 304 updates the transport information of this item 90 to a value indicating that transport through the gate 50 of interest has been completed.

[0092] The above describes the second embodiment. According to the reading system 20, by comparing the magnitude of the RSSI, it is possible to determine which article 90 has passed through which gate 50. Therefore, even when multiple gates 50 are provided, it is possible to appropriately manage the transport of the article 90. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1. Information processing equipment 2 Flow line identification part 3 RSSI acquisition department 4 Passage determination section 10 Reading System 20 Reading System 50 Gates 51A Detection Area 51B Detection area 52A Detection Area 52B Detection area 90 Goods 91 RFID tags 100 Reading device 101 RFID Reader 102 Antenna 110 Reading device 111 RFID Reader 112 Antenna 200A sensor 200B Sensor 201 Ray of light 210A Sensor 210B Sensor 300 Information processing device 301 Communication Control Unit 302 Flow line identification part 303 Reading control unit 304 Data Update Section 350 Communication Interface 351 memory 352 processors 400 DB servers 510A partial area 510B Partial area 520A partial area 520B Partial area

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires the flow line of an object in a predetermined area near the gate; a control unit that starts reading an RFID tag when the flow line indicates a pattern approaching the gate; a determination unit that determines whether an article identified by identification information read from an RFID tag near the gate has passed through the gate based on the traffic line; Equipped with the control unit terminates reading of the RFID tag when the flow line indicates a pattern of approaching the gate and then turning back; The determination unit determines that the article has not passed through the gate when the flow line shows a pattern of approaching the gate and then turning back. Information processing device.

2. The determination unit determines that the article has not passed through the gate when the flow line shows a pattern of turning back without passing through the gate. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The determination unit determines that an article specified by the identification information read from the RFID tag has passed through the gate when the flow line indicates movement approaching a predetermined position near the entrance of the gate and then moving away from the exit of the gate.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. When the flow line indicates a movement approaching a predetermined position near the entrance of the gate and then moving away from the exit of the gate, the determination unit determines whether an article specified by identification information read from the RFID tag has passed through the gate based on the signal strength from the RFID tag during a period when the flow line occurs.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. a sensor for detecting an object; a reader that communicates with the RFID tag and reads the information stored in the RFID tag; Information processing device Equipped with The information processing device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires a flow line of an object in a predetermined area near the gate based on a detection result of the sensor; a control unit that instructs the reader to start a process of reading the RFID tag when the flow line indicates a pattern of approaching the gate; a determination unit that determines whether an article identified by identification information read from an RFID tag near the gate by the reader has passed through the gate based on the traffic line; and the control unit instructs the reader to end the RFID tag reading process when the flow line indicates a pattern of approaching the gate and then turning back; The determination unit determines that the article has not passed through the gate when the flow line shows a pattern of approaching the gate and then turning back. system.

6. The information processing device Obtain the movement of objects in a specified area near the gate, When the flow line indicates a pattern approaching the gate, control is performed to start reading the RFID tag; determining whether an article identified by identification information read from an RFID tag near the gate has passed through the gate based on the traffic line; When the flow line approaches the gate and then turns back, control is performed to end reading of the RFID tag; In the determination, if the flow line shows a pattern of approaching the gate and then turning back, it is determined that the article has not passed through the gate. Information processing methods.

7. an acquisition step of acquiring a flow line of an object in a predetermined area near a gate; a start control step of starting reading of an RFID tag when the flow line indicates a pattern approaching the gate; a termination control step of terminating reading of the RFID tag when the flow line indicates a pattern of approaching the gate and then turning back; a determining step of determining whether an article identified by identification information read from an RFID tag near the gate has passed through the gate based on the traffic line; on the computer, In the determining step, if the flow line shows a pattern of approaching the gate and then turning back, it is determined that the article has not passed through the gate. program.

Images