Item management system, item management method, item detection equipment, item detection device

Abstract

To recognize the presence or absence of an article without attaching a communication device to the article.SOLUTION: An article management system comprises: a placement member on which an article is to be placed; an elastic member configured to be bent in a vertical direction when the article is placed on the placement member; a communication device provided downward in the vertical direction of the elastic member; a sheet member provided downward in the vertical direction of the communication device and having a metal film; a radio device which carries out radio communication with the communication device; and a control device which acquires a result of whether or not the radio device is permitted to communicate with the communication device, and determines whether or not the article is placed on the placement member on the basis of the result of whether or not the radio device is permitted to communicate with the communication device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to an article management system, an article management method, an article detection device, and an article detection apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] As an article management system, one that associates an article with a wireless tag to perform inventory management of the article has been conventionally proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, an inventory management system is described that is composed of an IC tag, a reader device, and a moving device, and reads a signal from the IC tag attached to an article placed on a shelf by the reader device, and based on the read signal, recognizes whether any article is placed on the shelf.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] <00000​​​​​​​​​​ One aspect of the present invention is a mounting member for placing an article. A mounting member that is in a first position when no article is placed on it, and moves from the first position toward the second position when an article is placed on it. and, Attached to the aforementioned mounting member Communication devices and A radio wave shielding member that shields radio waves emitted from the communication device when in close proximity to the communication device. and, A wireless device that performs wireless communication with the aforementioned communication device, A control device that obtains the result of whether or not communication is possible with the communication device by the wireless device, and determines whether or not the article is placed on the aforementioned mounting member based on the result of whether or not communication is possible. picture, When the mounting member is in the first position, the communication device is separated from the radio wave shielding member, and when the mounting member is in the second position, the communication device is close to the radio wave shielding member. It is an inventory management system. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, the presence or absence of an article can be recognized without attaching a communication device to the article. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the arrangement of a product management device according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] These are a plan view and a front view of a product detection device according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 2 shows the AA cross-section, illustrating the state when no product is placed on the product detection device and the state when a product is placed on it. [Figure 4] This block diagram shows the internal configuration of each device in one embodiment of the product management system. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the structure of advertising packets sent from IoT tags. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the data structure of a tag database. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a screen displayed on a store terminal. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of a screen displayed on a store terminal. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of a screen displayed on a store terminal. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] In this disclosure, "article" means a tangible object such as a product, a finished product, a semi-finished product (a product in an intermediate stage of manufacturing), or a mock-up. In the following embodiments, an example of an article is a product sold in a store.

[0010] The following describes a product management system, which is one embodiment of the product processing system of this disclosure. One embodiment of the product management system is configured so that store staff can recognize how many unsold items are and where they are located, even when they are not physically present at the store. While the products are not limited, it is preferable that they be arranged in a matrix. For example, it can be applied to a wide range of products, such as boxed products like powdered detergent, and bottled products like fabric softener, liquid detergent, shampoo, and conditioner. An item detection device (an example of an item detection device) is used to detect whether or not an item is present (still in stock). In one embodiment, one item detection device is used for each individual item. The item is sold with the item placed on this item detection device, and when a customer picks up (purchases) the item, the item is removed from the item detection device. By detecting whether or not an item is placed on each item detection device, the status of unsold items in the store can be determined, and the system can be configured to notify store staff in a timely manner whether or not the items should be restocked.

[0011] One embodiment of the product detection device includes a communication device. A wireless device for communicating with the communication device is placed within the communication range of the communication device. The merchandise detection device is configured such that when merchandise is placed on it, the position of the communication device is displaced downward in the vertical direction due to the weight of the merchandise, thereby preventing the communication device from transmitting radio waves. For example, when the communication device is displaced, it contacts a sheet member having a metal film, and due to the electromagnetic shielding function of the sheet member, the communication device cannot radiate radio waves, and the wireless device cannot receive signals from the communication device. Therefore, based on whether the wireless device can receive a signal from the communication device provided in the merchandise detection device, it can be determined whether merchandise has been placed on the merchandise detection device.

[0012] The communication device is preferably an IoT tag (an example of a wireless tag) equipped with a capacitor that collects ambient radio waves, converts them into electric power, and stores the electric power, as it can be used without maintenance for a long time, but it is not limited to this. It may also be an RFID tag (an example of a wireless tag) operating in the UHF band, HF band, or microwave band. Also, in any case, the RFID tag may be passive (without a built-in battery) or active (with a built-in battery).

[0013] In the merchandise management system of one embodiment, when the wireless device can communicate with the communication device and no merchandise is placed on the merchandise detection device, the wireless device receives identification information (e.g., tag ID to be described later) for identifying the communication device and notifies the server of the identification information received via the network. Thereby, the server can determine that no merchandise is placed on the merchandise detection device provided with the communication device corresponding to the identification information. Even when a plurality of merchandise with the same merchandise code are arranged in a matrix, the server can individually recognize whether each merchandise is present, and thus can notify the store staff of information that enables visual recognition of the positions of the sold merchandise and the remaining unsold merchandise. Hereinafter, the merchandise management system 1 of one embodiment will be described more specifically.

[0014] FIG. 1 shows an example of merchandise P arranged in a matrix in a store and a merchandise management device 4. The example shown in Figure 1 illustrates a configuration where multiple products P are placed on a shelf located between the front and back aisles. In this example, 10 products P can be placed in a 2-column, 5-row arrangement. If the columns are represented as 1-2 and the rows as A-E, then products P can be placed at the 10 positions A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2, D1, D2, E1, and E2. The product management device 4 (an example of an item detection device) includes 10 item detection devices 3 arranged in a 2x5 grid, corresponding to the arrangement of the products. In the example shown in Figure 1, the items P at positions E1 and E2 have been sold, leaving the remaining 8 items P unsold.

[0015] Next, the structure of the product detection device 3 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. The product detection device 3 is a device for detecting whether or not there is a product P placed at a corresponding location. Figure 2 shows a plan view and a front view of a product detection device 3 according to one embodiment. Figure 3 shows the product detection device 3 with and without product P placed on it, for cross-section AA in Figure 2. Referring to Figure 2, the product detection device 3 comprises a frame 31, a mounting member 32, an elastic member 33, and a holding part 34. Although not limited to these, the frame 31, mounting member 32, and holding part 34 are molded from, for example, plastic or other resin, wood, or paper.

[0016] The frame 31 is the base portion for being placed on the product shelf. In one example, as shown in Figure 2, the outer edge of the frame 31 is rectangular or square and has a shape that does not overlap with the mounting member 32 in a plan view. The frame 31 has a bottom surface 311 and a top surface 312. The bottom surface 311 is the surface that contacts the product shelf 9. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a stepped portion 313 is formed on a pair of opposing sides of the inner edge of the frame 31, lower than the upper surface 312. The retaining portion 34 is fixed to this stepped portion 313. The fixing method is not limited, but for example, it can be fixed with adhesive.

[0017] As shown in Figure 3, the holding portion 34 has a U-shaped cross-section and holds both ends of the elastic member 33 so that the elastic member 33 is straddled between a pair of opposing sides of the inner edge of the frame 31. The elastic member 33 may be press-fitted into the U-shaped holding portion 34, or it may be fixed to the holding portion 34 with an adhesive. The elastic member 33 is, for example, a long leaf spring molded from natural rubber or synthetic rubber. In the example shown in Figure 2, two elastic members 33 are attached, but this is not the only option. The number, size, and material of the elastic members 33 are determined as appropriate to obtain elastic properties corresponding to the weight of the product placed on the support member 32.

[0018] A mounting member 32 for placing an item is attached to the upper surface of the elastic member 33. The mounting member 32 is a rectangular or square flat plate and is attached to the elastic member 33, for example, with double-sided tape or adhesive. As shown in Figure 3, the elastic member 33 is configured to bend vertically downward when an item P is placed on the mounting member 32. As shown in Figure 3, an IoT (Internet of Things) tag T (an example of a communication device) is attached near the center of the lower surface of the elastic member 33. The IoT tag is an example of an energy harvesting type communication device that generates power based on radio waves from the surrounding environment and does not have a battery.

[0019] The maximum communication range of Tag T is not limited, but is, for example, in the range of 3 to 10 meters. Tag T is configured to perform low-power wireless communication, and examples of communication protocols include Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE), Bluetooth®, and ZigBee®. The following explanation will use BLE communication as an example. If Tag T complies with the BLE standard, it broadcasts advertising packets (described later) at predetermined intervals (for example, every 1 to 10 seconds). The packets transmitted by Tag T include the tag ID, which is the tag's identification information.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, a wireless device 2 for BLE communication with the tag T is placed near the product shelf 9. As will be described later, the wireless device 2 is a gateway device that can communicate with the tag management server (described later) via the network. The wireless device 2 is positioned to receive packets transmitted from the tag T, which is installed on the product detection device 3 where no product P is placed. In other words, the wireless device 2 is positioned taking into consideration the radio wave output of the tag T. The installation location of the wireless device 2 is not limited to the location shown in the figure, but can be set arbitrarily.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the Naema paper NP is positioned vertically below the tag T attached to the elastic member 33 at a predetermined height relative to the bottom surface 311 of the frame 31. To position the Naema paper NP at the predetermined height, spacers of the predetermined height can be provided on the product shelf. Neema Paper NP (an example of a sheet material) is made by laminating a transparent PET film, an aluminum vapor-deposited layer (film) (an example of a metal film), and an adhesive in that order, and is attached to the back of product P with the adhesive. Alternatively, foil paper with curved surface conformability may be used instead of Neema Paper NP. In addition, metal plates, radio wave absorbing sheets, and sheets with coatings incorporating metal powder or magnetic powder can also be used.

[0022] In the preferred example shown in Figure 3, a cushioning material 35, such as a sponge, is provided as a spacer, and the Neema paper NP is placed on the cushioning material 35. That is, when the product P is placed on the mounting member 32 and the elastic member 33 bends vertically, the tag T attached to the lower surface of the elastic member 33 comes into contact with the Neema paper NP directly below it. The cushioning material 35 is placed below the Neema paper NP to prevent damage to the tag T or the Neema paper NP at that time. By providing the cushioning material 35, the impact when the tag T comes into contact with the Neema paper NP is mitigated.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, when the product P is not placed on the mounting member 32, the elastic member 33 hardly bends downward in the vertical direction, so a gap is maintained between the tag T attached to the lower surface of the elastic member 33 and the namer paper NP directly below the tag T. In this state, the radio wave radiation performance from the tag T does not decrease, so the wireless device 2 can receive packets transmitted from the tag T without any problems. On the other hand, when product P is placed on the mounting member 32, the elastic member 33 located below the mounting member 32 bends vertically downward, causing the tag T attached to the lower surface of the elastic member 33 to come into contact with the Neema paper NP directly below it. As a result, the Neema paper NP has an aluminum vapor-deposited layer, which shields the radio waves emitted from the tag T, significantly reducing the radio wave radiation performance from the tag T. Consequently, the wireless device 2 may become unable to receive packets emitted from the tag T, or the reception frequency may decrease significantly. In this way, the product detection device 3 can detect whether or not the corresponding product P is placed on it.

[0024] In Figure 2, an example of a product detection device 3 having a rectangular or square shape in plan view is shown, but the shape of the product detection device is not limited to these, and it can take any shape, such as circular, elliptical, or polygonal. The shape of the frame and the mounting member of the product detection device is not essential, as long as the mounting member bends vertically downward when a product is placed on it, and the tag T and the namer paper NP come into contact.

[0025] Furthermore, while the product detection device 3 illustrated in Figure 2 uses a rubber leaf spring as the elastic member 33, the elastic member is not limited to this, and a coil spring can also be used. In that case, a bottom plate that contacts the product shelf 9 is provided on the frame, and the coil spring is placed between the bottom plate and the support member 32.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, preferably, the reference tag Tref is placed on the product shelf 9. The reference tag Tref is a reference tag and is a device with the same configuration as tag T. The reference tag Tref can be placed anywhere as long as it can communicate with the wireless device 2, regardless of whether product P is placed on the corresponding product detection device 3. The reference tag Tref is provided to determine whether the wireless device 2 is functioning correctly. In particular, when product P is placed on all product detection devices 3, the wireless device 2 cannot receive radio waves emitted from the tags T of all product detection devices 3. Therefore, if there were no reference tag Tref, it would be difficult to determine whether the system is functioning correctly. By providing a reference tag Tref that can communicate with the wireless device 2 regardless of whether product P is placed on the corresponding product detection device 3, it is possible to determine whether the system is functioning correctly.

[0027] Next, the configuration of each device in one embodiment of the product management system 1 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of each device in the product management system 1 of this embodiment. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the advertising packet transmitted from tag T.

[0028] As shown in Figure 4, the product management system 1 includes a wireless device 2 and a tag management server 5 (an example of a control device) that can communicate with the wireless device 2 via a network NW. The network NW is not limited, but could be a LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), mobile communication network, or the Internet. The wireless device 2 and the tag management server 5 constitute a control device in one embodiment. Wireless device 2 functions as a BLE wireless terminal that receives packets from tag T and reference tag Tref via BLE communication. When wireless device 2 receives a packet from each tag, it transmits the tag ID contained in the received packet to tag management server 5. When the tag T and reference tag Tref are able to transmit packets normally, they transmit packets at predetermined intervals as described above, and in response, the wireless device 2 also transmits the tag ID to the tag management server 5 at predetermined intervals.

[0029] Referring to Figure 4, tag T includes, for example, a control unit 11, an antenna 12, a harvesting unit 13, a voltage control unit 14, and an RF transceiver 15. The configuration of tag T will be described below, but the configuration of the reference tag Tref, which is not shown in Figure 4, is the same as that of tag T.

[0030] The overall form of the tag is not shown in the diagram, but for example, it is a thin-film component in which a conductive metal foil with a predetermined pattern on which the antenna 12 is formed is connected to an IC chip connected to the metal foil. A control unit 11, a harvesting unit 13, a voltage control unit 14, and an RF transceiver 15 are mounted within the IC chip.

[0031] The control unit 11 has a microprocessor and memory 111, and controls the entire tag T. The memory 111 is either RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory) and stores the program executed by the microprocessor, as well as the tag ID, which is unique identification information for tag T.

[0032] The harvesting unit 13 generates energy from the surrounding environment based on radio waves (for example, radio waves from surrounding wireless communication) and stores the power obtained from the generation in the internal energy storage 131. In this embodiment, the harvesting unit 13 converts, for example, the wireless signal received by the antenna 12 into a DC voltage and stores it in the energy storage 131. The energy storage 131 is, for example, a capacitor. In the case of a capacitor, it may be one configured on a semiconductor chip (i.e., an on-die type capacitor).

[0033] The radio waves used by the harvesting unit 13 for energy harvesting are radio waves in multiple different frequency bands across a wide frequency range. Examples include radio waves from wireless communication in frequency bands used in so-called 3G to 5G mobile communication systems, radio waves from wireless communication in frequency bands used in communication standards such as Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi®, radio waves from wireless communication in the 2.4GHz band represented by communication protocols such as ZigBee® and Thread, and radio waves from wireless communication in frequency bands used in RFID (e.g., 900MHz band, 13.56MHz band). The radio waves exemplified here are generally applicable in almost all areas. The tag T operates on power generated by the harvesting unit 13 based on radio waves from the surrounding environment. Therefore, there is no need to install a battery in the tag T, which can reduce system costs. Also, because there is no need to install a battery, battery replacement work is not required, so the problem of not being able to obtain a tag ID even though a tag is present does not occur.

[0034] The voltage control unit 14 supplies operating voltage to the control unit 11 and the RF transceiver 15, and also monitors the voltage of the energy storage 131, switching the power mode according to the monitoring results. When the voltage of the energy storage 131 is below a predetermined threshold, the power mode is set to the first mode, which operates only the minimum necessary circuits. In this mode, the control unit 11 and the RF transceiver 15 do not perform packet generation or wireless signal transmission, as described later. When the voltage of the energy storage 131 is charged to above a predetermined threshold, the power mode is set to the second mode, which executes the normal processing routine. In this mode, the control unit 11 and the RF transceiver 15 perform various processes, including packet generation and wireless signal transmission.

[0035] The control unit 11 generates advertising packets according to the BLE protocol when the power mode is the second mode. An advertising packet is a packet transmitted using an advertising channel to enable broadcast communication in BLE, and has the packet configuration shown in Figure 5.

[0036] In Figure 5, the preamble and address access are predetermined fixed values. CRC is a cyclic check code, which is check data calculated using a predetermined generator polynomial on the packet payload (i.e., the advertising channel PDU (protocol data unit)). An advertising channel PDU (hereinafter simply referred to as "PDU") consists of a header and a payload, the payload consisting of an ADV address and ADV data. The ADV address is the address of the advertiser (i.e., the tag T that broadcasts), but it may also be a random value set each time it is transmitted so as not to identify the source. The ADV data is the advertiser's data (broadcast data) and includes the tag ID.

[0037] The control unit 11 preferably encrypts the PDU. The encryption method is not limited, but for example, AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) with a key length of 128 bits can be used.

[0038] The RF transceiver 15 performs a predetermined digital modulation (e.g., GFSK (Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying)) on the packet to be transmitted (baseband signal), then performs quadrature modulation, and sends a high-frequency signal (in the case of BLE, a signal in the 2.4 GHz frequency band) to the antenna 12.

[0039] Antenna 12 includes a transmitting antenna and a power generation antenna. The transmitting antenna transmits high-frequency radio signals (packets) sent out by the RF transceiver 15. On the other hand, the power generation antenna receives radio waves from the surrounding environment, for example, and functions as a rectenna in cooperation with the harvesting unit 13.

[0040] As shown in Figure 4, the wireless device 2 comprises a control unit 21, an antenna 22, an RF transceiver 23, and a communication unit 24. The control unit 21 is mainly composed of a microprocessor and controls the entire wireless device 2. For example, the control unit 21 decodes the PDU of a packet received from tag T, performs error detection using the same generating polynomial as tag T from the CRC, extracts broadcast data from the PDU, and controls the communication unit 24 to transmit it to the tag management server 5. The RF transceiver 23 detects the radio signal received from tag T by the antenna 22, converts it into a baseband signal, performs predetermined digital demodulation, and receives the packet. The RF transceiver 23 also transmits a beacon signal from the antenna 22 by quadrature modulating, for example, a baseband signal of a predetermined pattern and sending it to the antenna 22. The communication unit 24 functions as a communication interface for communicating with the tag management server 5.

[0041] As shown in Figure 4, the tag management server 5 includes, for example, a control unit 51, storage 52, and a communication unit 53. The control unit 51 is mainly composed of a microprocessor and controls the entire tag management server 5. Storage 52 is equipped with a large-scale storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and stores a tag database (tag DB). As shown in Figure 6, the tag database associates the tag ID of tag T with the product code of the product placed on the product detection device 3 containing tag T, and location information of the location where the product is placed. Storage 52 also stores the tag ID of the reference tag Tref. In the example shown in Figure 1, the location information of the products described in the tag database is one of the following: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2, D1, D2, E1, or E2. The communication unit 53 functions as a communication interface for communicating with the wireless device 2 and the store terminal 8.

[0042] When the control unit 51 executes the server program and the wireless device 2 receives a packet containing the tag ID transmitted by each tag T and the reference tag Tref, the control unit 51 obtains the tag ID contained in the packet from the wireless device 2.

[0043] In one embodiment, each time the control unit 51 obtains the tag ID of the reference tag Tref from the wireless device 2, it records the obtained tag ID and the time the tag ID was obtained as a tag detection log in the storage 52. As shown in Figure 1, since the reference tag Tref is not shielded, the tag ID of the reference tag Tref can be obtained at predetermined intervals when the reference tag Tref transmits packets, as long as the wireless device 2 is not malfunctioning. If the tag ID of the reference tag Tref cannot be obtained at predetermined intervals, the control unit 51 determines that the wireless device 2 is malfunctioning and notifies the store terminal 8.

[0044] Each time the control unit 51 obtains the tag ID of each tag T from the wireless device 2, it refers to the tag database to identify the product code and location information corresponding to the obtained tag ID, generates an image showing the identification result, and transmits it to the store terminal 8 (an example of a display device). The fact that the tag ID has been obtained means that the product with the corresponding product code is not placed on the product detection device 3 corresponding to that tag ID. Therefore, the product code and location information identified by the control unit 51 corresponds to information about whether or not there is a product at each position in the matrix when, for example, multiple product detection devices 3 are arranged in a matrix as shown in Figure 1.

[0045] The control unit 51 may determine whether or not a product is placed on the product detection device 3 based on the frequency with which the tag T transmits signals (packets). When a product is placed on the product detection device 3, if the tag T is close to the namer paper NP but does not make sufficient contact, the radio waves transmitted from the tag T are not completely shielded, and the wireless device 2 may receive a signal from the tag T. In that case, the frequency with which the tag T transmits signals is low, and therefore the frequency with which the wireless device 2 receives a signal from the tag T is also low. Therefore, if the frequency with which the tag T transmits signals is low, and the frequency with which the wireless device 2 obtains the tag ID is lower than a predetermined threshold, the control unit 51 determines that a product is placed on the corresponding product detection device 3.

[0046] The store terminal 8 is an information processing terminal held by a store employee and capable of communicating with the tag management server 5, and can be, for example, a PC (personal computer), a tablet device, or a smartphone. The store terminal 8 displays information notified by the tag management server 5 (for example, information indicating that the wireless device 2 is malfunctioning) and images transmitted from the tag management server 5. The images transmitted from the tag management server 5 will be explained later with examples, but for example, they are images showing the presence or absence of each of several products arranged in a matrix. While not limiting the communication protocol, for example, the store terminal 8 and the tag management server 5 communicate using HTTPS, and the browser on the store terminal 8 displays a webpage containing images sent from the tag management server 5.

[0047] Figure 7 shows an example of an image displayed on the store terminal 8. This image corresponds to the case where multiple products are arranged in a 2x5 matrix, as shown in Figure 1. The image shown in Figure 7 consists of an upper section 101, a middle section 102, and a lower section 103. The upper section 101 displays the product name (e.g., ABC) and location information (e.g., WS3) of the inventory of replenishment items (replenishment inventory section). The middle section 102 displays information indicating the percentage of unsold items among the items that can be placed on the store shelves (e.g., 90%). The middle section 102 may also display a message corresponding to this percentage (e.g., the text, "90% of the store shelves are left.").

[0048] At the bottom 103, information regarding whether or not a product is placed at each position of the product detection device 3, which is arranged in a 2x5 matrix, is displayed in a visually recognizable manner. In the example shown in the figure, multiple rectangles (1-2 columns, A-E rows) in a matrix that mimics the product layout in a store are displayed, and the tag ID is displayed within each rectangle, along with a display mode that indicates whether or not a product is present at the corresponding position. As a result, a store employee looking at the store terminal 8 can immediately recognize whether or not a product with product name: ABC is present at each position. In the example shown in Figure 8, product E2 has been sold and is out of stock, leaving the other products unsold. Therefore, the remaining stock in the store is displayed as 90% (=9 / 10) in the middle section 102. In this way, even when only one item is out of stock, it becomes easier for store staff to understand the inventory situation in the store.

[0049] Figure 8 shows another example of an image displayed on the store terminal 8. The image in Figure 8, like Figure 7, shows whether or not a product is placed at each position of the product detection device 3, which is arranged in a 2x5 matrix, but the remaining status of the products is different from that in Figure 7. Figure 8 shows a state where more products have been sold since the state in Figure 7. In the example shown in the lower part of Figure 8, section 103, items A1, A2, and B1 remain unsold, while all other items have been sold out. Therefore, the remaining stock on the shelves is displayed as 30% (=3 / 10) in the middle section 102. In this case, the middle section 102 may also display a message corresponding to that percentage (for example, the text, "30% of the stock remains on the shelves. Please restock.").

[0050] Figure 9 shows yet another example of an image displayed on the store terminal 8. The image in Figure 9, like Figure 7, shows whether or not a product is placed at each position of the product detection device 3, which is arranged in a 2x5 matrix, but the remaining status of the products differs from that in Figure 7. In the example shown in the lower part of Figure 9, section 103, products A1 and A2 have been sold out, leaving the remaining products unsold. Therefore, the remaining stock in the store is displayed as 80% (=8 / 10) in the middle section 102. In the situation shown in Figure 9, the two items at the back, as viewed from the front, are out of stock. In this situation, if a store employee were to visually check the stock status from the front aisle, they might overlook the two missing items at the back. However, as shown in Figure 9, visually indicating the missing items makes the two missing items at the back immediately obvious.

[0051] Figure 1 illustrates an example where the product detection devices 3 are arranged in a 2x5 matrix. However, these product detection devices 3 can also be used with a flexible resin sheet, film, or cloth covering the top. By covering them with a resin sheet or similar material, the unevenness is reduced, allowing for smoother retrieval and replenishment of products P.

[0052] As explained above, in the product management system 1 described above, the product detection device 3 is configured such that when a product is placed on it, the position of the tag T is displaced vertically downward by the weight of the product, causing the tag T to come into contact with the name paper NP and thus preventing the tag T from emitting radio waves. The tag management server 5 obtains from the wireless device 2 whether or not the wireless device 2 was able to receive a signal from the tag T, and determines whether or not a product is placed on the product detection device 3 based on that result. When multiple products are placed, the system is configured so that each product is placed on one of the multiple product detection devices 3, and by displaying the presence or absence of each product, store staff can recognize not only the number of products in stock but also which products are unsold.

[0053] Therefore, with the product management system 1, store staff can understand the inventory levels and the locations of products that need to be replenished without visual inspection, enabling them to properly replenish products and place orders. In particular, because the location of products that need to be replenished (locations where products are not placed on the product detection device 3) can be accurately identified, product replenishment work becomes easier. In addition, because the location of unsold products can be identified, appropriate product placement work can be carried out in a timely manner, such as moving unsold products to locations that are more visible to customers, especially when multiple products are arranged in a matrix.

[0054] One embodiment of a product management method (an example of an item management method) includes the following steps (1) to (3). (1) Steps to arrange a product detection device 3 comprising a mounting member 32 for placing product P, an elastic member 33 configured to bend vertically when product P is placed on the mounting member 32, a tag T provided vertically below the elastic member 33, and a namer paper NP provided vertically below the tag T. (2) Step to obtain the result of whether or not communication with Tag T is possible using the wireless device 2. (3) A step to determine whether or not product P is placed on the mounting member 32 based on the result of whether or not communication is possible.

[0055] Furthermore, one embodiment of the product management method includes the following steps (4) to (7). (4) Step of setting up the product management device 4 (5) Steps to obtain the result of whether or not communication with the tag T via the wireless device 2 is possible for each of the multiple product detection devices 3 included in the product management device 4. (6) A step to determine whether or not an item is placed on each product detection device 3 based on the results of the above communication feasibility determination. (7) The tag database is referenced for the location information of each of the multiple product detection devices 3, and information on whether or not a product is placed on each of the multiple product detection devices 3 is displayed on the store terminal 8 in a matrix format corresponding to the location information of the multiple product detection devices 3.

[0056] While embodiments of the article management system, article management method, article detection device, and article detection apparatus of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Furthermore, the above embodiments can be improved or modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 1…Product Management System T... tag Tref... Reference tag 11…Control Unit 111…Memory 12… Antenna 13…Harvesting Department 131… Energy storage 14…Voltage Control Unit 15…RF Transceiver 2...Wireless device 21... Control Unit 22… Antenna 23...RF Transceiver 24... Communications Department 3…Item detection device 31…Frame body 311...Bottom 312…Top surface 313... Stepped section 32… Mounting member 33...Elastic member 34...Holding part 35...Cushioning material 4…Articles management device 5…Tag management server 51... Control Unit 52...Storage 53... Communications Department 8…Store terminals 9…Product shelf P…Product NP...Neema paper NW...Network

Claims

1. A mounting member for placing an article, wherein the mounting member is in a first position when no article is placed on it, and moves from the first position toward a second position when an article is placed on it, A communication device attached to the aforementioned mounting member, A radio wave shielding member that shields radio waves emitted from the communication device when in close proximity to the communication device, A wireless device that performs wireless communication with the aforementioned communication device, The control device includes a device that obtains the result of whether or not communication is possible with the communication device by the wireless device, and determines whether or not the article is placed on the aforementioned mounting member based on the result of whether or not communication is possible, When the mounting member is in the first position, the communication device is separated from the radio wave shielding member, and when the mounting member is in the second position, the communication device is close to the radio wave shielding member. Inventory management system.

2. The control device determines whether or not the article is placed on the aforementioned mounting member based on the frequency at which the communication device transmits a signal. The article management system according to claim 1.

3. Regardless of whether or not an article is placed on the mounting member, the system further includes a reference communication device positioned not in close proximity to the radio wave shielding member. The wireless device communicates with the reference communication device, The control device obtains the result of whether or not communication with the reference communication device by the wireless device is possible. The article management system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The aforementioned communication device is a wireless tag equipped with a capacitor that collects ambient radio waves, converts them into electricity, and stores the electricity. An article management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The aforementioned communication device is a UHF band wireless tag. An article management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The aforementioned communication device is an HF band wireless tag. An article management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. The aforementioned communication device is a microwave band wireless tag. An article management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. The mounting member is further provided with an elastic member attached to it, which biases the mounting member in a direction toward the first position from the second position when the mounting member is in the second position. An article management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The elastic member is a leaf spring. The article management system according to claim 8.

10. The elastic member is a coil spring. The article management system according to claim 8.

11. When the direction in which the mounting member moves from the first position to the second position is defined as the first direction, the system further includes a buffer material provided in the first direction as seen from the radio wave shielding member. An article management system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The aforementioned radio wave shielding member is a sheet member having a metal film. An article management system according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. An article detection device is provided, comprising: a mounting member for placing an article, which is movable between a first position and a second position; a communication device attached to the mounting member; and a radio wave shielding member that shields radio waves emitted from the communication device when in close proximity to the communication device. If the article is not placed on the aforementioned mounting member, then the aforementioned mounting member is in the first position and the communication device is separated from the radio wave shielding member. When an article is placed on the aforementioned mounting member, the aforementioned mounting member moves toward the second position so that the communication device comes into close proximity to the radio wave shielding member. The result of whether or not communication with the communication device via the wireless device is possible is obtained. Based on the result of the communication feasibility determination, it is determined whether or not the article is placed on the aforementioned mounting member. How to manage goods.

14. An object detection device for detecting objects, A mounting member for placing an article, wherein the mounting member is in a first position when no article is placed on it, and moves from the first position toward a second position when an article is placed on it, A communication device attached to the aforementioned mounting member, The device includes a radio wave shielding member that shields radio waves emitted from the communication device when it is in close proximity to the communication device, When the mounting member is in the first position, the communication device is separated from the radio wave shielding member, and when the mounting member is in the second position, the communication device is close to the radio wave shielding member. Object detection device.

15. An article detection device in which multiple article detection devices for detecting articles are arranged in a matrix, Each item detection device is, A mounting member for placing an article, wherein the mounting member is in a first position when no article is placed on it, and moves from the first position toward a second position when an article is placed on it, A communication device attached to the aforementioned mounting member, The device includes a radio wave shielding member that shields radio waves emitted from the communication device when it is in close proximity to the communication device, When the mounting member is in the first position, the communication device is separated from the radio wave shielding member, and when the mounting member is in the second position, the communication device is close to the radio wave shielding member. Item detection device.

16. The article detection device described in claim 15 is arranged, For each of the multiple item detection devices included in the item detection device, the result of whether or not communication with the communication device via a wireless device is possible is obtained. Based on the results of the communication feasibility determination, it is determined whether or not an item is placed on each item detection device. By referring to the positional information of each of the multiple item detection devices, information on whether or not an item is placed on each of the multiple item detection devices is displayed on the display device in a matrix manner corresponding to the positional information of the multiple item detection devices. How to manage goods.

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