CN108025871B - Inventory management system and inventory management method for storage - Google Patents

Inventory management system and inventory management method for storage Download PDF

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Publication number
CN108025871B
CN108025871B CN201680052513.4A CN201680052513A CN108025871B CN 108025871 B CN108025871 B CN 108025871B CN 201680052513 A CN201680052513 A CN 201680052513A CN 108025871 B CN108025871 B CN 108025871B
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article
storage
sensor
unit
information
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CN108025871A (en
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风间赖子
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Hitachi Global Life Solutions Inc
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Hitachi Ltd
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G1/00—Storing articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines
    • B65G1/02—Storage devices
    • B65G1/04—Storage devices mechanical
    • B65G1/137—Storage devices mechanical with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D23/00—General constructional features
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/06—Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

The system of the invention can manage the stock of the accommodating warehouse and improve the use convenience. An inventory management system according to the present invention manages articles (9) stored in a storage (1). The inventory management system includes: a1 st information acquisition unit (42) that acquires the storage location and type of an article (9) in a storage (1) from a setting device (3) that can arbitrarily set the storage location and type of the article; a2 nd information acquisition unit (41) that acquires the state of the article from a sensor (2) provided in the storage; a determination unit (45) that determines the stock of the item on the basis of the type of the item acquired by the 1 st information acquisition unit (42) and the state of the item acquired by the 2 nd information acquisition unit (41); and an output unit (46) that outputs the determination result of the determination unit.

Description

Inventory management system and inventory management method for storage
Technical Field
The present invention relates to an inventory management system and an inventory management method for a storage.
Background
The following inventory management system is known (patent document 1): a sensor or the like is provided in the refrigerator to detect a change in the amount or quality of the article and notify the detection result.
Documents of the prior art
Patent document
Patent document 1: JP-A2000-S296904
Disclosure of Invention
Problems to be solved by the invention
In the prior art, the storage position of the articles in the warehouse is fixed in advance, so that the storage device can also function as an automatic inventory system. Therefore, it is difficult for the user to freely dispose the article at a place other than the predetermined place, and the usability is low. Furthermore, the system knows the type, number, etc. of all stored items, and may compromise the privacy of the user.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an inventory management system and an inventory management method for a storage which can manage inventory of the storage and improve usability.
Means for solving the problems
In order to solve the above problem, an inventory management system according to the present invention is an inventory management system that manages an article stored in a storage, and includes: a1 st information acquiring unit that acquires a storage position and a type of an article from a setting device capable of arbitrarily setting the storage position and the type of the article in a storage; a2 nd information acquisition unit that acquires the state of the article from a sensor provided in the storage; a determination unit that determines an inventory of the article based on the type of the article acquired by the 1 st information acquisition unit and the state of the article acquired by the 2 nd information acquisition unit; and an output unit that outputs the determination result of the determination unit.
Effects of the invention
According to the present invention, since the user can arbitrarily set the storage position and the type of the article in the storage by using the setting device, the user can store the desired type of article at the desired position. Further, since the user does not have to set the item that is not desired to be inventory-managed, the problem of the privacy of the user is avoided, and the convenience of use can be improved.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an inventory management system of a refrigerator according to an embodiment.
Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the entire system including the inventory management system of the refrigerator.
Fig. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of the inventory management server, the user terminal, and the sensor.
Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a standard item list.
Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the inventory management table.
Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a table for managing the areas in which the sensors are arranged.
Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a sensor setting screen.
Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the inventory management process.
Fig. 9 is an overall configuration diagram of an inventory management system of a refrigerator according to embodiment 2.
Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an order screen.
Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the inventory management process.
Fig. 12 is an overall configuration diagram of an inventory management system of a refrigerator according to embodiment 3.
Fig. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the order history table.
Fig. 14 is an explanatory diagram of an order screen.
Fig. 15 is a schematic view showing an example of arrangement of sensor regions relating to embodiment 4.
Fig. 16 is an explanatory diagram of sensor setting information.
Fig. 17 is an overall configuration diagram of an inventory management system of a refrigerator according to embodiment 5.
Fig. 18 is a flowchart of a process for managing a storage deadline.
Fig. 19 is a flowchart relating to embodiment 6 and showing a process of automatically ordering goods and completing electronic settlement when taking out articles from a refrigerator.
Fig. 20 is a flowchart relating to embodiment 7, and shows a process of identifying a storage location by automatically recognizing an item name uttered by a user when storing an item in a refrigerator.
Fig. 21 is a flowchart relating to embodiment 8, and shows a process of identifying a storage location by reading identification information of an article by a user when the article is stored in a refrigerator.
Detailed Description
Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, as an example of the storage, the stock of the refrigerator is managed or the stock management is assisted. The inventory management system of the present embodiment includes: a sensor 2 that detects the state of the article 9; a terminal 3 for user input; and a server 4 that receives information from the sensor 2 and the user terminal 3.
The user can arbitrarily set the type and storage location of the object article by operating the user terminal 3. The server 4 determines the stock based on the information acquired from the sensor 2 and the information set by the user, and outputs the determination result to the user terminal 3.
According to the present embodiment, since the user can arbitrarily set the storage position of a desired article, the degree of freedom given to the user is increased, and the convenience of use is improved. Further, since the user can set the detection position of the sensor in the refrigerator and the type of the object article in advance, it is possible to easily exclude an article for which stock management is not desired from the object to be managed, and it is possible to avoid a problem that the privacy of the user is lost.
[ example 1 ]
Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 8. Fig. 1 shows an overall configuration of an inventory management system of a refrigerator. The present system includes, for example, a refrigerator 1 as an example of "storage", a sensor 2, a user terminal 3 as an example of "setting device", and an inventory management server 4.
Refrigerator 1 includes, for example, refrigerating compartment 10, vegetable compartment 11, and freezing compartment 12. Further, for example, the refrigerating compartment 10 has openable and closable doors 101R and 101L, and the vegetable compartment 11 and the freezing compartment 12 have a drawer type structure. The structure of the refrigerator 1 is not limited to the structure shown in fig. 1. The order of arrangement of the refrigerating chamber, the vegetable chamber and the freezing chamber is not limited. In the present embodiment, the description will be made mainly on the stock management of refrigerating room 10, but the present invention can also be applied to the stock management of vegetable room 11 and freezing room 12.
The refrigerating compartment 10 is provided with a plurality of storage sections 102R (1) to (3), 102L (1) to (3), and 103(1) to (3). A plurality of recessed grooves 102R (1) to (3) and 102L (1) to (3) are vertically spaced apart from each other on the inner sides of the left and right doors 101R and 101L.
The pockets 102R (1) to (3) and 102L (1) to (3) accommodate, for example, articles 9(1) such as eggs, milk, soft drinks, butter, and seasonings. The interior of the refrigerating chamber 10 is partitioned by a plurality of shelves 103(1) to (3), and articles 9(2) such as bottled beverages and articles 9(3) such as prepared subsidiary foods are stored in the respective shelves. Where to place what items is the user's freedom. The user can also store items other than food, such as medicines, in the refrigerator 1.
In the following description, R or L, and (1) to (3) are not described unless otherwise specified. Further, the recess 102 and the shelf 103 are referred to as an accommodation portion 102 and the like without distinction.
The following points are points that need to be taken care of in the storage of articles in the refrigerator 1. 1, the method comprises the following steps: the articles having various attributes such as the type, the purpose of use, the frequency of use, and the storage period are not limited to those stored in a place desired by the user, and the storage place is not always fixed. And 2, a step of: the user does not need to perform inventory management of all the items stored in the refrigerator.
For example, the types, the numbers, and the storage locations of the articles 9 stored in the refrigerator 1 change according to various environmental changes such as seasonal changes, changes in users (age, sex, nationality, and the like), sales promotion activities of retail stores, and changes in lifestyle.
The sensor 2 is a device which is disposed in advance at a predetermined place in the refrigerator 1, detects the state of the article 9, and transmits the detected state to the inventory management server 4 via the communication network CN. At least one sensor 2 is provided in the refrigerator 1. The sensor 2 is disposed inside the refrigerator 1, but the sensor may be disposed on the surface of the refrigerator 1. The state of the article 9 includes, for example, presence, number, weight, shape, color, temperature, and the like, and in the present embodiment, description will be mainly given centering on the presence and weight of the article 9.
The sensor 2 has a wireless communication function, and periodically communicates with the inventory management server 4 via the communication network CN. The communication interval between the sensor 2 and the inventory management server 4 may be set to an initial value in advance, or may be set to an arbitrary value by the user. Alternatively, the sensor 2 may start communication with the server 4 when detecting opening and closing of the door 101 of the refrigerator 1. Further, when the sensor 2 detects a change in the state of the object to be detected, communication from the sensor 2 to the server 4 may be started. The communication network CN may be a public communication line such as the internet or a private line. The sensor 2 and a wireless communication device provided in the refrigerator 1 may be connected by wire, and the wireless communication device may be connected to the communication network CN.
In the present embodiment, a sensor for detecting the weight of an article is taken as an example of the sensor 2, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other types of sensors such as a limit switch, a capacitance type proximity switch, an ultrasonic switch, a level sensor, a camera, a microphone, and an optical sensor may be used, or a plurality of types of sensors may be combined. As described above, the sensor 2 may be provided in the refrigerator 1 or may be provided outside. The sensor 2 may have a built-in battery, may be configured to receive electric power from the outside through a wire or wirelessly, or may be configured to charge the battery by light energy such as illumination.
The user terminal 3 is a terminal used by a user using the refrigerator 1 or a user managing the refrigerator 1. The user terminal 3 is an example of a "setting device". In other embodiments described later, a microphone, a barcode reader, or the like attached to the refrigerator 1 is used as the "setting device" in addition to the user terminal 3. The user terminal 3 is configured as a wearable terminal such as a so-called tablet terminal, a mobile phone (including a smartphone), a notebook personal computer, a watch, and glasses.
The user can input the type, storage location, management unit, storage period, and the like of the article 9 stored in the refrigerator 1 to the stock management server 4 by accessing the stock management server 4 using the user terminal 3. Further, the user terminal 3 can receive the notification transmitted from the inventory management server 4 and display the notification on the terminal screen. The user can confirm, for example, the stock status or the like about a given item in the refrigerator 1 by viewing a notification displayed on the screen of the user terminal 3. Since the user terminal 3 is configured as a device separate from the refrigerator 1, the user can perform setting and confirmation regarding inventory management of the refrigerator at a place away from the refrigerator 1.
The inventory management server 4 is a server constituting the core of the inventory management system. Hereinafter, the server 4 may be abbreviated. In fig. 1, the server 4 appears to manage the stock of one refrigerator 1, but actually can manage the stock of a plurality of refrigerators 1.
From the computer resources that the server 4 has, the server 4 implements a plurality of functions. Specifically, for example, the server 4 includes functions of a sensor data receiving unit 41, an input data receiving unit 42, a matching unit 43, a setting unit 44, a determination unit 45, and a display unit 46, and a database T.
The sensor data receiving unit 41, which is a "2 nd information acquiring unit", receives data from each sensor 2. The sensor data receiving unit 41 receives data from each sensor 2 via the communication network CN periodically or aperiodically.
The input data receiving unit 42 as the "1 st information acquiring unit" receives data from the user terminal 3 via the communication network CN. As described above, the user inputs the type, storage location, management unit, storage period, and the like of the article 9 to the inventory management server 4. The communication network connecting the sensor 2 and the server 4 and the communication network connecting the user terminal 3 and the server 4 may be common or different. The input data receiving unit 42 transmits the received information to the collating unit 43.
The matching unit 43 matches the contents stored in the item database T with an item to be inventory-managed (hereinafter also referred to as a target item) input from the user terminal 3. The storage contents of the item database T will be described later.
The setting unit 44 sets a threshold value for determining the state of the article 9 detected by the sensor 2. For example, the following case is explained: the user associates a certain sensor 2 with a bottled beverage as an article 9, and further inputs the information from the user terminal 3 so that an alarm is output when the number of bottled beverages is N bottles.
The comparing unit 43 reads out the standard weight of the bottled beverage from the product database T. The setting unit 44 sets a value of N times the standard weight as a threshold value for alarm output. The determination unit 45 compares the weight detected by the sensor 2 with a threshold value set for the bottled beverage, and outputs an alarm when the weight detected by the sensor 2 is lower than the threshold value.
The unit of the threshold value differs depending on the unit of the value detected by the sensor 2. When a weight sensor is used as the sensor 2, the unit of the threshold value is a weight. When the sensor 2 detects a state or amount other than the weight, the unit of the threshold value may be different depending on the type of the sensor. Further, the threshold value may be set to a wide range in order to suppress a small change in the weight detected by the sensor 2 and output an alarm.
The determination unit 45 compares the threshold value of the sensor data set by the setting unit 44 with the sensor data received from the sensor data receiving unit 41 to perform determination. When the data from the sensor data receiving unit 41 is smaller than the threshold value defined by the setting unit 44, the determination unit 45 notifies the user that the input data receiving unit 42 is performing the action set in advance. This notification is performed from the display unit 46 via the user terminal 3.
Further, the determination unit 45 determines the state of the article 9 detected by the sensor 2 with reference to the standard information (for example, the standard weight) of the target article extracted by the comparison unit 43. For example, when the weight detected by the sensor 2 is 750g, the determination unit 45 determines that 3 bottles exist in the bottled beverage within the detection range of the sensor 2 because the standard weight of the bottled beverage is 250 g.
The display unit 46 transmits display information to the user terminal 3, and causes the user terminal 3 to display the determination result in the determination unit 45. The display information may include at least one of characters, still images, moving images, graphics, and sounds. For example, "stock of bottled beverages" is 2 bottles. "and the like are transmitted from the display unit 46 to the user terminal 3.
Fig. 2 shows an overall outline of the overall system including the inventory management system of the refrigerator 1. The overall system includes, for example, an electronic commerce system 6 and a warehouse management system 7 in addition to the refrigerator 1, the sensor 2, the user terminal 3, and the server 4. The entire system may be called a distribution management system, a comprehensive inventory management system, or the like. The e-commerce system 6 and the warehouse management system 7 can also be referred to as a replenishment system 8.
The e-commerce system 6 is a computer system managed by the operator that sells the item 9 to the user. The e-commerce system 6 may comprise a settlement system. The electronic commerce system 6 can also communicate with an external settlement system, not shown. The warehouse management system 7 is a computer system managed by an operator who manages storage, warehousing, and delivery of the articles 9. The administrator of the electronic commerce system 6 and the administrator of the warehouse management system 7 may be different or the same.
In fig. 2, the electronic commerce system 6 and the warehouse management system 7 are each shown as 1, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of electronic commerce systems 6 and a plurality of warehouse management systems 7 may be provided. For example, the server 4 may be communicatively coupled to a plurality of electronic commerce systems 6 and a plurality of warehouse management systems 7, and the electronic commerce systems 6 may be communicatively coupled to a plurality of warehouse management systems 7. Articles 9 purchased by a plurality of different electronic commerce systems 6 can be stored in the refrigerator 1 at the same time.
The flow of the overall system is described herein. As a premise, it is assumed that the user has registered information necessary for inventory management, such as the type and threshold value of the target item, in the server 4 in advance using the user terminal 3.
Upon receiving the sensor data transmitted from the sensor 2 (S1), the server 4 analyzes the inventory of the target item (S2), and transmits the analysis result (determination result) to the user terminal 3 (S3). The user confirms the information displayed on the user terminal 3 (S4). The user accesses the electronic commerce system 6 as necessary to place an order for a desired item 9 (S5). The user can order the object items including other items.
When the electronic commerce system 6 confirms the order from the user terminal 3, the settlement is performed by communication with a settlement system inside or outside the electronic commerce system 6 (S6), and the delivery of the item 9 ordered by the user is instructed to the warehouse management system 7 (S7). The warehouse management system 7 sends the item 9 to the user' S designated place (S8). The user stores the received article 9 in the refrigerator 1 (S9).
Here, when the user stores the article 9 in the refrigerator 1, the article can be stored in the same place as the previous place or in a place different from the previous place. When the user stores the article 9 in a place different from the previous place, the user inputs the relationship between the place and the article 9 to the user terminal 3 and notifies the server 4 of the relationship. This enables the server 4 to remotely manage the stock of the articles 9 stored in a place different from the previous place. Further, the user can store the article 9 in a region deviated from the detection range of the sensor 2, thereby excluding the object of inventory management of the article 9. In another embodiment described later, the user can freely turn on/off a desired function of the sensor 2 among the sensors 2.
Then, the operator who manages the electronic commerce system 6 and the operator who operates the inventory management server 4 can also sign a contract for inventory management in advance (S0). For example, instead of the operator of the specific electronic commerce system 6 bearing at least a part of the fee for the stock management of the refrigerator 1, the advertisement of the specific electronic commerce system 6 may be included in the information transmitted from the server 4 to the user terminal 3. Alternatively, as in another embodiment described later, the orderer of the article 9 from the user terminal 3 may be fixed in advance in the specific electronic commerce system 6.
Further, although the case where the article 9 is replenished through the electronic commerce system 6 has been described, the article 9 may be directly transmitted from the operator of the warehouse management system 7 to the user without being limited thereto. For example, when the server 4 notifies the warehouse management system 7 of the stock status of the refrigerator 1 (S7A), the operator of the warehouse management system 7 may transmit the item 9 to the user.
The operator of the server 4, the operator of the electronic commerce system 6, and the operator of the warehouse management system 7 may be different from each other or may be common. For example, the operator of the electronic commerce system 6 may be the same as the operator of the warehouse management system 7, or the operator of the server 4 may be the same as the operator of the electronic commerce system 6 or the operator of the warehouse management system 7.
Fig. 3 shows an example of a hardware configuration of the inventory management system. The sensor 2 includes, for example, a control circuit 201, a communication interface (abbreviated as communication I/F in the figure) 202, a detection unit 203, and a power supply unit (not shown). The control circuit 201 stores the value detected by the detection section 203 in a given packet, and transmits the value from the communication interface 202 to the server 4.
The user terminal 3 includes, for example, a microprocessor (hereinafter, referred to as a processor) 301, a communication interface 302, a memory 303, an input device 304, and an output device 305.
The memory 303 stores a computer program such as a WEB browser for inputting information used for stock management from the user terminal 3 to the server 4. The communication interface 302 communicates with the server 4 via the communication network CN.
The input means 304 is means for a user to input or instruct information to the user terminal 3. The input device 304 may be a physical or virtual keyboard, a touch panel, an audio input device, a motion detection device, or the like. The output device 305 is a device for presenting information to the user from the user terminal 3. The output device 305 can be, for example, a display, a speaker, a voice synthesizer, or the like.
The server 4 includes, for example, a processor 401, a communication interface 402, a memory 403, an input device 404, and an output device 405.
The memory 403 stores a predetermined computer program (not shown) and a database T for realizing each of the functions 41 to 46 shown in fig. 1. The processor 401 realizes the respective functions 41 to 46 described in fig. 1 by reading in and executing these given computer programs. The Memory 403 is not limited to a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory), and may include a storage device such as a hard disk device or a flash Memory device.
The communication interface 402 communicates with the sensor 2 and the user terminal 3 via the communication network CN. The server 4 can manage the stock for the multi-user refrigerator 1. The server 4 can communicate with a plurality of user terminals 3 and a plurality of sensors 2.
The input device 404 is a device for the server manager to input information or instructions to the server 4. The output device 405 is a device that provides information from the server 4 to the server manager. Since specific examples of the input device 404 and the output device 405 are the same as those described in the user terminal 3, the above description is omitted.
The replenishment system 8 is a system for replenishing the refrigerator 1 with the target item. The replenishment system 8 can be constructed, for example, from an electronic commerce system 6 and a warehouse management system 7 as described in fig. 2. The object item may be replenished in accordance with an instruction from the user, or may be automatically replenished in accordance with the determination result of the server 4.
Fig. 4 shows an example of a standard item list T1 stored in the database T. The standard item list T1 stores information indicating a standard status for each item.
The standard item list T1 manages identification information (hereinafter referred to as ID) C10, item name C11, standard weight C12, standard unit C13, and standard storage period C14 in association with each other, for example. It is also possible to manage items other than these items by including them.
Here, ID C10 is information for identifying an article. The item name C11 is the name of the item. The standard weight C12 is the standard weight of the article. The standard unit C13 is a management unit and a disposal unit of the article. The standard storage period C14 is a period during which the article can be stored, and is, for example, a shelf life.
An example will be described. For example, "egg" is registered for the item name C11 determined with "ID 1". Since 1 egg usually has a weight of 60g, the standard weight of C12 is set to "60 g". Further, since eggs are often sold in units of 10 eggs, "10" is set for the standard unit C13.
In the present embodiment, since the sensor 2 for detecting the weight is used, the weight is exemplified as the standard state of the article. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and when the sensor 2 detects the shape and color of the article, the standard shape and color of the article may be registered in the list T1.
The matching unit 43 shown in fig. 1 searches the standard article list in the database T for the article corresponding to the sensor 2 by the user, and reads the standard weight, standard unit, standard storage period, and the like of the corresponding article. The setting unit 44 sets a display unit for each sensor 2 based on the comparison result in the comparison unit 43, or sets a behavior (Action) of the server 4 based on the detection result. For example, as described later in fig. 7, when the user sets the threshold for managing "eggs" to "2", the action specified in advance by the user is executed when the number of eggs in stock is 2 or less. In the case where the user-specified behavior is "replenishment", the server 4 sends a given notification to the replenishment system 8.
The stock quantity of the object item may be managed as a number or a volume. For example, articles such as soybean paste and soy sauce can be kept in stock in units of several grams or several liters.
Fig. 5 shows an example of the inventory management table T2 included in the database T. The inventory management table T2 stores information for managing the inventory of the object items in the refrigerator 1.
The inventory management table T2 manages, for example, sensor zone numbers (numbers are abbreviated by "#" in the figure) C20, item names C21, a display method C22, a threshold C23, and behaviors C24 in correspondence.
The sensor area number C20 is information that determines the area that can be detected by the sensor 2. The region (detectable range) detectable by the sensor 2 differs depending on the kind, performance, and the like of the sensor. In the present embodiment, the server 4 grasps the installation position of the sensor 2 and the range detectable by the sensor 2 in advance.
The item name C21 is the name of the subject item placed in the sensor area. Display method C22 is a display method for each unit of the object item. Examples of the display method include "number" and "amount". When the display of "number" is designated, the stock of the target item is displayed on the user terminal 3, for example, as several bottles, several bags, or several bags. In the case where the display in "amount" is designated, the stock of the target item is displayed on the user terminal 3, for example, in the form of several grams or several liters.
The threshold C23 is a threshold for the inventory of the subject item. Act C24 is an action by the server 4 that begins when the inventory of the target item reaches a threshold. As the action, for example, "alarm", "notification to the complementary system", or the like is given. The "alarm" is an action in which the server 4 notifies the user terminal 3 that the stock of the target item is equal to or less than the threshold value. The "notification to the replenishment system" is an action in which the server 4 notifies the replenishment system 8 that the stock of the target item is equal to or less than the threshold value.
Fig. 6 shows an example of the region management table T3 contained in the database T. The zone management table T3 manages the arrangement of the sensor zones, the capacity of the target article, and the like.
The area management table T3 stores, for example, a sensor area number C30, an in-bank area C31, a space size C32, and a receivable capacity C33 in correspondence with each other.
The same value as the sensor zone number C20 of the inventory management table T2 shown in fig. 5 is set to the sensor zone number C30. The in-bank distinction 31 is information that determines the housing space in which the sensor 2 is disposed. For example, "shelf of refrigerating compartment" and "right groove of refrigerating compartment" are set for the compartment division C31.
The space size C32 is the size of the housing space determined by the in-bank division C31. The space size can be obtained from specification information of the refrigerator 1. The receivable capacity C33 is the number of articles that can be received in the receiving space defined by the compartment C31. The number of articles that can be stored in the storage space is set to a high possibility. The energy storage capacity C33 may be expressed in terms of number or amount.
Fig. 7 shows an example of the sensor setting screen G1. The user accesses the server 4 by using the user terminal 3, and can cause the sensor setting screen G1 provided by the server 4 to be displayed on the user terminal 3.
The sensor setting screen G1 includes, for example, a sensor area display region GP11, a subject item name display region GP12, a threshold value display region GP13, a condition display region GP14, a behavior display region GP15, a call button GP16, a registration button GP17, and a cancel button GP 18.
The sensor area display region GP11 displays information (e.g., a sensor area number) for determining an area that the sensor 2 can detect, i.e., a sensor area. Instead of the sensor field number, a sensor name, a library classification (see C11 in fig. 6), or the like may be used.
The object item name display region GP12 displays item names for specifying the items 9 housed in the sensor region displayed in the sensor region display region GP 11. Not only the name of the article 9 but also an icon image or the like showing the outline of the article 9 may be displayed.
The threshold value display region GP13 displays a threshold value set with respect to the stock of the target item. The condition display region GP14 displays the condition for performing the action when the inventory of the target item reaches the threshold value. The condition "if the threshold value is not more than" is usually displayed, but the condition is not limited to this, and the condition "if the threshold value is more than" may be displayed.
The behavior display region GP15 displays the name of the behavior executed in the case where the condition is satisfied. Among the behaviors are, for example, "complement", "alert". The "replenishment" is to order the replenishment system 8 to replenish the target item 9. The subscription to the replenishment system 8 may be made by the server 4 or from the user terminal 3. Further, the user may confirm the subscription content after automatically subscribing to the complementary system 8, or may subscribe to the complementary system 8 after the user confirms the confirmation of the subscription content in advance. The "alert" is a message to be sent to a predetermined destination. The destination of reception of the given message is usually the user terminal 3 of the user who uses or manages the refrigerator 1, but the given message may be transmitted to a device other than the user terminal 3.
The call button GP16 is a button for calling setting contents registered before. The server 4 stores a sensor setting history for each user ID, for example, and the user can call and use the sensor setting history as a prototype. The registration button GP17 is a button for registering to the server 4 with the content set on the sensor setting screen G1. The cancel button GP18 is a button for canceling the contents set on the sensor setting screen G1.
An example of setting by the user on the sensor setting screen G1 will be described with reference to fig. 7. The sensor 2 capable of detecting the bottled beverage is provided in advance in the sensor area a1 of fig. 7.
The user selects a bottled beverage from among the candidate items for the sensor area a1 on the sensor setting screen G1 displayed on the user terminal 3. The candidate item can be freely selected by the user from, for example, a pull-down menu or the like. The server 4 lists a plurality of names of articles storable in the refrigerator 1, stores the list, and provides the names of articles to be candidates for the list to the user.
A general name of an item is usually registered in the list of candidate items. Instead, the user may add the name of the desired brand from the rear. When registering an item that is not present in the list of candidate items, the user can input the name of the item (which may be a general name or a brand name) from a text box or the like.
Then, the user sets the action content to be executed according to the state of the article. In the example of fig. 7, the user sets the action content to be supplemented when the number of bottles of drink contained in the area corresponding to the sensor area a1 is 2 bottles or less. In addition, the user sets the action content of notifying the user of an alarm when the number of eggs accommodated in the area corresponding to the sensor area a2 is 3 or less. In addition, the action content is not limited to "supplemental" and "alert". For example, actions such as "power saving start of refrigerator", "locking of refrigerator", and "unlocking of refrigerator" may be defined, or a plurality of actions may be set to be executed.
Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the overall operation of the inventory management system. The user inputs the correspondence relationship between the sensor 2 of the refrigerator 1 and the item 9 and the action content when the stock of the item 9 reaches the threshold value to the server 4 using the user terminal 3 as described above (S11).
The server 4 compares the name of the item 9 input by the user with the contents of the item list T1 stored in the database T, and acquires information (standard weight, standard shelf life, etc.) of the item 9 in question (S12). Then, the server 4 sets the threshold value, the condition, and the behavior input by the user in association with the article 9 (S13).
The sensor 2 transmits the sensor data to the server 4 periodically or aperiodically, spontaneously or at the request of the server 4 (S14). The server 4 compares the sensor data with the condition input by the user to determine whether the condition input by the user is satisfied (S15). The server 4 transmits the display data indicating the determination result to the user terminal 3 (S16). When the action set by the user is "replenishment", although omitted in fig. 8, the server 4 issues a subscription to the replenishment system 8 or transmits a message prompting the subscription to the user terminal 3.
According to the present embodiment configured as described above, the user can arbitrarily set the storage location of the object item by operating the user terminal 3, and therefore, the usability of the refrigerator 1 having the automatic inventory management function is improved.
Further, since the user can exclude the object to be managed from the object to be managed for the object for which automatic stock management is not desired, the user's privacy can be protected, and the usability can be further improved.
[ example 2 ]
Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to fig. 9 to 11. The following examples including the present embodiment correspond to modifications of embodiment 1, and differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly described. In the present embodiment, when the stock of the target item is equal to or less than the threshold value, the user terminal 3 or the server 4A orders the target item to the electronic commerce system 6.
Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the inventory management system of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment and the following embodiments, the entire configuration of the refrigerator 1 is not illustrated.
The inventory management server 4A of the present embodiment has the functions 41 to 46 and the database T, as in the server 4 shown in fig. 1. Further, the inventory management server 4A includes a notification unit 47.
If the determination unit 45 determines that the stock of the target article is equal to or less than the threshold value, the notification unit 47 can transmit order information to the electronic commerce system 6 for the target article.
Fig. 10 shows an example of the order screen G2. The order screen G2 is generated by the server 4A and provided to the user terminal 3. The order screen G2 includes, for example, a check box display area GP21, an object item name display area GP22, an inventory status display area GP23, an order button GP24, and an order content display area GP 25.
The check box display area GP21 is an area in which check boxes for selecting items of order targets are displayed. The object item name display region GP22 is a region in which the name of the object item is displayed. The stock status display area GP23 is an area indicating the stock status of the object item. The order button GP24 is a button for ordering. The order content display region GP25 is a region where order content is displayed.
Specific examples are explained. In fig. 10, the server 4A calculates the number of bottles in stock of the bottled beverage based on the weight detected by the sensor 2, and displays the result as "2 bottles remaining" on the order screen G2. Similarly, the server 4A calculates the number of stocked eggs based on the detected weight of the sensor 2, and displays the number on the order screen G2. In this way, in the present embodiment, the physical quantity detected by the sensor 2 is not displayed, but the stock quantity is converted into an appropriate unit according to the type of the item 9 and displayed on the order screen G2. Therefore, the user can intuitively grasp the stock.
In fig. 7, since "replenishment" is performed when the bottled beverage is equal to or less than the threshold value, an order screen G2 is displayed. When the user instructs to order from the order screen G2, order information is transmitted to the electronic commerce system 6.
Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the inventory management processing of the present embodiment. The present process includes all of steps S11 to S16 described in fig. 8. Further, this processing includes steps S17 to S19 described later. Depending on the case, step S20 described later may be included.
Upon receiving the display data indicating the inventory determination result from the server 4A (S16), the user terminal 3 displays the display data on the output device 305 of the user terminal 3. The user confirms the determination result of the stock in the server 4A (S17), and orders the electronic commerce system 6 ("EC system" in the figure) using the order screen G2 (S18). When receiving the order from the user terminal 3, the electronic commerce system 6 executes an order receiving process (S19). In the order acceptance process, communication with the settlement system is made through, for example, the electronic commerce system 6, so that delivery is instructed to the warehouse management system 7 after payment from the user is confirmed.
The above describes a case where the user confirms to order the target item. In contrast, as shown by the dotted line in fig. 11, when the server 4A determines that the stock of the target item is equal to or less than the threshold value, it may automatically place an order to the electronic commerce system 6 (S20). Then, the server 4A transmits display data including the fact that the automatic ordering is performed to the user terminal 3 (S16).
The present embodiment thus configured also achieves the same operational effects as embodiment 1. Further, in the present embodiment, when the stock of the target item is equal to or less than the threshold value, the electronic commerce system 6 can be ordered from any one of the user terminal 3 and the server 4A, and the risk of stock exhaustion can be suppressed, thereby improving the usability.
[ example 3 ]
Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to fig. 12 to 14. In the present embodiment, the order of the article is assisted based on the order history.
Fig. 12 is an overall configuration diagram of the inventory management system of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment. The server 4B of the present embodiment includes the functions 41 to 47 and the database T described in fig. 9. Further, the server 4B of the present embodiment includes an analysis unit 48 and an order history database T4.
The order history database T4 stores information (order information) of orders from the user terminal 3. The analysis unit 48 searches the order history database T4 in accordance with the determination result of the determination unit 45 to generate information for assisting the user in ordering, and supplies the order assist information to the user terminal 3 via the display unit 46.
Fig. 12 shows an example of the order history database T4. The order history database T4 associates and manages, for example, a user ID C40, an item name C41, a trademark C42, a quantity C43, a price C44, an order date C45, and a coupon C46.
The user ID C40 is information identifying the user. Item name C41 is the name of the item ordered. Trademark C42 is a trademark of the item ordered. Quantity C43 is the order quantity. Price C44 is the unit price for the order. The order date C45 is the date of the order. Offer C46 represents an offer at the time of ordering. The benefit includes, for example, acquisition of points that can be used for purchase of other products or services, right to receive discount, right to accept a prize, and the like. In addition to these items C40 to C46, an order amount, a payment period, and the like may be added.
The user ID C40, item name C41, trademark C42, quantity C43, price C44, order date C45, and the like are input from the user terminal 3 to the electronic commerce system 6 by the user. At the same time as the user terminal 3 places an order for the electronic commerce system 6, the order information is also transmitted to the server 4 and stored in the order history database T4. The offer C46 may be input by the user from the user terminal 3 to the server 4, or the server 4 may inquire of the electronic commerce system 6 about the contents of the offer. Instead of transmitting order information to the server 4 every time an order is placed from the user terminal 3 to the electronic commerce system 6, the order information may be stored in the user terminal 3 in advance and the stored order information may be transmitted to the server 4 at a predetermined timing.
The analysis unit 48 reads the order information of the target user stored in the order history database T4, and searches for the trademark of the item that the target user has ordered in the past. The trademark most ordered among the trademarks ordered by the target user in the past may be extracted, or the trademark most recently ordered may be extracted. The analysis result of the analysis unit 48 is sent to the display unit 46.
When the user orders the article 9 using the user terminal 3, the display unit 46 transmits order support information to the user terminal 3 and displays the order support information. One or more trademarks that the user has ordered in the past are included in the order assistance information. Thus, the user can easily specify the name of the article to be ordered based on the order support information, and order can be easily performed. Therefore, the inventory management system of the embodiment further improves the use convenience of the user.
However, although the type of the article is the same as that in the previous order, it is also considered that the user desires the order of another brand. Therefore, the analysis unit 48 reads the past order history information of the other users than the target user from the order history database T4, and extracts one or more personal trademark which are purchased frequently. For example, the analysis unit 48 may extract, in order of magnitude, a brand that is most ordered among trademarks purchased by a plurality of users in the past.
Alternatively, the analysis unit 48 may sequentially extract trademarks most recently ordered by narrowing the search range to only the most recent purchase history. The analysis unit 48 may extract a brand that has been ordered in the past, limited to the target user. The analysis unit 48 transmits the extracted plurality of trademark candidates to the user terminal 3 through the display unit 46 as order support information.
The user also considers a case where it is desired to order an article other than the target article detected by the sensor 2. In this case, it is possible to acquire other articles related to the target article, articles ordered by the user in the past, or information on recommended articles from the electronic commerce system 6 and include the information in the order support information.
Fig. 11 shows an order screen G2B according to the present embodiment. The order screen G2B has display elements GP21 to GP25 similar to the order screen G2 shown in fig. 10. Further, the order screen G2B of the present embodiment includes an order support information display region GP26 for displaying order support information.
Information for assisting the order made by the user is displayed in the order assist information display region GP 26. As the order support information, there are information on a trademark ordered by another user, popularity (size of order volume) of the trademark, and preference contents, as described above. A trademark analyzed from the order history of the user is displayed in a region GP25 where order contents are displayed. When the user changes the trademark based on the order support information, the display content of the region GP25 is also changed.
The present embodiment thus configured also achieves the same operational effects as embodiment 1. Further, in the present embodiment, since the history of past orders by each user of each refrigerator 1 under the management of the server 4 is collectively managed, information for assisting orders can be generated based on the order history of the target user and the order history of other users, and provided to the target user. Therefore, even when the user forgets the favorite trademark unintentionally, the user can order the favorite trademark, and the usability is improved. And ordering the new trademark by referring to ordering trends of other users, so that the use convenience is further improved.
[ example 4 ]
Embodiment 4 will be described with reference to fig. 15 and 16. In the present embodiment, the user sets only the sensor 2 of a desired sensor area among the plurality of sensor areas provided in the refrigerator 1 to be operable.
Fig. 15 is a schematic view of sensor areas a1 to a11 provided in refrigerator 1. Each sensor zone is assigned to a different sensor 2. Here, for example, as in the case of detecting the stock of the article 9 by processing an image captured by a camera, a plurality of sensor areas can be handled by one sensor (camera). In fig. 15, 3 shelves are taken as an example of the storage space in the refrigerator 1, and each shelf 103 is divided into a plurality of sensor areas. The recess 102 of the refrigerator 1 is omitted in fig. 15.
The number of sensor areas to be set in the storage space (shelf, recess, etc.) of the refrigerator 1 may be fixed at the time of factory shipment or may be changed by the user later. The user can set a sensor area in an arbitrary place or delete a set sensor area according to the type of the sensor, the installation place, and the like.
The user can also set sensor areas interactively on the user terminal 3, for example, via a screen provided by the server 4, and then associate the sensor 2 with each set sensor area. In this case, after the sensor area is set by the user, the sensor 2 may be installed in the refrigerator 1 by a serviceman of the refrigerator vendor as set by the user. Alternatively, before factory shipment of the refrigerator, a factory worker may attach the sensor 2 to the refrigerator 1 as set by the user, and then ship the refrigerator 1 to the user. Further, a portable sensor 2 that can be attached and detached freely may be prepared, and the portable sensor 2 may be installed in the refrigerator 1 by a user or a service person as set by the user.
Fig. 16 shows an example of the sensor setting information T5. The sensor setting information T5 is a table for managing the setting state of each sensor 2, and is stored in the database T. The sensor setting information T5 associates and manages, for example, a housing location name C50, a sensor block number C51, a sensor state C52, an object name C53, a unit C54, and an automatic order flag C55.
The storage location name C50 is information for identifying the storage location of the article 9. The storage space includes, for example, a shelf 103 and a recess 102. The sensor area number C51 is information identifying the sensor area. The sensor state C52 is information indicating the state of the sensor 2. The sensor states include ON (ON) and OFF (OFF). In the on state, the sensor 2 operates to transmit the detected value to the server 4. In the case of the off state, the sensor 2 is stopped.
The object name C53 is information for identifying an object corresponding to the sensor area. The unit C54 represents a management unit of the article. The automatic order flag C55 is information for controlling whether or not to make an automatic order. If the action selected by the user is "auto replenishment" when the auto-order flag is set to on, the server 4 automatically orders the electronic commerce system 6 when the stock of the article becomes equal to or less than the threshold value.
In the example of fig. 16, in both the sensor regions a1 and a2 of "shelf 1", the sensor state C52 is set to off. Since the sensors 2 corresponding to the sensor areas a1 and a2 stop their functions, the sensor data is not transmitted to the server 4 for the items stored in the sensor areas a1 and a 2. Therefore, the remote stock management of the server 4 is not performed for the items stored in the sensor areas a1 and a 2.
At the sensor zone A3 of "shelf 1", since the sensor status C52 is set to on, sensor data is transmitted from the sensor 2 in charge of the sensor zone A3 to the server 4. The server 4 determines the stock state based on the sensor data and information input by the user in advance. Since the automatic order flag is set to on in the sensor area A3, the server 4 automatically orders an item stored in the sensor area A3 to the electronic commerce system 6 when the stock of the item is equal to or less than the threshold value. At this time, the server 4 notifies the user terminal 3 that the stock is equal to or less than the threshold value and that the automatic ordering is performed, including the information in the display data.
Since the sensor zone a4 of the "shelf 2" is also set to on in the same manner as the sensor zone A3 and the sensor status C52, sensor data is transmitted from the sensor 2 in charge of the sensor zone a4 to the server 4. The server 4 determines the stock state based on the sensor data and information input by the user in advance. When the server 4 determines that the stock is equal to or less than the threshold, it transmits an alarm to the user terminal 3 including the alarm in the display data. Since the automatic order flag of the sensor area a4 is set to off, the server 4 does not automatically order the electronic commerce system 6.
The present embodiment thus configured also achieves the same operational effects as embodiment 1. Further, according to the present embodiment, since the user can turn on the off function for each sensor area, only a desired item can be targeted for remote stock management by the server 4. Therefore, the user can exclude the items whose consumption amount and consumption frequency are reduced due to changes in life style, for example, from inventory management, and the usability is improved.
[ example 5 ]
Embodiment 5 will be described with reference to fig. 17 and 18. The server 4C of the present embodiment also manages the stock in consideration of the term of storage of the article.
Fig. 17 is an overall configuration diagram of the inventory management system of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment. The server 4C of the present embodiment includes the functions 41 to 46 and the database T described in fig. 1. Further, the server 4C includes a term determination unit 49 and a sensor data history database T6.
The sensor data history database T6, which is an example of the "sensor information history management unit", stores sensor data received from each sensor 2. Specifically, the sensor data history database T6 manages the result (the name of the target item, the stock quantity of the target item) determined by the determination unit 45 for each sensor. Therefore, the change in the number of each of the object items is accumulated in the sensor data history database T6.
The term determination unit 49 calculates the period during which the target item is stored in the refrigerator 1 based on the history of the sensor data stored in the sensor data history database T6, that is, the history of the data on the state change of the target item, and outputs an alarm to the user terminal 3 through the display unit 46 when an item whose expiration is approaching is detected.
Specifically, the term determination unit 49 reads accumulated data of state changes (number changes) of the target item from the sensor data history database T6. Further, the term judgment unit 49 reads the standard storage term information C14 of each article from the standard article list T1 shown in fig. 4. Then, the term determination unit 49 determines the time when the target article is stored in the refrigerator 1 based on the state change of the target article.
For example, when the sensor 2 is a sensor for detecting the weight of the object, the term determination unit 49 estimates the time point when the weight of the object to be detected is decreased and then suddenly increased as the time of storing the object to be detected. Here, the replenishment is not limited to the case where the target item is consumed all over. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the term determination unit 49 detects the date and time at which the light and heavy value detected by the sensor 2 changes rapidly as the storage start date and time. The value of lightness indicated by the sensor data is converted into the standard unit C13 of the object item. The term determination unit 49 can estimate the first date and time when the target item is stored in the refrigerator 1 based on the differential change in the number of the target item in the standard unit.
This processing will be described by taking an example in which the number of stocks of articles increases from a state in which the number of stocks of articles is 1 to 10. The time when the stock increases from 1 to 10 is T1. The time point at which the weight detected by the sensor 2 changes after the time point T1 and the determination unit 45 determines that the stock is reduced by 2 is T2. At the time point of time T2, the inventory of items is 8. The storage periods of the 8 stocks are (T2-T1).
Next, T3 is set to the time point when the stock of the items is reduced by 3 and the refrigerator 1 is newly replenished with 6 items. At this time, the storage period of the 3 items stored continuously from the time T1 becomes (T3-T1).
The term determination unit 49 estimates the storage period of the stock on the assumption that the habit is performed according to a first-in first-out habit in which the article stored in the refrigerator 1 at the longest is consumed first. Thus, the term determination unit 49 can manage the storage term of the article without recording the information on the time when the article is stored in the refrigerator 1 and the time when the article is consumed in detail. Then, the term determination unit 49 outputs an alarm to the display unit 46 when the calculated storage period has passed the standard storage term C14 or when the remaining time until the calculated storage period reaches the standard storage term C14 is equal to or less than a predetermined time.
Fig. 18 is a flowchart showing a process of managing the storage period. As described above, the term determination unit 49 acquires the history of the number change of the target item from the sensor data history database T6 (S30). Next, the time limit determination unit 49 estimates the storage start timing of the target article by following the algorithm described above (S31), and calculates the storage period from the difference between the storage start timing and the current time (S32).
Then, the term determination unit 49 compares the storage period with the standard storage term C14(S33), and when it is determined that the storage term of the object article has expired or the storage term has not exceeded a predetermined time (yes in S33), outputs an alarm to the user terminal 3 through the display unit 46 (S34). The display unit 46 transmits display data including information that an article whose storage period has expired or an article whose storage period is close to expiration is present in the refrigerator 1 to the user terminal 3. At this time, the number of stocks of the items to be warned may be displayed.
The present embodiment thus configured also achieves the same operational effects as embodiment 1. Further, in the present embodiment, since the storage period of the object article can also be managed, the stock in the refrigerator 1 can be managed more appropriately, and the usability of the user is improved.
[ example 6 ]
Embodiment 6 will be described with reference to fig. 19. In the present embodiment, when an article is taken out from the refrigerator 1D, the settlement of the article is performed.
Fig. 19 is a flowchart showing the inventory management processing of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment. The user inputs information necessary for inventory management to the server 4D in advance, as described in steps S11 to S13 of fig. 8.
The refrigerator 1D of the present embodiment is provided with an information reading device 13 for electronic settlement. The information reading device 13 is connected to the electronic commerce system 6 (or settlement system). For example, when a magnetic card, an IC card, or the like approaches the information reading device 13, the price of the article is deducted from the amount information stored in the card, or the price of the article is deducted from a bank account or the like corresponding to the card.
The information reading device 13 is not limited to cards. Any device may be used as long as it can input information necessary for settlement of the price of the article. Further, the information reading device 13 may be provided in the refrigerator 1D, or may be provided separately from the refrigerator 1D. The information reading device 13 may be provided in the user terminal 3, or may be provided in another portable information terminal, a personal computer, or the like.
Here, the user who takes out the target item from the refrigerator 1D and consumes the target item may be the same as or different from the user who manages the refrigerator 1. Hereinafter, a user (consumer) and a user (responsible person) are explained differently.
The user (consumer) takes out the target item from the refrigerator 1D. Each sensor 2 of the refrigerator 1D transmits the sensor data to the server 4D (S40). The server 4D determines the stock of the target item (S41) in the same manner as described in step S15 of fig. 8, and transmits display data from the display unit 46 to the user terminal 3 of the user (responsible person) (S42).
When the user (consumer) takes the target item out of the refrigerator 1D, the server 4D detects that the number of the target item is decreased, and notifies the electronic commerce system 6 of the behavior (S43).
The user (consumer) spontaneously brings a card or the like close to the information reading device 13 and pays the price of the taken out article (S44). The electronic commerce system 6 performs settlement of the price of the item taken out of the refrigerator 1D by comparing the notification from the server 4D and the notification from the information reading device 13 (S45). When the settlement is completed, the electronic commerce system 6 notifies the user terminal 3 held by the user (responsible person) of the completion of the settlement (S46).
The present embodiment thus configured also achieves the same operational effects as embodiment 1. Further, in the present embodiment, when an article is taken out from the refrigerator 1D, the server 4D detects the article taking out, and the user (consumer) who has taken out the article pays the price of the article. As a result, according to the present embodiment, not only can the stock of the articles in the refrigerator 1D be managed, but also the settlement can be individually performed each time the article is taken out.
[ example 7 ]
Embodiment 7 will be described with reference to fig. 20. In the present embodiment, when the user places an item in the refrigerator 1E, the type of the item is specified and input to the server 4E.
Fig. 20 is a flowchart showing the inventory management processing of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment. The refrigerator 1E of the present embodiment includes a microphone (hereinafter, microphone) 14 and a speaker 15.
When the user places an article in the refrigerator 1E, the user makes a sound of the type and amount of the article, such as "1 bottle of milk" and "1 bag of eggs". The sound uttered by the user is detected by the microphone 14 and transmitted to the server 4E (S51). The server 4E analyzes the inputted sound data and converts it into text data. On the other hand, the sensor 2 of the refrigerator 4E detects the state (for example, weight) of the item put in by the user, and transmits the detected state to the server 4E (S52).
The server 4E determines which sensor area the user has stored the item in based on the sensor data received from the sensor 2 (S53). The server 4E compares the standard data of the articles stored in the refrigerator 1E with each other based on the recognition result of the sound detected by the microphone 14 and the sensor data from the sensor 2 (S54), and associates the sensor area with the type of the article, the management unit, and the like (S55).
However, if it is assumed that the user forgets to read aloud the name, number, and the like of the item when the user puts the item in the refrigerator 1E, only the sensor data received by the server 4E from the sensor 2 changes abruptly (S56). Therefore, when the value detected by any of the sensors 2 changes rapidly although no voice input is made from the microphone 14 for a predetermined time, the server 4E determines that the user has forgotten to register the item with the voice (S57). The server 4E transmits data to the speaker 15, and causes the speaker 15 to output an attention attracting message indicating that the reading of the item has been forgotten (S58).
The present embodiment thus configured also achieves the same operational effects as embodiment 1. Further, in the present embodiment, when the user places an article in the refrigerator 1E, the relationship between the article and the sensor area, etc. can be registered in the server 4E by merely reading aloud the type (or trademark) and number of the article. Therefore, the user does not need to spend much time and effort in operating the user terminal 3, and the usability of the user is further improved. Further, in the present embodiment, even when the user forgets to read the type of the item, the server 4E automatically detects the item and urges the user's attention, and thus the usability is improved.
[ example 8 ]
Embodiment 8 will be described with reference to fig. 21. In the present embodiment, when a user places an article in the refrigerator 1F, the article is registered in the server 4F by acquiring information from the identification information recording medium 91 such as a barcode attached to the article.
In the refrigerator 1F of the present embodiment, a speaker 15 and an information reading device 16 are added as compared with the refrigerator 1 of fig. 1. The information reading device 16 is a device that reads information from the identification information recording medium 91 provided in the article 9. For example, when the identification information recording medium 91 is a barcode, the information reading device 16 is configured as a barcode reader. When the identification information recording medium 91 records information in a built-in memory as in an RFID (Radio Frequency identification) tag, the information reading device is configured as an RFID tag reader. The types of the identification information recording medium 91 and the information reading device 16 are not limited. The following description will be given by taking a barcode as an example.
When the user places an article in the refrigerator 1F, the barcode reader 16 reads information from the barcode 91 of the article 9 and transmits the information to the server 4F (S61).
The server 4F determines the name and the number of the items 9 put into the refrigerator 1F by analyzing the data from the barcode reader 16 (S62). When the article 9 is stored in the sensor area, the sensor 2 detects the state (for example, weight) of the article and transmits the sensor data to the server 4F (S63).
The server 4F determines the sensor area, which is the storage destination of the article 9, based on the sensor data (S64), checks the specified article against the standard article list T1 (S65), and sets the sensor area and the threshold value for storing the article (S66). The threshold value can be input from the user terminal 3 to the server 4F by the user in advance or after the fact. Alternatively, as the threshold value, an initial value prepared in advance for each standard article may be set.
When the data from the sensor 2 monitoring a certain sensor area changes rapidly even though the server 4F does not receive the data from the barcode reader 16 (S67), it is determined that a read error of the barcode 91 has occurred (S68). The server 4F outputs an attention attracting message from the speaker 15 (S69). For example, "reading failure of barcode" can be output. Please have the barcode reader 16 read the barcode 91 "or the like to attract attention.
The present embodiment thus configured also achieves the same operational effects as embodiment 1. Further, in the present embodiment, since the barcode 91 of the article 9 is read by the barcode reader 16, the user can register the article 9 in the server 4F without operating the user terminal 3, and the usability of the user is improved. Further, in the case where the user forgets to read the barcode, the server 4F automatically detects the situation and prompts the user's attention, so that the user's convenience is improved.
The above description of the present invention is completed, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are also included. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to better understand the present invention, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to all the configurations described above.
A part of the structure of one embodiment may be replaced with the structure of another embodiment. The structure of one embodiment can be combined with the structure of another embodiment. Some of the configurations of the embodiments may be deleted, added with another configuration, or replaced with another configuration.
A part or all of the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, and the like can be realized by hardware by designing them with an integrated circuit, for example. The above-described configurations, functions, and the like may be realized by software by interpreting and executing programs for realizing the respective functions by a processor. Information such as programs, tables, and files for realizing the respective functions can be stored in a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk Drive, a storage disk such as an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a computer-readable non-temporary data storage medium such as an IC card, an SD card, and a DVD.
The control lines and the information lines are shown in what is considered necessary in the description, and the control lines and the information lines are not necessarily all shown in the product. In practice, it can be said that almost all the components are connected to each other.
Further, the above-described embodiments can be appropriately combined, and combinations of these embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention. For example, embodiment 4 can be combined with all other embodiments. Embodiment 5 can also be combined with all other embodiments. Embodiment 6 can also be combined with all other embodiments. Embodiment 7 and embodiment 8 can be combined with any of embodiment 1 to embodiment 6. A system having both the configuration of embodiment 7 and the configuration of embodiment 8 is also possible. It is also possible to appropriately combine 3 or more embodiments, and such a combination is also included in the scope of the present invention.
The refrigerator described in the above embodiment can be expressed as follows, for example.
"expression 1" a storage capable of communicating with an inventory management server, including a sensor for detecting a state of a stored article and transmitting the detected state to the inventory management server, the inventory management server including: a1 st information acquiring unit that acquires a storage position and a type of the article from a setting device that can arbitrarily set the storage position and the type of the article in the storage; a2 nd information acquiring unit that acquires the state of the article from the sensor; a determination unit that determines an inventory of the article based on the type of the article acquired by the 1 st information acquisition unit and the state of the article acquired by the 2 nd information acquisition unit; and an output unit that outputs a result of the determination by the determination unit "
Description of the reference numerals
1. 1E, 1F refrigerator
2 sensor
3 user terminal
4. 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 4F inventory management server
9 article
41 sensor data receiving part
42 input data receiving part
43 comparison part
44 setting part
45 determination unit
46 display part

Claims (14)

1. An inventory management system for a storage, which manages articles stored in the storage,
the inventory management system includes:
a1 st information acquiring unit that acquires a storage position and a type of an article in the storage from a setting device capable of arbitrarily setting the storage position and the type of the article;
a2 nd information acquiring unit that acquires a state of the article from a sensor provided in the storage;
a determination unit that determines an inventory of the article based on the type of the article acquired by the 1 st information acquisition unit and the state of the article acquired by the 2 nd information acquisition unit; and
an output unit that outputs a result of the determination by the determination unit,
the setting device comprises:
an article type identification device that identifies the type of the article stored in the storage compartment,
the setting device determines a storage position of the article based on information when the sensor detects the article, and sets the storage position and the type of the article by associating the determined storage position of the article with the identified type of the article.
2. The inventory management system of a repository of claim 1, wherein,
the setting device can set the unit of the article besides the storage position and the type of the article,
the 1 st information acquiring unit can acquire the storage position, type, and unit of the article from the setting device,
the determination unit determines the stock of the article in the unit of the article based on the type and unit of the article and the state of the article.
3. The inventory management system of a repository of claim 2, wherein,
the sensor is arranged to detect a given area of the receptacle,
the storage location of the item is contained within the given area.
4. The inventory management system of a repository of claim 1, wherein,
the determination unit outputs a predetermined notification from the output unit when the stock of the article is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold.
5. The inventory management system of a repository of claim 4 wherein,
the threshold value and the given notification can be set for each category of the item.
6. The inventory management system of a repository of claim 5, wherein,
the given notification includes an alert associated with the inventory of the item.
7. The inventory management system of a repository of claim 5, wherein,
the given notification is a notification intended for an external system,
the external system is a replenishment system for replenishing the storage with the item,
the notification to the external system is an order for the supplemental system.
8. The inventory management system of a repository of claim 5, wherein,
the given notification is a notification intended for an external system,
the external system is a settlement system for performing settlement of the article,
the notification to the external system is a settlement notification to the settlement system.
9. The inventory management system of a repository of claim 7,
the inventory management system for a storage further includes:
an order history management unit that manages the order history; and
an analysis unit for analyzing the order history managed by the order history management unit,
the analysis unit extracts past order information from the order history management unit in accordance with a determination result of the determination unit, and outputs the extracted past order history from the output unit.
10. The inventory management system for a storage according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
the sensor is provided in a plurality in the storage,
the setting means may perform setting such that the 2 nd information acquisition portion does not acquire information from a sensor specified by a user among the plurality of sensors.
11. The inventory management system for a storage according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
the inventory management system for a storage further includes:
a sensor information history management unit that manages a history of information from the sensor; and
a time limit determination unit which estimates a storage period of the article by analyzing the history of the information from the sensor managed by the sensor information history management unit and compares the estimated storage period with a storage time limit previously set for the article,
the determination result of the time limit determination unit is output from the output unit.
12. The inventory management system of a repository of claim 1, wherein,
the article type identification device is either or both of an identification information reading device that acquires identification information of the article from an identification information recording medium provided in the article, and a voice recognition device that recognizes a voice of a user when reading the name of the article.
13. The inventory management system of a repository of claim 12, wherein,
in a case where the article type identification device cannot identify the type of the article although the sensor detects that the article is stored in the storage, information for attracting attention is output.
14. A stock management method of a storage is a stock management method for managing articles stored in the storage by a server,
the server performs the following processing:
the storage position and type of the article are obtained from a setting device capable of arbitrarily setting the storage position and type of the article in the storage,
acquiring the state of the article from a sensor provided in the storage,
determining an inventory of the item based on the type of the item and the state of the item,
the result of the determination of the stock of the article is outputted from an output unit,
identifying the type of the article stored in the storage,
the storage position of the article is determined based on information when the sensor detects the article, and the storage position and the type of the article are set by associating the determined storage position of the article with the identified type of the article.
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