Article identification device, article identification method, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium

Abstract

This article identification device includes a reading result acquisition unit and a determination unit. The reading result acquisition unit acquires a first reading result including a radio wave intensity at a time when a tag reading unit (first tab reading unit) having directivity in a first passage has read a target wireless communication tag, and a second reading result including a radio wave intensity at a time when a tag reading unit (second tag reading unit) having directivity in a second passage located next to the first passage has read the wireless communication tag. The determination unit determines whether or not an article to which the target wireless communication tag is attached has passed through the first passage by using a result of comparing the radio wave intensity included in the first reading result with the radio wave intensity included in the second reading result.

Description

Item identification device, item identification method, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium

[0001] The present invention relates to an item identification device, an item identification method, and a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium.

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that allows automatic correction even when the spacing between adjacent antennas is narrow and information from a wireless tag that should be received by one antenna is received by the other antenna.

[0003] JP 2010-250694 A

[0004] When identifying an item passing through a certain location using a wireless communication tag attached to the item, radio waves from a wireless communication tag attached to an item that did not actually pass through the location may be detected, resulting in an error in the identification result of the item.

[0005] The item identification device of the present disclosure includes a read result acquisition means for acquiring a first read result including radio wave intensity when a first tag reading means having directionality in a first passage reads a wireless communication tag, and a second read result including radio wave intensity when a second tag reading means having directionality in a second passage aligned with the first passage reads the wireless communication tag; and a determination means for determining whether an item having the wireless communication tag attached has passed through the first passage, using a result of comparing the radio wave intensity of the first read result with the radio wave intensity of the second read result.

[0006] The article identification method of the present disclosure includes a computer acquiring a first read result including radio wave intensity when a first tag reading means having directionality toward a first passage reads a wireless communication tag, and a second read result including radio wave intensity when a second tag reading means having directionality toward a second passage aligned with the first passage reads the wireless communication tag, and determining whether an article having the wireless communication tag attached has passed through the first passage using a result of comparing the radio wave intensity of the first read result with the radio wave intensity of the second read result.

[0007] A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium in the present disclosure records a program that causes a computer to perform operations including: acquiring a first read result including radio wave intensity when a first tag reading means having directionality toward a first passage reads a wireless communication tag, and a second read result including radio wave intensity when a second tag reading means having directionality toward a second passage aligned with the first passage reads the wireless communication tag; and using the result of comparing the radio wave intensity of the first read result with the radio wave intensity of the second read result, determining whether an article having the wireless communication tag attached has passed through the first passage.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, a technique is provided that improves the accuracy when identifying an article passing through a certain location using a wireless communication tag attached to the article.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a first example of the functional configuration of an item identification device according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a computer that realizes the item identification device according to the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a first example of processing executed by the item identification device according to the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a first example of a system including the item identification device according to the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a second configuration of an item identification system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a second example of processing executed by the item identification device according to the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of changes over time in first to third radio wave intensities for a wireless communication tag that has passed through a first passage. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of changes over time in first to third radio wave intensities for a wireless communication tag that has passed through a passage (second passage) different from the first passage. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of changes over time in first to third radio wave intensities for a wireless communication tag that is present outside the first passage and the second passage.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this disclosure, the drawings relate to one or more embodiments. In all drawings, similar components are denoted by similar reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted where appropriate. Unless otherwise specified, each block in each block diagram represents a functional configuration, not a hardware configuration. When elements such as blocks in a diagram are linked by arrows, the direction of the arrows is merely intended to make the flow of information easier to understand. In this case, unless otherwise specified, the direction of the arrows does not limit the direction of communication (one-way communication / two-way communication).

[0011] In the following description, "acquisition" includes at least one of the following: a device going to retrieve data or information stored in another device or storage medium (active acquisition), and a device inputting data or information output from another device (passive acquisition). Examples of active acquisition include making a request or inquiry to another device and receiving a reply, and accessing and reading information from another device or storage medium. Examples of passive acquisition include receiving information that is distributed (or transmitted, push notification, etc.). Furthermore, "acquisition" may also mean selecting and acquiring data or information from received data or information, or selecting and receiving distributed data or information.

[0012] 1 is a diagram illustrating a first example of the functional configuration of an item identification device 10 according to the present disclosure. The item identification device 10 illustrated in the diagram includes a reading result acquisition unit 110 and a determination unit 120.

[0013] The reading result acquisition unit 110 acquires the reading results of the wireless communication tags attached to the articles. Here, the reading result acquisition unit 110 acquires the reading results of the wireless communication tags in a certain passage (hereinafter also referred to as the "first passage") and the reading results of the wireless communication tags in another passage (hereinafter also referred to as the "second passage") parallel to the first passage. In the following description, the reading results of the wireless communication tags in the first passage and the reading results of the wireless communication tags in the second passage will also be referred to as the "first reading result" and the "second reading result," respectively.

[0014] The first passage is provided with a device (not shown) including a first tag reader having directivity toward the first passage. The second passage is provided with a device (not shown) including a second tag reader having directivity toward the second passage. The read result acquisition unit 110 acquires the results of reading the wireless communication tags by the tag readers provided in each passage. The read results of the wireless communication tags include the strength of the radio waves (response radio waves from the wireless communication tag) when each tag reader reads the target wireless communication tag. In other words, the first read result includes information indicating the radio wave strength when the first tag reader of the device (not shown) provided in the first passage reads the wireless communication tag. The second read result includes information indicating the radio wave strength when the second tag reader of the device (not shown) provided in the second passage reads the wireless communication tag.

[0015] The determination unit 120 uses the result of comparing the radio wave intensity of the first read result with the radio wave intensity of the second read result to identify the passage through which the article to which the target wireless communication tag is attached passed. For example, the determination unit 120 uses the result of comparing the radio wave intensity of the first read result with the radio wave intensity of the second read result to determine whether the article to which the target wireless communication tag is attached passed through the first passage.

[0016] <Example of Hardware Configuration of Item Identification Device> FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a computer that realizes the item identification device 10 in the present disclosure.

[0017] The computer 1000 illustrated in this figure includes a bus 1010 , a processor 1020 , a memory 1030 , a storage device 1040 , an input / output interface 1050 , and a network interface 1060 .

[0018] The bus 1010 is a data transmission path for transmitting and receiving data among the processor 1020, memory 1030, storage device 1040, input / output interface 1050, and network interface 1060. However, the method of connecting the processor 1020 and the like to each other is not limited to bus connection.

[0019] The processor 1020 is a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU).

[0020] The memory 1030 is a main storage device realized by a random access memory (RAM) or the like.

[0021] The storage device 1040 is an auxiliary storage device realized by a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a memory card, a read only memory (ROM), etc. The storage device 1040 stores at least a program module that realizes the functions of the item identification device 10 described above (the reading result acquisition unit 110 and the determination unit 120).

[0022] The processor 1020 loads a program module read from the storage device 1040 onto the memory 1030 and executes the program module, thereby realizing a function corresponding to the program module. For example, the processor 1020 reads a program module corresponding to the reading result acquisition unit 110 onto the memory 1030 and executes the program module, thereby realizing the function of the reading result acquisition unit 110 described in the present disclosure. Similarly, the processor 1020 reads a program module corresponding to the determination unit 120 onto the memory 1030 and executes the program module, thereby realizing the function of the determination unit 120 described in the present disclosure. The operation of the processor 1020 is common to each embodiment included in the present disclosure.

[0023] The above-described program modules may be recorded on a recording medium other than the storage device 1040. The recording medium on which the program modules are recorded may include any non-transitory, tangible medium usable by the computer 1000. The recording medium on which the program modules are recorded may have embedded therein program code that is readable by the computer 1000 (processor 1020).

[0024] The input / output interface 1050 is an interface for connecting the computer 1000 (item identification device 10) to various input / output devices.

[0025] The network interface 1060 is an interface for connecting the computer 1000 (item identification device 10) to a network. This network includes, for example, a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN). The network interface 1060 connects the computer 1000 (item identification device 10) to various networks via a wireless or wired connection. The computer 1000 (item identification device 10) can communicate with various other devices present on various networks via the network interface 1060. For example, if the computer 1000 (item identification device 10) is a server computer, it can communicate with devices (not shown) that are equipped with a function for reading wireless communication tags and that are installed in each aisle via the network interface 1060.

[0026] The computer 1000 (item identification device 10) can also be connected to various devices (not shown) via the input / output interface 1050 or the network interface 1060. The "various devices" referred to here are not particularly limited, but include, for example, input devices such as operation buttons, keyboards, touch panels, mice, and microphones, and output devices such as displays, speakers, and printers.

[0027] <Example of Operation of Item Identification Device> An example of operation of the item identification device in the present disclosure will now be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing a first example of processing executed by the item identification device in the present disclosure.

[0028] The reading result acquisition unit 110 acquires a first reading result, which is the reading result of the wireless communication tag in the first passage, and a second reading result, which is the reading result of the wireless communication tag in the second passage adjacent to the first passage (step S102).

[0029] The determination unit 120 compares the radio wave intensity included in the first reading result (radio wave intensity of the wireless communication tag in the first passage) with the radio wave intensity included in the second reading result (radio wave intensity of the wireless communication tag in the second passage) (step S104).

[0030] Then, the determination unit 120 determines whether the article to which the target wireless communication tag is attached has passed through the first passage, using the comparison result between the radio wave intensity included in the first read result and the radio wave intensity included in the second read result. Specifically, if the radio wave intensity of the first read result is greater than the radio wave intensity of the second read result (step S106: YES), the determination unit 120 determines that the article to which the target wireless communication tag is attached has passed through the first passage (step S108). On the other hand, if the radio wave intensity of the first read result is less than the radio wave intensity of the second read result (step S106: NO), the determination unit 120 determines that the article to which the target wireless communication tag is attached has not passed through the first passage (step S110).

[0031] As described above, in this embodiment, the reading result acquisition unit 110 acquires a first reading result including the radio wave intensity when the target wireless communication tag is read in the first passage, and a second reading result including the radio wave intensity when the wireless communication tag is read in the second passage. Then, the determination unit 120 uses the result of comparing the radio wave intensity included in the first reading result with the radio wave intensity included in the second reading result to determine whether the article to which the wireless communication tag is attached has passed through the first passage.

[0032] Here, the strength of the response radio waves from the wireless communication tag varies depending on the reading environment of the wireless communication tag. For example, suppose a wireless communication tag passes through a certain passageway in a situation where a device equipped with a function for reading wireless communication tags is installed in each passageway. In this case, the radio wave strength of the read result by the device with directivity to the passageway through which the wireless communication tag passed will be greater than the radio wave strength of the read result by the device with directivity to the other passageways. Therefore, the functional configuration of the item identification device 10 disclosed herein makes it possible to determine whether an item to which the wireless communication tag is attached is located inside or outside the target passageway based on the difference in the strength of the response radio waves from the wireless communication tag. Based on this determination result, it is possible to identify wireless communication tags attached to items that did not actually pass through the target passageway and correct the read result, for example, by excluding information about the wireless communication tag.

[0033] In other words, the present disclosure provides an item identification device that solves the problem of improving the accuracy when identifying an item passing through a certain location using a wireless communication tag attached to the item. The present disclosure also provides an item identification method executed by the item identification device, and a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that stores a program that realizes each function of the item identification method.

[0034] A detailed example of the item identification device according to the present disclosure will be described below.

[0035] 4 is a diagram showing a first example of a system including an item identification device according to the present disclosure. The item identification system 1 shown in the diagram includes the above-described item identification device 10, a first gate device 20 provided in a first passage 90, and a second gate device 30 provided in a second passage 92.

[0036] The first gate device 20 is provided in the first passage 90. The first gate device 20 is equipped with a first tag reader 210 that reads information from a wireless communication tag. In the example shown in the figure, two first tag readers 210 are provided, one on the entrance side and one on the exit side of the passage of the first gate device 20. However, the arrangement and number of the first tag readers 210 are not limited to the example shown in the figure.

[0037] The first tag reading unit 210 communicates with a wireless communication tag and reads information stored in the memory area of ​​the wireless communication tag. The first tag reading unit 210 emits radio waves to activate the wireless communication tag via an antenna (not shown). The wireless communication tag is not particularly limited, but may be any tag that complies with a wireless communication standard using radio waves in the UHF (ultra-high frequency) band, for example. The wireless communication tag attached to an item is activated in response to radio waves emitted from an antenna (not shown) of the first tag reading unit 210. The activated wireless communication tag encodes information stored in the tag's memory area (e.g., identification information of the corresponding item) and transmits a response radio wave. The first tag reading unit 210 receives the response radio waves transmitted from the wireless communication tag via an antenna (not shown). The first tag reading unit 210 generates a read result based on the response radio waves from each wireless communication tag. For example, the first tag reading unit 210 can generate information as a read result that associates the reception strength of the response radio waves from each wireless communication tag with information decoded from the response radio waves.

[0038] The second gate device 30, like the first gate device 20, has a second tag reading unit 310. The function and operation of the second tag reading unit 310 provided in the second gate device 30 are similar to those of the first tag reading unit 210 provided in the first gate device 20.

[0039] The article identification device 10 collects the results of reading the wireless communication tags by each gate device (first gate device 20 and second gate device 30) and stores them in a predetermined storage device (for example, storage device 1040).

[0040] <Comparison of Read Results> The determination unit 120 can select the first read result and the second read result to be compared using the timing when either the first gate device 20 or the second gate device 30 reads the wireless communication tag. For example, suppose an item passes through the first gate device 20 (first passage). In this case, the first tag reading unit 210 transmits a read result (first read result) including the radio wave intensity when reading the wireless communication tag attached to the item to the item identification device 10. Based on this timing, the determination unit 120 identifies the read result (second read result) by the second tag reading unit 310 of the second gate device 30 as the result to be compared with the first read result. While it is preferable that the read times of the first read result and the second read result are synchronized, they do not necessarily have to be synchronized. For example, there may be a certain amount of lag (e.g., a lag of several milliseconds to several tens of milliseconds) between the read times of the first read result and the second read result.

[0041] The determination unit 120 may also be configured to compare the change in radio wave intensity over time between the read results in the first passage and the read results in the second passage, and determine whether or not an article having a target wireless communication tag attached thereto has passed through the first passage. For example, the determination unit 120 can use a plurality of read results stored in a predetermined storage device (e.g., storage device 1040) of the article identification device 10 to generate information indicating the change in radio wave intensity of the wireless communication tag during a period corresponding to the plurality of read results.

[0042] Specifically, the determination unit 120 can generate information indicating a change over time in the radio wave intensity (first radio wave intensity) in the first passage based on a plurality of read results (a plurality of first read results) of the wireless communication tags in the first passage. Similarly, the determination unit 120 can generate information indicating a change over time in the radio wave intensity (second radio wave intensity) in the second passage based on a plurality of read results (a plurality of second read results) of the wireless communication tags in the second passage. In this case, the determination unit 120 is configured to compare the change over time in the first radio wave intensity with the change over time in the second radio wave intensity.

[0043] Here, the radio wave intensity of a wireless communication tag changes depending on the change in its position relative to the device that reads the tag. For example, in the present disclosure, the tag reading units installed in each passage have directivity toward the corresponding passage. Therefore, when an item passes through a specific passage, the radio wave intensity obtained from the tag reading unit that is directional toward that specific passage tends to increase over time. On the other hand, the radio wave intensity obtained from the tag reading unit that is directional toward passages other than the specific passage tends to remain almost constant or gradually decrease over time. In other words, the change in radio wave intensity of a target wireless communication tag over time is important information for determining the passage through which the item to which the wireless communication tag is attached passed. Therefore, by utilizing the change in radio wave intensity over time as illustrated here, it is expected that it will be possible to more accurately determine whether an item to which a wireless communication tag is attached passed through a specific passage (first passage).

[0044] As an example, suppose that the radio wave intensity (first radio wave intensity) in the first passage related to the target wireless communication tag changes from a certain first intensity to a second intensity greater than the first intensity. Furthermore, suppose that the radio wave intensity (second radio wave intensity) in the second passage related to the target wireless communication tag changes from a certain third intensity to a fourth intensity less than the third intensity. In this case, the determination unit 120 can determine that the item to which the wireless communication tag is attached has passed through the first passage, not the second passage. Considering that the tag reader that generates the first reading result has directivity toward the first passage, the second intensity when it is determined that the item to which the wireless communication tag is attached has passed through the first passage will be greater than the third intensity.

[0045] <Utilization of Determination Results> As an example, the item identification device 10 of the present disclosure can be utilized in product purchase processing at a retail store or the like. Specifically, the item identification device 10 of the present disclosure generates information indicating a list of products that have passed through the first aisle based on the determination result of the determination unit 120. The item identification device 10 then outputs the information indicating the product list to a checkout device (not shown). The checkout device (not shown) executes payment processing based on the information indicating the product list obtained from the item identification device 10. By utilizing the item identification device 10 of the present disclosure, a system can be constructed that facilitates product purchases at a retail store or the like.

[0046] <Modification> The item identification device 10 according to the present disclosure may further include a configuration for more accurately determining whether an item having a wireless communication tag attached thereto is located inside or outside a target passage.

[0047] 5 is a diagram illustrating a second configuration of the item identification system according to the present disclosure. In the example shown in this figure, the first gate device 20 has an external tag reader 220 in addition to the first tag reader 210. The second gate device 30 has an external tag reader 320 in addition to the second tag reader 310. The external tag reader 220 and the external tag reader 320 have directivity toward the outside of the first passage and the second passage.

[0048] In this modification, the reading result acquisition unit 110 acquires the reading results (hereinafter also referred to as "third reading results") of the wireless communication tags by the external tag reading unit 220 and the external tag reading unit 320. Here, the third reading result, like the first reading result and the second reading result, includes the radio wave intensity when the target wireless communication tag is read. In this modification, the determination unit 120 further uses the radio wave intensity of the third reading result to determine whether the article to which the target wireless communication tag is attached has passed through the first passage.

[0049] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a second example of processing executed by the item identification device 10 in the present disclosure.

[0050] First, the read result acquisition unit 110 acquires a first read result, which is a read result of a wireless communication tag in the first passage, and a second read result, which is a read result of a wireless communication tag in the second passage next to the first passage (step S202). The read result acquisition unit 110 also acquires a third read result, which is a read result of a wireless communication tag outside the first passage and the second passage (step S204).

[0051] The determination unit 120 determines whether an article having a target wireless communication tag attached thereto has passed through the first passage based on the radio wave intensity included in the first read result, the radio wave intensity included in the second read result, and the radio wave intensity included in the third read result. For example, the determination unit 120 generates information indicating the change in radio wave intensity over time using the first to third read results (step S206). The determination unit 120 then determines a pattern indicated by the change in the first radio wave intensity over time based on the first read result, the change in the second radio wave intensity over time based on the second read result, and the change in the third radio wave intensity over time based on the third read result (step S208). For example, the determination unit 120 determines whether a pattern has been detected: a first pattern indicating the passage through the first passage; a second pattern indicating the passage through a passage (a second passage) different from the first passage; or a third pattern indicating the presence outside the first and second passages.

[0052] Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the time-dependent changes in the first to third radio wave intensities of a wireless communication tag that has passed through the first passage. Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating the time-dependent changes in the first to third radio wave intensities of a wireless communication tag that has passed through a passage (a second passage) different from the first passage. Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the time-dependent changes in the first to third radio wave intensities of a wireless communication tag that is located outside the first and second passages. In these diagrams, the time-dependent changes in the first radio wave intensities, the second radio wave intensities, and the third radio wave intensities are indicated by solid lines, dashed lines, and dotted lines, respectively.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 7, it is assumed that the first radio wave intensity shows a tendency to increase over time, and the second and third radio wave intensities show a tendency to decrease (or remain almost unchanged) over time. The pattern in this figure shows a state in which an article having a target wireless communication tag attached thereto has moved from the outside of the first gate device 20 and the second gate device 30 to the inside of the first gate device 20. When the change in radio wave intensity shows a pattern similar to the pattern exemplified in Fig. 7 (step S208: first pattern), the determination unit 120 determines that the article having the target wireless communication tag attached thereto has passed through the first passage (step S210).

[0054] 8, the second radio wave intensity tends to increase over time, while the first and third radio wave intensities tend to decrease (or remain almost unchanged) over time. The pattern in this figure indicates a state in which an article having a target wireless communication tag attached thereto has moved from the outside of the first gate device 20 and the second gate device 30 to the inside of the second gate device 30. When the change in radio wave intensity exhibits a pattern similar to the pattern exemplified in FIG. 8 (step S208: second pattern), the determination unit 120 determines that the article having the target wireless communication tag attached thereto has not passed through the first passage. In this case, the determination unit 120 can determine that the article having the target wireless communication tag attached thereto has passed through the second passage (step S212).

[0055] 9 , the third radio wave intensity remains greater than the first and second radio wave intensities, and the first to third radio wave intensities tend to remain substantially unchanged over time. The pattern in this figure indicates a state in which an article having a target wireless communication tag attached thereto is located outside the first gate device 20 and the second gate device 30. As an example, a radio wave intensity pattern such as that shown in FIG. 9 is detected when an article having a target wireless communication tag attached thereto is placed on a shelf located near the first gate device 20 and the second gate device 30. As another example, a radio wave intensity pattern such as that shown in FIG. 9 is also detected when an article having a target wireless communication tag attached thereto is located in an area provided near the first gate device 20 and the second gate device 30 for people waiting to use the first gate device 20 and the second gate device 30. When the change in radio wave intensity exhibits a pattern similar to that shown in FIG. 9 (step S208: third pattern), the determination unit 120 determines that the article having the target wireless communication tag attached thereto has not passed through the first passage. In this case, the determination unit 120 can determine that the article to which the target wireless communication tag is attached is located at least outside the first passage (step S214).

[0056] In this modification, the read result acquisition unit 110 further acquires a read result (third read result) from a tag reader having directivity outside the first and second passages. The determination unit 120 then further uses the third read result to determine whether the target wireless communication tag has passed through the first passage. By further using the third read result from the tag reader having directivity outside, the determination unit 120 can identify wireless communication tags attached to items located outside each passage. In other words, when determining whether an item has passed through a target passage (first passage) using the wireless communication tag attached to the item, the determination unit 120 can detect information about items that have not passed through the passage as noise. This is expected to further improve the accuracy of determining whether an item has passed through the target passage (first passage).

[0057] Second Embodiment: Multiple wireless communication tags may be read at approximately the same time. For example, if a wireless communication tag is attached to each product sold in a retail store, a customer may pass through the aisle carrying multiple products. In this case, it is necessary to identify the same wireless communication tag in order to compare the radio wave strength between multiple tag readers.

[0058] 10 is a diagram illustrating a second example of the functional configuration of the item identification device 10 according to the present disclosure. In the item identification device 10 illustrated in this figure, the determination unit 120 further includes a tag-specific information acquisition unit 122.

[0059] The results of reading by the device installed in the passageway usually include information unique to each wireless communication tag (tag-specific information). Here, tag-specific information is any information that can identify each individual wireless communication tag. As an example, the tag-specific information is tag-specific identification information (tag identification information) assigned to each wireless communication tag. Furthermore, it is assumed that item identification information that can identify an individual item to which the wireless communication tag is attached is stored in the wireless communication tag, and the reading results of the wireless communication tag include the item identification information. In this case, the tag-specific information may be the item identification information of each item. The tag-specific information acquisition unit 122 acquires at least one of the tag identification information assigned to each wireless communication tag and the item identification information of the item corresponding to the wireless communication tag as the tag-specific information included in the reading results.

[0060] The determination unit 120 identifies radio wave intensity information to be compared between the first read result and the second read result based on the tag-specific information included in the first read result and the second read result. Then, based on the comparison result of the identified radio wave intensity, the determination unit 120 determines whether or not an article to which a target wireless communication tag is attached has passed through the first passage, as described in the first embodiment, for example.

[0061] For example, suppose that for a certain wireless communication tag, the tag-unique information in the first read result and the tag information in the second read result are identical, and the reception strength of the first read result is greater than the reception strength of the second read result. In this case, the determination unit 120 determines that the article to which the wireless communication tag is attached has passed through the first passage. Also, suppose that for a certain wireless communication tag, the tag-unique information in the first read result and the tag information in the second read result are identical, and the reception strength of the first read result is less than the reception strength of the second read result. In this case, the determination unit 120 determines that the article to which the wireless communication tag is attached has not passed through the first passage.

[0062] <Operation Example> FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a third example of processing executed by the item identification device 10 in the present disclosure.

[0063] The reading result acquisition unit 110 acquires a first reading result, which is the reading result of the wireless communication tag in the first passage, and a second reading result, which is the reading result of the wireless communication tag in the second passage adjacent to the first passage (step S302).

[0064] Then, the determination unit 120 selects a combination of information to be compared based on the tag-unique information included in the reading results of the wireless communication tags (step S304). For example, the determination unit 12 refers to the tag-unique information acquired by the tag-unique information acquisition unit 122 and determines whether there is tag-unique information common to the first reading result and the second reading result. If there is tag-unique information common to the first reading result and the second reading result, the determination unit 120 selects a combination of the radio wave intensity associated with the tag-unique information in the first reading result and the radio wave intensity associated with the tag-unique information in the second reading result.

[0065] Then, the judgment unit 120 compares the radio wave intensity included in the first reading result (radio wave intensity of the wireless communication tag in the first passage) with the radio wave intensity included in the second reading result (radio wave intensity of the wireless communication tag in the second passage) for the selected combination (step S306).

[0066] Then, the determination unit 120 uses the comparison result between the radio wave intensity included in the first read result and the radio wave intensity included in the second read result to determine whether the article to which the target wireless communication tag is attached has passed through the first passage. Specifically, if the radio wave intensity of the first read result is greater than the radio wave intensity of the second read result (step S308: YES), the determination unit 120 determines that the article to which the target wireless communication tag is attached has passed through the first passage (step S310). On the other hand, if the radio wave intensity of the first read result is less than the radio wave intensity of the second read result (step S308: NO), the determination unit 120 determines that the article to which the target wireless communication tag is attached has not passed through the first passage (step S312).

[0067] As described above, in this embodiment, the read result acquisition unit 110 acquires a first read result including the radio wave intensity when the target wireless communication tag was read in the first passage, and a second read result including the radio wave intensity when the target wireless communication tag was read in the second passage. The determination unit 120 then compares the radio wave intensity included in the first read result with the radio wave intensity included in the second read result, and determines whether or not an article having the wireless communication tag attached thereto has passed through the first passage. This achieves the same effect as the first embodiment. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the tag-unique information acquisition unit 122 further acquires the unique information of the wireless communication tag included in the first and second read results. The determination unit 120 then determines the comparison target using the unique information of the wireless communication tag. In this way, in a case where information from multiple wireless communication tags is included in the read result, it is possible to determine whether or not each article having the wireless communication tag attached thereto has passed through the first passage.

[0068] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0069] In the above description, an example was given in which the item identification device of the present disclosure exists as a separate device from the device (e.g., gate device) provided in each passage. However, the device (e.g., gate device) provided in each passage may also have each function of the item identification device of the present disclosure.

[0070] For simplicity, the present disclosure illustrates a case in which there are two aisles. However, the number of aisles may be three or more. Even when the number of aisles is three or more, the process described in the present disclosure is performed for each possible combination to determine the aisle through which the item with the target wireless communication tag passed. For example, when there are three aisles, the determination unit 120 compares the radio wave strength for each of the pair of the first and second aisles, the pair of the first and third aisles, and the pair of the second and third aisles. The determination unit 120 then combines the comparison results for each pair to determine the aisle through which the item with the target wireless communication tag passed. For example, when the comparison result for the pair of the first and second aisles and the comparison result for the pair of the first and third aisles show that the radio wave strength for the first aisle is greater, the determination unit 120 can determine that the item with the target wireless communication tag passed through the first aisle.

[0071] In addition, although the flowcharts used in the above description show a sequence of steps (processes), the order of steps executed in each embodiment is not limited to the sequence shown in the flowcharts. In each embodiment, the order of steps shown in the diagrams can be changed as long as it does not cause any problems in terms of the content.

[0072] Some or all of the above embodiments may be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes: 1. An item identification device comprising: a read result acquisition means for acquiring a first read result including radio wave intensity when a wireless communication tag is read by a first tag reading means having directivity in a first passage, and a second read result including radio wave intensity when the wireless communication tag is read by a second tag reading means having directivity in a second passage aligned with the first passage; and a determination means for determining whether an item having the wireless communication tag attached has passed through the first passage using a result of comparing the radio wave intensity of the first read result with the radio wave intensity of the second read result. 2. The item identification device described in 1., wherein the determination means compares a change over time in first radio wave intensity based on a plurality of the first read results with a change over time in second radio wave intensity based on a plurality of the second read results. 3. 2. The item identification device described in 2., wherein the determination means determines that the item has passed through the first passage when the first radio wave intensity changes from a first intensity to a second intensity greater than the first intensity, and the second radio wave intensity changes from a third intensity to a fourth intensity less than the third intensity. 4. The item identification device described in any one of 1. to 3., wherein the determination means selects the first read result and the second read result to be compared using the timing when either the first tag reading means or the second tag reading means reads the wireless communication tag, and compares the radio wave intensity of the first read result selected corresponding to the timing with the radio wave intensity of the second read result. 5. 5. The article identification device according to any one of 1. to 4., wherein the reading result acquisition means further acquires a third reading result including radio wave intensity when a third tag reading means having directivity outside the first passage and the second passage reads the wireless communication tag, and the determination means further uses the radio wave intensity of the third reading result to determine whether the article has passed through the first passage.6. The item identification device described in any one of 1. to 5., wherein the first read result and the second read result further include unique information of the wireless communication tag, and the determination means determines that the item has passed through the first passage if the unique information of the first read result and the unique information of the second read result are identical and the reception strength of the first read result is greater than the reception strength of the second read result. 7. The item identification device described in any one of 1. to 5., wherein the first read result and the second read result further include unique information of the wireless communication tag, and the determination means determines that the item has not passed through the first passage if the unique information of the first read result and the unique information of the second read result are identical and the reception strength of the first read result is less than the reception strength of the second read result. 8. The item identification device described in 6. or 7, wherein the unique information includes at least one of tag identification information assigned to each wireless communication tag and item identification information that identifies the item. 9. 10. An article identification method comprising: a computer acquiring a first read result including radio wave intensity when a first tag reading means having directionality in a first passage reads a wireless communication tag, and a second read result including radio wave intensity when a second tag reading means having directionality in a second passage aligned with the first passage reads the wireless communication tag, and determining whether an article having the wireless communication tag attached has passed through the first passage using a result of comparing the radio wave intensity of the first read result with the radio wave intensity of the second read result. 11. The article identification method described in 9., comprising: the computer comparing a change over time in first radio wave intensity based on a plurality of the first read results with a change over time in second radio wave intensity based on a plurality of the second read results. 10. The method for identifying an item according to claim 10, further comprising: a computer determining that the item has passed through the first passage when the first radio wave intensity changes from a first intensity to a second intensity that is greater than the first intensity, and the second radio wave intensity changes from a third intensity to a fourth intensity that is less than the third intensity.12. The item identification method described in any one of 9. to 11., including the computer selecting the first read result and the second read result to be compared using the timing when either the first tag reading means or the second tag reading means read the wireless communication tag, and comparing the radio wave intensity of the first read result selected corresponding to the timing with the radio wave intensity of the second read result. 13. The item identification method described in any one of 9. to 12., including the computer further acquiring a third read result including the radio wave intensity when a third tag reading means having directivity outside the first passage and the second passage reads the wireless communication tag, and further using the radio wave intensity of the third read result to determine whether the item has passed through the first passage. 14. The article identification method according to any one of 9. to 13., wherein the first read result and the second read result further include unique information of the wireless communication tag, and the computer determines that the article has passed through the first passage if the unique information of the first read result and the unique information of the second read result are the same and the reception strength of the first read result is greater than the reception strength of the second read result. 15. The article identification method according to any one of 9. to 13., wherein the first read result and the second read result further include unique information of the wireless communication tag, and the computer determines that the article has not passed through the first passage if the unique information of the first read result and the unique information of the second read result are the same and the reception strength of the first read result is less than the reception strength of the second read result. 16. The unique information includes at least one of tag identification information assigned to each wireless communication tag and article identification information that identifies the article, Or the item identification method according to 15.17. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program that causes a computer to execute operations including: acquiring a first read result including radio wave intensity when a wireless communication tag is read by a first tag reading means having directionality in a first passage, and a second read result including radio wave intensity when the wireless communication tag is read by a second tag reading means having directionality in a second passage alongside the first passage, and determining whether an article having the wireless communication tag attached has passed through the first passage using a result of comparing the radio wave intensity of the first read result with the radio wave intensity of the second read result. 18. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium described in 17., wherein the operations include comparing a change over time in first radio wave intensity based on a plurality of the first read results with a change over time in second radio wave intensity based on a plurality of the second read results. 19. 18. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to 18., wherein the operation includes determining that the article has passed through the first passage when the first radio wave intensity changes from a first intensity to a second intensity greater than the first intensity, and the second radio wave intensity changes from a third intensity to a fourth intensity less than the third intensity. 20. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to any one of 17. to 19., wherein the operation includes selecting the first read result and the second read result to be compared using a timing when either the first tag reading means or the second tag reading means reads the wireless communication tag, and comparing the radio wave intensity of the first read result selected corresponding to the timing with the radio wave intensity of the second read result. 21. 21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to any one of 17. to 20., wherein the operation further includes: acquiring a third read result including radio wave intensity when a third tag reading means having directivity outside the first passage and the second passage reads the wireless communication tag; and determining whether the article has passed through the first passage by further using the radio wave intensity of the third read result.22. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to any one of 17. to 21., wherein the first read result and the second read result further include unique information of the wireless communication tag, and the operation includes: determining that the article has passed through the first passage if the unique information of the first read result and the unique information of the second read result are the same and the reception strength of the first read result is greater than the reception strength of the second read result. 23. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to any one of 17. to 21., wherein the first read result and the second read result further include unique information of the wireless communication tag, and the operation includes: determining that the article has not passed through the first passage if the unique information of the first read result and the unique information of the second read result are the same and the reception strength of the first read result is less than the reception strength of the second read result. 24. 24. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to 22. or 23, wherein the unique information includes at least one of tag identification information assigned to each wireless communication tag and item identification information that identifies the item.

[0073] 1 Item Identification System 10 Item Identification Device 1000 Computer 1010 Bus 1020 Processor 1030 Memory 1040 Storage Device 1050 Input / Output Interface 1060 Network Interface 110 Read Result Acquisition Unit 120 Determination Unit 122 Tag Unique Information Acquisition Unit 20 First Gate Device 210 First Tag Reading Unit 220 External Tag Reading Unit 30 Second Gate Device 310 Second Tag Reading Unit 320 External Tag Reading Unit 90 First Passage 92 Second Passage

Claims

1. An article identification device comprising: a read result acquisition means for acquiring a first read result including radio wave intensity when a first tag reading means having directionality in a first passage reads a wireless communication tag, and a second read result including radio wave intensity when a second tag reading means having directionality in a second passage aligned with the first passage reads the wireless communication tag; and a determination means for determining whether or not an article having the wireless communication tag attached has passed through the first passage using a result of comparing the radio wave intensity of the first read result with the radio wave intensity of the second read result.

2. The item identification device described in claim 1, wherein the determination means compares the change over time of the first radio wave intensity based on a plurality of the first reading results with the change over time of the second radio wave intensity based on a plurality of the second reading results.

3. The item identification device described in claim 2, wherein the determination means determines that the item has passed through the first passage when the first radio wave intensity changes from a first intensity to a second intensity greater than the first intensity, and when the second radio wave intensity changes from a third intensity to a fourth intensity less than the third intensity.

4. An item identification device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the determination means selects the first read result and the second read result to be compared using the timing at which either the first tag reading means or the second tag reading means reads the wireless communication tag, and compares the radio wave intensity of the first read result selected corresponding to the timing with the radio wave intensity of the second read result.

5. An item identification device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reading result acquisition means further acquires a third reading result including radio wave intensity when a third tag reading means having directionality outside the first passage and the second passage reads the wireless communication tag, and the determination means further uses the radio wave intensity of the third reading result to determine whether or not the item has passed through the first passage.

6. An item identification device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first reading result and the second reading result further include unique information of the wireless communication tag, and the determination means determines that the item has passed through the first passage when the unique information of the first reading result and the unique information of the second reading result are identical and the reception strength of the first reading result is greater than the reception strength of the second reading result.

7. An item identification device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first read result and the second read result further include unique information of the wireless communication tag, and the determination means determines that the item has not passed through the first passage if the unique information of the first read result and the unique information of the second read result are identical and the reception strength of the first read result is lower than the reception strength of the second read result.

8. The item identification device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the unique information includes at least one of tag identification information assigned to each wireless communication tag and item identification information for identifying the item.

9. A method for identifying an item, comprising: a computer acquiring a first read result including radio wave intensity when a first tag reading means having directionality in a first passage reads a wireless communication tag; and a second read result including radio wave intensity when a second tag reading means having directionality in a second passage aligned with the first passage reads the wireless communication tag; and using a result of comparing the radio wave intensity of the first read result with the radio wave intensity of the second read result, determining whether or not an item having the wireless communication tag attached has passed through the first passage.

10. The method of identifying an item as described in claim 9, further comprising the step of: comparing a change over time in a first radio wave intensity based on a plurality of the first read results with a change over time in a second radio wave intensity based on a plurality of the second read results.

11. The method of identifying an item as described in claim 10, comprising: a computer determining that the item has passed through the first passage when the first radio wave intensity changes from a first intensity to a second intensity greater than the first intensity, and when the second radio wave intensity changes from a third intensity to a fourth intensity less than the third intensity.

12. A method for identifying an item described in any one of claims 9 to 11, comprising the step of: selecting the first read result and the second read result to be compared using the timing at which either the first tag reading means or the second tag reading means reads the wireless communication tag; and comparing the radio wave intensity of the first read result selected corresponding to the timing with the radio wave intensity of the second read result.

13. A method for identifying an item described in any one of claims 9 to 12, comprising the step of: the computer further acquiring a third reading result including radio wave intensity when a third tag reading means having directionality outside the first passage and the second passage reads the wireless communication tag; and further using the radio wave intensity of the third reading result to determine whether or not the item has passed through the first passage.

14. A method for identifying an item described in any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the first read result and the second read result further include unique information of the wireless communication tag, and the computer determines that the item has passed through the first passage if the unique information of the first read result and the unique information of the second read result are identical and the reception strength of the first read result is greater than the reception strength of the second read result.

15. A method for identifying an item described in any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the first read result and the second read result further include unique information of the wireless communication tag, and the computer determines that the item has not passed through the first passage if the unique information of the first read result and the unique information of the second read result are identical and the reception strength of the first read result is lower than the reception strength of the second read result.

16. The item identification method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the unique information includes at least one of tag identification information assigned to each wireless communication tag and item identification information for identifying the item.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a computer to execute operations including: acquiring a first read result including radio wave intensity when a first tag reading means having directionality in a first passage reads a wireless communication tag, and a second read result including radio wave intensity when a second tag reading means having directionality in a second passage aligned with the first passage reads the wireless communication tag; and using a result of comparing the radio wave intensity of the first read result with the radio wave intensity of the second read result, determining whether or not an article having the wireless communication tag attached has passed through the first passage.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 17, wherein the operation includes: comparing a change over time of a first radio wave intensity based on a plurality of the first reading results with a change over time of a second radio wave intensity based on a plurality of the second reading results.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the actions include: determining that the item has passed through the first passage when the first radio wave intensity changes from a first intensity to a second intensity that is greater than the first intensity, and when the second radio wave intensity changes from a third intensity to a fourth intensity that is less than the third intensity.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein the operation includes: selecting the first read result and the second read result to be compared using the timing at which either the first tag reading means or the second tag reading means reads the wireless communication tag; and comparing the radio wave intensity of the first read result selected corresponding to the timing with the radio wave intensity of the second read result.

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