JP7172620B2 - Information reading device and information reading system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information reading device and an information reading system.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, systems have been proposed for efficiently managing management targets by reading wireless tag readers and information codes attached to management targets using information reading devices such as wireless tag readers and information code readers. For example, inventory work can be efficiently performed by having a plurality of workers read wireless tags attached to products stored in a warehouse using terminals functioning as wireless tag readers.

On the other hand, when multiple people perform inventory work using wireless tags at the same time, each worker does not know the overall work progress, so wasteful work may occur, such as reading wireless tags that have already been read by others. There is In particular, in inventory work using wireless tags, all workers usually proceed without knowing which wireless tag they are reading. It is difficult to keep track of progress. It is also possible to divide the work area for each worker, but there is a possibility that different workers may read the same wireless tag near the boundary of the area, resulting in unnecessary work. is high.

For such a problem, for example, a management system disclosed in Patent Document 1 below is known. In this management system, an IC tag is attached to each shelf for which inventory work is to be performed. The first progress information to be recorded is changed to information indicating that the inventory is being taken. When the worker performs a predetermined operation on the mobile terminal upon completion of the inventory work, the first progress information recorded in the IC tag is changed to information indicating that the inventory has been completed. Accordingly, by confirming the first progress information recorded in the IC tag, each mobile terminal can grasp the progress of the inventory work for the shelf.

WO2006/095410

However, in the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to affix a wireless tag to each shelf in which objects to be managed with wireless tags are stored, and to manage the wireless tags for each shelf. There is Therefore, there is a problem that not only is the management of the wireless tags complicated, but also the above configuration cannot be adopted in an environment where the wireless tags cannot be attached to each shelf. In addition, an information code reader or the like that optically reads an information code must also have a function as a wireless tag reader, and in order to adopt the above configuration, it is limited to an information reading device having a function as a wireless tag reader. There is a problem.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the object of the present invention is not to aggregate data from each information reading device by a server etc. To provide a configuration for easily grasping the progress of

In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 of the scope of claims includes:
An information reading device (10) comprising an information reading unit (30, 40) capable of reading data recorded on a reading object (50, C),
a communication unit (28) for wireless communication with one or more other information reading devices;
a storage unit (22) for storing data read by the information reading unit;
a first determination unit (21) that determines whether or not the data is unread data that is not stored in the storage unit each time data is read by the information reading unit;
a second determination unit (21) that determines whether or not the data received from the other information reading device via the communication unit is the unread data;
a control unit (21) for controlling data stored in the storage unit;
with
each time the first determination unit determines that the unread data is unread data, the control unit stores the unread data in the storage unit and transmits the unread data to the other information reading device via the communication unit; The data determined to be the unread data by the second determination unit is stored in the storage unit.
It should be noted that the symbols in parentheses above indicate the corresponding relationship with specific means described in the embodiments to be described later.

In the first aspect of the invention, each time data is read by the information reading unit, the first determination unit determines whether or not the data is unread data that is not stored in the storage unit. The second determination unit determines whether or not the data received from the information reader is unread data. Then, every time the first determination unit determines that the data is unread data, the control unit stores the unread data in the storage unit and transmits the unread data to another information reading device via the communication unit. Data determined by the unit to be unread data is stored in the storage unit.

As a result, every time unread data is read, the unread data is transmitted to another information reading device and stored in its storage unit. Sharing of stored data can be done in real time. Therefore, the entire progress can be easily grasped by each information reading device without collecting the data from each information reading device by a server or the like, so that the efficiency of reading work can be improved.

In the second aspect of the invention, the controller transmits all the read data stored in the storage unit to the other information reading device via the communication unit at a predetermined timing. As a result, even if part of the unread data transmitted in real time from another information reading device could not be received, the unread data is also received at the predetermined timing, thereby enabling data sharing. It is possible to perform conversion with high accuracy.

In the third aspect of the present invention, when the control unit determines that the data is unread by the second determination unit, the unread data is stored in the storage unit and transmitted to the other information reading device via the communication unit. be. As a result, unread data received from another information reader is transmitted to another different information reader. Since data can be transmitted, it is possible to more reliably share data among the information reading devices.

In the invention according to claim 4, the unread data is provided with the number of times of transmission indicating the number of times the unread data has been sent to another information reading device, and when the unread data is sent, the number of times of transmission is given to the unread data. The number of times is added by the adder. When the control unit determines that the data is unread by the second determination unit, the unread data is stored in the storage unit, and the unread data whose number of times of transmission is equal to or less than the first predetermined number of times is transmitted to the communication unit. to other information reading devices.

If there are a large number of information reading devices for sharing data, each information reading device performs processing for transmitting unread data received from other information reading devices to further different information reading devices. Since these are performed almost simultaneously, there may be a large number of useless communications in which the same unread data is transmitted to one information reader from a plurality of other information readers. Therefore, the number of times of transmission is added to the unread data each time it is transmitted to another information reader, and the unread data whose number of times of transmission is equal to or less than the first predetermined number of times is used as other information. By transmitting to the reading device, the unread data whose number of times of transmission exceeds the first predetermined number of times is not transmitted to other information reading devices. As a result, even if the number of information reading devices for which data should be shared is large, by appropriately setting the first predetermined number of times according to the number of information reading devices, etc., wasteful communication can be avoided. can be suppressed.

In the fifth aspect of the present invention, the counting unit counts the number of consecutive determinations that the data is not unread data in the first determining unit, and when the number of determinations exceeds the second predetermined number of times, the reporting unit issues a predetermined notification. will be As a result, if another worker enters a read area where data has already been read and continues reading work, the data received from the information reading device of the other worker will be read even if the worker has not read the data himself/herself. Since it is stored in the storage unit, the predetermined notification is issued when the number of times of determination counted by the counting unit exceeds the second predetermined number of times. Therefore, the worker who receives the predetermined notification can easily know that he/she is entering the read area where the data has been read by another worker, so that unnecessary reading work can be reduced. In particular, by moving the worker without receiving the predetermined notification, the worker can be urged to be guided to an area where data has not been read by other workers.

In the sixth aspect of the invention, since the information reading system is configured to include a plurality of information reading devices, each information reading device does not collect data from each information reading device using a server or the like. It is possible to build a system that can easily grasp the overall progress.

In the invention according to claim 7, the server is provided with a server capable of acquiring data stored in the storage unit from at least one of a plurality of information reading devices used in a predetermined reading work area. The grasping unit grasps the progress of reading within the predetermined reading work area based on the data acquired from the reading device, that is, the data that is shared.

As a result, the server can acquire the shared data from any one of the information reading devices used in the predetermined reading work area, and the processing of acquiring and aggregating the data from all the information reading devices is performed. Since it is not necessary, the server can easily grasp the progress of reading. Furthermore, the server administrator or the like can make adjustments to improve the work efficiency of the entire reading work area, such as rearranging workers or reinforcing workers, according to the progress thus grasped.

1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information reading system according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2(A) is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the first terminal in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2(B) is a block diagram schematically illustrating a wireless tag processing unit in FIG. 2(A); , and FIG. 2(C) is a block diagram schematically illustrating the information code reading unit of FIG. 2(A). 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an electrical configuration of a wireless tag; FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of reading processing performed by a control unit; 4 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of data transmission processing performed by a control unit; 9 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of reading processing performed by a control unit in the second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of reading processing performed by a control unit in the third embodiment; FIG. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information reading system according to a fourth embodiment;

[First embodiment]
A first embodiment of an information reading system having a plurality of information reading apparatuses according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
An information reading system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a system configured to include a plurality of information reading devices capable of reading data recorded on a reading target. In the present embodiment, the information reading system 1 has a wireless tag (RFID tag) 50 as a reading target, and three information reading devices 10 capable of reading data recorded on the wireless tag 50 are a first terminal 10a, a second It is configured to include a terminal 10b and a third terminal 10c.

Since the first terminal 10a, the second terminal 10b, and the third terminal 10c are information reading devices having equivalent functions, the detailed configuration thereof will be described with reference to FIG. 2, etc., using the first terminal 10a as an example. .
The first terminal 10a is configured as a portable information reading terminal that is carried by an operator (user) and used in various places. In addition to the function of reading and writing information, it also has the function of an information code reader that reads an information code C such as a bar code or two-dimensional code, so that reading can be performed by two methods.

As shown in FIG. 2A, a control unit 21 that controls the entire first terminal 10a is provided inside the housing of the first terminal 10a. The control unit 21 is composed mainly of a microcomputer, has a CPU, a system bus, an input/output interface, etc., and together with the storage unit 22 constitutes an information processing apparatus. The storage unit 22 is composed of semiconductor memory devices such as RAM (DRAM, SRAM, etc.) and ROM (EPROM, EEPROM, etc.). In this storage unit 22, a program for executing processing for reading the wireless tag 50 by wireless communication, a program for executing decoding processing for optically reading an imaged information code, and the like can be executed by the control unit 21. Pre-stored. Also connected to the control unit 21 are an LED 23, a display unit 24, a key operation unit 25, a vibrator 26, a buzzer 27, a communication unit 28, and the like.

The key operation unit 25 is configured to give an operation signal to the control unit 21, and the control unit 21 receives this operation signal and performs an operation according to the contents of the operation signal. Also, the LED 23, the display unit 24, the vibrator 26, and the buzzer 27 are configured to be controlled by the control unit 21, and each operates in response to instructions from the control unit 21. FIG.

The communication unit 28 is wireless communication means for enabling direct short-range wireless communication with one or more other information reading devices (second terminal 10b, third terminal 10c, etc.). For example, it is configured to have a Bluetooth (registered trademark) function or an NFC (Near Field Communication) function. A power supply unit 29 is provided in the housing, and electric power is supplied to the control unit 21 and various electric parts by the power supply unit 29 and a battery 29a.

The control unit 21 is also connected to a wireless tag processing unit 30 and an information code reading unit 40 that function as an information reading unit.
First, the wireless tag processing unit 30 will be described with reference to FIG. 2(B).
The wireless tag processing unit 30 cooperates with the antenna 34 and the control unit 21 to perform electromagnetic wave communication with the wireless tag 50 to read data stored in the wireless tag 50 or write data to the wireless tag 50. It functions to do The wireless tag processing unit 30 is configured as a circuit that performs transmission by a known radio wave method, and as schematically shown in FIG. have.

The transmission circuit 31 is composed of a carrier oscillator, an encoding section, an amplifier, a transmission section filter, a modulation section, and the like, and has a configuration in which a carrier (carrier wave) of a predetermined frequency is output from the carrier oscillator. The encoder is also connected to the controller 21, encodes transmission data output from the controller 21, and outputs the encoded data to the modulator. The modulation section is a section to which the carrier (carrier wave) from the carrier oscillator and the transmission data from the encoding section are input. A modulated signal that is ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying) modulated by an encoded transmission code (modulation signal) output from the encoding unit is generated and output to an amplifier. The amplifier amplifies the input signal (the modulated signal modulated by the modulating section) with a predetermined gain and outputs the amplified signal to the transmitting section filter, which filters the amplified signal from the amplifier. A transmission signal is output to the antenna 34 via the matching circuit 33 . When the transmission signal is output to the antenna 34 in this manner, the transmission signal is radiated to the outside from the antenna 34 as a transmission radio wave.

On the other hand, the response signal received by the antenna 34 is input to the receiving circuit 32 via the matching circuit 33 . The receiving circuit 32 includes a receiving filter, an amplifier, a demodulator, a binarization processing unit, a decoding unit, and the like. , is amplified by an amplifier, and the amplified signal is demodulated by a demodulator. Then, the demodulated signal waveform is binarized by the binarization processing section, decoded by the decoding section, and then outputted to the control section 21 as received data.

Here, the electrical configuration of the wireless tag 50 to be read by the first terminal 10a will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the wireless tag 50 includes an antenna 51, a power supply circuit 52, a demodulation circuit 53, a control circuit 54, a memory 55, a modulation circuit 56, and the like. The power supply circuit 52 rectifies and smoothes a transmission signal (carrier signal) from the first terminal 10a received via the antenna 51 to generate power for operation. It supplies each component, including

Also, the demodulation circuit 53 demodulates the data superimposed on the transmission signal (carrier signal) and outputs it to the control circuit 54 . The memory 55 stores identification information (tag ID) for identifying the wireless tag 50 or data according to the application of the wireless tag 50 . The control circuit 54 is configured to output data read from the memory 55 to the modulation circuit 56 as transmission data. is configured to transmit as a reflected wave from

Next, the information code reading section 40 will be described with reference to FIG. 2(C).
The information code reading unit 40 functions to optically read the information code, and as shown in FIG. It has a configuration including an illumination section 41 made up of a lens or the like, and functions to read an information code C (a bar code or a two-dimensional code) attached to a product or the like in cooperation with the control section 21. .

When the information code reading unit 40 performs reading, first, the illumination light Lf is emitted from the illumination unit 41 instructed by the control unit 21, and the illumination light Lf is applied to the information code C through the reading opening. . Reflected light Lr, which is the illumination light Lf reflected by the information code C, is taken into the apparatus through the reading port, passes through the imaging lens 42 and is received by the light receiving sensor 43 . An imaging lens 42 arranged between the reading port and the light receiving sensor 43 forms an image of the information code C on the light receiving sensor 43, and the light receiving sensor 43 detects the image of the information code C. It outputs a corresponding received light signal. The light receiving signal output from the light receiving sensor 43 is stored as image data in the storage unit 22 (FIG. 2A), and is used for decoding processing for obtaining information included in the information code C. . The information code reading unit 40 is provided with an amplifier circuit for amplifying the signal from the light receiving sensor 43 and an AD conversion circuit for converting the amplified signal into a digital signal. are omitted.

The first terminal 10a configured in this way functions so that the data (tag ID, etc.) recorded in the wireless tag 50 is read by the wireless tag processing section 30. FIG. Then, the first terminal 10a transmits/receives the read data to/from the second terminal 10b and the third terminal 10c via the communication unit 28 in reading processing and data transmission processing performed by the control unit 21 as described later. By doing so, data can be shared. The second terminal 10b and the third terminal 10c are configured in the same manner as the first terminal 10a, and by transmitting and receiving read data to and from other terminals via the communication unit 28, data can be shared. be done.

Next, the reading process performed by the control unit 21 when sharing the data read by each terminal and the data transmission process performed in parallel with this reading process will be described using the flow charts shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. in detail. In the following description, the first terminal 10a, the second terminal 10b, and the third terminal 10c are used to read the wireless tags 50 attached to the products displayed on each display shelf in the store. Then, the reading process performed by the control unit 21 of the first terminal 10a will be described in detail as an example. It is assumed that the communication units 28 of the respective terminals 10a and 10b adopt a configuration that enables direct wireless communication with each other in the shop that serves as an inventory work area (reading work area).

When the reading process is started by the control unit 21 by performing a predetermined operation on the key operation unit 25 when starting the inventory work, the initial setting processing shown in step S101 of FIG. 4 is performed. In this process, the second terminal 10b and the third terminal 10c, which are located at positions where direct wireless communication is possible via the communication unit 28, are set as transmission/reception targets of the read data.

Then, using the wireless tag processing unit 30 functioning as an information reading unit, processing for reading the wireless tag 50 is performed (S103), and when the data recorded on the wireless tag 50 is read (Yes in S105) In the determination process of step S107, it is determined whether the read data is unread data that is not stored in the storage unit 22 or not. Here, if unread data is read (Yes in S107), the unread data is stored in the storage unit 22 (S109) and transmitted to the second terminal 10b and the third terminal 10c, which are other information reading devices. Therefore, it is stored in a transmission buffer constructed in the storage unit 22 or the like (S111), and the next wireless tag 50 becomes readable (S103). On the other hand, if the read data is the read data stored in the storage unit 22 (No in S107), the read data is discarded and the next wireless tag 50 becomes readable. (S103). Note that the control unit 21 that performs the determination process of step S107 to determine whether the read data is unread data can correspond to an example of the "first determination unit". Moreover, the wireless tag 50 that has been read once by itself is not read again, and the result of step S105 is not determined to be Yes.

When the initial setting process (S101) is performed, the data transmission process performed in parallel with the reading process first determines whether or not data is recorded in the transmission buffer in step S201 of FIG. It is determined whether Then, when the unread data is recorded in the transmission buffer as described above (Yes in S201), the data is immediately transmitted to the second terminal 10b and the third terminal 10c via the communication section 28 (S203). If the transmission succeeds (Yes in S205), the transmitted data is deleted from the transmission buffer (S207), and the processing from the determination processing in step S201 is performed.

In the reading process, even if data has not been read (No in S105), if the data transmitted by the data transmission process performed by the second terminal 10b or the third terminal 10c is received (Yes in S113). ), it is determined whether or not the received data is unread data in the determination processing of step S107. Here, when unread data is received (Yes in S107), the unread data is stored in the storage unit 22 (S109), and sent to the second terminal 10b and the third terminal 10c, which are other information reading devices. For transmission, it is stored in a transmission buffer constructed in the storage unit 22 or the like (S111), and the next wireless tag 50 becomes readable (S103). Note that the unread data may be stored in the transmission buffer so that the terminal that has transmitted the unread data is excluded from the transmission target. On the other hand, if the received data is already read data (No in S107), the read data is discarded and the next wireless tag 50 becomes readable (S103). Note that the control unit 21 that performs the determination process of step S107 to determine whether or not the received data is unread data can correspond to an example of the "second determination unit".

In this way, unread data is immediately transmitted to other information reading devices in the data transmission processing performed in parallel with the reading processing, so that the data stored in each storage unit 22 can be shared in real time. It will happen. Then, when the number of readings of the shared data reaches the predetermined number, it is determined that the reading is finished (Yes in S115), the data transmission process is finished (S117), and the main reading process is finished.

As described above, in the information reading apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, each time data is read by the wireless tag processing unit 30, it is determined whether or not the data is unread data that is not stored in the storage unit 22. Then, it is determined whether or not the data received from another information reading device via the communication unit 28 is unread data. Each time the control unit 21 determines that the read data is unread data, the unread data is stored in the storage unit 22 and transmitted to another information reading device via the communication unit 28 to be received. Data determined to be unread data is stored in the storage unit 22 .

As a result, every time unread data is read, the unread data is transmitted to another information reading device and stored in the storage unit 22 thereof. 22 can be shared in real time. Therefore, the entire progress can be easily grasped by each information reading device without collecting the data from each information reading device by a server or the like, so that the efficiency of reading work can be improved.

In particular, each time the control unit 21 determines that data received from another information reading device is unread data (Yes in S113, Yes in S107), the unread data is stored in the storage unit 22 and communicated. It is transmitted to another information reader via the unit 28 . As a result, unread data received from another information reader is transmitted to another different information reader. Since data can be transmitted, it is possible to more reliably share data among the information reading devices.

Since the information reading system 1 is configured to include a plurality of the information reading devices (10a to 10c) described above, data is not aggregated from each information reading device by a server or the like, and data is stored in each information reading device. It is possible to build a system that can easily grasp the overall progress status.

As a modification of the present embodiment, in the reading process performed by the control unit 21, a predetermined operation is performed on the key operation unit 25 at a timing when a predetermined time has passed since the reading process is started. All the read data stored in the storage unit 22 may be stored in the transmission buffer at a predetermined timing such as timing.

Therefore, all read data stored in the storage unit 22 is transmitted to another information reading device via the communication unit 28 at a predetermined timing. As a result, even if part of the unread data transmitted in real time from another information reading device could not be received, the unread data is also received at the predetermined timing, thereby enabling data sharing. It is possible to perform conversion with high accuracy.

[Second embodiment]
Next, an information reading device and an information reading system according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
The second embodiment is mainly different from the first embodiment in that the number of times of transmission is given to unread data to be transmitted. Therefore, the same reference numerals are assigned to substantially the same components as in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

If there are a large number of information reading devices for sharing data, each information reading device performs processing for transmitting unread data received from other information reading devices to further different information reading devices. will be done at approximately the same time. For example, when sharing data of 20 information reading devices including the first terminal 10a, the second terminal 10b, and the third terminal 10c used in a predetermined reading work area, only the first terminal 10a The unread data read by is sent to each information reading device in the following manner.

The first terminal 10a performs processing for transmitting unread data to 19 other information reading devices including the second terminal 10b and the third terminal 10c. Then, the second terminal 10b that has received the unread data performs processing for transmitting the unread data to 19 other information reading devices including the first terminal 10a and the third terminal 10c. , the third terminal 10c performs processing for transmitting the unread data to 19 other information reading devices including the first terminal 10a and the second terminal 10b. Similarly, other information reading devices that have received the unread data perform processing for transmitting the unread data to the other 19 information reading devices.

In this way, since each information reading device performs the process of transmitting the received unread data to the other 19 information reading devices, the same data can be sent to one information reading device from a plurality of other information reading devices. A large number of useless wireless communications in which unread data is transmitted may occur. For example, if an information reader that has already received unread data from the first terminal 10a receives the same unread data from 18 other information readers including the second terminal 10b and the third terminal 10c. may be lost.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the number of transmissions N1 indicating the number of times the unread data has been transmitted to another information reading device is assigned to the unread data. Add (increment) the number of transmissions N1. Then, unread data whose number of times of transmission N1 is equal to or less than the first predetermined number of times N1th is transmitted to another information reading device, and unread data of which number of times of transmission N1 exceeds the first predetermined number of times N1th is sent to another information reading device. Useless wireless communication is suppressed by not transmitting. Note that the information reading device is not limited to immediately transmitting the received unread data to another information reading device. , useless wireless communication may be suppressed.

Hereinafter, the reading process performed by the control unit 21 in this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
In the first terminal 10a, when the reading process is started by the control unit 21, the initial setting process shown in step S101 of FIG. are set as transmission/reception targets of read data.

Then, the data recorded in the wireless tag 50 is read (Yes at S105), and if unread data is read (Yes at S107), the unread data is stored in the storage unit 22 (S109). Subsequently, a transmission count addition process shown in step S119 is performed, and a process for adding (incrementing) the transmission count N1 given to the unread data is performed. If it is unread data read by itself, it is not transmitted and the number of times of transmission N1 is not given, so the number of times of transmission N1 given to this unread data is added as "1". Note that the control unit 21 that performs the number of times of transmission addition processing in step S119 can correspond to an example of an "addition unit".

Subsequently, in the determination process of step S121, it is determined whether or not the number of times N1 of transmission given to the unread data is equal to or less than the first predetermined number of times N1th. Here, the first predetermined number of times N1th is a threshold set according to the number of information reading devices used in a predetermined reading work area, the wireless communication range of each information reading device, and the like. When sharing data of 20 information readers used in the reading work area, it is set to "10". Note that the first predetermined number of times N1th may be set to a value smaller than "10" (for example, "5") by considering the number of information reading devices and the wireless communication range of each information reading device. Alternatively, it may be set to a value greater than "10" (for example, "20").

As described above, when the number of times of transmission N1 assigned to the unread data read by itself is added as "1", the number of times of transmission N1 becomes equal to or less than the first predetermined number of times N1th, and the above step S121. It is determined as Yes in the determination process. In this case, the process of step S111 is performed, and the unread data to which the number of times of transmission N1 is assigned is stored in the transmission buffer. and to a plurality of information reading devices including the third terminal 10c (S203 in FIG. 5).

Then, in the second terminal 10b, when the data received from the first terminal 10a is unread data (Yes in S113, Yes in S107), the unread data is stored in the storage unit 22 (S109). Next, a transmission count addition process shown in step S119 is performed, and a process for adding the transmission count N1 given to the unread data is performed. As described above, when unread data to which the transmission count N1 of "1" is assigned is received from the first terminal 10a, the transmission count N1 is added as "2". Subsequently, if the number of times of transmission N1 added to the unread data in this manner is equal to or less than the first predetermined number of times N1th (Yes in S121), the process of step S111 is performed, and the number of times of transmission N1 is added. unread data is stored in the transmit buffer. Then, the unread data is transmitted to a plurality of information reading devices including the first terminal 10a and the third terminal 10c via the communication unit 28 together with the transmission count N1 (S203 in FIG. 5).

Similarly, in the third terminal 10c, when the data received from the first terminal 10a is unread data (Yes in S113, Yes in S107), the unread data is stored in the storage section 22 (S109). Next, the number of transmissions addition process shown in step S119 is performed to add the number of transmissions N1 given to the unread data, and the number of transmissions N1 is added as "2". Subsequently, if the number of times of transmission N1 added to the unread data in this manner is equal to or less than the first predetermined number of times N1th (Yes in S121), the process of step S111 is performed, and the number of times of transmission N1 is added. unread data is stored in the transmission buffer. Then, the unread data is transmitted to a plurality of information reading devices including the first terminal 10a and the second terminal 10b via the communication unit 28 together with the transmission count N1 (S203 in FIG. 5).

On the other hand, in the third terminal 10c, when the data received from the second terminal 10b is already read data received from the first terminal 10a and stored in the storage unit 22 (No in S107), the number of times of transmission is The read data is discarded without adding N1, and the next wireless tag 50 can be read (S103).

Further, for example, in another information reading device that has received data in which the number of transmissions N1 to be assigned is "10", if the received data is unread data (Yes in S113, Yes in S107), the The unread data is stored in the storage unit 22 (S109). Next, when the number of transmissions N1 is added as "11" in the number of transmissions addition process shown in step S119, the number of transmissions N1 exceeds the first predetermined number of times N1th (No in S121). Without being stored in the buffer, the next wireless tag 50 can be read (S103).

As described above, in the information reading device 10 according to the present embodiment, in the reading process performed by the control unit 21, unread data includes a transmission number indicating the number of times the unread data has been sent to another information reading device. A number of times N1 is given, and when unread data is sent, the number of times of transmission N1 given to the unread data is added (S119). Each time data received from another information reading device is determined to be unread data (Yes in S113, Yes in S107), the unread data is stored in the storage unit 22, and the number of times of transmission N1 is increased to the The unread data that is equal to or less than the predetermined number N1th of 1 is transmitted to the other information reading device via the communication unit 28 (Yes in S121).

In this way, the number of times of transmission N1 is added to the unread data each time it is transmitted to another information reading device, and the number of times of transmission N1 is equal to or less than the first predetermined number of times N1th. is transmitted to other information reading devices, unread data for which the number of times of transmission N1 has exceeded the first predetermined number of times N1th is not transmitted to other information reading devices. As a result, even if the number of information reading devices for which data should be shared is large, by appropriately setting the first predetermined number of times N1th according to the number of information reading devices, wasteful communication can be avoided. It is possible to suppress the bloat of wireless communication data.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, an information reading device and an information reading system according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
The third embodiment mainly differs from the first embodiment in that a predetermined notification is made when it is continuously determined that the data read by itself is not unread data. Therefore, the same reference numerals are assigned to substantially the same components as in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

When a plurality of workers perform the reading work within a predetermined reading work area, duplication of data can be eliminated by sharing the data as described above, but the workers cannot read the object in front of them. has already been read by another operator. For this reason, there is a problem that a duplicate work occurs such that a different worker performs the reading work again in a read area where another worker has already finished reading work.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, in the reading process performed by the control unit 21, the number of determinations N2 in which the determination that the data read by itself is not unread data is continuously counted. When it exceeds, a predetermined notification is given. As a result, the operator who has received the predetermined notification can recognize the entry into the read area, and can reduce unnecessary reading work.

The reading process performed by the control unit 21 in this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
When the reading process is started by the control unit 21 and the data recorded in the wireless tag 50 is read using the wireless tag processing unit 30 (Yes in S105 of FIG. 7), if unread data is read ( Yes in S107), the unread data is stored in the storage unit 22 (S109), stored in the transmission buffer (S111), and the determination count N2 is set to "0" (S123).

If data transmitted from another information reading device has been received (Yes at S113) and the received data is unread data (Yes at S107), the processing from step S109 onward is performed. . On the other hand, if the received data is not unread data (Yes in S113, No in S107), it is determined in step S125 whether or not the data determined as not unread data is the received data. be. Here, if the data determined as not unread data is the received data (Yes in S125), the next wireless tag 50 is ready to be read (S103).

Also, when the data recorded in the wireless tag 50 is read using the wireless tag processing unit 30 (Yes in S105), the read data is already read data stored in the storage unit 22. , it is determined as No in step S107. Here, since the data that has been read by itself once is not to be read, it is not determined as Yes in step S105. When the wireless tag 50 is read for the first time, it is determined as Yes in step S105 and as No in step S107. That is, when data is read from the wireless tag 50 while entering a read area where data has already been read by another worker, it is determined to be Yes in step S105 for the above-described data sharing. A determination of No is made in step S107.

As described above, if the determination in step S105 is Yes and the determination in step S107 is No, it means that the data determined as not unread data (read data) is not received data (in S125 No), the determination count N2 is incremented (N2=N2+1) (S127). For example, when it is determined No in step S125 for the first time, the determination count N2 is counted as "1". Note that the control unit 21 that performs the process of step S127 can correspond to an example of a "counting unit".

Subsequently, in the determination processing of step S129, it is determined whether or not the incremented determination count N2 exceeds the second predetermined count N2th. Here, the second predetermined number of times N2th is a value set according to the work environment in the predetermined reading work area, and is set to, for example, "10". , the determination in step S129 is No, and the next wireless tag 50 can be read (S103).

Then, when the incremented judgment number N2 exceeds the second predetermined number N2th by continuing the reading operation in the read area (Yes in S129), the notification process shown in step S131 is performed. In this process, a predetermined notification is made by displaying text information "work completed on another terminal" on the display unit 24 .

A worker who receives this notification can easily understand that he or she is entering a read area where data has been read by another worker. In addition, in the notification process, in order to notify that another worker has entered the read area where the data has been read, another notification, for example, lighting/blinking of the LED 23 or sounding of the buzzer 27 is used. Alternatively, for example, a well-known speaker may be used to issue a voice announcement saying that "the other terminal has completed the work". Also, the display unit 24, the LED 23, the buzzer 27, and the speaker can correspond to an example of the "notification unit".

Then, when the worker who received the predetermined notification moves out of the read area and the unread data recorded in the wireless tag 50 is read (Yes in S105, Yes in S107), the unread data is read. , is stored in the storage unit 22 (S109), and after being stored in the transmission buffer (S111), the determination count N2 is cleared to "0" (S123).

As described above, in the information reading apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, in the reading process performed by the control unit 21, the number N2 of consecutive determinations that the data read by itself is not unread data is counted. When the number of determinations N2 exceeds the second predetermined number of times N2th, a predetermined notification is made using the display on the display unit 24 (S131).

As a result, if another worker enters a read area where data has already been read and continues reading work, the data received from the information reading device of the other worker will be read even if the worker has not read the data himself/herself. Since it is stored in the storage unit 22, the predetermined notification is made when the counted number of determinations N2 exceeds the second predetermined number of times N2th.

Therefore, the worker who receives the predetermined notification can easily know that he/she is entering the read area where the data has been read by another worker, so that unnecessary reading work can be reduced. In particular, by moving the worker without receiving the predetermined notification, the worker can be urged to be guided to an area where data has not been read by other workers.

Note that the characteristic configuration of this embodiment, in which a predetermined notification is given when it is continuously determined that the data read by itself is not unread data, can also be applied to other embodiments.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, an information reading device and an information reading system according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
The fourth embodiment is mainly different from the first embodiment in that a server capable of communicating with at least one of a plurality of information reading devices used in a predetermined reading work area is provided. Therefore, the same reference numerals are assigned to substantially the same components as in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 8, an information reading system 1a according to this embodiment includes a server 2 in addition to a plurality of information reading devices including a first terminal 10a, a second terminal 10b, and a third terminal 10c. . The server 2 is an administrator terminal that monitors the progress of the reading work by importing the data that has been shared by each information reading device as described above (hereinafter simply referred to as shared data). is configured as

The server 2 mainly includes a storage unit 4, a display unit 5, a communication unit 6, and a control unit 3 that controls them in an integrated manner. The control unit 3 is composed mainly of a microcomputer, has a CPU, a system bus, an input/output interface, etc., and functions together with the storage unit 4 as an information processing device. The storage unit 4 is composed of known semiconductor memories such as ROM, RAM, and nonvolatile memory. Predetermined application programs, databases, and the like for executing monitoring processing described later are stored in the storage unit 4 in advance so that they can be used by the control unit 3 . The display unit 5 is configured as, for example, a liquid crystal monitor or the like, and is configured such that the display content is controlled by the control unit 3 . The communication unit 6 is controlled by the control unit 3 and communicates with information reading devices such as a first terminal 10a, a second terminal 10b, and a third terminal 10c connected to a predetermined network N such as an in-house LAN or the Internet. is configured as

In the server 2 configured as described above, the monitoring process performed by the control unit 3 takes in the shared data from each information reading device and monitors the progress of the reading work. Specifically, in the monitoring process, when communication with any one of the information reading devices becomes possible via a predetermined network N, the shared data is transmitted to the server 2 for that information reading device. is instructed. In the information reading device that has received this instruction, processing for transmitting the shared data stored in the storage unit 22 to the server 2 via the predetermined network N is performed. When the data transmitted in this manner is received via the communication unit 6, the progress of reading within the predetermined reading work area is grasped based on the data obtained by this reception. The progress and the like grasped in this way are displayed on the display unit 5 in a predetermined display format, so that the administrator of the server 2 who sees the screen display can monitor the progress and the like. can be done. Note that the control unit 3 that performs the monitoring process can correspond to an example of a “grasping unit”.

It should be noted that each information reading device is not limited to transmitting the shared data in response to an instruction from the server 2, and may transmit the shared data each time it connects to a predetermined network N. FIG. Also, the server 2 may receive shared data directly or via an access point or the like from an information reader capable of wireless communication.

As described above, in the information reading system 1a according to the present embodiment, a server capable of acquiring data stored in a storage unit from at least one of a plurality of information reading devices used in a predetermined reading work area. 2, and the server 2 grasps the progress of reading in the predetermined reading work area based on the data acquired from the information reading device, that is, the shared data.

As a result, the server 2 can acquire the shared data from any one of the information reading devices used in the predetermined reading work area, and the process of acquiring and aggregating the data from all the information reading devices becomes unnecessary. Therefore, even the server 2 can easily grasp the progress of reading. Furthermore, the administrator of the server 2 can make adjustments to improve the work efficiency of the reading work area as a whole, such as changing the worker's placement or reinforcing workers, according to the progress thus grasped. .

The characteristic configuration of this embodiment, in which the server 2 grasps the progress of reading in the predetermined reading work area based on the shared data acquired from the information reading device, is also applicable to other embodiments. can be applied.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and the like, and may be embodied as follows, for example.
(1) Since the communication unit 28 wirelessly communicates with other information reading devices, it is not limited to being configured to have a Bluetooth function or an NFC function. It may be configured to have a wireless communication function such as a wireless LAN function using points or the like.

(2) The present invention is not limited to the reading work of reading the wireless tags 50 attached to the products displayed on each display shelf in the store using a plurality of information reading devices. , a plurality of information reading operations for each wireless tag 50 in a reading work area, such as a reading operation using a plurality of information reading devices to read the wireless tags 50 attached to articles stored on a storage shelf in a factory warehouse. It may be employed for reading operations that read using a device. Further, the present invention may be employed in a reading operation of reading objects to be read such as a plurality of information codes C arranged in a reading work area using a plurality of information reading devices.

(3) The present invention is not limited to being adopted in an information reading system that reads data recorded on a read target using three information reading devices, and may employ two information reading devices or four or more information reading devices. may be employed in an information reading system that reads data recorded on a reading target using

Reference Signs List 1, 1a... Information reading system 2... Server 10... Information reading device 10a... First terminal (information reading device)
10b...Second terminal (information reader)
10c... Third terminal (information reader)
21 ... control unit (first determination unit, second determination unit, addition unit, count unit)
22... Storage part 23... LED (notification part)
24 ... Display unit (notification unit)
27 Buzzer (notification unit)
28... Communication unit 30... Wireless tag processing unit (information reading unit)
40... Information code reading unit (information reading unit)
50...Wireless tag (to be read)
C... Information code (reading target)
N1: Number of times of transmission N1th: First predetermined number of times N2: Number of determinations N2th: Second predetermined number of times

Claims (7)

An information reading device comprising an information reading unit capable of reading data recorded on a reading object,
a communication unit for wirelessly communicating with one or more other information reading devices;
a storage unit for storing data read by the information reading unit;
a first determination unit that determines, each time data is read by the information reading unit, whether the data is unread data that is not stored in the storage unit;
a second determination unit that determines whether or not the data received from the other information reading device via the communication unit is the unread data;
a control unit that controls data stored in the storage unit;
with
each time the first determination unit determines that the unread data is unread data, the control unit stores the unread data in the storage unit and transmits the unread data to the other information reading device via the communication unit; The information reading device, wherein the data determined to be the unread data by the second determination section is stored in the storage section. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit transmits all the read data stored in the storage unit to the other information reading device via the communication unit at a predetermined timing. Information reader as described. When the second determination unit determines that the data is unread, the control unit stores the unread data in the storage unit and transmits the unread data to the other information reading device via the communication unit. 3. The information reader according to claim 1 or 2. The unread data is given a number of transmissions indicating the number of times the unread data has been transmitted to the other information reading device,
an addition unit that adds the number of times of transmission given to the unread data when the unread data is transmitted;
When the second determination unit determines that the data is unread, the control unit stores the unread data in the storage unit, and stores the unread data whose number of times of transmission is equal to or less than a first predetermined number of times. 3. The information reader according to claim 1, wherein the information is transmitted to the other information reader through the communication unit. a counting unit that counts the number of consecutive determinations that the data is not the unread data in the first determination unit;
a notification unit that performs a predetermined notification when the number of determinations counted by the counting unit exceeds a second predetermined number of times;
The information reading device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by comprising: An information reading system comprising a plurality of information reading apparatuses according to any one of claims 1 to 5. a server capable of acquiring data stored in the storage unit from at least one of the plurality of information reading devices used in a predetermined reading work area;
7. The information reading system according to claim 6, wherein the server has a comprehension unit that comprehends the progress of reading within the predetermined reading work area based on the data acquired from the information reading device. .

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