FR2890057A1 - Inductor for e.g. support, has conductors distributed over surface and connected with each other by connection conductors for forming circuit strands whose ends are connected to power supply circulating electric current in conductors - Google Patents

Abstract

The inductor has conductors (100 - 109), parallel, mutually equidistant and distributed over a surface (120). The conductors are connected with each other by connection conductors (130) to form strands of an electric circuit. Ends of the strands are connected to an electric power supply (140) that circulates an electric current in the conductors. The conductors are incorporated in a plane non conductive base (150) on which articles (160) are placed. The articles have electronic tags (170) whose antenna is in a plane forming an angle less than or equal to 45 degrees with the conductors` axis. An independent claim is also included for a device chosen among a support, a vane, a cash register and a base station and comprising an indicator.

Description

AUTOMATICALLY READING LABEL STORAGE STORAGE

  ELECTRONICS AND COMPUTER SYSTEM COMPRISING SAME

  The present invention relates to a self-reading storage rack of electronic tags and a computer system comprising it. It applies, in particular, to the storage of products and supplies and the restocking of the stocks concerned.

  An apparatus for storing and identifying articles having a bar code described in US 4,636,634 is known. Bar codes provide an indication of the identity of the items with which they are associated. This apparatus comprises at least one receptacle adapted to receive an item provided with a code, and in each receptacle, presence detection means for detecting the presence of an article in the receptacle, bar code reading means and circuitry connected to the presence detecting means and the reading means for providing an indication of the presence and identity of articles in the receptacles.

  This apparatus is of complex construction, since each receptacle must be provided with two means for detecting the presence of an article, on the one hand, and for reading the code carried by this possible article, on the other hand. In addition, this device is unreliable because a fault in positioning the code in the receptacle is sufficient to prevent the reading of the code.

  The present invention aims to remedy these disadvantages.

  For this purpose, the present invention aims, in a first aspect, a rack, characterized in that it comprises: - on at least one wall, at least one antenna having at least two coplanar loops on at least one of which the current flows in the direction of clockwise and, simultaneously, on at least one other loop, the current flows in the opposite direction of clockwise, - a signal generation circuit emitted by each said antenna, to generate a electromagnetic field, and a signal receiving circuit modulating said magnetic field.

  With these provisions, electronic tags in a very elongated volume facing the plane of said loops can be read.

  According to particular characteristics, at least one said antenna has two loops.

  According to particular features, at least one said antenna has three loops.

  According to particular features, at least one said antenna has four loops.

  According to particular characteristics, at least one wall on which is located at least one of the antennas constitutes the bottom of the rack.

  According to particular characteristics, at least one wall on which at least one of the antennas is located constitutes a side wall of the rack.

  According to particular features, at least one wall on which at least one of the antennas is located is a central wall of the rack.

  According to particular features, the signal generation circuit is adapted to successively generate signals for different sets of antennas.

  Thanks to these arrangements, antennas are oriented along different axes, possibly orthogonal to each other, can be read successively.

  According to particular features, the rack as briefly described above comprises products comprising at least one metal part of which at least one edge is thin and an electronic tag including an antenna is positioned substantially perpendicular to a thin edge of said metal part.

  The inventors have, in fact, discovered that these characteristics allow the reading of the electronic tag despite the proximity between the metal part is the electronic tag.

  According to particular characteristics, the antenna of the electronic tag has a width, measured in the direction of the thickness of the metal part, greater than the thickness of the edge of the metal part opposite which the antenna is positioned.

  According to particular features, the product is in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped and comprises said electronic tag on one of its four smaller faces.

  According to particular features, the product is in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped and comprises a paper label positioned on a face of the product opposite to a face of the product bearing said electronic tag.

  According to particular features, the product is in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped and comprises a paper label positioned on one side of the product adjacent to one side of the product bearing said electronic tag by one of its short sides.

  Thanks to each of these provisions, when the product is stored in a stack or vertically in a cabinet, it is encouraged to position it so that its paper label is visible. Because of this position, the electronic tag is positioned toward an antenna positioned for the purpose of reading the electronic tags.

  According to particular features, said rack comprises a user identification card reader.

  Thanks to these provisions, it is possible to associate each product removed from the rack with the identity of the person who removed it, a patient, a procedure, an operating room or a doctor, for example.

  According to particular features, the rack as briefly described above comprises warning means adapted to trigger an alert when a minimum number of products of a given reference is reached in said rack.

  According to particular features, the rack as briefly described above includes warning means adapted to trigger an alert approaching the expiration date of a product in said rack.

  With each of these provisions, the security of product supply is improved.

  According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a computer system, characterized in that it comprises: in at least one user center of products, at least one rack as briefly described above, containing products from less a supplier; a server having a database containing information relating to the products contained in at least one said rack, this database being associated with at least one microprocessor unit and means of communication with said rack; a device located in each product user center comprising a microprocessor unit associated with means of communication with said server; a device located at each supplier comprising a microprocessor unit associated with means of communication with said server; said server comprising means for selective access to the database, adapted to allow each product user center to have access to all of its own stock of products contained in said shelves, whatever the suppliers of these products; ci, and to allow each supplier to have access, for all the centers users of products, to the state of the stock, in said shelves, relating to its products only.

  Thanks to these provisions, each product user center can know, in real time, the status of its stocks and their location, each supplier can program future fabrications and deliveries and the confidentiality of the data of each party is ensured.

  According to particular characteristics, the server comprises a computer program adapted to trigger alerts when a minimum number of products of a given reference is reached in the stock of a product user center.

  According to particular characteristics, the server includes a computer program for establishing a sales follow-up for each supplier giving a summary of the references by user center of products and / or by territory.

  With each of these provisions, inventory management is simplified and efficient for both the product user centers and the suppliers of these product user centers.

  The other advantages, goals and special features of this computer system being identical to those of the rack as briefly outlined above, they are not recalled here.

  Other advantages, aims and features of the present invention will emerge from the description which follows, made for an explanatory and non-limiting purpose with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 shows, schematically, a first embodiment a rack according to the present invention; - Figure 2 shows schematically a second embodiment of a rack according to the present invention; Figure 3 shows, schematically, a first antenna form incorporated in a rack illustrated in Figure 1 or 2; Figure 4 shows, schematically, a second antenna form incorporated in a rack illustrated in Figure 1 or 2; - Figure 5 shows, schematically, a third form of antenna incorporated in a rack illustrated in Figure 1 or 2; - Figure 6 shows a product particularly suitable for storage in a rack as shown in Figure 1; - Figure 7 shows, in a logic diagram, the operation of a rack as shown in Figures 1 or 2; FIG. 8 represents a computer system according to the present invention and comprising a plurality of shelves as illustrated in FIGS. 1 or 2 and FIG. 9 represents an operating flow diagram of the computer system illustrated in FIG. 8.

  FIG. 1 shows a rack 100 comprising, in or on its bottom wall 105, an antenna 110, in its upper part, electronic circuits 115, shelves 120 carrying products 125 provided with electronic tags 160, a communication means 155, an identification card reader 135 and a display 145.

  The rack 100 and the shelves 120 are made of rigid materials, for example wood, glass or a plastic material.

  The antenna 110 is connected to the bottom wall 105, for example by gluing, stapling or inclusion. The antenna 110 has one of the antenna forms illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5.

  The electronic tags 160 and the electronic circuits 115 are of a type known in the field of radio frequency identification (known by the acronym RFID for Radio Frequency IDentification). They comprise, in a manner known per se, a signal generation circuit adapted to successively generate signals for each antenna or antenna assembly incorporated in the rack (see also FIG. 2) and a signal receiving circuit modulating said magnetic field.

  The electronic circuits 115 are, for example, made of a computer and circuits specific to the field of RFID electronic tags. They are adapted to provide the antenna 110, at predetermined times, a signal enabling it to generate an electromagnetic field. This electromagnetic field is used to supply the electronic tags 160 and to transmit messages, requests or instructions to the tags 160. The electronic circuits 115 are also adapted to detect the signals transmitted by the electronic tags 160, by modulation of the magnetic field emitted by the antenna 110, to process these signals, to identify the electronic tags and to transmit these identifiers to the communication means 155.

  The electronic circuits 115 are also adapted to process the signals from the card reader 140 to identify a user and to control the display of the display 145. The operation of the electronic circuits 115 is detailed with regard to FIG.

  The communication means 155 allows remote communication with a computer, a server or a computer system comprising a network, according to known techniques, on wired or non-wired support. The communication means 155 is, for example, a modem.

  The identification card reader 135 is, for example, of a type known in the field of radio frequency identification. In this case, each card 140 includes a transponder, or electronic tag and the reader 135 includes a magnetic field emission and reception antenna modulated for the exchange of information necessary for the identification of the cards 140.

  Alternatively, the reader 135 is replaced by a biometric identification device of known type, to identify the users who access the contents of the rack 100.

  The display 145 is of known type, for example with LCD (Liquid Crystal Display LCD) and can display visible messages to users, for example instructions for their identification, for the positioning of products 125 in the rack 100 and to display alerts in case the number of products of a given reference reaches a predetermined value or in the case where one of the products approaches its expiry date.

  Preferably, when the bottom wall supports an antenna, it is arranged that the electronic tags can not be in the immediate vicinity of this antenna. For example, one provides an extra thickness of the bottom wall advancing, in front of each antenna, in the interior of the rack.

  FIG. 2 shows, in a rack 200, the same elements as in FIG. 1, the shelves and the products that have not been represented for the sake of clarity, to which is added an antenna 205, in or on the bottom wall 105 of the rack 200, and antennas 210, 215, 220, 225, 230 and 235, placed two by two in or on the side walls 240 and 245 and central 250 of the rack 200. In this case, the electronic circuits 115 are adapted to multiplex the uses of the antennas to successively interrogate the electronic tags 160 whose antennas are positioned along orthogonal axes.

  FIG. 3 shows that a first form of antenna 300 incorporated in a rack illustrated in FIG. 1 or 2 consists of an 8, that is to say two loops 305 and 310 coplanar, the driver constituting this antenna alternately traversing one or the other of the two loops, with opposite directions of rotation. In this figure, only one winding has been shown, it being understood that the antenna comprises, in reality a large number of superimposed windings.

  Thus, when the current flows through the two coplanar loops, on one of the loops, it flows in the clockwise direction and, simultaneously, on the other loop, it circulates in the opposite direction of the hands of a shows. This configuration makes it possible to generate an electromagnetic field on an elongate volume near the bottom wall 105 of the rack.

  FIG. 4 shows that a second form of antenna 400 incorporated in a rack illustrated in FIG. 1 or 2 consists of three coplanar loops 405, 410 and 415, the conductor constituting this antenna alternately traversing the three loops, with rotational directions alternately clockwise and counterclockwise. In this figure, only one winding has been shown, it being understood that the antenna comprises, in reality a large number of superimposed windings.

  Thus, when the current flows through the three coplanar loops, on at least one of the loops, it flows in the clockwise direction and, simultaneously, on at least one other loop, it circulates in the opposite direction of the needles. a watch. This configuration makes it possible to generate an electromagnetic field on an elongate volume near the bottom wall 105 of the rack.

  FIG. 5 shows that a third form of antenna 500 incorporated in a rack illustrated in FIG. 1 or 2 consists of four coplanar loops 505, 510, 515 and 520, the conductor constituting this antenna alternately traversing the four loops. , with directions of rotation alternately clockwise and in the opposite direction. In this figure, only one winding has been shown, it being understood that the antenna comprises, in reality a large number of superimposed windings.

  Thus, when the current flows through the four coplanar loops, on two of these loops, it flows clockwise and, simultaneously, on two other loops, it circulates in the opposite direction of clockwise. This configuration makes it possible to generate an electromagnetic field on an elongate volume near the bottom wall 105 of the rack.

  In the case of the racking illustrated in FIG. 2, for example, the bottom wall supports both an antenna as illustrated in FIG. 3 and an antenna as illustrated in FIG. 4 and each lateral or central wall supports an antenna. As illustrated in FIG. 3. The inventors have, in fact, discovered that this configuration makes it possible to cover the entire interior volume of the rack 200 without leaving dead zones, with the electromagnetic fields successively emitted by the different antennas.

  As a variant of the various embodiments of the racking object of the present invention, at least one antenna is incorporated in a shelf. This antenna comprises at least two coplanar loops on at least one of which the current flows in the direction of clockwise and simultaneously on at least one other loop, the current flows in the opposite direction of clockwise. For example, this antenna is one of the antennas illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5 or a combination of such antennas. The signal generation circuit 115 is adapted to successively generate signals for different antennas linked to different shelves.

  FIG. 6 shows a product 125 comprising a paper label 165 and the electronic label 160. The product comprises a metal part 610, here a metal or metallized bag, which is thin, that is to say which has a thickness less than a quarter of its greatest dimension, on at least one of its edges 605. The electronic tag 160 has an antenna 615 which is positioned substantially perpendicular to a thin edge of the metal portion 610.

  The antenna 615 preferably has a width, measured in the direction of the thickness of the metal part 610, greater than the thickness of the edge 605 of the metal part opposite which the antenna is positioned.

  The inventors have discovered that these characteristics allow the reading of the electronic label despite the proximity between the metal part is the electronic tag.

  In FIG. 6, the product 125 is in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped and comprises the electronic tag on one of its four smaller faces. The product 125 also comprises a paper label 165 positioned on a face of the product opposite the face of the product bearing said electronic tag. The paper label 165 bears the reference duo M8H here.

  Alternatively, the paper label 165 is positioned on one side of the product adjacent to one side of the product carrying said electronic tag 160 by one of its short sides.

  Thus, when the user stores the product 125, stacked or vertically in the rack 100 or 200, it is prompted to position it so that its paper label 165 is visible. Due to this position, the electronic label 160 is positioned towards the bottom wall of the rack or to one of the shelves, which allows the electronic labels 165 to be read by an antenna positioned on or in the bottom wall or a shelf, respectively.

  In fact, the inventors have discovered that this configuration allows both: the user to read the indications carried by the paper label 165, without moving the product 125, and the electronic tags 160 to be in proximity and opposite the antenna supported by the bottom wall 105 of the rack or a rack shelf.

  When the product 125 is flat, for example with a thickness of 10 to 12 millimeters, the electronic tag 160 preferably comprises an antenna 615 of elongate shape, for example 8 x 80 mm.

  As seen in FIG. 7, an initialization step 702 is first carried out during which associations are defined between: - electronic tag identifiers and product references, - electronic tag identifiers and expiration dates of the products, minimum numbers of products of each reference below which one must trigger a renewal of products of this reference and - identifications of cards with user identifications.

  This step 702 can be performed by reading data in a local and / or remote database, as shown with reference to FIG. 9.

  Then, the racking circuits perform a first reading of the electronic tags present in the rack by successively generating magnetic fields on the different sets of antennas incorporated in the rack, step 704, associate them with product references, step 706, transmit this remote information, step 708, and display on the display, the instructions for use of the rack.

  When a user arrives to open the rack, he is identified, step 710 and his identifier is stored, step 712.

  Each time a user is identified, a predetermined time is expected, for example two minutes, step 714 and the electronic tags of the products in the rack are read, step 716, by sequentially putting into operation the antennas of the rack.

  At regular time intervals, for example every hour, intervals measured during a step 722, the electronic tags of the products present in the rack are read, step 724, by successively putting the rack antennas into operation.

  After each reading, the identifiers of the electronic tags are associated with product references, step 732 and this information is transmitted remotely, step 734.

  Then, the list of present products is compared with the list of products previously present, step 736, and the identification of the user is associated with the references and identifiers of the products that have been added to or removed from the rack, step 738 and this information is transmitted remotely, step 740.

  Then, during a step 742, it is determined whether, for one or more product references, the number of products present in the rack is less than or equal to a predetermined value. If yes, during a step 744, a local alert is triggered, this information is transmitted remotely and the references of the missing products are displayed on the display.

  Then, if the result of step 742 is negative or following step 744, during a step 746, it is determined whether at least one product present in the rack has an expiry date in a future of predetermined duration, for example a month. If yes, during a step 748, a local alert is triggered, this information is transmitted remotely and the references of the products concerned are displayed on the display.

  Then, if the result of step 746 is negative or following step 748, the rack circuits display the rack usage instructions on the display and return to step 710.

  FIG. 8 shows a computer system 800 comprising a plurality of shelves 802 to 810, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 or 2 and connected to each other and to local workstations 815, 820 and 825, by local networks. 830, 835 and 840 respectively, a server 845 connected to said local networks, via an external network 850 and external work stations 855 and 860 connected via the external network 850 to the server 845.

  The workstations 815, 820, 825, 855 and 860, as well as the server 845, are of known types and each comprise a microprocessor and communication means, for example a modem, enabling them to communicate with the networks to which they are connected. are directly connected.

  Local workstations use several user interfaces to know and manage the stock of available products, order reorders or the trigger parameters of these reorders or access product catalogs offered by different suppliers and place orders.

  The external network 850 is, for example, the Internet network.

  The server 845 furthermore comprises a database 875, selective access means 880 to the database by the workstations 815, 820, 825, 855 and 860, a computer alert program 890 and a follow-up computer program 895.

  The database 875 contains information relating to the products contained in shelving 802 to 810.

  The workstations 855 and 860 are implemented by suppliers of products that can be stored in shelving units of the present invention, preferably provided with paper labels and electronic tags disposed on opposite sides of these products.

  The workstation 815 and the shelves 802 and 804 are in a first user center of products and contain products from the suppliers implementing the workstations 855 and 860.

  The workstation 820 and the shelves 806 and 808 are in a second user center of products and contain products from the suppliers implementing the workstations 855 and 860.

  The workstation 825 and the rack 810 are in a third user center and contain products from the suppliers implementing the workstations 855 and 860.

  The selective access means 880 to the database are of known type, for example authentication software (for example with username and password or card recognition or biometric) or signature and are adapted to enable each product user center to have access to its entire stock of products contained in shelves 802 to 810, regardless of the suppliers thereof.

  The selective access means 880 are also adapted to allow each supplier to have access, for all the product user centers, to the inventory status, in the shelves 802 to 810, relating to its products only.

  The alert computer program 890 is adapted to trigger alerts when a minimum number of products of a given reference is reached in the stock of a product user center. This alert can be used to increase the number of products to renew in order to prevent a new alert from happening again.

  The tracking computer program 895 makes it possible to establish a sales follow-up for each supplier by giving a summary of the references by user center of products and / or by territory.

  Each work center of a product user center that can be connected via the Internet to the 845 server, it can identify itself and receive information about the products in stock, that is to say entering a rack or going out of a shelving of the user center of the products in question. Each work center of a product user center can also consult the delivery times of the stored products, in order to manage their renewal.

  As can be seen in FIG. 9, an initialization step 902 of the different computing devices is first carried out, during which the database of the product references and their suppliers is constituted as well as the authentication means. users and / or different workstations likely to access the database.

  Then, during a step 904, each rack provides an initial list of the products it contains, which list is automatically renewed after each reading of the electronic labels in these shelves and supplemented by alerts and user identifications, such as explained previously.

  During a step 906, the server aggregates the received data by user center of products, by supplier and by user.

  During a step 908, the server determines whether a request for access to the database has been received. If not, return to step 904. If the result of step 908 is positive, during a step 910, the user and / or the workstation that attempts to access the base is identified. of data.

  If the identification fails, it returns to step 904. If the identification succeeds, during a step 912, it is determined whether the user and / or the workstation trying to access the database. data is a product user center workstation or a provider workstation.

  If it is a user center of products, it is given access to all of its own stock of products contained in the shelves of this product user center, regardless of the suppliers thereof, step 914 .

  It is also allowed, step 916, to renew products with suppliers, in which case the renewal request is sent to the suppliers concerned. It is also allowed, during this step 916, to select from catalog and order products from the supplier, in which case the order is sent to the suppliers concerned. For this purpose, the product user center selects references and quantities of products from the database, the renewal or order coupons being automatically distributed between the suppliers of the references concerned.

  If, during the step 912, it is determined that the access is performed by a provider, during a step 918, this provider is allowed to have access, simultaneously for all the product user centers, to the state of the stock, in said shelves, relating to its products only.

  It is also allowed, step 920, to update its catalog, its product references, prices and delivery times and to consult the renewal or order forms that have been placed. For this purpose, the server makes it possible to establish a sales follow-up for each supplier giving a summary of the references by user center of products and / or by territory, according to known techniques.

  Following one of the steps 916 or 920, it is determined whether an alert has been received from a rack, step 922, and, if so, this alert is forwarded to the workstation of the user center. products concerned, step 924. Then, if the result of step 922 is negative or following step 924, return to step 904.

  As can be seen from the foregoing, the invention brings a great improvement to the existing technique by providing an installation that makes it possible to simply and efficiently manage stock management in the product user centers, as well as to manage the flow of goods. hardware between suppliers and these product-user centers while allowing vendors to manage their stock-in-stock in each of the product user centers.

Claims (13)

  1 Shelving (100, 200), characterized in that it comprises: - on at least one wall (105), at least one antenna (110, 205, 210, 215, 220, 225, 230, 235) comprising at least two coplanar loops (305, 310, 405, 410, 415, 505, 510, 515, 520) on at least one of which the current flows in the clockwise direction and, simultaneously, on at least one other loop, the current flows in the counterclockwise direction, - a signal generating circuit (115) emitted by each said antenna, for generating an electromagnetic field, and - a signal receiving circuit (115) modulating said field magnetic.   2 Shelving according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one said antenna (110, 210) comprises two loops (305, 310).   3 Shelving according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one said antenna comprises three loops (405, 410, 415).   4 Shelving according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least one said antenna comprises four loops (505, 510, 515, 520).     Shelving according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one wall on which is located at least one of the antennas constitutes the bottom of the rack (105).   6 Shelving according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least one wall on which is located at least one of the antennas (210, 215, 230, 235) constitutes a side wall of the rack.   7 Shelving according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least one wall on which is located at least one of the antennas (220, 225) is a central wall of the rack.   8 Shelving according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the signal generating circuit (115) is adapted to successively generate signals for different sets of antennas.   9 Shelving according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises products (125) comprising at least one metal part (610), at least one edge (605) is thin and an electronic tag (160). ) an antenna (615) is positioned substantially perpendicular to a thin edge of said metal portion.     Shelving according to claim 9, characterized in that the antenna (615) of the electronic tag (160) has a width, measured in the direction of the thickness of the metal part (610), greater than the thickness of the edge of the metal part opposite which the antenna is positioned.   11 Shelving according to any one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that the product (125) is in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped and comprises said electronic tag on one of its four smaller faces.   12 Shelving according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the product is in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped and comprises a paper label (165) positioned on a face of the product opposite to a face of the product bearing said electronic label ( 160).   13 Shelving according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the product is in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped and comprises a paper label positioned on one side of the product adjacent to one side of the product bearing said electronic tag by one of its small sides.   14 Shelving according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that it comprises a reader (135) of user identification card.     Shelving according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that it comprises alert means (115, 145, 155) adapted to trigger an alert when a minimum number of products of a given reference is reached in said rack.   16 Shelving according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that it comprises alert means (115, 145, 155) adapted to trigger an alert approaching the expiration date of a product present in said rack.