JP2007018397A - Article management apparatus, article management system, and article management method - Google Patents

Abstract

【Task】
Provided is an article management apparatus capable of searching for an article at any time.
[Solution]
An article management apparatus provided with IC tag communication means is provided with an article management database for managing the article name to be managed in association with the unique ID information of the IC tag on which the article name is attached, a position detection means, and a clock function. If the ID information of the IC tag detected by the IC tag communication means at every interval is the article management database, the detection time and the position information acquired by the position detection means are recorded. Further, a warning means is provided in the article management apparatus, and position information related to the warning means is recorded in the article management database so that no warning is issued at a specific place. Furthermore, the warning level to be selected is changed depending on the combination of IC tags that could not be detected by the IC tag reader, and a higher warning is issued in an emergency situation.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless tag management system and an article management method that issue a warning when an article with a wireless tag leaves from a user, and an article management apparatus used therefor, and in particular, a combination of wireless tags and a relationship between a wireless tag and a position. The present invention relates to a wireless tag management system that determines the situation and issues a warning.

Conventionally, as a security system for forgotten things using IC tags, when an IC tag registered within the IC tag detection range of an IC tag reader enters or exits, an alarm is issued to warn the user of the loss of belongings. Security systems are known.
For example, in Japanese Patent No. 3532912, when an IC tag that does not require a power supply is attached to a possession such as a bag or a wallet, and the IC tag of the possession stops responding to a confirmation signal from a reader / writer possessed by the user. It is a system that judges that it has been left behind and issues an alarm to inform the user.

JP 2004-287713 A

The problem to be solved is that in the conventional system, almost all the articles owned by the user, and the fact that the IC tag is attached other than the articles owned by the user are not considered, and the articles owned by others. Or an alarm is sounded even when an article that is not very important is separated from the user by a certain distance or more. In addition, places where alarms do not need to be sounded are not taken into account, and when it is known from the user's daily behavior that the belongings will be separated from the user, for example, by putting a bag in a locker at school, etc. However, there is a case where the alarm function does not work when the user misplaces the belongings because the user always feels bothered by the alarm always sounding, and the alarm is cut off every day.
An object of the present invention is to carry out personal belongings management and safety management of the user when an IC tag is attached to everything.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides an article database, an IC tag communication unit in an article management device, and an article owned by a user, which is recorded in association with ID information of an IC tag attached to the article. Detection means and a clock function are provided, and the position information and date / time information of the detection position are recorded in the property database based on the ID information of the IC tag detected by the IC tag communication means.

Further, location information that does not need to warn the user is added to the possession database, and an inventory list is created when the user goes out, and the ID information recorded in the inventory list cannot be detected for the alert to the user. In addition, a warning is issued only when the user is outside location information that does not issue a warning in the property database.
Furthermore, the warning level corresponding to the combination of property was set, and the warning method to be issued was changed according to the status of the property.
Further, the article management device is provided with a mobile phone communication function, connected to a management server having a communication function, and transmits management information of belongings when going out to the management server. Manage information.

  The article management apparatus of the present invention can manage the presence and position of any belongings with IC tags attached, and the user can easily find a desired article. Further, since it is possible to prevent a warning from being issued in a place where it can be easily estimated that the user will be away from the user when going out, there is no need for the user to perform an extra operation such as stopping the alarm one by one. Further, by managing the user's belongings with the management server, the user's guardian or the like can manage the user's belongings on behalf of the user, and the user can be managed depending on the communication status.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily manage the presence / absence, position, etc., of an item with an IC tag attached thereto.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes an article management device that manages belongings through communication records with registered belongings. Reference numeral 20 denotes a wireless IC tag attached to a user's belongings of the article management device 1, such as a bag, a hat, or a watch. is there.

  The article management device 1 is, for example, a mobile phone or a portable information terminal, and includes an IC tag reader 14, an IC tag management function 13, a property database 15, a position detection function 11, and a clock function 12. Note that display means and input means may be provided as necessary. The position detection means 11 is a means for detecting the current position of the article management apparatus 1 by communicating with GPS or a wireless base station whose position is specified, and outputting position information. The IC tag reader 14 wirelessly communicates with the IC tag 20 outside the article management apparatus 1 to read the ID information of the IC tag.

Here, the IC tag 20 is a non-contact type identification medium that has a unique ID and transmits information including the unique ID to the IC tag reader when receiving a radio wave of a specific frequency from the IC tag reader. An example of the configuration diagram of the tag is shown in FIG.
The IC tag 20 includes a wireless communication unit 26 that receives a radio signal with an antenna or the like, a logic processing unit 27 that processes a signal, and a memory 28 that stores unique ID information. When the IC tag 20 receives a radio wave having a communicable frequency from the IC tag reader of the article management apparatus 1, the IC tag 20 transmits the ID information recorded in the memory 20 to the IC tag reader.
Although the minimum configuration of the IC tag is shown in FIG. 2, the IC tag used in the present invention may be an IC tag that is equipped with a CPU and performs advanced processing on the IC tag side. The memory may be an IC tag using a memory having an area writable by an IC tag reader / writer in addition to a fixed ID.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the IC tag reading range of the IC tag reader. Reference numeral 50 denotes a communicable range of the IC tag reader 14 in the article management apparatus 1, and reference numerals 20, 21, 22, and 23 denote IC tags. When the IC tag is searched from the IC tag reader, the IC tags 20, 21, and 22 within the communicable range 50 are detected, and each ID information can be acquired. Since it cannot communicate with the IC tag 23 outside the communicable range 50, it is determined that it is not in this position. Here, if an article attached to an IC tag that can be searched by the IC tag reader is an item possessed by the user, the possessed item is an article to which the IC tags 20, 21, and 22 are attached. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the IC tag reader is built in the article management apparatus 1, an IC tag reader that can be externally attached by a cable, a connector, or the like or can be connected by short-distance wireless connection may be used. The IC tag reader may be an IC tag reader / writer having a function of writing data to the IC tag.

  The possession database 15 is the possession of the user of the article management apparatus 1, a list of possessions on which IC tags having wireless communication means capable of communicating with the article management apparatus 1 are attached, and the date and time of the last communication with the IC tag reader Information and position information are recorded.

  An example of information stored in the possession product database is shown in FIG. Reference numeral 31 is the ID information of the IC tag, 32 is the product name of the possessed item, 33 is the last communication position with the IC card reader 14, and 34 is the last communication time with the IC card reader 14. From the record in the possession database in FIG. 4, for example, it is understood that the bag has ID information 123456789 and was held at 12:00 on February 23, 2005. The position in FIG. 4 is displayed with the name of a specific place, but is recorded in the possession database as data such as latitude and longitude and other data representing the position. Also, the registered items in the possessed product database shown in FIG. 4 are a minimum example, and other items such as the characteristics of the owned product may be recorded. A method of creating the property database 15 will be described later.

  The IC tag management function 13 is a function for managing the property in which the IC tag management process is described, and is in a range where the IC tag reader can communicate by periodically issuing an IC tag search command to the IC tag reader 14. The ID information of the IC tag is acquired, a position acquisition command is issued to the position detecting means 11 to acquire the current position, the IC tag search time is acquired from the clock function 12, and the acquired IC tag ID information and property database 15 are stored. Comparison with the recorded ID information, search position, search time, and belonging ID information are registered in the belongings database.

  An example of the IC tag management method of the IC tag management means will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is an IC tag management flowchart of the IC tag management means of the present invention. First, the IC tag management function of the article management apparatus 1 performs time acquisition 101 from the clock function, and determines whether it is time to search for an IC tag. Here, the search time is a time set in advance at the time of user or factory shipment or the like, and a time that is an IC tag search interval may be seen in addition to the time. When the IC tag management function determines that the search time is reached, the IC tag management function issues an IC tag search command 103 to the IC tag reader, causes the IC tag reader to search for all communicable IC tags, and obtains ID information of the IC tags that have been able to communicate. Acquire 104.

  The IC tag management function refers to the acquired ID information in the owner database, and if there is an article whose ID information matches, acquires the position information 107 and records it in the position information and the owned product database. This work will be described with reference to FIG. 3 described above. The IC tag reader is in a range where the IC tags 20, 21, and 22 can communicate and can read the ID information. For example, the IC tag 22 has an owner database. If not, it is determined that the product is not owned by the user, and the ID information is discarded. Thereby, the property of others is not managed by mistake.

  In the owner database corresponding to the extracted ID information, the date and time when the ID information was obtained and the position are registered in the possessed product database 16. Thereafter, the above operation is periodically repeated, and the position of the possessed item is always accumulated in the possessed item database. By browsing this property database, the user can confirm when and where he has the property. Also, lost belongings can be detected.

Next, a method for registering a property in the property database using the property management terminal of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 6 shows a configuration diagram of the property management terminal when the property management terminal of the present invention is provided with the property registration function. The same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. 51 is an input means, and 52 is an IC tag reader capable of output switching. The input means 51 is an external button of the property management terminal 1 or a button displayed on the display screen by the user. When the user presses the button for mode switching designated by the IC tag management means 13, The IC tag management means determines that the reading mode has become the registration mode, and requests the IC tag reader to operate in the registration mode.

  The IC tag reader requested to operate in the registration mode lowers the communication output for reading the IC tag. As a result, the IC tag reader can read only the ID information of the adjacent IC tag. In this state, the ID information can be registered by bringing the property to be registered closer to the property management terminal 1. The registration of the possessed product name or the like to the registered ID information is input by the user from the input unit 52 or the Internet connection unit is provided in the property management terminal 1 so that the product name is registered from the IC tag management server on the Internet. You may obtain as.

  Note that the present registration means is an example of creating an possession database, and in the possession management system of the present invention, the possession database may be created by other equipment, or the possession management terminal 1 may be used. The possession database may be created by this method.

  Next, another example of a method for performing IC tag management when the user goes out will be described.

FIG. 7 shows an example of an article management apparatus that manages the belongings when the user goes out and issues a warning when the belongings leave the user. The same components as those in FIGS. 1 and 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.
The article management apparatus 60 includes a warning function 61 and a belongings list 62.
The warning function 61 is a function for generating a warning such as, for example, vibrating an alarm or an article management device, or displaying a warning character on the display means when the article management device includes a display means.

In the personal belongings list 62, ID information of IC tags attached to articles possessed by the user when going out is recorded. For example, when the user goes out, the user uses the input means 51 to notify the IC tag management function 13 that the user is going out, and the IC tag management function 13 that is notified of going out uses the IC tag reader. The ID information of the IC tag that can be used for communication is acquired, the acquired ID information is compared with the property database 62, and the matched ID information is registered as an inventory list 62.
The article management device 60 notifies the warning function 61 and generates a warning when an IC tag having ID information in the personal belongings list 62 cannot communicate with the IC tag reader 14. With this function, the user can know that the article he had at the time of going out has left.

Next, in the article management apparatus of the present invention, a description will be given below of means for giving a restriction when issuing a warning by a warning function.
An example of the possessed product database 15 in FIG. 7 is shown in FIG. The same parts as those in FIG. In addition to the items already described with reference to FIG. 3, the property database 15 records a warning exclusion location 71 and a time 72 until the warning occurs. For example, if the user has a bag when going out, a warning is not issued for a place where the user is clearly known to leave the user, such as by putting it in a locker. Further, if the time for the belongings to leave the user is shorter than the time set in the property database, no warning is issued.

  The operation of the article management device 60 will be described with reference to the processing chart of FIG. The same processes as those in FIG. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. When receiving the going-out signal 180, the IC tag management function 13 issues an IC tag search start command to the IC tag reader and acquires the ID information of the IC tag of the possessed item possessed when going out. Here, the outing signal may be that the user presses any button that is an input means of the property management terminal 1 or goes out to the IC tag management means by causing the IC tag to read the IC tag indicating going out. You may notify that. The IC tag management means collates the acquired ID information with the possessed goods database, and creates the possessed goods list 62 using the ID information of the IC tag that can be collated as possessed goods ID information 181.

  Next, similarly to the processing of FIG. 5, processing from time acquisition 101 to registration 108 in the possession database is performed. Further, in the present invention, the presence or absence of an IC tag that could not be detected is determined 183 among the items in the belonging list, and if there is a shortage, the position information is not in the excluded position information of the possession database 15. Determine whether. If the acquired position information is within the warning exclusion position range, no warning is issued. Further, if the acquired position information is outside the range of the warning exclusion position, a warning is issued to notify the user that the belongings have left the user. The above operation is periodically repeated while the IC tag management unit is out.

  As described above, according to the present invention, since no warning is issued at the registered place, the user is not bothered by unnecessary warning cancellation. In addition, since the presence / absence of belongings and the lost position are recorded even in the warning exclusion place, the misplaced belongings can be easily found.

FIG. 10 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the article management system of the apparatus of the present invention.
The same components as those in FIGS. 1 to 9 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. 90 is an article management apparatus, 2 is a management server, 3 is a mobile phone communication network, 4 is a network such as the Internet, 5 is a server of a mobile phone carrier that connects the mobile phone communication network and the Internet, and 6 is installed at a work site. Wireless control terminal. Since the cellular phone carrier server 5 is not the object of the present invention, the description thereof is omitted.

  The article management device 81 has a mobile phone communication means 82, and the IC tag management function 12 registers it in the personal belongings database and transmits similar personal belongings data to the management server using the mobile telephone communication means 91.

  The management server 2 is, for example, a server constructed by a personal computer or the like in the home, and includes an article management apparatus database 203 including the communication database 201, the possession database 14 of the article management apparatus 90, and an article management apparatus management. Means 202 and warning means 204 are provided. The warning means 204 here can be notified by mail or voice to a registered mobile phone in addition to displaying an alarm or warning screen. The warning level is divided according to the degree of urgency, and a warning level is set in the article management apparatus database 203 for each owned item.

The article management device 90 records the article management status in the possessed article database 15 and transmits similar data to the management server 2 through the mobile phone communication means.
The management server 2 records the received data of the article management apparatus 90 in the article management apparatus database, and issues a warning if necessary.

FIG. 11 shows an example of data in the article management apparatus database 203. The same parts as those in FIG.
In the article management device database 203, a warning level 221 is set in association with the ID information of the article, and when the corresponding belongings leave the user, the management server generates a warning according to the warning level 221. . For example, the warning level 1 is set only for recording in the article management apparatus database 203, the warning level 2 is set for displaying a warning screen on the display means, and the warning level 3 is set for notifying registered contacts. Further, in FIG. 11, the warning level can be changed also by the combination of articles. 222 indicates ID information with a combination and whether to change the warning when one of them is lost or change the warning level when both are lost, and the warning level 223 indicates the warning level after the change.

  Certain belongings, such as a wallet, will give a warning away from the user alone, but if you use something like a pair of shoes, for example, if you become unable to communicate two at the same time , Do not warn as normal behavior. However, if only one of them becomes unable to communicate, it is judged as abnormal and a warning is issued. Furthermore, in the event of an emergency situation, a specific belonging for generating a warning may be set in advance to notify the danger of the user of the article management apparatus.

Furthermore, a warning may be generated when the time when there is no connection from the article management device 90 in the management server 2 becomes longer than a set time.
As described above, the possession management system of the present invention can manage not only the possession but also the safety of the user who owns the article management apparatus. In addition, since all the data of belongings is registered in the management server, even if the article management device itself is lost, it is possible to search for the article management device by receiving the position of the possession management end at the management server. It is.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an article management apparatus showing an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. The same components as those in FIGS. 1 to 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.
The article management apparatus 230 includes a position detection database 231. An example of the position detection database 231 is shown in FIG. FIG. 13 includes ID information 232 of an IC tag of an article at a fixed position such as furniture that is substantially fixed and does not move, and an article name 233. In the IC tag management function 13, when the ID information of the IC tag recorded in the position detection database 231 is read together with the ID information of the IC tag of the possessed item, it is recorded together in the owned product database. According to the present invention, when a user forgets to put his / her property near a fixed product registered in a specific position detection database, the user can easily find it. In addition, IC tags for position detection can be searched based on their positions by attaching them to walls and pillars, regardless of furniture or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is structure explanatory drawing of the article | item management apparatus of the 1st Example of this invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an IC tag according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing of the range which the IC tag reader of 1st Example of this invention detects an IC tag. It is data explanatory drawing of the possession goods database of the goods management system of the 1st Example of this invention. It is processing flow explanatory drawing of the article | item management apparatus of the 1st Example of this invention. It is composition explanatory drawing of the article | item management apparatus with the article | item registration function of the 1st Example of this invention. It is composition explanatory drawing of the article | item management apparatus of the 2nd Example of this invention. It is data explanatory drawing of the possession goods database of the goods management system of the 1st Example of this invention. It is processing-flow explanatory drawing of the article | item management apparatus of the 2nd Example of this invention. It is composition explanatory drawing of the article | item management apparatus of the 3rd Example of this invention. It is data explanatory drawing of the possession goods database of the goods management system of the 3rd Example of this invention. It is composition explanatory drawing of the article | item management apparatus of the 4th Example of this invention. It is data explanatory drawing of the position detection database of the article | item management system of the 4th Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Goods management apparatus 2 Management server 3 Mobile telephone communication network 4 Network 6 Wireless control apparatus 7 Mobile telephone communication means 11 Position detection function 12 Clock function 13 IC tag management function 15 Owned database 20, 21, 22, 23 IC tag 62 possession Product List 231 Position Detection Database

Claims (7)

An article management apparatus including an IC tag communication unit that wirelessly communicates with a wireless IC tag and reads ID information of the wireless IC tag,
The article management apparatus includes an IC in which a clock function, position detection means for detecting the position of the article management apparatus, an article name on which a wireless IC tag is attached, and ID information of the wireless IC tag are recorded in association with each other. A tag management database and IC tag management means for managing data in the IC tag management database;
The IC tag management unit periodically acquires ID information of the wireless IC tag that can be acquired by the IC tag communication unit, compares the ID information with the ID information recorded in the IC tag management database, and the IC tag communication unit If the ID information of the wireless IC tag that can be acquired matches the ID information recorded in the IC tag management database, the date / time information acquired from the clock function and the position acquired from the position detection means An article management apparatus for recording information in an IC tag management database. The article management apparatus is provided with a belongings information list in which ID information of a wireless IC tag is recorded and a warning means,
The personal belongings information list is composed of ID information in the IC tag management database among ID information of IC tags that can be detected by the IC tag communication means at a certain point in time,
The IC tag management unit compares the ID information of the wireless IC tag acquired from the IC tag communication unit with the ID information registered in the belongings information list, and acquires the wireless IC tag acquired from the IC tag communication unit 2. The article management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the ID information is insufficient, the warning means is notified.   In the IC tag management database, exclusion position information that is associated with the ID information of the wireless IC tag and does not issue a warning is recorded, and the IC tag management unit stores the ID of the wireless IC tag acquired from the IC tag communication unit Compare the information with the ID information registered in the belongings information list, check the exclusion position information in the IC tag management database, and lack the ID information of the wireless IC tag acquired from the IC tag communication means 3. The warning means is notified when the position information detected from the position detecting means is outside the excluded position information of the wireless IC tag having the insufficient ID information. Goods management device.   The item management apparatus is provided with a position information database that associates ID information of a wireless IC tag and an item name, and the IC tag management means stores the IC tag ID information of the position information database acquired by the IC tag communication means, The ID tag information registered in the IC tag management database acquired in the same detection period as the IC tag ID information of the position information database acquired by the IC tag communication means is recorded in association with the information. Goods management device. An article management system comprising an article management device and a management server,
The article management apparatus includes: an IC tag communication unit that wirelessly communicates with a wireless IC tag to read ID information of the wireless IC tag; a clock function; a position detection unit that detects a position of the article management apparatus; and the wireless IC tag An IC tag management database in which the name of the attached item and the ID information of the wireless IC tag are recorded in association with each other, IC tag management means for managing data in the IC tag management database, and ID information of the wireless IC tag It has a recorded inventory information list and a wide area communication function,
The management server includes an article management apparatus database and warning means including information on an IC tag management database of the article management apparatus, and the warning means is provided with a plurality of levels of warning methods, and the article management apparatus In the database, the ID information of the wireless IC tag and the warning level of the wireless IC tag are recorded in association with each other,
The article management device periodically communicates with the management server by the wide area communication function to notify the IC tag ID information acquisition result of the IC tag communication means, and the management server receives the IC from the article management device. The ID information acquisition result of the IC tag of the tag communication means is recorded in the article management apparatus database, and the ID information registered in the possessed goods information list cannot communicate with the IC tag communication means, or the article management Information when the periodic communication from the device is interrupted is notified to the warning means as possessed item loss information, and the warning unit includes the lost property information and the warning level recorded in the article management device database. An article management system characterized by selecting a warning method. An article management method using a wireless IC tag and a portable terminal provided with an IC tag communication unit that wirelessly communicates with the wireless IC tag and reads ID information of the wireless IC tag.
The article management apparatus has an IC tag management database in which an article name on which a wireless IC tag is attached and ID information of the wireless IC tag are recorded in association with each other.
Obtaining ID information of the wireless IC tag from the IC tag communication means;
The acquired ID information is compared with the ID information recorded in the IC tag management database, and if the acquired ID information matches the ID information recorded in the IC tag management database, And a step of recording the acquired date and time information and the acquired position information in the IC tag management database. An article management method using a wireless IC tag and a portable terminal provided with an IC tag communication unit that wirelessly communicates with the wireless IC tag and reads ID information of the wireless IC tag.
The article management apparatus has a position detection database in which an article name to which a wireless IC tag at a substantially fixed position is attached and ID information of the wireless IC tag are recorded in association with each other.
By searching the position detection database for ID information of the wireless IC tag acquired by the IC tag communication means, searching for an article equipped with the wireless IC tag having the acquired ID information is performed. A characteristic article management method.

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