EP2483842A1

EP2483842A1 - Method and system for managing objects in a plurality of distribution platforms

Info

Publication number: EP2483842A1
Application number: EP10781949A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gilles Bennejean
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: CLEOR
Priority date: 2009-10-01
Filing date: 2010-10-01
Publication date: 2012-08-08
Also published as: FR2950994A1; WO2011039492A1; FR2950994B1; US20120268255A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a system for managing objects (8) arranged on a support (3) and each comprising a non-contact label (14), characterised in that it comprises the following steps: detection of non-contact labels, comprising a sub-step of interrogation of said non-contact labels in such a way as to receive identification data of each object by at least one non-contact reading means (7); transmission of said data to a server (6); determination of at least one event relating to said object by the processing means of said server; transmission of the data relating to the event and identification data associated with a technical platform (1); and processing of said data relative to said event in such a way as to generate criteria relating to the management of the stored objects.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING ARTICLES WITHIN A PLURALITY OF DISTRIBUTION PLATFORMS

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method and an article management system within a plurality of distribution platforms.

The present invention relates to the field of data processing mechanisms collected contactless information media relating to the identification of articles within a plurality of distribution platforms.

STATE OF THE PRIOR ART

[0003] In traditional distribution platforms, such as jewelers, perfumeries or shops belonging to the field of mass distribution, articles are labeled with contactless information carriers such as barcodes.

These barcodes are associated with the articles to identify them, and are read from a manual or fixed optical device, located at the terminal acting as a payment box.

A major disadvantage of this device is related to the reading mode which requires an individual reading of each bar code associated with an article which generates extremely long processing times that are not suitable for this type of platforms of exploitation in which the articles are numerous in particular in the context of managing these articles relating to the management of the different ranges of articles, the analysis of sales performance, the improvement of inventory management through visibility on its evolution in real time, the reduction of the time devoted to the inventories and the control of the markdown.

To overcome this drawback, it is known in the prior art document US2009101713 which describes an inventory management system of a trade, from at least one non-contact reading device relating to a radio frequency identification scanner (RFID) capable of receiving data from RFID tags simultaneously and without having to manipulate the articles. However, the disadvantage of such a system resides in the fact that the user stops in front of each article to bring the reading or interrogation means close to the information medium. This technique is therefore tedious and long and is therefore not suitable for a complete census, or a search related to all items present in a distribution platform at a specific time.

Moreover, the user of this system can not know at any time and in an immediate manner the precise and certain state of the number and the nature of articles exposed on article carriers within the distribution platform and its zone. storage.

For example, the finding of an item theft exposed on a support articles can be made only after the completion of a long and tedious inventory.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to solve the problem related to technical difficulties encountered to improve the real-time traceability of the articles present in a plurality of distribution platforms.

The invention proposes to improve the compatibility and interoperability of article management systems and methods from a real-time data collection mechanism relating to articles exposed on / in media. items.

To do this, one aspect of the invention relates to a method of managing articles arranged on a support and each comprising a contactless tag, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

detecting contactless tags comprising a sub-step of interrogating said non-contact tags so as to receive identification data of each article by at least one contactless reading means;

- transmission of this data to a server;

determining at least one event relating to said article by the processing means of said server;

sending the data relating to said event and identification data associated with a technical platform;

processing said data relating to said event so as to generate criteria relating to the management of the stored articles.

According to particular embodiments:

the detection step is carried out continuously;

said event data relates to actions performed on an article, said actions being deduced from the processing of the data transmitted to the server corresponding to the different steps of detection or loss of detection by at least one reading means succeeding a step initial loss of detection of the label without contact of said article by said at least one non-contact reading means of the article carrier in which said article is initially located, according to a predefined parameter relating to time.

The invention also relates to an article management system comprising a technical platform connected by a communication network to at least one distribution platform, said distribution platform comprising at least one article carrier connected to a server, said at least one article carrier comprising at least one means of non-contact reading arranged in said medium so as to receive the archived data in contactless tags associated with each of the juxtaposed articles included in said article carrier, said distribution platform comprising a server able to exchange data with said technical platform.

According to particular embodiments:

the technical platform comprises a management server and a database containing information associated with item identifiers; the server comprises processing means able to implement a computer code capable of processing the received data so as to identify an event relating to an action performed on an article;

- the distribution platform is a commercial enterprise;

- the support of articles is a showcase;

- the contactless tag is a FID chip and / or NFC;

- The non-contact reading means relates to at least one antenna integrated in the article holder so that said at least one antenna is not visible;

the non-contact reading means relates to a plurality of coupled antennas connected to a multiplexer;

said at least one antenna is made of a flexible material; said at least one antenna has a detection field limited to the volume or surface of the article carrier; said at least one antenna is connected to the server by wireless communication means;

- the server is included in the distribution platform;

the server is connected to a cash register type terminal, and

the terminal comprises a contactless reading means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge on reading the description which follows, with reference to the appended figures, which illustrate:

FIG. 1, a schematic view of an embodiment according to the invention, and

- Figure 2, a representation of a support element: the tray of a showcase unit having a reading means.

For the sake of clarity, identical or similar elements are marked with identical reference signs throughout the figures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

In an exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, FIG. 1 relates to a system comprising:

a technical platform 1, and

- a distribution platform 2.

The technical platform 1 comprises in particular a management server 5, associated with a database 4. The management server 5 comprises processing means capable of executing a code relating to a computer application for the processing of the data it receives from the distribution platforms 2.

This management server 5 is connected to a database 4. This database archives information relating to the various articles 8 exposed within the distribution platforms 2. The information data relating to an article is associated with an identifier of said article.

This database also includes a set of data relating to the stock stored both within the distribution platforms but also within the technical platform.

The identifier is also subsequently named identification data.

The various distribution platforms 2 are all connected to this technical platform 1 from means of communication 13.

The distribution platform 2 comprises a set of article holders 3 in or on which the articles 8 are exposed for sale.

These supports relate for example to showcases (or showcase unit), or to shelves.

This distribution platform relates for example to a commercial enterprise such as a boutique, a jewelry store, a perfume or a business belonging to the field of mass distribution.

These articie supports comprise at least one non-contact type of reading antenna type. In another embodiment, the non-contact reading means relates to a plurality of coupled antennas connected to a multiplexer.

[0025] With reference to FIG. 2, in another embodiment, this reading means comprises:

* an RFID reader 25,

* a multiplexing system,

an antenna known as intelligent antenna 24 which is in fact a mesh of multiplexed antennas 23

This multiplexing system is based on intelligent electronic multiplexing of the antenna outputs of the RFID reader 25 in order to duplicate the number of antennas without multiplying the number of RFID readers.

In this multiplexing system the switching on each output of the multiplexer is controlled by the software application implemented by the processing means of the server 6.

This multiplexing system plans to duplicate the antenna outputs from 1 to 8 or 16 outputs.

In this multiplexing system, a multiplexer can feed antennas covering several showcases. The piloting of the active outputs of the multiplexer by the software application makes it possible to precisely identify which antenna returns information (or an event related to an article) and thus in which window the identified article (the identified jewel) is located.

This multiplexing is performed automatically between different smaller antennas constituting a mesh arranged under a plate 3 and 22 included in a window block and supporting the articles.

This rigid assembly is an antenna of larger size equivalent to the size of a showcase block. The multiplexing is this time automatic because it is not necessary to know precisely which antenna within the mesh has read the identified article (identified jewel). To equip a window block, a tray 22 is deposited under the jewelry and behind the jewelry at the bottom of the window.

This antenna and RFID reader are integrated in the article carrier, or arranged in such a way that it does not interfere with the field of view of a customer who observes the articles of this article carrier 3, and that it is at a sufficient distance from articles of the article support 3 to detect only the articles exposed on this support 3.

This antenna is made of a relatively flexible and flexible material for example a material belonging to the family of polyolefins. Such a material is a polymer whose cost is low and corresponds to the inert plastic.

This antenna has an optimal shape allowing it to interrogate one or more labels without contact simultaneously. This form may for example be ovoidal.

In this embodiment, this antenna relates to a sulcus, a strand, or all other elements capable of generating an electric or electromagnetic field.

This antenna is sensitive to an electric or electromagnetic field and delivers an electromotive force depending on the electric or electromagnetic field detected by the antenna.

This antenna is connected to a power supply box.

Articles placed in or on these media includes contactless labels 14 belonging to the NFC (Near Field Communication) or RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technologies.

These labels 14 are placed in or on these items.

RFID is a wireless or wireless communication between the contactless reading means and the contactless tag. The RFID technology used as an example in the present invention is of the UHF RFID type (Ultra High Frequency 860 MHz at 960 MHz).

These contactless tags 14 comprise memory means archiving unique identification data of the article.

The distribution platform includes the server 6.

This server 6 includes processing means adapted to implement a computer code capable of processing the received data so as to identify an event relating to an action performed on the article.

Indeed, the antenna or antennas included in each of the article carriers are connected to the server 6 from technologies relating to the communication means 13.

Once they have detected and interrogated the contactless labels of the articles of a medium, they transmit the identifiers of these articles to the server 6.

This server is also connected to a cash register type terminal 18 and / or to security portals 19 from technologies relating to the communication means 13.

The cash register and / or these safety gates comprise at least one contactless tag reading means.

The communication means 13 connecting in particular the technical platform to the distribution platforms relate to a network corresponding to an Internet network but not exclusively. The data exchanges are carried out under TCP / IP protocol or other protocols allowing optimized and reliable exchanges of data. The network used relates to wiring means and / or electromagnetic transmission means.

Without pretending to make an exhaustive list, these cabling means correspond, for example, to optical fiber or copper cables, and the electromagnetic transmission means relate, for example, to radio links based on mobile telephone standards such as GSM (acronym Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS (acronym for Universé Mobile Telecommunications System), EDGE (acronym for Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) or HSDPA

(acronym for High-Speed Downlink Packet Access). These means can also relate to technologies such as WIFI defined by the IEEE 802.11 standards, or Bluetooth defined by the IEEE 802.15 standards, or the WIMAX (acronym for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) defined by the standard. IEEE 802.16.

The non-contact label reading means relating in this example to an antenna, detects a set of articles each comprising an RFID tag and belonging to the article carrier 3 in which is placed this antenna 7.

This antenna 7 interrogates by sending a signai, each label and obtains in response the identification element of each article. It is the same for the contactless reading means included in the cash register and / or these security gates.

The identification elements are transmitted to the server 6, each time the process relating to the detection step is performed.

The resulting data of these detection steps are saved by the server 6 and associated with a parameter relating to time. This parameter corresponds to the moment when the detection was performed. This is for example the date and time of completion of this detection step.

This detection step is carried out continuously. However, the detection cycle can be parameterized from the technical platform. This setting makes it possible to space or reconcile the detection steps.

The server 6 determines event data relating to actions performed on an article.

These actions correspond, for example, to an article sale, to a consultation of the article by a customer, to a withdrawal of the article from the article carrier, or to theft of an article, or to a change. of article support.

These actions are deduced from the processing of the data transmitted to the server 6 by the antenna of the support where the object object is located, but also by other antennas not belonging to this support.

In one example, where the article is removed from the medium, the antenna of this medium no longer detects this article, and transmits the identifier of this article to the server 6 which archives it with a time parameter t0 in its database.

At a time t1, the item is detected by the antenna included in the cash register. This antenna in turn transmits the identifier of this article to the server 6 which archives it with a time t1.

The processing means of this server 6 with respect to the received data relating to the identifier of the article, to the time parameter, and the location of the antennas having transmitted this identifier to the time t0 and t1, determines that the article was removed from support 3 in order to be sold.

In this case, the event refers to the sale of the item with this identifier.

In another example, the received data relate to the identifier of the article, the time parameter, and the location of the antennas. having transmitted this identifier which, for the time t0 corresponds to the antenna of the support, and for the time t1 corresponds to the antenna of the gantry placed at the exit of the trade, then the determined event relates to an article theft .

In addition, these actions then result from the processing of the data transmitted to the server 6 corresponding to the different detection or loss of detection steps by at least one reading means succeeding an initial step of loss of detection of the contactless tag 14 of said article 8 by said at least one contactless reading means 7 of article carrier 3 in which said article 8 is initially located, as a function of a predefined parameter relating to time.

As soon as an event is determined for an article, the elements relating to this article and to the determination of this event which are archived in the database of the server 6, are transmitted to the technical platform, and more particularly to the management server 5.

This management server 5 stores these elements in the database 4.

The management server 5 from these elements knows in real time the status of actions and events relating to each article and category of articles, as well as the inventory status for each category of articles.

This management server is able to generate statistical data correlating the elements relating to each event with the different distribution platforms, and the different categories of articles.

From this statistical data criteria can be generated by the processing means of this management server to be applied by the server managing the stocks included in the technical platform. Indeed, these criteria have the function of optimizing the management of the stock, for example by generating requests:

- to suppliers for new orders for an article category, or

- to a server included in distribution platforms in order to apply a price reduction on a category of article with little sales event.

The server 5 comprises processing means such as at least one processor and memory means for implementing the software application, which makes it possible to determine a state of the inventory of articles at regular and close intervals, which can be parameterized.

Thus, each event relating to an article is stored in a database linked to the management server 5.

From the archived events, the server processing means 5 perform, in real time, a comparison of two successive stock statuses relating for example to a showcase block, and identify the items that are missing or added or moved.

In the case of larger quantity, it confronts these differences with previous outputs not sold (no out of stock) and receipts recorded at the level of distribution platform 2 (the store).

Indeed a new article entering a showcase can be either following a return after customer demo (moving the article), or following a receipt of new products. If this is not the case, then an alert is generated at the server 6 to process this abnormal presence. The server 6 issues an alert by transmitting a request to a warning device intended to warn the personnel of the distribution platform 2.

In the case of a smaller quantity, the system analyzes potential sales or out of stock for return. If this is not the case, after a configurable period of time (in order to handle the cases where the article here the jewel is out for customer demonstration) then the server 6 issues an alert in transmitting a request to a warning device intended to warn the personnel of the distribution platform 2.

From the events archived and transmitted by the server 6, the server processing means 5 compare globally for an article or a range of articles the number of outputs of the showcases found over a given period (a month for example) and the number of sales.

The processing means of this server 5 implement a software application making it possible to determine in a non-exhaustive manner:

• items that have not been taken out, and

• the articles much tried and among these articles those with high conversion power for sale.

The analysis of statistical elements generated by this server makes it possible to define parameters (or criteria) with a view to triggering new orders or canceling new orders for the most successful items, in order to optimize inventory management, towards suppliers. Based on these criteria the server 5 also determines actions resulting in:

- the modification of the arrangement in the showcases of the least moved or purchased items, so the least popular, or

- the exit of these articles from the showcase block.

In addition, the processing means of the server 5 allow from these criteria to have indicators for performing a block arrangement of showcase or sub-block window.

These criteria make it possible to associate turnover and sales performance by showcase because it is possible to determine for each sale which showcase the jewel comes from. Note that for each item removed from a tray and detected by the cash register, therefore relating to a sale, the last output of the associated RFID tag is archived in the server 6.

Advantageously, the invention makes it possible to set up rules for the distribution of articles in the showcase blocks. Then with each determination of the contents of the showcase blocks, it is possible to compare the real distribution with the rules of distribution to check the good arrangement in the showcases.

The invention offers the advantage of allowing the real-time traceability of articles, so as to better manage the sale of different categories of articles, reduce the time spent on inventories, control shrink and analyze the performance of distribution platforms. Thus, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and illustrated. It is furthermore not limited to these exemplary embodiments and the variants described.

Claims

1. A method of managing articles (8) arranged on a support (22,3) and each comprising a contactless label (14), characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

detecting non-contact tags (14) comprising a sub-step of interrogating said non-contact tags (14) so as to receive identification data of each article (8) by at least one contactless reading means; - transmission of this data to a server (6);

determining at least one event relating to said article (8) by the processing means of said server (6);

sending the data relating to said event and identification data associated with a technical platform (1);

processing of these data relating to said event so as to generate criteria relating to the management of the stored items (8).

2. Method according to the preceding claim, wherein said detecting step is carried out continuously.

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said event data relates to actions performed on an article, said actions being deduced from the processing of the data transmitted to the server (5) corresponding to the different stages of detection or detection. loss of detection by at least one reading means succeeding an initial step of loss of detection of the non-contact label of said article by said at least one non-contact reading means of the article carrier in which said article is initially located, according to a predefined time parameter.

4. Article management system, for implementing the method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a technical platform (1) connected by a communication network (13) to at least a distribution platform (2), said distribution platform (2) comprising at least one article support

(3,22) connected to a server (6), said at least one article carrier comprising at least one contactless reading means arranged in said medium so as to receive the archived data in contactless tags associated with each of the juxtaposed articles (8) included in said article carrier, said distribution platform (2) comprising a server (6) able to exchange data with said technical platform (1).

5. System according to the preceding claim, wherein said technical platform comprises a management server (5) and a database (4) comprising information associated with item identifiers.

6. System according to one of claims 4 or 5, wherein said server comprises processing means adapted to implement a computer code capable of processing the received data so as to identify an event relating to an action performed on the article.

The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein said distribution platform (2) is a commercial enterprise.

8. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said article carrier is a showcase.

9. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said contactless tag is an RFID chip and / or NFC.

10. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said non-contact reading means relates to at least one antenna integrated in the article holder so that said at least one antenna is not visible.

11. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said contactless reading means relates to a plurality of coupled antennas connected to a multiplexer.

12. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one antenna is made of a flexible material.

13. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one antenna has a detection field limited to the volume or the surface of the article carrier.

14. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one antenna is connected to the server by wireless communication means.

15. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the server is included in the distribution platform.

16. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the server is connected to a cash register type terminai.

17. System according to the preceding claim wherein the terminal comprises a contactless reading means.