Cable management device, drum, cable management system, and cable management method

Abstract

To provide a cable management device that can detect the remaining amount of the cable wrapped around the drum.SOLUTION: A cable management device 100 includes: an identifying information acquisition part 111; a product specifying part 112; a radio tag information acquisition part; and a remaining amount detection part. The identifying information acquisition part 111 acquires the identifying information for identifying a drum 20 from a radio tag for identifying 31 attached to the drum 20. The product identifying part 112 identifies information that corresponds to the drum 20 based on the identifying information and the product information. The radio tag information acquisition part acquires radio tag information that shows whether the radio tag for determining the remaining amount attached to a trunk part 24 or a flange part 21 of the drum 20 has been read or not. The remaining amount detection part detects the remaining amount of a cable 25 wrapped on the drum 20 based on the product information and the radio tag information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0005]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cable management device, a drum, a cable management system, and a cable management method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a device for measuring the length of a long cable such as an electric wire has been proposed. Patent Document 1 discloses a length measuring device for grasping the length of a cable. The length measuring device disclosed in Patent Document 1 measures the length of a cable by measuring the distances between a plurality of RFID tags provided in the cable in advance.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Generally, a long cable is wound around a drum and transported. Also, the cable is stored and the remaining amount is managed in a warehouse or the like while being wound around the drum. By appropriately managing the remaining amount of the cable wound around this drum, it becomes possible to effectively recycle the drum or purchase a new drum. However, in order to grasp the remaining amount of the cable, the length measuring device disclosed in Patent Document 1 needs to take out the cable from the drum and measure the length with the cable aligned with the detector. Therefore, a device that can detect the remaining amount of the cable while it is wound around the drum is required.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art. And an object of the present invention is to provide a cable management device capable of detecting the remaining amount of a cable wound around a drum.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A cable management device according to an aspect of the present invention includes: an identification information acquisition unit that acquires identification information for identifying a drum from an identification wireless tag attached to the drum for winding a cable; a product identification unit that identifies information corresponding to the drum based on the identification information and product information stored in a storage unit in advance; a wireless tag information acquisition unit that acquires wireless tag information indicating whether or not a wireless tag for determining remaining amount attached to the body or flange of the drum has been read; and a remaining amount detection unit that detects the remaining amount of cable wound on the drum based on the product information and the wireless tag information.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is a drum comprising a flange and a body for winding a cable, wherein an identification wireless tag containing identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit of the cable management device described above is attached to the flange, and at least one remaining amount determination wireless tag containing wireless tag information acquired by the wireless tag information acquisition unit of the cable management device is attached to the inner surface of the body or flange.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a cable management system comprising a drum for winding a cable, an identification wireless tag attached to the drum, a remaining amount determination wireless tag attached to the body or flange of the drum, a reader that acquires detection information from the identification wireless tag and the remaining amount determination wireless tag, and a cable management device connected to the reader via a network, wherein the cable management device includes an identification information acquisition unit that acquires identification information for identifying a drum detected by the identification wireless tag, a product identification unit that identifies information corresponding to a drum based on the identification information and product information stored in a storage unit in advance, a wireless tag information acquisition unit that acquires wireless tag information indicating whether or not the remaining amount determination wireless tag attached to the body or flange of the drum has been read, and a remaining amount detection unit that detects the remaining amount of cable wound around the drum based on the product information and the wireless tag information.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a cable management method performed by a computer, which involves obtaining identification information for identifying a drum from an identification wireless tag attached to a drum for winding cables, identifying information corresponding to the drum based on the identification information and product information stored in a storage unit in advance, obtaining wireless tag information indicating whether or not a wireless tag for determining remaining amount attached to the body or flange of the drum has been read, and detecting the remaining amount of cable wound on the drum based on the product information and the wireless tag information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cable management device that can detect the remaining amount of cable wound around a drum. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the cable management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of a cable management system according to the first embodiment in which the remaining cable length is detected by a reader. [Figure 3A] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the flange portion of a drum used in a cable management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3B] Figure 3A is a cross-sectional view of the drum at the IIIB-IIIB section. [Figure 4A] This figure shows an example of a drum used in a cable management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4B] This diagram shows a drum with multiple layers of cables wrapped around it. [Figure 4C] This diagram shows the situation when the cable wrapped around the drum is of an odd length. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the server configuration of the cable management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6]It is a diagram for explaining the functions of the cable management device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the storage unit. [Figure 8] It is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the cable management device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a flowchart showing an example of the remaining amount calculation process of the cable management device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a diagram for explaining the functions of the cable management device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a diagram for explaining the reference table used in the remaining amount estimation unit according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12A] It is a perspective view showing an example of a drum used in the cable management system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 12B] It is a diagram for explaining the flange portion of the drum used in the cable management system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a diagram for explaining the functions of the cable management device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the cable management device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 15] It is a flowchart showing an example of the remaining amount calculation process of the cable management device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 16A] It is a diagram for explaining the attachment of the identification wireless tag according to other embodiments. <000009> [Figure 16B] It is a diagram for explaining the attachment of the identification wireless tag according to other embodiments. [Figure 17A] It is a diagram for explaining the attachment of the body tag according to other embodiments. [Figure 17B] It is a diagram for explaining the attachment of the body tag according to other embodiments.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] The cable management system 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for illustrative purposes and may differ from the actual ratios. In addition, in the following drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals.

[0013] (First embodiment) Figure 1 shows the configuration of the cable management system 1 according to this embodiment. The cable management system 1 is a system that calculates the remaining amount of cable wound around the drum 20.

[0014] The cable management system 1 comprises a server 10, a drum 20, and a reader 30. The cable management system 1 may also include a network 40 that enables communication between the server 10 and the reader 30. Communication between the server 10 and the reader 30 may be configured so that the reader 30 can directly access the network 40. Alternatively, the reader 30 may communicate with the server 10 via a base station 50. The cable management system 1 may also include a user terminal 60. The configuration of the server 10 will be described later.

[0015] The drum 20 is a component for winding a cable and comprises a cylindrical body 24 around which the cable is wound. The drum 20 also has disc-shaped flanges 21 provided at both ends of the body 24 to prevent the cable from coming off the body 24. In this embodiment, the outer surface of the flange 21 is the side of the disc shape that is not in contact with the body 24. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the inner surface of the flange 21 is the side of the disc shape that is in contact with the body 24. That is, the inner surface of one flange 21 faces the inner surface of the other flange 21. In the following description, the direction of the axis of the body 24 of the drum 20 shown in Figure 1 is defined as the X direction, and the radial direction perpendicular to the X direction is defined as the Y direction and Z direction, as shown in Figure 1.

[0016] In Figure 1, the X1 direction refers to the rightward direction in the axial direction of the body 24, and the X2 direction (see Figure 2B) refers to the opposite direction to the X1 direction in the axial direction of the body 24. In Figure 1, the Y1 direction refers to the upward direction in the vertical direction, and the Y2 direction (see Figure 2A) refers to the downward direction in the vertical direction, opposite to the Y1 direction. In Figure 1, the Z1 direction refers to the direction from the back to the front, and the Z2 direction (see Figure 2A) refers to the opposite direction to the Z1 direction. In Figure 1, the X direction refers to the direction parallel to the X1 and X2 directions, the Y direction refers to the direction parallel to the Y1 and Y2 directions, and the Z direction refers to the direction parallel to the Z1 and Z2 directions.

[0017] In the first embodiment, an identification wireless tag 31 is provided on the outer surface of the flange portion 21 of the drum 20. In addition, a body tag 32 is provided on the body portion 24 of the drum 20. In this embodiment, the identification wireless tag 31 and the body tag 32 are composed of RFID (Radio Frequency IDentifier).

[0018] The identification wireless tag 31 contains information about the drum and includes identification information for identifying the drum. This identification information is, for example, the drum number (see Figure 7). Alternatively, the identification information may be a unique ID (Identification) of approximately 20 digits.

[0019] The body tag 32 is a wireless tag used to determine the remaining cable length, and the remaining cable length is determined by whether or not the body tag 32 is readable. In the first embodiment, the body tag 32 corresponds to a wireless tag for determining remaining cable length.

[0020] The reader 30 acquires detection information from the identification wireless tag 31 and the body tag 32 and sends the acquired information to the server 10. Figure 2 shows an example of when the reader 30 acquires information from the identification wireless tag 31 and the body tag 32 of the drum 20. The reader 30 is equipped with an antenna device (not shown) and transmits the information acquired from the drum 20 to the server 10 via the network 40. The reader 30 may also be configured to communicate directly with the server 10 via the network 40. Alternatively, the reader 30 may be configured to communicate with the server 10 via the base station 50 and the network 40. The reader 30 may be configured as a portable RFID reader and capable of communicating with mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. In this case, the reader 30 may acquire information from the drum 20, transmit the acquired information to a mobile device such as a smartphone, and then transmit the information to the server 10 via the network 40 from this mobile device. Furthermore, the reader 30 may be installed (permanently installed) in a warehouse or the like where the drum 20 is stored, and may be configured to acquire information from the identification wireless tag 31 and body tag 32 of the drum 20.

[0021] Network 40 is a wide-area communication network that enables communication between Server 10 and Leader 30, and consists of, for example, a mobile phone network or the Internet.

[0022] The user terminal 60 is a terminal that can access information about the remaining cable length stored in the server 10 via the network 40.

[0023] Next, we will describe the details of the drum 20 used in the cable management system 1 in the first embodiment.

[0024] Figure 3A is a side view of the drum 20, taken from the outside of the drum 20 with respect to the X1 direction, in the X direction which is the axis of the drum 20. As shown in Figure 3A, the flange 21 includes a shaft hole 22 and a drum winding start opening 23. The flange 21 also includes the aforementioned identification wireless tag 31.

[0025] Figure 3B is a cross-sectional view of the drum 20 at the IIIB-IIIB section of Figure 3A. In Figure 3B, as an example, a state in which three layers of cable 25 are wound around the drum. In this embodiment, the first layer of cable 25 is wound around the body portion 24 along the X1 direction, folded back at the flange portion 21, and the second layer of cable 25 is wound along the X2 direction. Furthermore, the third layer of cable 25 is wound again along the X1 direction.

[0026] In this embodiment, the cable 25 is an electric wire in which a metal such as copper wire is protected by resin. In this embodiment, the remaining length of the cable 25 is calculated using the effect of the copper wire in blocking radio waves emitted from the wireless tag. In this embodiment, the material of the cable 25 that is the subject of the remaining length calculation is not limited to copper, but may be a metal such as aluminum that blocks radio waves.

[0027] Figure 4A shows the state of the drum when the cable 25 is not wound around it. Hereafter in this specification, the drum 20 when the cable 25 is not wound around the body 24 will be referred to as an empty drum. In the empty drum, as shown in Figure 4A, body tags 32a, 32b, ..., 32n are shown. Hereafter, unless it is necessary to distinguish between body tags 32a, 32b, ..., 32n, they will simply be referred to as "body tag 32".

[0028] Furthermore, the length D shown in Figure 4A represents the diameter of the drum body 24. Also, the length W shown in Figure 4A corresponds to the inner width of the drum 20, which represents the length of the drum body 24 in the X direction.

[0029] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the cable 25 is wrapped around the body 24 in three layers. In the example shown in Figure 4B, all body tags 32 are covered by the cable 25 and are not exposed. In this state, the reader 30 cannot obtain information from the body tags 32. In other words, in the state shown in Figure 4B, the reader 30 will detect information indicating that it could not read the body tags 32.

[0030] Figure 4C is a schematic diagram showing a drum in the state of an end-length drum, where the cable 25 wound around the drum 20 is in one layer or less on the body 24. In other words, an end-length drum is the state of a drum when the cable 25 is wound around the body 24 up to the middle of the first layer. In this specification, a drum 20 in the state where the cable 25 is wound around the body 24 up to the middle of the first layer is referred to as an end-length drum. In the example shown in Figure 4C, some of the body tags 32n are exposed. In this case, the reader 30 reads the body tags 32n and detects information indicating that the other body tags 32 could not be read.

[0031] (Configuration of cable management device 100) Figure 5 shows the configuration of the cable management device 100 installed on the server 10. As shown in Figure 5, the cable management device 100 is composed of a general-purpose computer comprising a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, an input / output interface 130, and a communication interface 140. Details of the control unit 110 and the storage unit 120 will be described later.

[0032] The input / output IF130 is, for example, a component (interface) for a user to exchange data with the server 10. The input / output IF130 comprises an input section and an output section (not shown).

[0033] The input section of the input / output IF130 has an interface function for inputting various information by the user, and information is input from outside the server 10. Information is input to the input section by the user through devices connected to the server 10, such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, trackball, and voice recognition device. The input section can also receive information as a data input terminal for inputting data from an external storage device (not shown).

[0034] The output section of the input / output IF130 displays drum information, cable management information, etc., on a display device (not shown) connected to the server 10. The display device is, for example, a display device or a projector device.

[0035] The communication interface 140 is an interface that enables communication between the server 10 and the reader 30 via the network 40. The communication interface 140 also enables communication between the server 10 and the user terminal 60 via the network 40.

[0036] (Functions of cable management device 100) Next, the details of the control unit 110 and the storage unit 120 of the cable management device 100 will be described.

[0037] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the cable management device 100. As shown in Figure 6, the control unit 110 of the cable management device 100 includes, as functions, an identification information acquisition unit 111, a product identification unit 112, a body information acquisition unit 113, and a remaining amount calculation unit 114. In the first embodiment, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 corresponds to the remaining amount detection unit.

[0038] Furthermore, the control unit 110 controls the entire server 10, for example, by operating the operating system. In addition, the control unit 110 operates based on a program stored in the storage unit 120 and executes the functions provided by the identification information acquisition unit 111, the product identification unit 112, the body information acquisition unit 113, and the remaining amount calculation unit 114. Note that the program is not limited to being stored in the storage unit 120, but may also be stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory) or the like (not shown) within the cable management device 100.

[0039] As shown in Figure 6, the storage unit 120 stores the information contained in the drum information DB121 (DB: Database), product information DB122, drum body information DB123, and management information DB124 as data. Note that there may be one or more storage units 120 that store each of these data. For example, a single storage unit 120 may be configured to store data in separate areas. Alternatively, the data may be distributed and stored in multiple storage devices located in physically separate locations.

[0040] The identification information acquisition unit 111 acquires identification information for identifying the drum 20 from the identification wireless tag 31 attached to the drum 20 for winding the cable 25, via the reader 30, and stores it in the drum information DB 121 of the storage unit 120. The identification information is, for example, a drum number for identifying the drum. Figure 7 shows an example of the information stored in the drum information DB 121. In the example in Figure 7, the drum number is shown as a simplified 3-digit number for explanatory purposes. The identification information may also be, for example, a unique ID of about 20 digits. The drum information DB 121 may also include, for example, the standard number of the target drum. The drum information DB 121 may also include, for example, information regarding the drum number of the target drum.

[0041] The product identification unit 112 identifies product information relating to the drum subject to the calculation of remaining cable length based on the identification information stored in the drum information DB 121 and the product information previously stored in the product information DB 122 of the storage unit 120. Specifically, the product identification unit 112 obtains product information corresponding to the identification information from the product information DB 122. The product information obtained by the product identification unit 112 from the product information DB 122 includes, for example, information regarding the body diameter and inner width of the drum 20, and the outer diameter of the cable 25 wound around the drum 20. The product identification unit 112 also stores the identified product information in the drum information DB 121.

[0042] In the example shown in Figure 7, the drum information DB121 stores, as an example of product information, "drum diameter D", "inner width W", and "cable outer diameter d". In the first embodiment, the product identification unit 112 retrieves product information corresponding to the "drum number" from the product information DB122 and stores it in the drum information DB121. For example, the identification information may include a drum specification number in addition to the drum number, and the product identification unit 112 may retrieve product information corresponding to this drum specification number from the product information DB122 and store it in the drum information DB121.

[0043] The functions of the identification information acquisition unit 111 and the product identification unit 112 are not limited to the above-described configuration. For example, the identification information may include information regarding the drum diameter, inner width, and / or cable outer diameter as product information, and the identification information acquisition unit 111 may store the acquired information, including the drum number, in the drum information DB 121. Alternatively, the identification information acquisition unit 111 may temporarily store the information regarding the drum diameter, inner width, and / or cable outer diameter acquired as product information in the product information DB 122, and the product identification unit 112 may identify the product information from the product information DB 122 and store it in the drum information DB 121. Furthermore, the system may be configured to associate some and / or all of the product information stored in the storage unit 120 of the server 10 with the identification information used by the reader 30 to identify the drum detected from the identification wireless tag 31, and send this information to the server 10.

[0044] The drum body information acquisition unit 113 acquires wireless tag information via the reader 30 indicating whether or not the drum body tag 32 attached to the drum body 24 of the drum 20 has been read. The drum body information acquisition unit 113 also stores the content indicated by the wireless tag information in the drum body information DB 123. Note that the drum body information acquisition unit 113 corresponds to the wireless tag information acquisition unit. For example, in the drum body information DB 123 shown in Figure 7, "○" is stored when the drum body tag 32 attached to the drum body 24 of the drum 20 has been read, and "×" is stored when it has not been read. In the wireless tag information stored in the drum body information DB 123 in Figure 7, the columns indicated by "a", "b", and "n" correspond to drum body tag 32a, drum body tag 32b, and drum body tag 32n in Figure 4A, respectively.

[0045] Figure 7 shows an example in the drum information DB123 where all drum tags 32 of drum 20 with "drum number" "001" could not be read. Also, Figure 7 shows an example in the drum information DB123 where all drum tags 32 of drum 20 with "drum number" "002" were read. Furthermore, in the example with "drum number" "003", an example is shown where drum tag 32a was not read, but the other drum tags 32 were read. In addition, in the example with "drum number" "004", an example is shown where drum tag 32n was read, but the other drum tags 32 were not read.

[0046] The remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines the presence or absence of the cable 25 wrapped around the drum 20 and calculates (detects) the remaining amount based on the product information and wireless tag information, and stores it in the management information DB 124.

[0047] In the first embodiment, if it is determined that all of the wireless tag information has been read, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines that the drum is empty (no cable) and no cable 25 exists. If it is determined that not all of the wireless tag information has been read, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines that the cable 25 has one or more layers of remaining cable. Furthermore, if it is determined that only a portion of the wireless tag information has been read, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines that the cable 25 is an end piece, meaning it is wound partway through the first layer of the body 24. The remaining amount calculation unit 114 stores the determined information in the "cable status" of the management information DB 124.

[0048] Furthermore, the remaining capacity calculation unit 114 calculates the remaining capacity of the cable 25 based on the "cable status" and product information.

[0049] In the first embodiment, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 calculates the remaining amount of cable 25 based on the following formula (1). Here, L represents the remaining amount (length) of cable 25. D represents the diameter of the body portion 24. d represents the outer diameter of cable 25. The number of strands m is the number of turns of cable 25 in the X direction of the body portion 24. L = π × (D + d) × m ... (1)

[0050] The number of strands (m) is calculated based on the extent to which the body tags 32 have been read. For example, if all body tags 32 have been read, the number of strands (m) will be "0". If not all body tags 32 have been read, the number of strands (m) will be the value obtained by dividing the inner width W of the body 24 by the outer diameter d of the cable 25. For example, in the example shown in Figure 7, if the drum number is "001", the number of strands (m) will be 528 ÷ 10 = 52.8. Also, if the cable 25 is of an end length, the number of strands (m) will be calculated according to the reading status of the body tags 32.

[0051] The following provides a specific example of how the remaining amount is calculated in the remaining amount calculation unit 114 using equation (1). For example, in the case of an empty drum in which no cable 25 exists, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines that the number of strands m is "0" as described above, and according to equation (1), the remaining amount L of cable 25 is "0". Therefore, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 calculates the remaining cable amount as "0" and stores it in the "remaining cable amount" column of the management information DB 124. In the example shown in Figure 7, the case where the "drum number" is "002" corresponds to the case of an empty drum.

[0052] Furthermore, if one or more layers of cable 25 remain, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 calculates the cable length when one layer of cable 25 is wrapped around the body 24 and stores it in the "remaining cable amount" column of the management information DB 124. For example, in the case where the "drum number" in Figure 7 is "001", as described above, the number of strands in m is 52.8. That is, when one layer of cable 25 is wrapped around the body 24 of the drum with the "drum number" "001", the cable length is π × 510 × 52.8 ≈ 84554 mm (approximately 85 m) according to the above formula (1). The remaining amount calculation unit 114 stores this calculation result in the "remaining cable amount" column of the management information DB 124.

[0053] Furthermore, the remaining length calculation unit 114 calculates the remaining length of the cable 25 in the same way even when the cable 25 is in a short length state. When the cable 25 is in a short length state, the number of strands m is calculated based on the information of the body tags 32 that have been read. Note that the number of strands m when the cable 25 is in a short length state may also be calculated from the ratio of each body tag 32 to the position of the body 24. For example, if half of the predetermined number of body tags 32 are read, the number of strands m can be calculated as half the number of strands m when the cable 25 is completely wrapped around the body 24 in one layer. Alternatively, a reference table (not shown) that calculates the correspondence between the reading status of the body tags 32 and the number of strands m may be prepared in advance, and the number of strands m when the cable 25 is in a short length state may be calculated based on this reference table.

[0054] For example, if the "drum number" in Figure 7 is "004", and only the body tag 32n is read, let's assume that the number of strands m is 90% of what it would be if the entire layer were wound around it. In this case, the number of strands would be (528 ÷ 20) × 0.9 = 23.76. In this case, according to equation (1), the remaining amount L of cable 25 is π × (620) × 23.76 ≈ 46256 (approximately 46 m). The remaining amount calculation unit 114 stores this calculated remaining amount of cable 25 in the "remaining cable amount" column of the management information DB 124.

[0055] (Outline of the processing flow of the cable management device 100) Next, the processing flow in the cable management device 100 is shown using the flowcharts in Figures 8 and 9. The series of operations of the cable management device 100 shown in the flowcharts in Figures 8 and 9 begin when the cable management device 100 is started and end when the work is completed. In addition, the flowcharts in Figures 8 and 9 also end when the power is turned off or when an interrupt occurs indicating the end of processing. Furthermore, in the following explanation of the flowcharts, the same content as described in the above-mentioned explanation of the cable management system 1 and the cable management device 100 will be omitted or simplified.

[0056] In step S801, the identification information acquisition unit 111 acquires identification information for identifying the drum 20 from the identification wireless tag 31 attached to the drum 20 for winding the cable 25, via the reader 30, and stores it in the drum information DB 121 of the storage unit 120. Specifically, the identification information acquisition unit 111 acquires the information acquired by the reader 30 via the network 40 and stores it in the drum information DB 121.

[0057] In step S802, the product identification unit 112 identifies product information relating to the drum to be used for calculating the remaining cable length, based on the identification information stored in the drum information DB 121 and the product information previously stored in the product information DB 122 of the storage unit 120. Specifically, the product identification unit 112 obtains product information corresponding to the identification information from the product information DB 122. The product information obtained by the product identification unit 112 from the product information DB 122 includes, for example, information regarding the diameter and inner width of the drum 20, and the outer diameter of the cable 25 wound around the drum 20. The product identification unit 112 also stores the identified product information in the drum information DB 121.

[0058] In step S803, the drum body information acquisition unit 113 acquires wireless tag information via the reader 30 indicating whether or not the drum body tag 32 attached to the drum body 24 of the drum 20 has been read. The drum body information acquisition unit 113 also stores the content indicated by the wireless tag information in the drum body information DB 123. Specifically, the drum body information acquisition unit 113 acquires detection information (drum body information) of the drum body tag 32 acquired by the reader 30 via the network 40 and stores it in the drum body information DB 123. The drum body information acquisition unit 113 corresponds to the wireless tag information acquisition unit.

[0059] In step S804, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 calculates the remaining amount of cable 25 wrapped around the drum 20. Specifically, the "remaining amount calculation" subroutine processing shown in Figure 9 is performed.

[0060] Next, we will explain the subroutine process for "remaining amount calculation" shown in Figure 9.

[0061] In step S901, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines whether or not it was able to read the body tag 32. In step S901 of the first embodiment, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines whether or not at least one body tag 32 was read. In step S901, if the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines that a body tag 32 was read (step S901: YES), the process proceeds to step S902. On the other hand, in step S901, if the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines that a body tag 32 could not be read (step S901: NO), the process proceeds to step S905.

[0062] In step S902, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines whether all of the body tags 32 have been read. If the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines in step S902 that all of the body tags 32 have been read (step S902: YES), the process proceeds to step S904. On the other hand, if the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines in step S902 that at least one of the body tags 32 has been read, but not all of them (step S902: NO), the process proceeds to step S903.

[0063] In step S903, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines that the state of the drum 20 is an end-length drum, meaning the remaining amount of cable 25 is an end-length drum, and stores the result of the determination in the management information DB 124. For example, the example shown in Figure 7 shows the case where drums 20 with drum numbers "003" and "004" are determined to be end-length drums.

[0064] In step S904, the remaining capacity calculation unit 114 determines that the state of drum 20 is an empty drum with no remaining cable capacity 25, and stores the result of the determination in the management information DB 124. For example, the example shown in Figure 7 shows the case where drum 20 with drum number "002" is determined to be an empty drum.

[0065] In step S905, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines that the drum 20 has a large remaining amount of cable 25 (one layer or more), and stores the result of the determination in the management information DB 124. For example, the example shown in Figure 7 shows the case where drum 20, with drum number "001", is determined to have a large remaining amount of cable 25 (one layer or more).

[0066] In step S906, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 performs the remaining amount calculation process for cable 25. Specifically, if the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines in step S902 that all wireless tag information has been read and in step S904 it determines that the drum is empty and does not contain cable 25, it calculates the remaining amount of cable 25 as "0" and stores it in the management information DB 124.

[0067] Furthermore, in step S906, if the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines in step S901 that not all of the wireless tag information has been read, and in step S905 it determines that the cable 25 has one or more layers of remaining capacity, it calculates that the remaining capacity of the cable 25 is one or more layers. The remaining amount calculation unit 114 then stores the calculated result in the management information DB 124. For example, in the case where the drum number in Figure 7 is "001", the length of the cable 25 when the cable 25 is wrapped around the body 24 in one layer is calculated to be "85m" or more based on the above formula (1), and this is stored in the management information DB 124.

[0068] Furthermore, if the remaining length calculation unit 114 determines that a portion of the wireless tag information of the body tag 32 has been read, it determines that the cable 25 is in a state where it is wound partway through the first layer of the body 24. Specifically, the remaining length calculation unit 114 calculates the number of strands of cable 25 according to the number of body tags that have been read, and calculates the length of the cable 25 in the end-length state based on the above formula (1). The remaining length calculation unit 114 also stores the calculated length of the cable 25 in the management information DB 124. In the example shown in Figure 7, the remaining lengths of the cable are calculated to be "10m" and "46m" for drum numbers "003" and "004", respectively, which were determined to be end-length drums.

[0069] As described above, the cable management device 100 according to the first embodiment includes an identification information acquisition unit 111, a product identification unit 112, a wireless tag information acquisition unit, and a remaining amount calculation unit 114. The identification information acquisition unit 111 acquires identification information for identifying the drum 20 from an identification wireless tag 31 attached to the drum 20 for winding the cable 25. The product identification unit 112 identifies product information corresponding to the drum 20, which includes information regarding the diameter and inner width of the drum 20 and the outer diameter of the cable 25 wound around the drum 20, based on the identification information and product information previously stored in the storage unit 120. The wireless tag information acquisition unit acquires wireless tag information indicating whether or not a remaining amount determination wireless tag attached to the body portion 24 or flange portion 21 of the drum 20 has been read. The remaining amount calculation unit 114 calculates the remaining amount of cable 25 wound around the drum 20 based on the product information and the wireless tag information. In the first embodiment, the body information acquisition unit 113 corresponds to the wireless tag information acquisition unit. Also, in the first embodiment, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 corresponds to the remaining amount detection unit.

[0070] This eliminates the need to remove the cable 25 from the drum 20, even when the cable 25 is wound around the drum 20, and makes it possible to detect the remaining amount of cable 25 wound around the drum 20. In other words, the cable management device 100 can determine the remaining amount of cable 25 while the cable 25 is still wound around the drum 20, thereby improving the efficiency of cable management and ordering / receiving of cable 25.

[0071] Furthermore, the wireless tag for determining remaining cable length may be attached to the body 24 of the drum 20. This allows the cable management device 100 to determine whether a drum 20 is empty with no remaining cable length, whether the cable 25 is in a short-length state, or whether the drum 20 has one or more layers of cable 25 remaining in the body 24. In the first embodiment, the wireless tag for determining remaining cable length corresponds to the body tag 32.

[0072] Furthermore, multiple wireless tags for determining remaining cable length may be attached to the body 24 of the drum 20. This allows the cable management device 100 to calculate the remaining length of cable 25 for drum 20 that has an end length of cable 25. In the first embodiment, the wireless tag for determining remaining cable length corresponds to the body tag 32.

[0073] (Second embodiment) As described above, one specific embodiment has been explained, but the embodiment described above is illustrative and does not limit the embodiments. For example, in the embodiment described above, an example was shown in which the remaining amount calculation unit 114 can calculate the remaining amount of cable. Here, a cable management system 1 according to a second embodiment, in which the remaining amount estimation unit 115 in the cable management device 100 can estimate the remaining amount of cable, will be described with a configuration different from the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the remaining amount estimation unit 115 corresponds to the remaining amount detection unit.

[0074] Figure 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the cable management device 100 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 10, the control unit 110 of the cable management device 100 according to the second embodiment differs from the cable management device 100 according to the first embodiment in that it includes a remaining amount estimation unit 115. Furthermore, the cable management device 100 according to the second embodiment includes a reference table in the product information DB 122 as shown in Figure 11.

[0075] In the second embodiment, the remaining length of the cable 25 at each reading point of the body tag 32 is calculated in advance, and a reference table is prepared that shows an estimated value of the remaining length of the cable 25 based on the calculation result. This makes it possible for the operator to notify the operator of the estimated value listed in the reference table simply by reading the body tag 32.

[0076] In the second embodiment, the reference table may have predetermined estimated values ​​for each type of drum 20. For example, the types of drums 20 may be classified by differences in the flange portion 21, the body portion 24, the outer diameter of the cable 25, or the position of the body portion tag 32. By pre-determining estimated values ​​for each type of drum 20 in this way, the remaining amount estimation unit 115 can estimate the remaining amount of cable 25 by referring to the reference table corresponding to the identification information of the drum 20 based on the identification information.

[0077] The remaining length estimation unit 115 according to the second embodiment can estimate the remaining length of the cable 25 according to the product information, the reading location of the body tag 32, and the reference table shown in Figure 11. For example, in the example shown in Figure 11, if the outer diameter of the cable is less than 10 mm and the body tag 32b can be read as wireless tag information, the remaining length of the cable 25 is estimated to be approximately 40 m.

[0078] In this second embodiment, by estimating the remaining amount of cable 25 using the remaining amount estimation unit 115, the processing required for calculation in the remaining amount calculation unit 114 in the first embodiment is eliminated, making it possible to realize the cable management device 100 with a simple configuration. Furthermore, the remaining amount estimation unit 115 enables low power consumption by reducing processing when detecting the remaining amount of cable 25.

[0079] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the following description, when the same reference numerals as in the first and / or second embodiments are used, they indicate the same configuration as in the first and / or second embodiments, and unless otherwise specified, the preceding description will be referred to. Here, a cable management system 1 according to a third embodiment, which is capable of calculating the remaining cable length in more detail in the cable management device 100, will be described, and its configuration will differ from that of the first and / or second embodiments. In the third embodiment, the wireless tag information acquisition unit corresponds to the body information acquisition unit 113 and / or the flange information acquisition unit 116. Also, in the third embodiment, the wireless tag for determining the remaining length corresponds to the body tag 32 and / or the flange tag 33.

[0080] The cable management device 100 according to the third embodiment differs from the cable management device 100 according to the first and second embodiments in that it includes a flange information acquisition unit 116 and a flange information DB 125 as functions.

[0081] Figure 12A is a perspective view showing an example of a drum 20 applied to the cable management system 1 in the third embodiment. As shown in Figure 12A, the drum 20 in the third embodiment differs from the drum 20 in the first embodiment in that multiple flange tags 33 are attached to the inner surface of the flange 21.

[0082] Figure 12B is a cross-sectional view of the drum 20 in the IXB-IXB section of Figure 12A. As shown in Figure 12B, in the third embodiment, the drum 20 is provided with flange tags 33a, 33b, ... 33n (where n is a natural number) along the Y1 direction on the inner surface side of the flange 21. Hereafter, unless it is necessary to distinguish between the flange tags 33a, 33b, ... 33n, they will simply be referred to as "flange tag 33". In the third embodiment, the flange tags 33 are provided on the flange 21 facing the flange 21 on the starting side where the cable 25 is wound around the body 24. Furthermore, the lowest flange tag 33 in the Y2 direction is configured to be covered by the cable 25 when the cable 25 is wound around the body 24 in one layer. By determining whether the lowest flange tag 33 in the Y2 direction has been read, it becomes possible to determine whether the cable 25 is wrapped in one layer, or whether it is an empty drum or an end piece.

[0083] Figure 13 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the cable management device 100 in the third embodiment. As shown in Figure 13, the control unit 110 of the cable management device 100 in the third embodiment includes a flange information acquisition unit 116 as a function. In addition, the storage unit 120 of the cable management device 100 in the third embodiment includes a flange information DB 125.

[0084] The flange information acquisition unit 116 acquires detection information of the flange tag 33 (RFID tag) provided on the flange 21 via the reader 30 and stores it in the flange information DB 125 of the storage unit 120. The information of the flange tag 33 stored is the same as the wireless tag information stored in the body information DB 123 in Figure 7. That is, in the third embodiment, it is determined whether or not the cable 25 is wrapped in multiple layers depending on the reading status of the flange tag 33. In the third embodiment, the flange 21 is configured so that the flange tag 33 cannot be read from the outer surface of the flange 21, and is made of a metal that does not allow wireless information from the flange tag 33 to pass through, for example.

[0085] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the remaining cable length calculation unit 114 of the cable management device 100 calculates the remaining cable length using the detection information of the flange tag 33 in addition to the detection information of the body tag 32 acquired by the body information acquisition unit 113.

[0086] For example, in the third embodiment, if the remaining amount calculation unit 114 detects that not all of the flange tags 33 have been read, it determines that the cable 25 is fully wound. On the other hand, if the remaining amount calculation unit 114 in the third embodiment detects that all of the flange tags 33 have been read, it determines that the drum is either empty with no remaining cable 25 or that the drum has an end length of cable 25. Furthermore, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 in the third embodiment determines how many layers of cable 25 remain based on the status of the flange tags 33 that have been read. This determination of the remaining amount of cable 25 by the remaining amount calculation unit 114 in the third embodiment is calculated according to the proportion of the number of flange tags 33 that have been read. For example, if half the number of flange tags 33 in the third embodiment have been read, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines that there is half the amount of cable 25 remaining, equivalent to half the amount of cable that would otherwise be fully wound. Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 performs the same processing as in the first embodiment when the cable 25 is at an end length to calculate the remaining amount of the cable 25.

[0087] (Outline of the processing flow of the cable management device 100) The flowcharts shown in Figures 14 and 15 illustrate the processing flow of the cable management device 100 according to the third embodiment. The series of operations of the cable management device 100 shown in the flowcharts of Figures 14 and 15 begin when the cable management device 100 is started and end when the work is completed. Furthermore, the flowcharts shown in Figures 14 and 15 also end when the power is turned off or when an interrupt occurs indicating the end of processing. In addition, in the following explanation of the flowcharts, the same content as described in the above-mentioned explanation of the cable management system 1 and the cable management device 100 will be omitted or simplified.

[0088] Steps S1401, S1402, and S1404 involve the same processes as steps S801, S802, and S803 in the flowchart shown in Figure 8, so their explanation is omitted here.

[0089] In step S1403, the flange information acquisition unit 116 acquires detection information (flange information) of the flange tag 33 (RFID tag) provided on the flange 21 via the reader 30 and stores it in the flange information DB 125 of the storage unit 120.

[0090] In step S1405, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 calculates the remaining amount of cable 25 wrapped around the drum 20. Specifically, the "remaining amount calculation" subroutine processing shown in Figure 15 is performed.

[0091] Next, we will explain the subroutine process for "remaining amount calculation" shown in Figure 15.

[0092] In step S1501, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines whether or not at least one flange tag has been read. If the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines in step S1501 that at least one flange tag has been read (step S1501: YES), the process proceeds to step S1502. On the other hand, if the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines in step S1501 that no flange tags have been read (step S1501: NO), the process proceeds to step S1509.

[0093] In step S1502, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines whether or not all of the flange tags 33 have been read. If the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines in step S1502 that all of the flange tags 33 have been read (step S1502: YES), the process proceeds to step S1503. On the other hand, if the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines in step S1502 that at least one of the flange tags 33 has been read, but not all of them (step S1502: NO), the process proceeds to step S1505.

[0094] In step S1505, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines that the cable 25 has several layers remaining and stores this information in the management information DB 124. Here, the processing of the remaining amount calculation unit 114 in step S1505 is determined based on the outer diameter of the cable 25 and the position of the flange tag 33 in the Y direction.

[0095] In step S1509, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 determines that there is a large amount of remaining cable 25. That is, in step S1509, the flange tag 33 is completely covered by the cable 25.

[0096] Steps S1503, S1504, and S1506-S1508 are the same as steps S901-S905 in the flowchart shown in Figure 9, so their explanation is omitted here.

[0097] In step S1510, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 performs the remaining amount calculation process for the cable 25. Specifically, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 performs the remaining amount calculation process for the cable 25 based on the determination processes from step S1505 to step S1509.

[0098] If it is determined in step S1505 that there are several layers of cable remaining, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 calculates the length of the cable 25 for several layers based on equation (2) and stores in the management information DB 124 that there are at least several layers of cable 25 remaining. In other words, if it is determined in step S1505 that there are several layers of cable remaining, the remaining amount of the outermost wrapped cable 25 is not considered. Note that N indicates the number of layers of cable 25 wrapped around the body 24. L=π×(D+(2N-1)×d)×m (2)

[0099] Similarly, if it is determined in step S1509 that there is a large remaining amount, the remaining amount calculation unit 114 calculates the length of the cable 25 based on the above formula (2) and stores it in the management information DB 124. Note that if the remaining amount of cable 25 is determined in steps S1506 to S1508, the cable remaining amount calculation process is the same as shown in Figure 9 above, so the explanation is omitted here.

[0100] As described above, in the third embodiment, the wireless tags for determining the remaining amount of cable in the cable management device 100 may be attached in multiple quantities to the inner surface of the flange portion 21 of the drum 20. This allows the cable management device 100 to calculate the remaining amount of cable 25 when the cable 25 is wound in multiple layers around the drum 20. In the third embodiment, the wireless tags for determining the remaining amount of cable correspond to the flange portion tags 33. In the third embodiment described above, an example was shown in which the remaining amount of cable 25 is calculated using wireless tag information from both the body portion tags 32 and the flange portion tags 33. The embodiment is not limited to this configuration, and for example, the number of layers of cable 25 wound around the drum 20 may be calculated using only the wireless tag information from the flange portion tags 33.

[0101] (Other embodiments) While embodiments have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, these embodiments are not limited to those described above. Furthermore, the components described above include those easily conceivable by those skilled in the art, and those that are substantially the same. Moreover, the configurations described above can be combined as appropriate. In addition, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configurations can be made without departing from the spirit of the embodiments.

[0102] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the detection information acquired from the body tag 32 and / or flange tag 33 is acquired as wireless tag information indicating whether or not the body tag 32 and / or flange tag 33 were readable. The cable management device 100 may be configured such that the wireless tag information includes information on the radio wave intensity from the body tag 32 and / or flange tag 33. That is, three levels of intensity may be used for the radio wave intensity from the body tag 32 and / or flange tag 33: high, medium, and "0". For example, if the cable 25 is not wrapped around the body 24, the radio wave intensity will be high. Also, if only one layer of cable 25 is wrapped around the body 24, the intensity will be medium. Furthermore, if two or more layers of cable 25 are wrapped around the body 24, the intensity will be "0". The cable 25 that is the subject of remaining amount calculation in this embodiment is an insulated electric wire cable and has radio wave transparent parts other than metal, such as insulators. In other words, even when the cable 25 is wrapped around the body 24 in one layer, some radio waves may still pass through depending on the proportion of the cable's insulation. Therefore, by configuring the cable management device 100 to acquire information on the strength of radio waves, it becomes possible to calculate the remaining length of the cable 25 more accurately.

[0103] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example was shown in which the body tag 32 is attached along the X direction and the flange tag 33 is attached along the Y direction. However, the attachment direction of the body tag 32 and flange tag 33 is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment. For example, in another embodiment, the body tag 32 may be attached to the body 24 in a spiral manner. Alternatively, the flange tag 33 may be attached on the inner surface of the flange 21 so as to spread out in multiple directions from the center of the flange 21. In this way, by attaching the body tag 32 and flange tag 33 to various locations on the body 24 and flange 21, it becomes possible to calculate the remaining amount of cable 25 in more detail.

[0104] Alternatively, the RFID tag may be attached to the drum winding start opening 23 shown in Figure 3A, and the cable 25 may be attached over it to form the starting end of the cable 25. This allows detection of the absence of cable 25 when the entire cable 25 has been used, as the RFID tag on the drum winding start opening 23 will be exposed. In addition to the body tag 32 and flange tag 33 in the above-described embodiment, using the RFID tag on the drum winding start opening 23 makes it easy to determine that the remaining length of cable 25 is 0m with just one RFID tag. Alternatively, the body tag 32 may be provided at the end of the body portion 24 on the starting end of the cable 25. In this configuration as well, it is easy to determine that the remaining length of cable 25 is 0m with just one RFID tag (body tag 32). Similarly, the flange tag 33 may be provided near the body portion 24 of the flange portion 21 on the starting end of the cable 25. Even in this configuration, a single RFID tag (flange tag 33) makes it easy to determine that the remaining length of the cable 25 is 0m.

[0105] Furthermore, the identification wireless tag 31 described above may be configured to be detachable from the flange portion 21 of the drum 20. For example, the identification wireless tag 31 may be configured to be installed inside a box portion 21a equipped with a claw portion 21b, as shown in Figure 16A. This makes it possible to reuse the drum 20 by rewriting the contents of the identification wireless tag 31 in the cable management system 1 and attaching it to a predetermined drum 20. Another example of a detachable identification wireless tag 31 is a configuration in which the identification wireless tag 31 is installed inside a box portion 21a equipped with a screw mounting hole 21d, as shown in Figure 16B. In this case as well, similar to the case in Figure 16A, it is possible to reuse the drum 20 by rewriting the contents of the identification wireless tag 31 and attaching it to a predetermined drum 20.

[0106] Furthermore, the body tag 32 may be configured to be detachable from the body 24. For example, a hole 24a may be provided in the body 24, and the body tag 32 may be provided inside a body box 24b that can be fitted into the hole 24a. This makes it possible to reuse the drum 20 by rewriting the contents of the body tag 32 in the cable management system 1 and attaching it to the body 24 of a predetermined drum 20. Alternatively, the body tag 32 may be attached to the body 24 as shown in Figure 4A and then protected with a protective film. Alternatively, instead of a protective film, a liquid forming a thin transparent film may be applied, and the body tag 32 may be protected as the liquid dries. This makes it possible to improve the durability of the body tag 32 by rewriting the contents of the body tag 32, attaching it to the body 24 of a predetermined drum 20, and protecting it with a protective film, thereby preventing the body tag 32 from directly touching the cable 25. The protective film and the thin transparent film should be made of materials that do not block radio waves.

[0107] Furthermore, the cable management system 1 described above may also be applied to a cable ordering system or a production planning system. Specifically, by introducing a cable ordering system or a production planning system to the user terminal 60 shown in Figure 1, it becomes possible to manage cable ordering and production plans based on the remaining amount of cable 25 calculated by the server 10. By ensuring that the remaining amount of cable 25 is appropriately calculated by the cable management device 100 of the server 10, it becomes possible to manage cable ordering and production plans more accurately.

[0108] Furthermore, a computer program (cable management program) that causes a computer to execute the processing (cable management method) in the cable management device 100 described above, and a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is stored, are included within the scope of this embodiment. Here, the type of computer-readable recording medium is arbitrary. Also, the computer program is not limited to one stored on the recording medium, but may be transmitted via telecommunications lines, wireless or wired communication lines, networks such as the Internet, etc.

[0109] The following describes the features of the cable management device 100, the drum 20, the cable management system 1, and the cable management method.

[0110] The cable management device 100 according to the first embodiment includes an identification information acquisition unit 111 that acquires identification information for identifying the drum 20 from an identification wireless tag 31 attached to the drum 20 for winding the cable 25. The cable management device includes a product identification unit 112 that identifies information corresponding to the drum based on the identification information and product information stored in a storage unit in advance. The cable management device 100 also includes a wireless tag information acquisition unit that acquires wireless tag information indicating whether or not a wireless tag for determining remaining amount attached to the body 24 or flange 21 of the drum 20 has been read. Furthermore, the cable management device 100 includes a remaining amount detection unit that detects the remaining amount of cable 25 wound around the drum 20 based on the product information and the wireless tag information.

[0111] With the above configuration, the cable management device 100 does not need to remove the cable 25 from the drum 20, even when the cable 25 is wound around the drum 20, and can detect the remaining amount of cable 25 wound around the drum 20. In other words, the cable management device 100 can determine the remaining amount of cable 25 while the cable 25 is still wound around the drum 20, thereby improving the efficiency of cable management and ordering / receiving of cable 25.

[0112] The product information of the cable management device 100 according to the second embodiment may include information regarding the diameter and inner width of the drum 20, and the outer diameter of the cable 25 wound around the drum 20. Furthermore, the remaining cable detection unit of the cable management device 100 may be a remaining cable calculation unit 114 that calculates the remaining cable length based on the product information and the extent to which the remaining cable length determination wireless tag has been read.

[0113] With the above configuration, the cable management device 100 can calculate the remaining amount of cable 25 more accurately by estimating the remaining amount of cable 25 using the remaining amount calculation unit 114.

[0114] The product information of the cable management device 100 according to the third embodiment may include information regarding the outer diameter of the cable wound around the drum 20. Furthermore, the remaining cable length detection unit of the cable management device 100 may be a remaining cable length estimation unit 115 that estimates the remaining cable length based on the product information, the reading location of the remaining cable length determination wireless tag, and a reference table pre-stored in the storage unit 120.

[0115] With the above configuration, the cable management device 100 estimates the remaining length of the cable 25 using the remaining length estimation unit 115, eliminating the need for calculation processing in, for example, the remaining length calculation unit 114, thus enabling the cable management device 100 to be realized with a simple configuration. Furthermore, the remaining length estimation unit 115 enables low power consumption by reducing processing when detecting the remaining length of the cable 25.

[0116] The wireless tag for determining remaining capacity of the cable management device 100 according to the fourth embodiment may be attached to the body 24 of the drum 20.

[0117] With the above configuration, the cable management device 100 can determine whether a drum 20 is empty with no remaining cable 25, a drum 20 with an end length of cable 25, or a drum 20 with one or more layers of cable 25 remaining in the body 24.

[0118] The wireless tags for determining remaining capacity of the cable management device 100 according to the fifth embodiment may be attached in multiple quantities to the body 24 of the drum 20.

[0119] With the above configuration, the cable management device 100 can calculate the remaining length of the cable 25 for a drum 20 that has an end length of cable 25.

[0120] The wireless tags for determining remaining capacity of the cable management device 100 according to the sixth embodiment may be attached in multiple locations to the inner surface of the flange portion 21 of the drum 20.

[0121] With the above configuration, the cable management device 100 can calculate the remaining amount of cable 25 when the cable 25 is wound around the drum 20 in multiple layers.

[0122] The wireless tag information of the cable management device 100 according to the seventh embodiment may further include information regarding the radio wave strength from the wireless tag for determining remaining capacity.

[0123] With the above configuration, the cable management device 100 is configured to acquire information on the strength of radio waves, which makes it possible to calculate the remaining length of the cable 25 more accurately.

[0124] The drum 20 according to the eighth embodiment is a drum comprising a flange portion 21 and a body portion 24 for winding the cable 25. The drum 20 has an identification wireless tag 31 attached to the flange portion 21, which contains identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 111 of the cable management device 100 described above. In addition, the drum 20 has at least one remaining amount determination wireless tag attached to the inner surface of the body portion 24 or the flange portion 21, which contains wireless tag information acquired by the wireless tag information acquisition unit of the cable management device 100.

[0125] With the above configuration, the cable management device 100, which corresponds to the drum 20, does not need to remove the cable 25 from the drum 20 even when the cable 25 is wound around it, and it is possible to detect the remaining amount of cable 25 wound around the drum 20. In other words, the cable management device 100 using the drum 20 can determine the remaining amount of cable 25 while the cable 25 is still wound around the drum 20, thereby improving the efficiency of cable management and ordering / receiving of cable 25.

[0126] The cable management system 1 according to the ninth embodiment includes a drum 20 for winding a cable 25, an identification wireless tag 31 attached to the drum 20, and a remaining amount determination wireless tag attached to the body 24 or flange 21 of the drum 20. The cable management system 1 also includes a reader 30 that acquires detection information from the identification wireless tag 31 and the remaining amount determination wireless tag, and a cable management device 100 connected to the reader 30 via a network 40. The cable management device 100 has an identification information acquisition unit 111 that acquires identification information for identifying the drum 20 detected by the identification wireless tag 31. The cable management device has a product identification unit 112 that identifies information corresponding to the drum, which includes product information such as the diameter and inner width of the drum body and the outer diameter of the cable wound around the drum, based on the identification information and product information stored in a storage unit in advance. Furthermore, the cable management device 100 has a wireless tag information acquisition unit that acquires wireless tag information indicating whether or not a wireless tag for determining remaining amount attached to the body 24 or flange 21 of the drum 20 has been read. In addition, the cable management device 100 has a remaining amount detection unit that detects the remaining amount of cable 25 wound around the drum 20 based on product information and wireless tag information.

[0127] With the above configuration, the cable management system 1 does not need to remove the cable 25 from the drum 20, even when the cable 25 is wound around the drum 20, and can detect the remaining amount of cable 25 wound around the drum 20. In other words, the cable management system 1 can determine the remaining amount of cable 25 while the cable 25 is still wound around the drum 20, thereby improving the efficiency of cable management and ordering / receiving of cable 25.

[0128] The tenth embodiment of the cable management method is a computer-based cable management method that acquires identification information for identifying a drum 20 from an identification wireless tag 31 attached to the drum 20 for winding a cable 25. Based on the identification information and product information previously stored in a storage unit 120, the cable management method identifies information corresponding to the drum 20, which includes information regarding the diameter and inner width of the drum 20 and the outer diameter of the cable 25 wound around the drum 20. The cable management method also acquires wireless tag information indicating whether or not a wireless tag for determining remaining amount attached to the body 24 or flange 21 of the drum 20 has been read. Furthermore, the cable management method detects the remaining amount of cable 25 wound around the drum 20 based on the product information and the wireless tag information.

[0129] According to the above configuration, the cable management method does not require removing the cable 25 from the drum 20, even when the cable 25 is wound around the drum 20, and it is possible to detect the remaining amount of cable 25 wound around the drum 20. In other words, the cable management method makes it possible to determine the remaining amount of cable 25 while the cable 25 is still wound around the drum 20, thereby improving the efficiency of cable management and ordering / receiving of cable 25. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0130] 1. Cable Management System 10 servers 20 drums 30 Leaders 40 Networks 60 User Terminals 100 Cable management devices 111 Identification Information Acquisition Unit 112 Product Specification Department 113 Torso Information Acquisition Unit 114 Remaining amount calculation unit 115 Remaining amount estimation unit 116 Tsuba Information Acquisition Department 121 Drum Information Database 122 Product information DB 123 Torso Information Database 124 Management information DB 125 Tsuba information DB

Claims

1. An identification information acquisition unit that acquires identification information for identifying a drum from an identification wireless tag attached to a drum for winding cables, A product identification unit identifies information corresponding to the drum based on the aforementioned identification information and product information previously stored in the storage unit, A wireless tag information acquisition unit acquires wireless tag information indicating whether or not a wireless tag for determining remaining quantity, attached to the body or flange of the drum, has been read. A cable management device comprising: a remaining amount detection unit that detects the remaining amount of the cable wound around the drum based on the product information and the wireless tag information.

2. The product information includes information regarding the diameter and inner width of the drum, and the outer diameter of the cable wound around the drum. The cable management device according to claim 1, wherein the remaining amount detection unit is a remaining amount calculation unit that calculates the remaining amount of the cable based on the product information and the extent to which the remaining amount determination wireless tag has been read.

3. The product information includes information regarding the outer diameter of the cable wound around the drum, The cable management device according to claim 1, wherein the remaining amount detection unit is a remaining amount estimation unit that estimates the remaining amount of the cable based on the product information, the reading location of the remaining amount determination wireless tag, and a reference table stored in advance in the storage unit 120.

4. The cable management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the wireless tag for determining remaining amount is attached to the body of the drum.

5. The cable management device according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of the wireless tags for determining remaining amount are attached to the body of the drum.

6. The cable management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a plurality of the wireless tags for determining the remaining amount are attached to the inner surface of the flange portion of the drum.

7. The cable management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising the wireless tag information relating to the radio wave intensity from the wireless tag for determining remaining capacity.

8. A drum comprising a flange and a body for winding cables, The identification wireless tag containing the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit of the cable management device according to claim 1 is attached to the flange portion. A drum in which at least one of the remaining amount determination wireless tags, which contains the wireless tag information acquired by the wireless tag information acquisition unit of the cable management device, is attached to the inner surface of the body or flange.

9. A drum for winding the cable, An identification wireless tag attached to the drum, A wireless tag for determining remaining quantity is attached to the body or flange of the drum, A reader that acquires detection information from the aforementioned identification wireless tag and the aforementioned remaining amount determination wireless tag, The cable management device is connected to the aforementioned reader via a network. The cable management device is, An identification information acquisition unit that acquires identification information for identifying the drum detected by the aforementioned wireless identification tag, A product identification unit identifies information corresponding to the drum based on the aforementioned identification information and product information previously stored in the storage unit, A wireless tag information acquisition unit that acquires wireless tag information indicating whether or not the wireless tag for determining the remaining amount attached to the drum body or flange has been read, A remaining amount detection unit that detects the remaining amount of the cable wound around the drum based on the product information and the wireless tag information, Cable management system.

10. A cable management method performed by a computer, Identification information for identifying the drum is obtained from an identification wireless tag attached to the drum for winding the cable. Based on the aforementioned identification information, product information previously stored in the storage unit is identified, The system acquires wireless tag information indicating whether or not the wireless tag for determining the remaining amount attached to the drum body or flange has been read. A cable management method for detecting the remaining amount of cable wound around the drum based on the product information and the wireless tag information.

Images