Control device, control method, and recording medium

Abstract

This control device is provided with: an acquisition means that acquires read information read by a reading antenna from an RFID tag attached to an item placed on a shelf or attached to a prescribed position on the shelf; a determination means that determines an output intensity for the reading antenna on the basis of the identifier of the RFID tag included in the acquired read information; and a setting means that sets the output intensity of the reading antenna to the determined output intensity.

Description

Control device, control method, and recording medium

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device, a control method, and a recording medium.

[0002] In warehouses, stores, and the like where many items are stored, there is a technology for managing the locations of items using RFID tags. For example, in warehouses and stores, RFID tags attached to items and RFID tag reading antennas are used to search for items or take inventory of items. In warehouses and stores, the locations of items are sometimes managed using RFID tags attached to predetermined positions such as on shelves.

[0003] When managing the location of an item using an RFID tag in this way, there is a technique for manually or automatically adjusting the output strength of a reading antenna that reads the RFID tag.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology in which, in a mobile terminal that reads a large number of closely spaced RFID tags, such as in inventory work using RFID tags, if it is determined that the number of RFID tags being read per certain period of time is equal to or exceeds a limit, the radio wave intensity of the electromagnetic waves transmitted from the reading antenna is adjusted to a lower level. This technology can reduce power consumption related to wireless communication according to the processing capacity of the information processing means.

[0005] JP 2017-054175 A

[0006] However, it is difficult to adjust the output strength of the reading antenna so that RFID tags can be read within an appropriate range depending on the situation.

[0007] An example objective of the present disclosure is to provide techniques that assist in reading RFID tags within a suitable range.

[0008] A control device in one aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition means for acquiring read information read by a read antenna from an item placed on a shelf or an RFID tag attached to a predetermined position on the shelf, a determination means for determining the output strength of the read antenna based on the identifier of the RFID tag included in the acquired read information, and a setting means for setting the output strength of the read antenna to the determined output strength.

[0009] A control method in one aspect of the present disclosure acquires read information read by a read antenna from an item placed on a shelf or an RFID tag attached to a predetermined position on the shelf, determines the output strength of the read antenna based on the identifier of the RFID tag included in the acquired read information, and sets the output strength of the read antenna to the determined output strength.

[0010] A program in one aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute a process of acquiring read information read by a reading antenna from an item placed on a shelf or an RFID tag attached to a predetermined position on the shelf, determining the output strength of the reading antenna based on the identifier of the RFID tag included in the acquired read information, and setting the output strength of the reading antenna to the determined output strength.

[0011] Each program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium.

[0012] One example of the effect of the present disclosure is that it can assist in reading RFID tags in the appropriate range.

[0013] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a system including a control device; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device; FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device; FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another example of the functional configuration of the control device; FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a notification screen; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a notification screen; FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing another example of the functional configuration of the control device; FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration for realizing the control device in the present disclosure by a computer and its peripheral devices.

[0014] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0015] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system including a control device 100 according to the present disclosure.

[0016] The control device 100 is a device that controls the output strength of a reader antenna of an RFID tag. The control device 100 is used, for example, to search for items within a facility or to correct the output strength of the reader antenna. The facility is, for example, a warehouse, a store, or other facility where multiple items are stored.

[0017] An RFID tag is a tag onto which information such as an identifier is written. When an RFID tag receives radio waves (carrier waves) output from a reading antenna, it transmits radio waves (reflected waves) containing the information. This allows the reading antenna to receive the reflected waves from RFID tags within the range of the carrier waves, thereby reading information from RFID tags within the range of the carrier waves. The output strength of a reading antenna is the strength of the carrier waves output from the reading antenna.

[0018] For example, the reading antenna is provided in a handheld terminal having an input / output unit, or in a mobile object such as a stationary terminal or a drone, and is connected to an information processing device that processes information read from the RFID tag.

[0019] The RFID tag may be attached to an item or may be attached to a predetermined position on a shelf. In the following description, an RFID tag attached to an item is called an item tag, and an RFID tag attached to a predetermined position on a shelf is called a position tag. An information processing device that processes RFID tag information can identify items within the reading range of a reading antenna or the extent of the reading range of the reading antenna by using information that associates information indicating the item and its position with the RFID tag identifier.

[0020] It is also assumed that RFID tags are assigned identifiers that allow individual tags to be distinguished. If the RFID tag is an item tag, the tag may be assigned an identifier that allows the type of item to which the tag is attached to be identified.

[0021] RFID tags are used, for example, to locate and inventory items in a facility.

[0022] When searching for an item, for example, the worker searching for the item reads the RFID tag while changing the output strength of the reading antenna of the handheld terminal, and searches for the location of the item using information from the reading results, such as whether or not the RFID tag attached to the item being searched for was read.

[0023] In inventorying items, for example, RFID tags are read using a reader antenna installed on the ceiling of a facility to identify the number of items. In this case, the output strength of the reader antenna is set in advance to cover a specified area, but the read range may change due to changes in the position or type of furniture, such as shelves, within the facility. In this case, it is necessary to reset the output strength of the reader antenna so that the original read range can be read.

[0024] Here, when the output strength of the reading antenna is high, the readable range becomes large and therefore many RFID tags can be read, whereas when the output strength of the reading antenna is low, the readable range becomes small and therefore only a small number of nearby RFID tags can be read.

[0025] However, it can be difficult to properly set the output intensity.

[0026] For example, when using RFID tags to search for items, a high output strength increases the likelihood of reading the RFID tag of the item being searched for, but makes it difficult to identify the location of the item because RFID tags attached to distant items can also be read. Also, when using RFID tags to search for items, a low output strength reads RFID tags attached to nearby items, making it easier to tell that an item with a read RFID tag is nearby, but reduces the likelihood of reading the RFID tag of the item being searched for. Therefore, even if the output strength of the reading antenna of a handheld terminal can be manually changed, it is difficult for an inexperienced user, for example, to appropriately change the output strength when searching for an item based on the location of the item being searched for or the number of items in a facility.

[0027] Furthermore, for example, when RFID tags are used in inventorying goods, the output strength of a reader antenna may be set so as to read RFID tags in a predetermined range at a predetermined position. The output strength of a reader antenna that reads RFID tags in inventorying goods may be adjusted by a technician with specialized knowledge at the time of installation. If the position or size of fixtures, such as shelves, installed in a warehouse or store, changes, the technician may need to re-adjust the output strength, which is cumbersome.

[0028] Therefore, the control device 100 sets the output strength of the reading antenna depending on the application and situation as described above.

[0029] Referring again to FIG. 1, an example of a system including the control device 100 of the present disclosure will be described.

[0030] The control device 100 is communicatively connected to a reading antenna that reads information from an RFID tag. The control device 100 may also be communicatively connected to an information processing device that processes the information from the RFID tag. For example, the control device 100 outputs the information from the RFID tag read by the reading antenna to the information processing device.

[0031] The configuration of the system including the control device 100 is not limited to the example shown in Fig. 1. For example, the control device 100 may be connected to a plurality of reading antennas and control the plurality of reading antennas. The control device 100 may also be realized as part of a handheld terminal including a reading antenna and an input / output unit (not shown).

[0032] Next, the configuration of the control device 100 in the embodiment will be described.

[0033] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 100. Referring to FIG. 2, the control device 100 includes an acquisition unit 101, a determination unit 102, and a setting unit 103.

[0034] Next, the configuration of the control device 100 in the first embodiment will be described in detail.

[0035] The acquisition unit 101 is an example of an acquisition means for acquiring read information read by a read antenna from an item placed on a shelf or an RFID tag attached to a predetermined position on the shelf. The read information is information read from the RFID tag by the read antenna and includes information stored in the RFID tag. The information stored in the RFID tag includes, but is not limited to, an RFID tag identifier.

[0036] The determination unit 102 is an example of a determination means that determines the output strength of the reading antenna based on the identifier of the RFID tag included in the acquired read information. For example, the determination unit 102 determines the output strength of the reading antenna based on at least one of the type or position of an item identified by the identifier included in the read information and the number of identifiers included in the read information. For example, the determination unit 102 may determine the output strength of the reading antenna based on whether or not a specific identifier is included in the read information. In this case, the determination unit 102 may determine a higher output strength if the read information includes a specific identifier, and may determine a lower output strength if the read information does not include a specific identifier.

[0037] Here, the specific identifier is an identifier to be read by the reading antenna, and may be set according to the purpose of the reading antenna. For example, when searching for an item, the specific identifier is the identifier of an RFID tag attached to the item to be searched. Also, for example, when correcting the output strength of the reading antenna, the specific identifier is the identifier of an RFID tag to be read by the reading antenna. Specific processes in these cases will be described in other embodiments.

[0038] Furthermore, for example, the determination unit 102 may determine the output intensity based on the number of identifiers included in the read information. In this case, if the number of identifiers included in the read information is greater than a predetermined number, the determination unit 102 may determine a lower output intensity, and if the number of identifiers included in the read information is less than the predetermined number, the determination unit 102 may determine a higher output intensity. The number of identifiers included in the read information is related to the read range of the read antenna. The predetermined number is appropriately set depending on the application so that the read antenna can read an appropriate range. For example, when searching for an item using a read antenna, if the read information contains a large number of identifiers, it becomes difficult to find the RFID tag to be searched, and if the read information contains a small number of identifiers, there is a higher chance that the RFID tag to be searched will be overlooked. Therefore, the predetermined number is appropriately set to a number that takes these respective cases into consideration.

[0039] Furthermore, for example, the determination unit 102 may determine the output intensity based on the number of types of items identified by identifiers included in the read information. In this case, it is assumed that the RFID tags are item tags attached to the items. The types of items may be distinguished, for example, by product name, or by size, color, or other unit for items with the same product name, as long as they are determined appropriately. In this case, if the number of types of items identified by identifiers included in the read information is greater than a predetermined number, the determination unit 102 determines the output intensity to be smaller. If the number of types of items identified by identifiers included in the read information is less than a predetermined number, the determination unit 102 determines the output intensity to be larger.

[0040] When the determining unit 102 determines the output intensity based on the number of identifiers included in the read information or the number of types of items identified by the identifiers included in the read information, the respective predetermined numbers may be set according to the use of the read antenna. The case where the use of the read antenna is to search for items and the case where the output intensity of the read antenna is corrected will be described in other embodiments.

[0041] The determination unit 102 may determine the output intensity based on any combination of whether or not the read information includes a specific identifier, the number of identifiers included in the read information, and the number of types of items identified by the identifiers included in the read information.

[0042] Furthermore, the output intensity determined by the determination unit 102 may be determined at a specified value, such as by changing one level of output intensity from among multiple levels, or may be determined at a value determined based on the read information.

[0043] The determining unit 102 may further determine at least one of the orientation and position of the output of the reading antenna based on an identifier included in the read information. In this case, for example, the determining unit 102 may determine to change at least one of the orientation and position of the output based on whether or not a specific identifier is included in the read information.

[0044] The determination unit 102 may determine the output strength, output direction, or position of the read antenna based on the radio wave strength received from the RFID tag by the read antenna. In this case, the RFID tag used as the basis for these determinations is, for example, an item tag of the item to be searched or a position tag present within the range of the target to be read by the read antenna. Known methods are used to determine the output strength, output direction, or position of the read antenna.

[0045] The setting unit 103 is an example of a setting means for setting the output strength of the reading antenna to the determined output strength. A known method may be used to set the output strength of the reading antenna. The setting unit 103 may also determine the output strength of the reading antenna by outputting an instruction to another device that controls the output strength of the reading antenna to set the output strength to the determined output strength.

[0046] The operation of the control device 100 configured as above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0047] First, the acquisition unit 101 acquires read information read by a reading antenna from an item placed on a shelf or an RFID tag attached to a predetermined position on the shelf (step S101).

[0048] Next, the determining unit 102 determines the output strength of the reading antenna based on the identifier of the RFID tag included in the acquired read information (step S102).

[0049] Next, the setting unit 103 sets the output intensity of the reading antenna to the determined output intensity (step S103).

[0050] This completes the series of operations of the control device 100.

[0051] The control device in the above-described embodiment includes an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a setting unit. The acquisition unit acquires read information read by a reading antenna from an item placed on a shelf or an RFID tag attached to a predetermined position on the shelf. The determination unit determines the output strength of the reading antenna based on the RFID tag identifier included in the acquired read information. The setting unit sets the output strength of the reading antenna to the determined output strength.

[0052] Here, the RFID tag identifier included in the read information, which the determination unit uses as a reference for determining the output strength, is information related to the range read by the read antenna at a certain output strength. In other words, by the determination unit determining the output strength of the read antenna based on the RFID tag identifier included in the read information, it becomes easier to set an output strength that will allow for a more appropriate reading range. As a result, the control device in this embodiment can support reading RFID tags within an appropriate range.

[0053] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Below, the description of the second embodiment will be omitted to the extent that it does not make the description of the present embodiment unclear.

[0054] In the second embodiment, a case where an item is searched for using an RFID tag will be described. In the following description, it is assumed that an item tag is used as the RFID tag, but a location tag may also be used. In the following description, the item to be searched for will be referred to as a search target item.

[0055] First, an example of searching for an item using an RFID tag will be described. For example, a handheld terminal equipped with a reading antenna is used to search for the item. A user inputs information about the item to be searched into the handheld terminal. The user then reads the RFID tag using the output strength of the reading antenna set as an initial value in the handheld terminal. The control device 200 determines the output strength based on the read information acquired from the reading antenna. The determined output strength of the reading antenna is then set in the handheld terminal, and the RFID tag is read. In other words, the reading of the RFID tag by user operation and the setting of the output strength by the control device 200 are repeated until it is determined that the item to be searched is nearby.

[0056] 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 200. In FIG. 4, the control device 200 includes an acquisition unit 201, a determination unit 202, a setting unit 203, and a notification unit 204.

[0057] The acquisition unit 201 acquires read information read by a reading antenna from an item tag.

[0058] The determination unit 202 determines the output strength of the reading antenna based on the identifier of the item tag included in the acquired read information.

[0059] For example, the determination unit 202 may determine the output strength of the reading antenna based on whether or not the read information includes a specific identifier. In this case, the specific identifier is the identifier of an RFID tag, which is an item tag attached to the item to be searched. In this case, if the read information does not include the specific identifier, the determination unit 202 may determine the output strength to be lower.

[0060] Furthermore, for example, the determination unit 202 may determine the output intensity based on the number of identifiers included in the read information. In searching for an item, if a specific identifier has been read, the determination unit 202 determines the output intensity based on the number of identifiers included in the read information. In this case, if the number of identifiers included in the read information is greater than a predetermined number, the determination unit 202 may determine the output intensity to be smaller.

[0061] Here, when the read information includes an identifier of an RFID tag attached to the search target item, the predetermined number used by the determination unit 202 to determine the output intensity based on the number of identifiers is a number set so as to make it easier to identify the location of the search target item. The fewer the number of identifiers included in the read information, the fewer types of items are expected to be in the vicinity of the location where the read antenna performed the reading, making it easier for the user to identify the location of the item.

[0062] In this case, the predetermined number may be set to make it easier to search for the item, for example, depending on the number of items to be searched stored, the number of each item stored in the facility, the storage conditions of the items in the facility, etc. The predetermined number may be set in advance, or the control device 200 may be provided with a predetermined number setting unit and set appropriately depending on the storage conditions of the item to be searched and other items stored nearby the item to be searched. The storage conditions may include the number of each item stored in the facility, the distance between items stored in the facility, etc.

[0063] For example, the predetermined number is set based on the number of items to be searched. As a more detailed example, if 50 items to be searched are stored, the predetermined number is set to 50, the same number as the number of items to be searched. In this case, if the identifier of the item tag of the item to be searched is read, it can be determined that only the item to be searched or a small number of other items stored nearby the item to be searched are nearby. This allows the user to easily find the item to be searched from among the small number of nearby items read by the reading antenna. Furthermore, if the number of each item stored in the facility is even larger or if the distance between the items stored in the facility is small, the predetermined number may be set to be larger than the number of items to be searched. The predetermined number is not limited to this example.

[0064] If the read information includes a specific identifier and the number of identifiers included in the read information is less than a predetermined number, it is assumed that the search target item is stored nearby, making it easy for the user to visually find the search target item. In this case, the determination unit 202 may determine not to change the output intensity.

[0065] Furthermore, for example, the determination unit 202 may determine the output intensity based on the number of types of items identified by identifiers included in the read information. In searching for items, when a specific identifier, i.e., the identifier of the item tag of the item to be searched, is read, the determination unit 202 determines the output intensity based on the number of types of items identified by identifiers included in the read information. In this case, when the number of types of items identified by identifiers included in the read information is greater than a predetermined number, the determination unit 202 may determine the output intensity to be smaller.

[0066] Here, when the read information includes an identifier of an RFID tag attached to an item to be searched for, the predetermined number used by the determination unit 202 to determine the output intensity is set so as to make it easier to identify the location of the item to be searched for. The fewer the types of items identified by the identifiers included in the read information, the fewer types of items identified from the read information that are located near the position where the reading antenna performed the reading and are not the item to be read. Therefore, it becomes easier for the user to identify the location of the item.

[0067] In this case, the predetermined number may be set so as to make it easy to search for the item, for example, depending on the number of types of items in the facility, the distance between the items, etc. Note that the predetermined number may be set in advance, or the control device 200 may be provided with a predetermined number setting unit, and the predetermined number may be set appropriately depending on the distance between the item to be searched and other items stored nearby, or the number of types of other items stored nearby the item to be searched.

[0068] For example, the predetermined number may be set to five types. In this case, if the identifier of the item tag of the search target item is read, it is known that five types of items, including the search target item, are nearby, so the user can easily search for the search target item from the five types of nearby items that have been read by the reading antenna. Note that the predetermined number is not limited to this example.

[0069] When searching for a search target item, if the read information includes a specific identifier and the number of types of items identified by the identifiers included in the read information is less than a predetermined number, it is assumed that the search target item is stored nearby, making it easier for the user to find the search target item. Therefore, the determination unit 202 may determine not to change the output intensity in this case.

[0070] The determination unit 202 may further determine at least one of the output direction and position of the reading antenna based on the identifier included in the read information. In this case, for example, the determination unit 202 may decide to change at least one of the output direction and position based on whether the read information includes a specific identifier, that is, the identifier of the item tag of the item to be searched. For example, if the read information does not include the identifier of the RFID tag attached to the item to be searched, it is assumed that the item to be searched is not present within the read range at that time. Therefore, the determination unit 202 may decide to change the output direction or position.

[0071] For example, if the read information does not include the identifier of the RFID tag attached to the search target item and the output strength of the read antenna is maximum, it is assumed that the search target item is not present in the direction in which the read antenna is outputting at that time. In this case, the determination unit 202 may determine to change the output direction. In this case, the determination unit 202 may determine the direction of the output from the read antenna after the change. For example, if the read information does not include the identifier of the RFID tag attached to the search target item and the output strength of the read antenna is maximum, the determination unit 202 determines the direction of the read antenna to be such that the read antenna can re-read an unread direction. For example, if the reading range of the read antenna is 90 degrees, the determination unit 202 determines the reading direction to be a direction that is 90 degrees or more different. Note that in this case, the maximum output strength of the read antenna is assumed to be the strongest radio wave intensity that can be set for reading within the settable range of the read antenna used to read the RFID tag. However, the maximum value of the output strength from the reading antenna may be determined as appropriate based on other conditions. The determination unit 202 may change the output direction when the output strength of the reading antenna is not maximum. Furthermore, for example, when the read information includes an identifier of an RFID tag attached to the item to be searched and it is determined to reduce the output strength, the determination unit 202 may determine to change the position of the reading antenna. In this case, the determination unit 202 may determine the position of the reading antenna. For example, when the read information includes an identifier of an RFID tag attached to the item to be searched and it is determined to reduce the output strength, the determination unit 202 determines the position of the reading antenna to be a position that is further forward within the range read by the reading antenna. In addition, if the read information read after it has been decided to reduce the output strength compared to the previous read information no longer includes the identifier of the RFID tag attached to the item being searched, the determination unit 202 may determine the position of the read antenna to be a position that is further forward within the range read by the read antenna.For example, if the range read by the reading antenna is a sector with a radius of 1 m and a central angle of 90 degrees, the determination unit 202 determines the reading position to be within the radius of 1 m, for example, 50 cm forward.

[0072] The setting unit 203 sets the output intensity of the reading antenna to the output intensity determined by the determination unit 202 .

[0073] The notification unit 204 is an example of a notification unit that notifies the user of a change in output intensity. For example, the notification unit 204 notifies the user that the output intensity has been changed or that the output intensity has not been changed, based on the determination result of the determination unit 202.

[0074] For example, when the output intensity is changed in a case where a handheld terminal is used to search for an item, the notification unit 204 may notify the user of the change in output intensity and may also notify the user of an instruction to perform reading using the reading antenna. When at least one of the orientation and position of the reading antenna is changed, the reading instruction may include an instruction to change at least one of the orientation and position of the reading antenna. In this case, the notification by the notification unit 204 is displayed, for example, on the display screen of the handheld terminal.

[0075] Furthermore, for example, when searching for an item using a handheld terminal, if the output intensity has not been changed, the notification unit 204 may notify that the item to be searched for is nearby. Furthermore, the notification unit 204 may notify that the output intensity has not been changed, i.e., that the processing of the control device 200 for searching for the item has been completed.

[0076] The operation of the control device 200 configured as above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0077] First, the acquisition unit 201 acquires the read information read by the reading antenna (step S201).

[0078] Next, the determination unit 202 determines whether the read information includes an identifier of the item tag attached to the search target item (step S202). If it is determined in step S202 that the read information does not include an identifier of the item tag attached to the search target item (step S202: No), the process proceeds to step S206.

[0079] In step S202, if it is determined that the read information includes identifiers of the item tags attached to the search target items (step S202: Yes), the determining unit 202 determines whether the number of identifiers of the RFID tags included in the read information is equal to or less than a predetermined number (step S203).In step S203, if it is determined that the number of identifiers of the RFID tags included in the read information is greater than the predetermined number (step S203: No), the process proceeds to step S209.

[0080] In step S203, if it is determined that the number of RFID tag identifiers included in the read information is equal to or less than a predetermined number (step S203: Yes), the decision unit 202 decides not to change the output intensity (step S204).

[0081] In this case, since the tag of the item to be searched for has been read and the number of other tags is less than a predetermined number, it is assumed that the item to be searched for is in an easy-to-find state. Therefore, the notification unit 204 notifies the user that the item to be searched for is nearby in the direction in which the reading antenna is pointed (step S205).

[0082] An example of a notification screen for notification in step S205 will be described. FIG. 6 is an example of a notification screen indicating that the search target is nearby. The example notification screen of FIG. 6 includes information indicating the search target item, such as the item name "XX", a message indicating that the search target item has been found, and a message indicating that the search target item is in front of the handheld terminal. The notification screen may also include other information based on the read information. For example, the notification screen may include the number of search target items that have been read, the names of other items that have been read, etc. This may make it easier for the user to find the search target item.

[0083] Returning to the explanation of the flowchart in FIG.

[0084] If it is determined in step S202 that the read information does not include the identifier of the item tag attached to the search target item (step S202: No), the determination unit 202 determines whether the output strength of the read antenna when the acquired read information was read was maximum (step S206).If it is determined in step S206 that the output strength of the read antenna when the acquired read information was read was not maximum (step S206: No), the process proceeds to step S212.

[0085] In step S206, if it is determined that the output strength of the reading antenna when reading the acquired read information is maximum (step S206: Yes), the decision unit 202 decides not to change the output strength of the reading antenna and to change the output direction (step S207).

[0086] Next, the notification unit 204 issues a notification command to change the reading direction of the reading antenna and read the RFID tag again (step S208). If the RFID tag is read again after step S208, the process returns to step S201.

[0087] An example of a notification screen for notification in step S208 will be described. Fig. 7 is an example of a notification screen for notifying an instruction to change the reading direction without changing the output intensity. The example notification screen of Fig. 7 includes, as information indicating the search target item, the item name "XX", a message indicating that the item tag of the search target item could not be read, and an instruction to change the reading direction and read the RFID tag again. Note that the notification screen may also include information indicating the current output intensity.

[0088] Returning to the explanation of the flowchart in FIG.

[0089] In step S203, if it is determined that the number of RFID tag identifiers included in the read information is greater than the predetermined number (step S203: No), the determination unit 202 determines the output intensity to be a smaller output intensity (step S209).

[0090] Next, the setting unit 203 sets the output strength of the reading antenna to the determined output strength (step S210).

[0091] Next, the notification unit 204 issues a notification command to read the RFID tag again (step S211). If the RFID tag is read again after step S211, the process returns to step S201.

[0092] An example of a notification screen when the notification unit 204 issues a notification in step S211 following step S210 after the processing of step S209 will be described. Fig. 8 is an example of a notification screen notifying that the output intensity has been reduced and instructing to read again. The example notification screen of Fig. 8 includes, as information indicating the item to be searched, the item name "XX", a message indicating that the item tag of the item to be searched has been read, and an instruction to reduce the output intensity and read the RFID tag again. Note that the notification screen may also include information indicating the current output intensity.

[0093] Returning to the explanation of the flowchart in FIG.

[0094] In step S206, if it is determined that the output strength of the reading antenna when reading the acquired read information is not maximum (step S206: No), the determination unit 202 determines the output strength to be a larger output strength (step S212).

[0095] After step S212, the process proceeds to step S210 and step S211, and if the RFID tag is read again after step S211 as described above, the process returns to step S201. After the process of step S212, when the notification unit 204 issues a notification in step S211 following step S210, the notification screen may include, for example, an instruction to increase the output intensity and read the RFID tag again, instead of the instruction to decrease the output intensity and read the RFID tag again as shown in FIG.

[0096] The processes of steps S201, S202, and S206 to S212 may be repeated until the process proceeds to steps S204 and S205.

[0097] This completes the series of operations of the control device 200. Note that the example of the processing of the control device 200 when searching for an item is not limited to the example of the flowchart in Fig. 5. Furthermore, the example of the notification screen is not limited to the examples shown in Figs. 6 to 8.

[0098] Note that a position tag may be used in searching for an item. When a position tag is used in searching for an item, for example, it is assumed that an item to be placed in a predetermined position, such as on a shelf, is predetermined, and information associating the item with the position tag is recorded. In this case, the determination unit 202 may determine the output intensity using the information associating the item with the position tag.

[0099] The control device in the above-described embodiment includes an acquisition unit, a determination unit, a setting unit, and a notification unit. The acquisition unit acquires read information read by the reading antenna from an item placed on a shelf or an RFID tag attached to a predetermined position on the shelf. The determination unit determines the output strength of the reading antenna based on the RFID tag identifier included in the acquired read information. The setting unit sets the output strength of the reading antenna to the determined output strength. The notification unit issues a notification regarding a change in output strength.

[0100] The RFID tag identifier included in the read information is information related to the range read by the read antenna at a certain output strength. In other words, by the determination unit determining the output strength of the read antenna based on the RFID tag identifier included in the read information, it becomes easy to set an output strength that will enable a more appropriate range to be read when searching for an item using an RFID tag. As a result, the control device in this embodiment can support reading RFID tags in an appropriate range when searching for an item using an RFID tag.

[0101] [Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Below, descriptions of the contents that overlap with the above description will be omitted to the extent that the description of this embodiment is not unclear.

[0102] In the third embodiment, a case will be described in which the output intensity of a reading antenna with a preset reading range is corrected for purposes such as inventory. In the following description, it is assumed that position tags are used as RFID tags, but item tags may also be used. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the position tags are attached at regular intervals to shelves, for example. However, the arrangement of the position tags is not limited to this example and may be determined as appropriate depending on the arrangement of items placed on shelves, inventory convenience, etc.

[0103] Correction of the output strength of the reading antenna may be performed, for example, by a correction instruction input by the user, or may be performed at a predetermined frequency such as once a month, or at a timing such as before performing an inventory using RFID tags.

[0104] 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 300. In FIG. 9, the control device 300 includes an acquisition unit 301, a determination unit 302, and a setting unit 303.

[0105] The acquisition unit 301 acquires read information read by the reading antenna from the position tag.

[0106] The determination unit 302 determines the output strength of the reading antenna based on the identifier of the position tag included in the acquired read information. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the position tag to be read is predetermined for the reading antenna for which the output strength is to be determined. The determination unit 302 determines the output strength of the reading antenna so that the target position tag can be properly read, for example.

[0107] For example, the determination unit 302 may determine the output strength of the reading antenna based on whether or not the read information includes an identifier of a specific position tag. The specific identifier is an identifier of a position tag included in the range that the reading antenna is intended to read. Note that in this case, there may be multiple specific identifiers. In this case, the determination unit 302 may determine a lower output strength if the read information does not include some or all of the specific identifiers.

[0108] Furthermore, for example, the determination unit 302 may determine not to change the output intensity when the read information includes all specific identifiers. Alternatively, the determination unit 302 may determine the output intensity based on whether the read information includes identifiers of position tags other than the specific identifiers. In this case, the determination unit 302 may determine the output intensity to be lower when the read information includes identifiers other than the specific identifiers. If the read information does not include identifiers other than the specific identifiers, the determination unit 302 may determine not to change the output intensity.

[0109] Furthermore, for example, the determination unit 302 may determine the output strength based on the number of identifiers included in the read information. In correcting the reading antenna, the determination unit 302 may determine a smaller output strength if the number of identifiers included in the read information is greater than a predetermined number, and may determine a larger output strength if the number of identifiers included in the read information is less than the predetermined number.

[0110] Here, the predetermined number is the number of RFID tags present within the range to be read by the reading antenna. In other words, the predetermined number is the number of RFID tags attached to predetermined positions on the shelf present within the range to be read by the reading antenna. Therefore, the determination unit 302 determines the output intensity so that the number of identifiers included in the read information becomes the predetermined number.

[0111] The determination unit 302 may further determine at least one of the output orientation and position of the read antenna based on the identifier included in the read information. In this case, for example, the determination unit 302 may determine to change at least one of the output orientation and position based on whether the read information includes a specific identifier that should be read by the read antenna, and the number of identifiers included in the read information. For example, the determination unit 302 may determine to change the output orientation or position when the read information does not include some of the identifiers that should be read by the read antenna and the number of identifiers included in the read information is a predetermined number.

[0112] The setting unit 303 sets the output strength of the reading antenna to the output strength determined by the determination unit 302. If the determination unit 302 has determined the direction and position of the output, the direction and position of the reading antenna may be set using a known method.

[0113] The control device 300 may also include a notification unit (not shown). For example, the notification unit in the control device 300 may notify that the reading antenna has been corrected. Furthermore, for example, the notification unit in the control device 300 may issue an alert when the reading range cannot be corrected even after setting the output intensity based on the read information a predetermined number of times. In this case, the alert may include a message notifying that the reading antenna correction has not been completed, a button for making an inquiry to a technician, or the like.

[0114] The operation of the control device 300 configured as above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0115] First, the acquisition unit 301 acquires the read information read by the reading antenna (step S301).

[0116] Next, the determination unit 302 determines whether the read information includes an identifier to be read by the read antenna (step S302). If it is determined in step S302 that the read information does not include an identifier to be read by the read antenna (step S302: No), the process proceeds to step S304.

[0117] In step S302, if it is determined that the read information does not include an identifier that the reading antenna should read (step S302: Yes), the determination unit 302 determines whether the read information includes an identifier other than the identifier that the reading antenna should read (step S303).

[0118] In step S303, if it is determined that the read information does not include any identifier other than the identifier that should be read by the reading antenna (step S303: No), the control device 300 ends the process.

[0119] In step S302, if it is determined that the read information does not include an identifier that should be read by the reading antenna (step S302: No), the decision unit 302 decides to increase the output intensity (step S304).

[0120] In step S303, if it is determined that the read information includes an identifier other than the identifier that the reading antenna is to read (step S303: Yes), the decision unit 302 decides to reduce the output intensity (step S305).

[0121] After the process of step S304 or step S305, the setting unit 303 sets the output strength of the reading antenna to the determined output strength (step S306). If the RFID tag is read again after step S306, the process returns to step S301, and these processes may be repeated until step S303 becomes No and the process ends.

[0122] This completes the series of operations of the control device 300. Note that the example of the processing of the control device 300 when correcting the output intensity of the reading antenna is not limited to the example of the flowchart in FIG.

[0123] Note that, when correcting the output strength of the reading antenna, an item tag may be used. In this case, the determination unit 302 may determine the output strength so as to read the identifiers of the item tags attached to the items within the reading range, using the locations and number of each item stored in the facility. For example, when correcting the output strength of the reading antenna, the determination unit 302 may determine a higher output strength if the number of types of items identified by the identifiers included in the read information is smaller than the number of types of items to be read by the reading antenna. The method of determining the output strength by the determination unit 302 using an item tag is not limited to this example, and the presence or absence of a specific identifier included in the read information or the number of identifiers may also be used.

[0124] The control device in the above-described embodiment includes an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a setting unit. The acquisition unit acquires read information read by a reading antenna from an item placed on a shelf or an RFID tag attached to a predetermined position on the shelf. The determination unit determines the output strength of the reading antenna based on the RFID tag identifier included in the acquired read information. The setting unit sets the output strength of the reading antenna to the determined output strength.

[0125] The RFID tag identifier included in the read information is information related to the range read by the read antenna at a certain output strength. In other words, by the determination unit determining the output strength of the read antenna based on the RFID tag identifier included in the read information, it becomes easy to set a more appropriate range, i.e., an output strength that allows the read antenna to read a predetermined range. As a result, the control device in this embodiment can support reading RFID tags in an appropriate range when correcting the output strength of a read antenna whose read range is predetermined.

[0126] [Hardware Configuration] Some or all of the components of each device or system in each embodiment of the present disclosure described above are realized by any combination of an information processing device 1000 and a program, for example, as shown in Fig. 11. The information processing device 1000 includes, as an example, the following configuration.

[0127] - CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1001 - ROM (Read Only Memory) 1002 - RAM (Random Access Memory) 1003 - Program 1004 loaded into RAM 1003 - Storage device 1005 for storing program 1004 - Drive device 1007 for reading and writing from and to recording medium 1006 - Communication I / F 1008 for connecting to communication network 1009 - Input / output I / F 1010 for inputting and outputting data - Bus 1011 for connecting each component. Note that I / F is an abbreviation for Interface.

[0128] Each component of each device or system in each embodiment is realized by the CPU 1001 acquiring and executing a program that realizes the function of that component. The program that realizes the function of each component of each device is stored in the storage device 1005 or RAM 1003 in advance, for example, and is read by the CPU 1001 as needed. The program 1004 may be supplied to the CPU 1001 via a communication network, or may be stored in the recording medium 1006 in advance, and the drive device 1007 may read the program and supply it to the CPU 1001.

[0129] There are various variations in the method of realizing each device. For example, each device or system may be realized by any combination of a separate information processing device 1000 and a program for each component. Furthermore, multiple components included in each device may be realized by any combination of a single information processing device 1000 and a program.

[0130] Furthermore, some or all of the components of each device or system may be realized by general-purpose or dedicated circuits (circuitry) including a processor or the like, or a combination of these. Examples of circuits include a CPU, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and an AI (Artificial Intelligence) processing LSI (Large Scale Integration). These may be configured by a single chip or by multiple chips connected via a bus. Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the above-mentioned circuits and a program.

[0131] When some or all of the components of each device or system are realized by multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc., the multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be centrally or decentralized. For example, the information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be realized as a client-server system, a cloud computing system, or the like, in which they are connected via a communication network.

[0132] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above 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.

[0133] Furthermore, although the operations are described in a sequential order in the form of a flowchart, the order of description does not limit the order in which the operations are performed. Therefore, when implementing each embodiment, the order of the operations may be changed as long as it does not affect the content.

[0134] Some or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0135] [Supplementary Note 1] A control device comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring read information read by a read antenna from an item placed on a shelf or an RFID tag attached to a predetermined position on the shelf; a determination means for determining an output strength of the read antenna based on an identifier of the RFID tag included in the acquired read information; and a setting means for setting the output strength of the read antenna to the determined output strength.

[0136] [Supplementary Note 2] The control device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the determining means determines the output intensity of the read antenna based on whether or not the read information includes a specific identifier.

[0137] [Supplementary Note 3] The control device according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein the determining unit determines the output intensity to be a larger output intensity when the read information includes the specific identifier.

[0138] [Supplementary Note 4] The control device according to Supplementary Note 2 or 3, wherein the determining unit determines the output intensity to be a smaller output intensity when the read information does not include the specific identifier.

[0139] [Supplementary Note 5] The control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 2 to 4, wherein the specific identifier is an identifier of an RFID tag attached to an item to be searched.

[0140] [Supplementary Note 6] The control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 2 to 5, wherein the specific identifier is an identifier of an RFID tag attached to a predetermined position on a shelf that is within a range read by the reading antenna.

[0141] [Supplementary Note 7] The control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 6, wherein the determining means determines the output intensity based on the number of the identifiers included in the read information.

[0142] [Supplementary Note 8] The control device according to Supplementary Note 7, wherein the determining unit determines the output intensity to be a smaller output intensity when the number of identifiers included in the read information is greater than a predetermined number.

[0143] [Supplementary Note 9] The control device according to Supplementary Note 7 or 8, wherein the determining unit determines the output intensity to be a larger output intensity when the number of identifiers included in the read information is smaller than a predetermined number.

[0144] [Supplementary Note 10] The control device according to Supplementary Note 8 or 9, wherein the predetermined number is a number set according to the number of stored items to be searched for when the read information includes an identifier of an RFID tag attached to the item to be searched for.

[0145] [Supplementary Note 11] The control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 8 to 10, wherein the predetermined number is the number of RFID tags present within a reading range of the reading antenna.

[0146] [Supplementary Note 12] The control device according to Supplementary Note 12, wherein the predetermined number is the number of RFID tags attached to predetermined positions on a shelf that are within a reading range of the reading antenna.

[0147] [Supplementary Note 13] The control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 12, wherein the determining means determines the output intensity based on the number of types of articles identified by the identifiers included in the read information.

[0148] [Supplementary Note 14] The control device according to Supplementary Note 13, wherein the determining means determines the output intensity to be a smaller output intensity when the number of types of articles identified by the identifiers included in the read information is greater than a predetermined number.

[0149] [Supplementary Note 15] The control device according to Supplementary Note 13 or 14, wherein the determination means determines not to change the output intensity when searching for a search target item and the number of types of items identified by the identifiers included in the read information is less than a predetermined number.

[0150] [Supplementary Note 16] The control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 13 to 15, wherein when correcting the output strength of the reading antenna, the determining means determines the output strength to be a larger output strength if the number of types of articles identified by the identifiers included in the read information is smaller than the number of types of articles to be read by the reading antenna.

[0151] [Supplementary Note 17] The control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 16, wherein the determining means further determines at least one of an output direction of the reading antenna and a position of the reading antenna based on an identifier included in the read information.

[0152] [Supplementary Note 18] The control device according to Supplementary Note 17, wherein the determining means determines the output direction based on whether or not the read information includes a specific identifier.

[0153] [Supplementary Note 19] The control device according to Supplementary Note 18, wherein the determining means determines the direction of the output to be a different direction when the read information does not include an identifier of an RFID tag attached to the item to be searched.

[0154] [Supplementary Note 20] The control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 19, further comprising: a notification unit that notifies the user of a change in the output intensity.

[0155] [Supplementary Note 21] The control device according to Supplementary Note 20, wherein the notification means notifies that the output intensity has been changed or that the output intensity has not been changed.

[0156] [Supplementary Note 22] The control device according to Supplementary Note 20 or 21, wherein the notification means further instructs the reading antenna to read the article when searching for the article.

[0157] [Supplementary Note 23] The control device according to Supplementary Note 22, wherein the reading instruction includes designation of at least one of an orientation and a position of the reading antenna.

[0158] [Supplementary Note 24] The control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 21 to 23, wherein the notification means, during an item search, notifies that a search target item is nearby.

[0159] [Supplementary Note 25] A control method comprising: acquiring read information read by a read antenna from an item placed on a shelf or an RFID tag attached to a predetermined position on the shelf; determining an output strength of the read antenna based on an identifier of the RFID tag included in the acquired read information; and setting the output strength of the read antenna to the determined output strength.

[0160] [Supplementary Note 26] A recording medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes: acquiring read information read by a read antenna from an item placed on a shelf or an RFID tag attached to a predetermined position on the shelf; determining an output strength of the read antenna based on an identifier of the RFID tag included in the acquired read information; and setting the output strength of the read antenna to the determined output strength.

[0161] Furthermore, some or all of the configurations described in Supplementary Notes 2 to 24 that are subordinate to Supplementary Note 1 (control device) may also be subordinate to Supplementary Note 25 (control method) and Supplementary Note 26 (program) in the same subordinate relationship as Supplementary Note 2 to 24. Furthermore, not limited to Supplementary Note 1, Supplementary Note 25, and Supplementary Note 26, some or all of the configurations described as Supplements may be subordinate to various hardware, software, various recording means for recording software, or systems, within the scope of each of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0162] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Control device 101 Acquisition unit 102 Decision unit 103 Setting unit 200 Control device 201 Acquisition unit 202 Decision unit 203 Setting unit 204 Notification unit 300 Control device 301 Acquisition unit 302 Decision unit 303 Setting unit 1000 Information processing device 1001 CPU 1002 ROM 1003 RAM 1004 Program 1005 Storage device 1006 Recording medium 1007 Drive device 1008 Communication I / F 1009 Communication network 1010 Input / output I / F 1011 Bus

Claims

1. A control device comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring read information read by a read antenna from an item placed on a shelf or an RFID tag attached to a predetermined position on the shelf; a determination means for determining the output strength of the read antenna based on the identifier of the RFID tag included in the acquired read information; and a setting means for setting the output strength of the read antenna to the determined output strength.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein said determining means determines the output strength of said read antenna based on whether or not said read information includes a specific identifier.

3. The control device according to claim 2, wherein said determining means determines said output intensity to be greater when said read information includes said specific identifier.

4. The control device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the determining means determines the output intensity to be a smaller output intensity when the read information does not include the specific identifier.

5. The control device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the specific identifier is an identifier of an RFID tag attached to the item to be searched.

6. The control device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the specific identifier is an identifier of an RFID tag attached to a predetermined position on a shelf that is within the range of the target that is read by the reading antenna.

7. A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the determining means determines the output intensity based on the number of identifiers included in the read information.

8. The control device according to claim 7, wherein said determining means determines said output intensity to be a smaller output intensity when the number of identifiers included in said read information is greater than a predetermined number.

9. The control device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the determining means determines the output intensity to be a larger output intensity when the number of identifiers included in the read information is smaller than a predetermined number.

10. A control device as described in claim 8 or 9, wherein the predetermined number is set according to the number of items to be searched stored when the read information includes an identifier of an RFID tag attached to the item to be searched.

11. The control device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the predetermined number is the number of RFID tags present within a reading range of the reading antenna.

12. A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the determining means determines the output intensity based on the number of types of articles identified by the identifiers included in the read information.

13. The control device according to claim 12, wherein the determining means determines the output intensity to be a smaller output intensity when the number of types of articles identified by the identifiers included in the read information is greater than a predetermined number.

14. A control device as described in claim 12 or 13, wherein the determination means determines not to change the output intensity when searching for a search target item and the number of types of items identified by the identifiers included in the read information is less than a predetermined number.

15. A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the determining means further determines at least one of the direction of the output of the reading antenna and the position of the reading antenna based on an identifier included in the reading information.

16. The control device according to claim 15, wherein the determining means determines the direction of the output to be a different direction if the read information does not include an identifier of an RFID tag attached to the item being searched for.

17. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, further comprising: notification means for issuing a notification regarding the change in output intensity.

18. The control device according to claim 17, wherein the notification means further instructs the reading antenna to read the article when searching for the article.

19. A control method comprising: acquiring read information read by a reading antenna from an item placed on a shelf or an RFID tag attached to a predetermined position on the shelf; determining the output strength of the reading antenna based on the identifier of the RFID tag contained in the acquired read information; and setting the output strength of the reading antenna to the determined output strength.

20. A recording medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the following process: acquire read information read by a read antenna from an item placed on a shelf or an RFID tag attached to a specified position on the shelf; determine the output strength of the read antenna based on the identifier of the RFID tag contained in the acquired read information; and set the output strength of the read antenna to the determined output strength.

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