Item search system

Abstract

To make it possible to facilitate searching for an article without disturbing other workers.SOLUTION: An article management terminal is configured to display a work history screen showing the work history of each of article storage devices on a display unit on the basis of work history information received from each of the plurality of article storage devices by a first communication unit, and transmit an instruction for the position notification operation to an article storage device selected via an input unit by the first communication unit. The article storage device controls the position notification operation by a notification unit in accordance with the instructions received from the article management terminal by a second communication unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an article search system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when searching for a desired article among articles stored in a plurality of article storage shelves arranged in a warehouse or the like, the indicator light of the article storage shelf storing the desired article is lit, and further, the indicator lights of the article storage shelves arranged around it are also lit, so that a searcher can easily search for which article storage shelf the desired article is stored in by relying on the light of the indicator light (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the conventional article search system, until the searcher visually recognizes the light of the indicator light and gives a search completion instruction, the article storage shelves whose indicator lights are lit are switched over with the passage of time. Therefore, for example, when there is an operator who is working other than the searcher, the lighting of the indicator light may interfere with the work of the operator.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and intends to propose an article search system that can easily search for articles without disturbing other operators.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention provides an item search system comprising an item management terminal and a plurality of item storage devices, wherein the item management terminal has a display unit, an input unit, and a first communication unit capable of communicating with the item storage devices, the item storage devices have a second communication unit that transmits work history information to the item management terminal and a notification unit that performs a location notification operation to indicate its own location, the item management terminal displays a work history screen showing the work history for each of the plurality of item storage devices on the display unit based on the work history information received from each of the plurality of item storage devices by the first communication unit, transmits an instruction for the location notification operation to the selected item storage device via the input unit using the first communication unit, and the item storage device controls the location notification operation by the notification unit in accordance with the instruction received from the item management terminal by the second communication unit.

[0007] By doing this, the explorer can understand the work history at each item storage device based on the work history screen, and then instruct the device to perform a location notification action to the item storage device containing the desired item or the item storage devices in its vicinity, while avoiding the item storage devices where the worker is most likely to be working. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, an item retrieval system can be realized that allows for easy retrieval of items without interfering with other workers. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the item search system. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the network configuration of the item search system. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the configuration of the parts reel shelf. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of work history data. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the configuration of a PC. [Figure 6]This is a sequence chart illustrating the operation of an item retrieval system. [Figure 7] This figure shows examples of data for beacon transmission instruction packets, surrounding response instruction beacons, and shelf information notification packets. [Figure 8] This diagram shows the configuration of the parts reel shelf list screen. [Figure 9] This figure shows examples of data for an execute command packet and a stop command packet. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] [1. Overall Configuration of the Item Search System] Figure 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of an item search system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The item search system 1 is a system for searching for a component reel shelf 10 (10A, 10B, 10C) containing a desired item (in this case, an electronic component) from among a plurality of component reel shelves 10 (10A, 10B, 10C) arranged on a floor F1 such as a warehouse. This item search system 1 includes a plurality of component reel shelves 10 (10A, 10B, 10C), a PC 3 operated by a searcher 2, and a plurality of wireless LAN routers 4 arranged on the upper part of the floor F1 (for example, the ceiling).

[0012] Multiple wireless LAN routers 4 can communicate with each other as part of a LAN, and PC 3 and multiple parts reel shelves 10 (10A, 10B, 10C) can each communicate with any of the wireless LAN routers 4. In other words, as shown in the network configuration diagram in Figure 2, PC 3 and the multiple parts reel shelves 10 (10A, 10B, 10C) are connected to a LAN 100 constructed by multiple wireless LAN routers 4 and can communicate with each other. Specifically, PC 3 and the multiple parts reel shelves 10 (10A, 10B, 10C), which function as communication terminals, can identify the IP address from the terminal name of the communication partner and send packets to that IP address if the terminal name is known.

[0013] Returning to Figure 1, PC3 is a notebook-type personal computer or tablet device with wireless LAN connectivity. This PC3 is used by Explorer 2 to search for electronic components.

[0014] Each component reel shelf 10 (10A, 10B, 10C) is a shelf capable of storing multiple component reels. A component reel is a reel on which carrier tape that holds electronic components is wound, and is one form of packaging for electronic components. Each component reel shelf 10 (10A, 10B, 10C) has a computer that can connect to a wireless LAN and stores and manages the stored component reels, stores and manages the work history of the worker (not shown), and performs notification actions to inform the explorer 2 of the location of its own shelf (itself) with sound or light.

[0015] Furthermore, each component reel shelf 10 (10A, 10B, 10C) has a short-range wireless communication function, enabling them to communicate with each other via short-range wireless communication. In Figure 1, as an example, component reel shelf 10A is the shelf that stores the electronic components that searcher 2 is looking for as component reels, component reel shelf 10B is the shelf located within a range 5 where a beacon transmitted from component reel shelf 10A via short-range wireless communication can be received at a significant rate (i.e., the shelf located near component reel shelf 10A), and component reel shelf 10C is the shelf located outside range 5. The overall configuration of the item search system 1 is as described above.

[0016] [2. Configuration of parts reel shelves] Next, the configuration of the component reel shelf 10 (10A, 10B, 10C) will be described. Since the component reel shelves 10A, 10B, and 10C have the same configuration, only the configuration of the component reel shelf 10A will be described here. Fig. 3 shows the configuration of the component reel shelf 10A. As shown in this Fig. 3, the component reel shelf 10A has a wireless LAN module 210, a short-range wireless module 220, a work contact surface 230, a storage area 240, a lighting unit 205, an alarm unit 206, and a control unit 201. Note that the component reel shelf 10A has the lighting unit 205 and the alarm unit 206 as position notification means for notifying the position of its own shelf (itself), but there may be a component reel shelf 10 that has only one of the lighting unit 205 and the alarm unit 206.

[0017] The wireless LAN module 210 is a wireless communication unit for performing wireless communication in packet units, and is, for example, a Wi-Fi communication device. This wireless LAN module 210 has a packet transmission unit 211 and a packet reception unit 212. The short-range wireless module 220 is a short-range wireless communication unit for performing data transmission and reception at a short range by transmitting and receiving beacons, and is, for example, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication device. This short-range wireless module 220 has a beacon transmission unit 221 and a beacon reception unit 222. The beacon transmission unit 221 has a function of measuring the radio wave intensity at the time of beacon transmission in addition to the function of transmitting a beacon.

[0018] The work contact surface 230 is a group of components on which an operator directly operates the component reel shelf 10A, and has a display unit 231 for displaying a screen, an input unit 232 for receiving operation inputs, and a plurality of component reel storage detection units 233 composed of sensors for detecting the storage and removal of component reels. The display unit 231 and the input unit 232 are, for example, composed of a touch panel. The input unit 232 can perform operation inputs such as input of the operator's identification information, input of the component reel's identification information, and input of work instructions.

[0019] The memory area 240 is composed of, for example, ROM or RAM. This memory area 240 includes a configuration information recording unit 241 that records configuration information indicating whether the components reel shelf 10 includes a lighting unit 205 and an alarm unit 206, a work history recording unit 242 that records work history information indicating the history of work performed by the worker on the work contact surface 230 (i.e., work history), and a clock 243 that has information on the current time measured by a real-time clock.

[0020] Figure 4 shows an example of work history information recorded in the work record unit 242. As shown in Figure 4, the work record unit 242 records information for each task performed by the worker (referred to as work information) as work history information. Each piece of work information includes four items: a sequential number for the task (e.g., "1"), the date and time of the task (e.g., "2022 / 10 / 13 16:37:54"), the worker's name (e.g., "Jiro Yamada"), and the details of the task (e.g., "80 parts reels received"). The work history information recorded in the work record unit 242 is transmitted to the PC3 by the packet transmission unit 211.

[0021] Returning to Figure 3, the lighting unit 205 is one of the location notification means, and is, for example, an indicator light using an LED. This lighting unit 205 can be turned on and off, and by turning on, it notifies the explorer 2 of its location. The alarm unit 206 is also one of the location notification means, and is, for example, a sound-producing component such as a buzzer. This alarm unit 206 can sound (produce sound) and be silenced, and by sounding, it notifies the explorer 2 of its location. The control unit 201 is, for example, composed of a CPU, and controls the entire parts reel shelf 10A, as well as executing and stopping the location notification operations of the lighting unit 205 and the alarm unit 206. The configuration of the parts reel shelf 10A is as described above.

[0022] [3. PC Configuration] Next, I will explain the configuration of PC3. Figure 5 shows the configuration of PC3. PC3 has a wireless LAN module 510, a display unit 502, an input unit 503, and a control unit 501.

[0023] The wireless LAN module 510 is a communication device for wireless communication in packet units, such as a Wi-Fi communication device. This wireless LAN module 510 has a packet transmission unit 511 and a packet reception unit 512.

[0024] The display unit 502 is, for example, an LCD, which displays the parts reel shelf list screen described later. The input unit 503 is, for example, a keyboard or mouse, which accepts operation input. The control unit 201 is, for example, a CPU, which controls the entire PC3. That is, the control unit 201 controls, for example, the transmission of information to the parts reel shelf 10 by the packet transmission unit 511 and the display on the display unit 502, based on information received from the parts reel shelf 10 by the packet reception unit 512 and operation input to the input unit 503. The configuration of the PC3 is as described above.

[0025] [4. Operation of the Item Search System] Next, the operation of the item search system 1 will be described. More specifically, the operation of the item search system 1 will be described when searcher 2 searches for the parts reel shelf 10A in which the desired electronic component is stored. As a premise, searcher 2 knows the name of the parts reel shelf 10A in which the desired electronic component is stored (the terminal name, for example, "APPLE"), but does not know the location of the parts reel shelf 10A.

[0026] The procedure for operating the item search system 1 is shown in the sequence chart in Figure 6. First, in step SP301, the searcher 2 specifies the terminal name (for example, "APPLE") of the parts reel shelf 10A to be searched via the input unit 503 of the PC3, and issues a command to start searching for the parts reel shelf 10A.

[0027] In the following step SP302, the control unit 501 of PC3, in response to the search start instruction, sends a beacon transmission instruction packet from the packet transmission unit 511 to the parts reel shelf 10A identified by the specified terminal name, instructing it to transmit a beacon.

[0028] Here, Figure 7(A) shows the data structure of the beacon transmission instruction packet Pk1 that is transmitted at this time. The beacon transmission instruction packet Pk1 consists of a command and the name of the reply destination (terminal name) to which the shelf information described later will be replied. The command is written as "Beacon Transmission Instruction," and the name of the reply destination is the terminal name of PC3 (for example, "Kikuchi's PC"). In other words, this beacon transmission instruction packet Pk1 is a packet that requests the component reel shelf 10A, which is the target of the search, to transmit a beacon and also send shelf information to the reply destination (PC3).

[0029] In the following step SP303 (Figure 6), the control unit 201 of the parts reel shelf 10A detects a beacon transmission instruction from the beacon transmission instruction packet Pk1 received by the packet receiving unit 212, and in response to the beacon transmission instruction, the beacon transmission unit 221 transmits a peripheral response instruction beacon to each of the surrounding parts reel shelves 10B to instruct them to respond.

[0030] Here, Figure 7(B) shows the data structure of the surrounding response instruction beacon Bc1 transmitted at this time. The surrounding response instruction beacon Bc1 consists of three items: a command, radio wave strength, and the name of the reply destination (terminal name) to which the shelf information described later will be sent. The command is written as "surrounding response instruction", the radio wave strength is written as, for example, "3", and the name of the PC3 terminal (for example, "Kikuchi's PC") is written as the name of the reply destination. The radio wave strength is a value measured by the beacon transmitter 221 and indicates the radio wave strength when the surrounding response instruction beacon Bc1 is transmitted. In other words, this surrounding response instruction beacon Bc1 is a packet that requests each of the multiple surrounding component reel shelves 10B to respond and send shelf information to the reply destination (PC3), and also indicates the radio wave strength when the surrounding response instruction beacon Bc1 is transmitted.

[0031] Subsequently, in step SP304 (Figure 6), the control unit 201 of the parts reel shelf 10A generates shelf information relating to its own shelf (i.e., parts reel shelf 10A), and sends (replies to) this as a shelf information notification packet from the packet transmission unit 211 to the name of the reply recipient described in the beacon transmission instruction packet Pk1 (i.e., to PC3).

[0032] Here, Figure 7(C) shows the data structure of the shelf information notification packet Pk2 that is sent back at this time. The shelf information notification packet Pk2 consists of eight items: the command, the name of the parts reel shelf (terminal name), the distance to the search target (i.e., the parts reel shelf 10A that is the search target), the presence or absence of the illuminated part, the presence or absence of the alarm part, the number of operations performed in the past 24 hours, the last operator, and the date and time of the last operation.

[0033] In the example shown in Figure 7(C), the shelf information notification packet Pk2 contains "Shelf Information Notification" as the command, "APPLE" as the name of the parts reel shelf, "-" (blank) as the distance to the search target, "Yes" as the presence or absence of the indicator light, "Yes" as the presence or absence of the alarm, "0" as the number of operations performed in the past 24 hours, "Taro Tanaka" as the last worker, and "2022 / 10 / 1 12:01" as the date and time of the last operation.

[0034] This shelf information notification packet Pk2 contains shelf information about the component reel shelf 10A that is the target of the search, so the distance to the target is "-" (blank), meaning the distance to the current shelf is 0. Also, as mentioned above, the component reel shelf 10A has a light unit 205 and an alarm unit 206, so the presence or absence of the light unit described in the shelf information notification packet Pk2 is "present" and the presence or absence of the alarm unit is also "present".

[0035] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 7(C), the number of operations performed in the past 24 hours described in shelf information notification packet Pk2 is "0," which means that no operations have been performed on the parts reel shelf 10A in the past 24 hours. In this case, the last worker and last work date and time will show the name of the worker who performed the last operation more than 24 hours ago, and the date and time of that last operation.

[0036] Furthermore, the control unit 201 of the parts reel shelf 10A determines the presence or absence of the indicator lights and alarms to be described in the shelf information notification packet Pk2, based on the contents recorded in the configuration information recording unit 241. The control unit 201 also determines the number of operations performed in the past 24 hours to be described in the shelf information notification packet Pk2 by aggregating the operation history information from the operation history information recorded in the operation record unit 242. The control unit 201 also identifies the last operator and the date and time of the last operation from the said operation history information.

[0037] In this manner, when the component reel shelf 10A to be searched receives a beacon transmission instruction packet Pk1 from PC3, it transmits a surrounding response instruction beacon Bc1 to each of the surrounding component reel shelves 10B and also sends back a shelf information notification packet Pk2 to PC3.

[0038] Meanwhile, in step SP305 (Figure 6), the control unit 201 of the parts reel shelf 10B, located in the vicinity of the parts reel shelf 10A, detects a peripheral response instruction from the peripheral response instruction beacon Bc1 received by the packet receiving unit 212. In response to the peripheral response instruction, it determines the distance to the parts reel shelf 10A based on the difference between the radio wave strength when the peripheral response instruction beacon Bc1 was received (hereinafter referred to as the received radio wave strength) and the radio wave strength when the peripheral response instruction beacon Bc1 described in the peripheral response instruction beacon Bc1 was transmitted (hereinafter referred to as the transmitted radio wave strength).

[0039] Here, the control unit 201 determines that the distance from the component reel shelf 10A is "close" if, for example, the difference between the received signal strength and the transmitted signal strength falls within a range that allows for significant distance estimation according to the short-range wireless specifications (i.e., the difference between the received signal strength and the transmitted signal strength is below a predetermined threshold), and determines that the distance from the component reel shelf 10A is "far" if it does not fall within that range (i.e., the difference between the received signal strength and the transmitted signal strength is greater than a predetermined threshold). In this way, the control unit 201 also functions as a distance acquisition unit that obtains the distance from the component reel shelf 10A, which is the target of the search.

[0040] In the following step SP306, the control unit 201 of the parts reel shelf 10B generates shelf information relating to its own shelf (i.e., parts reel shelf 10B), and sends (replies to) this as a shelf information notification packet from the packet transmission unit 211 to the name of the reply destination described in the surrounding response instruction beacon Bc1 (i.e., to PC3).

[0041] Figure 7(D) shows the data structure of the shelf information notification packet Pk3 that is sent back at this time. The data structure of the shelf information notification packet Pk3 is the same as that of the shelf information notification packet Pk2 described above, and consists of eight items: the command, the name of the parts reel shelf (terminal name), the distance to the search target (i.e., the parts reel shelf 10A that is the search target), the presence or absence of the illuminated part, the presence or absence of the alarm part, the number of operations performed in the past 24 hours, the last operator, and the date and time of the last operation.

[0042] In the example shown in Figure 7(D), the shelf information notification packet Pk3 contains "shelf information notification" as the command, "GRAPES" as the name of the parts reel shelf, "close" as the distance to the search target, "none" as the presence or absence of the illuminated part, "present" as the presence or absence of the alarm part, "3" as the number of operations performed in the past 24 hours, "Suzuki Shiro" as the last worker, and "2022 / 10 / 20 18:58" as the date and time of the last operation.

[0043] Thus, since the shelf information notification packet Pk3 contains shelf information about parts reel shelves 10B located around the parts reel shelf 10A that is the target of the search, the distance to the target of the search is described as either "close" or "far" rather than "-" (blank).

[0044] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 7(D), the shelf information pertains to a component reel shelf 10B that does not have a lighting unit 205 but does have an alarm unit 206. Therefore, the presence or absence of the lighting unit described in the shelf information notification packet Pk3 is "none," and the presence or absence of the alarm unit is "present." Naturally, in the case of a component reel shelf 10B that has a lighting unit 205, the presence or absence of the lighting unit is "present," and in the case of a component reel shelf 10B that does not have an alarm unit 206, the presence or absence of the alarm unit is "absent."

[0045] In the example shown in Figure 7(D), the number of operations performed in the past 24 hours, as described in shelf information notification packet Pk3, is "3," which means that operations were performed three times on the parts reel shelf 10B during the past 24 hours. In this case, the last worker and last work date and time indicate the name of the worker who performed the last operation within the 24 hours, and the date and time of that last operation.

[0046] Furthermore, the control unit 201 of the parts reel shelf 10B determines the presence or absence of a light-up unit and an alarm unit, which will be described in the shelf information notification packet Pk3, based on the contents recorded in the configuration information recording unit 241. The control unit 201 also determines the number of operations performed in the past 24 hours, which will be described in the shelf information notification packet Pk3, by aggregating the operation history information for the past 24 hours from the operation history information recorded in the operation record unit 242. The control unit 201 also identifies the last operator and the date and time of the last operation from the operation history information. In addition, as described above, the control unit 201 determines the distance to the search target, which will be described in the shelf information notification packet Pk3, based on the difference between the received radio wave strength and the transmitted radio wave strength.

[0047] In this manner, when multiple component reel shelves 10B located around the component reel shelf 10A to be searched receive a surrounding response instruction beacon Bc1 from component reel shelf 10A, each of them sends back a shelf information notification packet Pk3 to PC3.

[0048] In step SP307 (Figure 6), the control unit 501 of PC3 generates a parts reel shelf list screen based on shelf information notification packets Pk2 and Pk3 received by the packet receiving unit 512, and in the following step SP308, displays this parts reel shelf list screen on the display unit 502. Figure 8 shows an example of the screen configuration of the parts reel shelf list screen Sc1 displayed at this time.

[0049] The parts reel shelf list screen Sc1 displays a list of shelf information (i.e., shelf information for each parts reel shelf 10) contained in shelf information notification packets Pk2 and Pk3 received from each of the parts reel shelves 10 (10A and 10B), and is a screen for instructing each of the parts reel shelves 10 (10A and 10B) to execute and stop the position notification operation.

[0050] This parts reel shelf list screen Sc1 has a shelf information list display area 401 that displays shelf information for each parts reel shelf 10 (10A, 10B) in list format, an execute button Bt1 for executing a location notification operation, and a stop button Bt2 for stopping the location notification operation.

[0051] The shelf information for each parts reel shelf 10 (10A, 10B) displayed in the shelf information list display area 401 (i.e., the information for each row in the list) consists of seven items: the shelf name, the distance to the search target (i.e., parts reel shelf 10A with the shelf name "APPLE"), the number of operations performed in the past 24 hours, the last operator, the date and time of the last operation, the status of illumination, and the status of sounding.

[0052] Of these seven items, the shelf name, distance to the search target, number of operations in the past 24 hours, last operator, and last operation date and time are displayed as described in shelf information notification packets Pk2 and Pk3, respectively.

[0053] For example, the first row of shelf information displayed in the shelf information list display area 401 is the shelf information for the parts reel shelf 10A that is the target of the search. The shelf name is displayed as "APPLE", the distance to the target of the search is "-" (blank), the number of operations performed in the past 24 hours is "0", the last worker is "Taro Tanaka", and the last work date and time is "2022 / 10 / 1 12:01".

[0054] For example, the shelf information on the fourth line is for one of the parts reel shelves 10B located around parts reel shelf 10A. The shelf name is displayed as "GRAPES," the distance to the search target is displayed as "close," the number of operations performed in the past 24 hours is "3," the last worker is "Suzuki Shiro," and the last work date and time is "2022 / 10 / 20 18:58."

[0055] Furthermore, regarding the lighting of one of the seven items, checkbox 402 is displayed if the presence or absence of the lighting unit described in shelf information notification packets Pk2 and Pk3 is "present," and "not possible" is displayed if it is "absent." Similarly, regarding the sounding of one of the seven items, checkbox 402 is displayed if the presence or absence of the alarm unit described in shelf information notification packets Pk2 and Pk3 is "present," and "not possible" is displayed if it is "absent."

[0056] The checkboxes 402 for illumination and sounding can be checked or unchecked by touch or click operations on the input unit 503 of the PC3. Checking the illumination checkbox 402 specifies that illumination by the illumination unit 205 will be used as the location notification operation, and checking the sounding checkbox 402 specifies that sounding by the alarm unit 206 will be used as the location notification operation.

[0057] For example, in the first row of shelf information displayed in the shelf information list display area 401 (i.e., shelf information for parts reel shelf 10A), checkboxes 402 are displayed for both lighting and sounding, and both are checked. This means that parts reel shelf 10A has both a lighting unit 205 and an alarm unit 206, and that it is specified to use both lighting by the lighting unit 205 and sounding by the alarm unit 206 as location notification operations.

[0058] Furthermore, in the shelf information for the third line (i.e., shelf information for one of the parts reel shelves 10B), checkboxes 402 are displayed for both illumination and sounding, and only illumination is checked. This means that the parts reel shelf 10B corresponding to the shelf information for the third line has both an illumination unit 205 and an alarm unit 206, and is specified to use only illumination by the illumination unit 205 as the position notification operation.

[0059] Furthermore, the shelf information for each parts reel shelf 10 (10A, 10B) displayed in the shelf information list display area 401 is displayed in a list order determined by the value of the item. Specifically, the shelf information for parts reel shelf 10A, which is the target of the search, is placed at the top of the list (i.e., it is displayed at the very top of the list).

[0060] Furthermore, for shelf information of parts reel shelves 10B other than parts reel shelf 10A, the display order on the list is determined based on the total value obtained by weighting the values ​​of these three items (distance from the search target, number of operations in the past 24 hours, and last operation date and time), so that shelves that are closer to the search target are ranked higher, shelves with fewer operations in the past 24 hours are ranked higher, and shelves with older last operation dates are ranked higher. In other words, for shelf information of parts reel shelves 10B, shelves that are closer to the search target and have not had operations performed recently are displayed higher on the list.

[0061] In this case, the parts reel shelf 10B where work is currently being performed is likely to interfere with the worker if location notification functions such as lighting up or sounding are activated. On the other hand, the parts reel shelf 10B where work is not currently being performed is less likely to interfere with the worker if location notification functions such as lighting up or sounding are activated.

[0062] In other words, in the shelf information list display area 401, shelf information for parts reel shelves 10B that are unlikely to interfere with the worker even when the location notification operation is performed is displayed at the top of the list, while shelf information for parts reel shelves 10B that are likely to interfere with the worker when the location notification operation is performed is displayed at the bottom of the list.

[0063] By referring to the shelf information for each parts reel shelf 10 (10A, 10B) displayed in the shelf information list display area 401, explorer 2 can confirm the shelf information of the parts reel shelf 10A to be searched and the shelf information of the parts reel shelves 10B located around the search target. Based on this, explorer 2 can then determine which parts reel shelf 10B is less likely to interfere with the worker even if the location notification operation is performed.

[0064] Then, in step SP309 (Figure 6), explorer 2 selects at least one component reel shelf 10 from the list on the shelf information list display area 401 to perform a location notification operation, and further specifies the type of location notification operation (i.e., lighting up or sounding) to be performed for each selected component reel shelf 10. In the following step SP310, explorer 2 presses the execution button Bt1 via the input unit 503 of PC3 to instruct the execution of the location notification operation.

[0065] In the example shown in Figure 8, the first row of parts reel shelves 10A, the second row of parts reel shelves 10B, and the third row of parts reel shelves 10B are selected, and the types of position notification actions to be performed on the first row of parts reel shelves 10A are specified as lighting and sounding, the types of position notification actions to be performed on the second row of parts reel shelves 10B are specified as lighting and sounding, and the type of position notification action to be performed on the third row of parts reel shelves 10B is specified as lighting.

[0066] When the execution button Bt1 is pressed, in step SP311 (Figure 6), the control unit 501 of PC3 sends an execution instruction packet from the packet transmission unit 511 to the parts reel shelves 10B (in the case of Figure 8, the parts reel shelves 10B in the second row and the parts reel shelves 10B in the third row) for which the type of location notification operation to be selected and executed has been specified on the shelf information list display area 401.

[0067] Figure 9(A) shows the data structure of the execution instruction packet Pk4 that is transmitted at this time. The execution instruction packet Pk4 consists of two items: a command and an execution target. The command is described as "execution instruction," and the execution target is described as either "light up" or "ring."

[0068] For parts reel shelves 10B where both the "light up" and "sound" checkboxes 402 on the shelf information list display area 401 are checked, both "light up" and "sound" will be described. For parts reel shelves 10B where only one of the checkboxes 402 is checked, either "light up" or "sound" will be described.

[0069] In the example shown in Figure 9(A), only "ring" is described as the target of execution in the execution instruction packet Pk4. In other words, in this case, the execution instruction packet Pk4 is a packet that instructs the system to perform a location notification operation using ringing.

[0070] Next, in step SP312 (Figure 6), the control unit 501 of PC3 sends an execution instruction packet from the packet transmission unit 511 to the parts reel shelf 10A for which the type of position notification operation to be selected and executed on the shelf information list display area 401 has been specified.

[0071] Figure 9(B) shows the data structure of the execution instruction packet Pk5 that is transmitted at this time. The data structure of the execution instruction packet Pk5 is the same as that of the execution instruction packet Pk4 described above, and consists of two items: the command and the target of execution.

[0072] In the example shown in Figure 9(B), both "light up" and "ring" are described as the actions to be performed in the execution instruction packet Pk5. In other words, in this case, the execution instruction packet Pk5 is a packet that instructs the system to perform location notification operations using both lighting up and ringing.

[0073] Subsequently, the control unit 201 of the parts reel shelf 10B, which has received the execution instruction packet Pk4 in the packet receiving unit 512, detects the execution instruction from the execution instruction packet Pk4 in step SP313 (Figure 6) and performs location notification operations using the lighting unit 205 and the alarm unit 206. That is, the control unit 201 of the parts reel shelf 10B performs either or both of the following as location notification operations: lighting up with the lighting unit 205 and sounding with the alarm unit 206, based on the execution target described in the execution instruction packet Pk4.

[0074] Furthermore, in step SP314, the control unit 201 of the parts reel shelf 10A, which has received the execution instruction packet Pk5 in the packet receiving unit 512, detects the execution instruction from the execution instruction packet Pk5 and performs location notification operations using the lighting unit 205 and the alarm unit 206. That is, based on the execution target described in the execution instruction packet Pk5, the control unit 201 of the parts reel shelf 10A performs either or both of the following as location notification operations: lighting up with the lighting unit 205 and sounding with the alarm unit 206.

[0075] In this way, the parts reel shelf 10A, which is the target of the search, and the parts reel shelves 10B, which are arranged around the parts reel shelf 10A, perform position notification operations to inform the searcher 2 of their own shelf's location by lighting up or making a sound. The searcher 2 then searches for the parts reel shelf 10A, relying on the light from the lighting up and the sound from the sound from the sound. At this time, for example, when the searcher 2 moves close to the parts reel shelf 10A, relying on the position notification operations of the parts reel shelves 10A and 10B, the position notification operation of the parts reel shelf 10B can be stopped via the parts reel shelf list screen Sc1, and only the position notification operation of the parts reel shelf 10A can be continued, making it easy to find the location of the parts reel shelf 10A. Furthermore, this is not the only option; for example, if explorer 2 cannot find part reel shelf 10A even after performing a location notification operation on the selected part reel shelves 10A and 10B, it is possible to make it easier to find part reel shelf 10A by increasing the number of part reel shelves 10B that perform the location notification operation via the part reel shelf list screen Sc1.

[0076] Then, when Explorer 2 finds the parts reel shelf 10A and completes the search, in step SP315, on the shelf information list display area 401, Explorer 2 selects at least one parts reel shelf 10 from the list for which the position notification operation should be stopped, and further specifies the type of position notification operation (i.e., lighting up or sounding) to be stopped for each selected parts reel shelf 10. In the following step SP316, Explorer 2 presses the stop button Bt2 via the input unit 503 of PC3 to instruct the stopping of the position notification operation.

[0077] Here, as an example, we assume that the selected parts reel shelf 10 and the type of position notification operation to be stopped for each selected parts reel shelf 10 are the same as when the position notification operation was instructed to be performed. Therefore, in this case, the instruction will be to stop all currently running position notification operations.

[0078] Specifically, for example, the first, second, and third row component reel shelves 10A, 10B, and 10B of the component reel shelf 10, which are currently performing position notification operations, are selected, and the type of position notification operation to be stopped for the first row component reel shelf 10A is specified as illumination and sounding, the type of position notification operation to be stopped for the second row component reel shelf 10B is specified as illumination and sounding, and the type of position notification operation to be stopped for the third row component reel shelf 10B is specified as illumination. However, this is not limited to this, and any component reel shelf 10 may be selected from among the component reel shelves 10 that are currently performing position notification operations as the component reel shelf 10 to stop the position notification operation, and any type of position notification operation to be stopped may be specified.

[0079] When the stop button Bt2 is pressed, in step SP317, the control unit 501 of PC3 sends a stop instruction packet from the packet transmission unit 511 to the parts reel shelves 10B (in the case of Figure 8, the second row parts reel shelves 10B and the third row parts reel shelves 10B) for which the type of position notification operation to be stopped has been selected on the shelf information list display area 401.

[0080] Figure 9(C) shows the data structure of the stop instruction packet Pk6 transmitted at this time. The stop instruction packet Pk6 consists of two items: a command and the object to be stopped. The command is described as "stop instruction," and the object to be stopped is described as either "lighting up" or "sounding up," or both.

[0081] For parts reel shelves 10B that are subject to stopping, if both the "light up" and "sound" checkboxes 402 on the shelf information list display area 401 are checked, both "light up" and "sound" will be described. If only one of the checkboxes 402 on a parts reel shelf 10B is checked, either "light up" or "sound" will be described.

[0082] In the example shown in Figure 9(C), only "ringing" is described as the target to be stopped in the stop command packet Pk6. In other words, in this case, the stop command packet Pk6 is a packet that instructs to stop the location notification operation that uses ringing.

[0083] Next, in step SP318 (Figure 6), the control unit 501 of PC3 sends a stop instruction packet from the packet transmission unit 511 to the parts reel shelf 10A for which the type of position notification operation to be stopped has been selected on the shelf information list display area 401.

[0084] Figure 9(D) shows the data structure of the stop instruction packet Pk7 that is transmitted at this time. The data structure of the stop instruction packet Pk7 is the same as that of the stop instruction packet Pk6 described above, and consists of two items: the command and the target to be stopped.

[0085] In the example shown in Figure 9(D), both "lighting" and "sounding" are listed as targets for stopping in the stop instruction packet Pk7. In other words, in this case, the stop instruction packet Pk7 is a packet that instructs the system to stop the location notification operation using lighting and sounding.

[0086] Subsequently, the control unit 201 of the parts reel shelf 10B, which has received the stop instruction packet Pk6 in the packet receiving unit 512, detects a stop instruction from the stop instruction packet Pk6 in step SP319 (Figure 6) and stops the position notification operation by the lighting unit 205 and the alarm unit 206. That is, the control unit 201 of the parts reel shelf 10B turns off the lighting unit 205 and / or silences the alarm unit 206 based on the stop target described in the stop instruction packet Pk6.

[0087] Furthermore, when the packet receiving unit 512 receives the stop instruction packet Pk7, the control unit 201 of the parts reel shelf 10A detects the stop instruction from the stop instruction packet Pk7 in step SP320 and stops the position notification operation by the lighting unit 205 and the alarm unit 206. In other words, the control unit 201 of the parts reel shelf 10A turns off the lighting unit 205 and / or silences the alarm unit 206 based on the stop target described in the stop instruction packet Pk7.

[0088] In this manner, once the search for the target component reel shelf 10A is complete, explorer 2 terminates the location notification operation performed by the component reel shelf 10A and the component reel shelves 10B located around it.

[0089] Furthermore, in addition to the above, if explorer 2 is searching for parts reel shelf 10A and confirms that work has started on one of the parts reel shelves 10B, it is also possible to terminate the location notification operation for the parts reel shelf 10B where work has started, via the parts reel shelf list screen Sc1, so as not to interfere with the worker.

[0090] In this way, the item search system 1 allows the searcher 2 to check the work history of the target parts reel shelf 10A and the parts reel shelves 10B located around it on the parts reel shelf list screen Sc1 displayed on the PC3, and then instruct the system to execute or stop the location notification operation for the desired parts reel shelf 10 among parts reel shelves 10A and 10B. The operation of the item search system 1 is as described above.

[0091] In the operation described above, PC3 sends an execution instruction packet Pk4 to the parts reel shelf 10B, and then sends an execution instruction packet Pk5 to the parts reel shelf 10A. However, the order and timing of sending these execution instruction packets Pk4 and Pk5 may be changed. Similarly, the order and timing of sending stop instruction packets Pk6 and Pk7 may also be changed.

[0092] [5. Summary and Effects] As described above, in this embodiment, the item search system 1 is equipped with a PC 3 as an item management terminal and a plurality of parts reel shelves 10 (10A, 10B, 10C) as item storage devices. The PC 3 is also equipped with a display unit 502, an input unit 503, and a wireless LAN module 510 as a first communication unit capable of communicating with the parts reel shelves 10 (10A, 10B, 10C). Furthermore, each of the plurality of parts reel shelves 10 (10A, 10B, 10C) is equipped with a wireless LAN module 210 as a second communication unit that transmits work history information related to the work history of the parts reel shelf 10 and shelf information notification packets Pk2 and Pk3 as device information including the work history to the PC 3, and a lighting unit 205 and an alarm unit 206 as notification units that perform a location notification operation to inform the location of the shelf.

[0093] The PC3 then displays a parts reel shelf list screen Sc1, which serves as a work history screen showing the work history for each parts reel shelf 10, on the display unit 502 based on shelf information notification packets Pk2 and Pk3 received from each of the multiple parts reel shelves 10 via the wireless LAN module 510. The PC3 also sends a location notification operation instruction to the selected parts reel shelf 10 via the input unit 503 using the wireless LAN module 510.

[0094] Specifically, PC3 sends execution instruction packets Pk4 and Pk5 to the parts reel shelf 10 selected on the parts reel shelf list screen Sc1, which include an instruction to execute a location notification operation and a specification of the location notification operation to be executed (lighting up or sounding), and also sends stop instruction packets Pk6 and Pk7, which include an instruction to stop the location notification operation and a specification of the location notification operation to be stopped (lighting up or sounding).

[0095] The parts reel shelf 10 is configured to control notification operations by the lighting unit 205 and alarm unit 206 according to instructions received from the PC 3 via the wireless LAN module 210 (i.e., execution instruction packets Pk4, Pk5 and stop instruction packets Pk6, Pk7).

[0096] In other words, when the parts reel shelf 10 receives execution instruction packets Pk4 and Pk5, it performs one or both of the following actions as a location notification operation: lighting up with the lighting unit 205 and sounding with the alarm unit 206, based on the execution target described in the execution instruction packets Pk4 and Pk5.

[0097] Furthermore, when the parts reel shelf 10 receives stop instruction packets Pk6 and Pk7, it is configured to either turn off the lights in the lighting unit 205 and / or silence the alarm unit 206, based on the stop target described in the stop instruction packets Pk6 and Pk7.

[0098] In this way, the item search system 1 allows the searcher 2 to understand the work history at each parts reel shelf 10 based on the parts reel shelf list screen Sc1. Based on this, the system can then instruct the searcher 2 to perform a location notification operation, avoiding parts reel shelves 10 that are likely to be being worked on by another worker, among the parts reel shelves 10A and surrounding parts reel shelves 10B that contain the desired item (e.g., electronic components). Thus, with the item search system 1, the searcher 2 can easily search for items without interfering with other workers.

[0099] Furthermore, in the item search system 1, PC3 displays shelf information, including the work history of multiple parts reel shelves 10, as a list on the parts reel shelf list screen Sc1. At this time, the shelf information of the parts reel shelf 10A to be searched is displayed at the top of the list. In this way, the searcher 2 can easily find the shelf information of the parts reel shelf 10A to be searched from among the shelf information displayed on the parts reel shelf list screen Sc1.

[0100] Furthermore, regarding the shelf information of parts reel shelves 10B located around the parts reel shelf 10A being searched, the shelf information of parts reel shelves 10B with fewer recent operations is displayed higher in the list based on the work history included in the shelf information. This makes it easy for the searcher 2 to find the shelf information of parts reel shelves 10B that are less likely to interfere with the worker even if the location notification operation is performed, from among the shelf information displayed in the parts reel shelf list screen Sc1.

[0101] Furthermore, the item search system 1 allows the user to specify the type of location notification action (lighting up or sounding) to be performed for each parts reel shelf 10 via the parts reel shelf list screen Sc1. This makes it easier to locate parts reel shelves 10 that are unlikely to be used by workers by performing both lighting up and sounding as location notification actions, while for parts reel shelves 10 that are likely to be used by workers, only lighting up or only sounding as location notification actions can be performed to minimize interference with the work.

[0102] [6. Other Embodiments] [6-1. Other Embodiments 1] In the embodiment described above, the searcher 2 knew the name of the component reel shelf 10A in which the desired electronic component was stored, and by inputting this name via the input unit 503 of the PC3, the component reel shelf 10A identified by that name was designated as the search target.

[0103] This is not the only example; it is also possible that explorer 2 knows the identification information of the desired parts reel (for example, the parts name), but does not know which parts reel shelf 10 the parts reel is stored in.

[0104] In this case, for example, if explorer 2 inputs identification information for a desired parts reel via the input unit 503 of PC3, the control unit 201 of PC3 may query all parts reel shelves 10 to see whether they contain the parts reel identified by the input identification information, and from the result of the query, identify the parts reel shelf 10 that contains the parts reel and make that parts reel shelf 10 the target of the search.

[0105] Furthermore, if the inquiry reveals multiple parts reel shelves 10 containing the desired parts reel, the display unit 502 of the PC3 may, for example, display the names of the multiple found parts reel shelves 10 and allow the explorer 2 to select one of them.

[0106] [6-2. Other Embodiments 2] In the above-described embodiment, the shelf information for each parts reel shelf 10 is displayed in list format on the parts reel shelf list screen Sc1. From the list, at least one parts reel shelf 10 for which the position notification operation is to be performed or stopped is selected. Furthermore, for each selected parts reel shelf 10, the type of position notification operation to be performed or stopped (i.e., lighting up or sounding) is specified, and the execution button Bt1 or stop button Bt2 is pressed to instruct the execution or stop of the position notification operation.

[0107] The user interface using the parts reel shelf list screen Sc1 is just one example, and other user interfaces may be used. For example, the parts reel shelf list screen Sc1 could be divided into a screen for instructing the execution of a location notification operation and a screen for stopping the execution of a location notification operation. On the screen for instructing the execution of a location notification operation, the user could select the parts reel shelf 10 to execute the location notification operation from among the parts reel shelves 10A and 10B, and further specify the type of location notification operation to execute for each selected parts reel shelf 10 (i.e., lighting up or sounding). On the screen for instructing the stopping of a location notification operation, the user could select the parts reel shelf 10 to stop the location notification operation from among the parts reel shelves 10A and 10B that are currently executing the location notification operation, and further specify the type of location notification operation to stop for each selected parts reel shelf 10 (i.e., lighting up or sounding).

[0108] Furthermore, this is not limited to this; for example, an execute button Bt1 and a stop button Bt2 may be placed for each shelf information of the parts reel shelves 10 displayed in the parts reel shelf list screen Sc1, so that the execution and stopping of the position notification operation can be instructed for each parts reel shelf 10.

[0109] [6-3. Other Embodiments 3] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the position notification operation to inform the searcher 2 of the location of the parts reel shelf 10 is to light up the lighting unit 205 or sound the alarm unit 206. Here, for example, if the lighting unit 205 and the alarm unit 206 are capable of performing multiple types of position notification operations with different notification methods, the notification method by the lighting unit 205 and the alarm unit 206 may be changed for the parts reel shelf 10A to be searched and the surrounding parts reel shelves 10B.

[0110] For example, in the component reel shelf 10A that is the target of the search, the lighting unit 205 is lit in red. In the surrounding parts reel shelves 10B, the indicator light 205 may be illuminated in yellow. Alternatively, for example, in the parts reel shelf 10A that is the target of the search, the alarm unit 206 may be sounded with a first frequency, and in the surrounding parts reel shelves 10B, the alarm unit 206 may be sounded with a second frequency lower than the first frequency.

[0111] Furthermore, if the notification method by the lighting unit 205 and alarm unit 206 is to be changed for the component reel shelf 10A being searched and the surrounding component reel shelves 10B, the PC3 should specify the type of notification method to be executed in the execution instruction packet it sends to the component reel shelf 10A being searched and the surrounding component reel shelves 10B.

[0112] Furthermore, the notification method by the lighting unit 205 and the alarm unit 206 may be changed depending on the distance from the parts reel shelf 10A to be searched.

[0113] For example, the indicator light 205 may be lit red on the parts reel shelf 10A where the distance from the object to be searched is 0, the indicator light 205 may be lit yellow on the parts reel shelf 10B where the distance from the object to be searched is close, and the indicator light 205 may be lit white on the parts reel shelf 10B where the distance from the object to be searched is far. Alternatively, for example, the alarm unit 206 may be sounded with a first frequency on the parts reel shelf 10A where the distance from the object to be searched is 0, the alarm unit 206 may be sounded with a second frequency lower than the first frequency on the parts reel shelf 10B where the distance from the object to be searched is close, and the alarm unit 206 may be sounded with a third frequency lower than the second frequency on the parts reel shelf 10B where the distance from the object to be searched is far.

[0114] Furthermore, the location notification action is not limited to lighting the indicator unit 205 or sounding the alarm unit 206; other actions may also be performed. For example, the parts reel shelf 10 may be provided with a movable part such as a guide board, and the location notification action may be to move the movable part (raise the guide board). In other words, the location notification action can be any action that visually or audibly notifies the explorer 2 of the location of the parts reel shelf 10.

[0115] [6-4. Other Embodiments 4] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the shelf information for each parts reel shelf 10 is displayed in list format on the parts reel shelf list screen Sc1. This shelf information displayed in the list includes the number of operations performed in the past 24 hours, the last operator, and the date and time of the last operation, as part of the work history.

[0116] Here, the number of tasks performed in the past 24 hours does not necessarily have to be limited to the past 24 hours; any number of tasks performed within a specified period in the past is acceptable. Furthermore, the task history may include, for example, a task status indicating whether or not the task is currently in progress.

[0117] In this case, the parts reel shelf 10 can be equipped with a work status detection unit to detect whether or not an operator is working, and the control unit 201 of the parts reel shelf 10 can determine whether or not an operator is working based on the detection result from this work status detection unit.

[0118] Furthermore, the work status detection unit can, for example, utilize the input unit 232 of the work contact surface 230 or the parts reel storage detection unit 233. Specifically, the control unit 201 can determine that work is in progress if the input unit 232 has received an operation input within a predetermined time period (for example, within 5 minutes), or if the parts reel storage detection unit 233 has detected the storage or removal of a parts reel within a predetermined time period (for example, within 5 minutes), the control unit 201 can determine that work is in progress.

[0119] Furthermore, when displaying the work status as shelf information for each parts reel shelf 10 on the parts reel shelf list screen Sc1, it is desirable to display parts reel shelves 10 with a work status of "in progress" lower in the list using weighting, as these are the parts reel shelves 10 that are most likely to be being worked on by an operator.

[0120] Alternatively, the parts reel shelf 10 may be equipped with, for example, a motion sensor as a work status detection unit, and when the motion sensor detects a person, the control unit 201 may determine that work is in progress.

[0121] [6-5. Other Embodiments 5] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the present invention was applied to an item search system 1 comprising a PC3 as an item management device and a parts reel rack 10 as a plurality of item storage devices. However, it is not limited to this, and can also be applied to an item search system that, for example, has a server instead of a PC3 as an item management device. In this case, for example, the PC3 can be used to access the server, send necessary information to the server, and receive necessary information from the server. Moreover, it is not limited to this, and can also be applied to an item search system that, for example, has product storage racks for storing goods as items instead of the parts reel rack 10 as an item storage device.

[0122] [6-6. Other Embodiments 6] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. That is, the scope of the present invention extends to embodiments that arbitrarily combine some or all of the embodiments described above, as well as embodiments that differ in some respects. [Industrial applicability]

[0123] This invention can be widely used in applications such as article retrieval systems that search for a desired article storage device from among multiple article storage devices. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0124] 1...Item search system, 2...Searcher, 3...PC, 4...Wireless LAN router, 10...Parts reel shelf, 100...LAN, 201...Control unit, 205...Lighting unit, 206...Alarm unit, 210...Wireless LAN module, 220...Short-range wireless module, 230...Work contact surface, 231...Display unit, 232...Input unit, 233...Parts reel storage detection unit, 240...Storage area, 501...Control unit, 502...Display unit, 503...Input unit, 510...Wireless LAN module, Bc1...Surrounding response instruction beacon, Pk1...Beacon transmission instruction packet, Pk2, Pk3...Shelf information notification packet, Pk4, Pk5...Execute instruction packet, Pk6, Pk7...Stop instruction packet, Sc1...Parts reel shelf list screen.

Claims

1. An item retrieval system having an item management terminal and a plurality of item storage devices, The aforementioned item management terminal is Display unit and Input section, A first communication unit capable of communicating with the aforementioned article storage device Yes, The aforementioned article storage device is A second communication unit that transmits work history information to the aforementioned item management terminal, A notification unit that performs a location notification operation to inform the location of the device itself. It has, The aforementioned item management terminal is Based on the work history information received by the first communication unit from each of the plurality of item storage devices, a work history screen showing the work history for each item storage device is displayed on the display unit, and the first communication unit transmits an instruction for the position notification operation to the selected item storage device via the input unit. The aforementioned article storage device is The second communication unit controls the location notification operation by the notification unit in accordance with instructions received from the item management terminal. A product retrieval system characterized by the following features.

2. The aforementioned item management terminal is When the input unit instructs the selected item storage device to perform or stop the position notification operation, the first communication unit transmits an instruction to perform or stop the position notification operation to the selected item storage device in accordance with the instruction. The aforementioned article storage device is The second communication unit executes or stops the location notification operation by the notification unit in accordance with the instructions received from the item management terminal. The article retrieval system according to feature 1.

3. The aforementioned article storage device is The notification unit includes a lighting unit and an alarm unit. The aforementioned item management terminal is The input unit can be used to specify, for each selected item storage device, either the illumination by the lighting unit or the sounding by the alarm unit, or both, as the position notification operation to be performed or stopped, and the first communication unit transmits the execution instruction or the stop instruction, including the specification of the position notification operation, to the selected item storage device. The aforementioned article storage device is The second communication unit, in accordance with the execution instruction or stop instruction received from the item management terminal, executes or stops either or both of the following as location notification operations by the notification unit: the illumination unit lights up and the alarm unit sounds. The article search system according to feature 2.

4. The aforementioned article storage device is The notification unit comprises at least one of a lighting unit and an alarm unit, and the position notification operation performs at least one of the following: lighting by the lighting unit and sounding by the alarm unit. The article retrieval system according to feature 1.

5. The aforementioned item management terminal is Among the plurality of item storage devices, the item storage device to be searched and other item storage devices located around the item storage device to be searched receive the work history information. The article retrieval system according to feature 1.

6. The aforementioned article storage device is It has a short-range wireless communication unit for communicating with other item storage devices located in the vicinity. The aforementioned item management terminal is The work history information is requested from the item storage device to be searched via the first communication unit. The item storage device to be searched is When the item management terminal requests the work history information via the second communication unit, the device transmits the work history information to the item management terminal via the second communication unit, and the short-range wireless communication unit requests other item storage devices located in the vicinity to transmit the work history information to the item management terminal. The aforementioned other article storage device is: When the short-range wireless communication unit receives a request from the item storage device to be searched to transmit the work history information to the item management terminal, the second communication unit transmits the work history information of the device to the item management terminal. The article retrieval system according to feature 5.

7. The aforementioned notification unit, Multiple types of location notification operations with different notification methods can be performed, The notification method by the notification unit is changed between the item storage device to be searched and the other item storage device. The article retrieval system according to feature 5.

8. The aforementioned notification unit, Multiple types of location notification operations with different notification methods can be performed, The aforementioned article storage device is The system includes a distance acquisition unit that acquires the distance from the item storage device to be searched, and the notification unit changes the notification method based on the distance acquired by the distance acquisition unit. The article retrieval system according to feature 5.

9. The aforementioned work history screen displays a list of device information, including the work history for each item storage device. The device information for the item storage device being searched is displayed at the top of the list, and for other item storage devices, the device information for those with fewer recent work operations is displayed higher up in the list, based on the work history included in that device information. The article retrieval system according to feature 5.

10. Regarding the device information for the other item storage devices mentioned above, those with the fewest recent operations and those currently in operation will be displayed at the top of the list. The article retrieval system according to feature 9.

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