JP2005096909A - Article management system and its method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an article management system and its method capable of simply managing storage condition of articles, improving working efficiency at the time of carrying in the articles, and effectively utilizing the storage space for the articles. <P>SOLUTION: A column tag 70A where an article code for specifying the article stored in a storage shelf 90 is previously stored and the memory content can be read and written from the outside is provided on a plurality of storage shelves 90 to be managed. An article tag 70B where the article code for specifying the article stored in an article storage container 80 is previously stored and the memory content can be read and written from the outside is provided on the article storage container 80. The storage condition of the article stored in respective storage shelves 90 is managed based on the article code stored by the column tag 70A and the article code stored by the article tag 70B with a server 20 for inventory management. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an article management system and an article management method, and more particularly to an article management system and an article management method for managing the storage status of a plurality of articles by a plurality of storage shelves.

  Conventionally, as a method of managing the storage status when storing various types of goods in an article distribution center or a rental warehouse, etc., for each storage shelf such as row XX, row XX, row XX Different identification information is assigned in advance, and a method of fixing a storage area (storage location) for each article (hereinafter referred to as “fixed location method”) has been widely adopted. When performing an operation of selecting necessary articles in the fixed location method (hereinafter referred to as “picking”), the person in charge of picking picks the articles based on the identification number of each storage shelf.

  On the other hand, in recent years, based on the concept of the above-mentioned fixed location method, a storage place for an article to be picked using a tag and a computer that can read and write information from outside such as an IC tag in an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system wirelessly There is a technology that pursues the efficiency and certainty of picking by making the lamp clearly indicated by the lighting of the lamp.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, for the purpose of improving certainty of picking, an ID tag is arranged for each series of picking shelves (corresponding to the storage shelves), and a picking cart with respect to the ID tag. Discloses a technique in which a continuous display lamp that is turned on in response to a work instruction and turned off when the work is completed is disclosed.

  According to this technique, since the continuous display lamp provided in the series in which the articles to be picked are stored is lit, it is possible to prevent the articles from being picked from the adjacent shelf by mistake.

  Further, in Patent Document 2, for the purpose of quickly supplying various components in an assembly factory, power for lighting is supplied using an RFID system, and a component storage tray storing components is placed. A display lamp for displaying the position is provided in advance in each component storage tray, and a signal tower lamp is provided in advance in the upper part of each component shelf, and information on the component storage tray is further provided by a system controller (corresponding to the computer). Is stored in advance, and the system controller turns on the signal tower lamp provided on the parts shelf where the part storage tray to be picked is stored and operates the display lamp provided on the part storage tray. A technique for lighting through a pocket computer possessed by a person is disclosed.

According to this technique, the storage position of the component storage tray to be picked is clearly indicated to the operator by the lighting of the signal tower lamp and the display lamp, so that necessary components can be quickly collected.
JP-A-5-155406 JP 2001-138150 A

  However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, since the above-described fixed location method is adopted as the article management method, it is difficult to efficiently use the article storage space while the work efficiency at the time of carrying in the article is poor. There was a problem.

  That is, in the technique of Patent Document 1, since the ID tag is fixedly provided on the shelf side, the correspondence relationship between the ID tag and the stored item is not matched when the article is moved to another series of shelves. Similarly, even if an article different from the original stored item is stored in the empty shelf, the correspondence relationship between the ID tag and the stored item is not matched. Therefore, when newly storing an article, it is necessary to store it on a predetermined shelf for each type of article, and the work of loading the article is inefficient, and the empty space on the shelf should be used effectively. I can't.

  In addition, in order to be able to store an article on an arbitrary shelf, it is necessary to rewrite information on the article stored in the ID tag when the article is stored, and the new operation is complicated. Problems arise.

  On the other hand, in the technique of Patent Document 2, since the display lamp and the RFID system for clearly indicating the position of the component storage tray are provided in the component storage tray, the storage position of the article can be arbitrarily changed. In order to turn on the signal tower lamp provided for each component shelf, it is necessary to store information related to the component storage tray in advance by the system controller, which makes it difficult to manage the storage status of articles. It was.

  That is, in the technique of Patent Document 2, it is necessary to store in advance information indicating the relationship between the part name of each part stored in each part shelf and the shelf position in the system controller. When moving to a shelf or when a new component storage tray is stored in a component shelf, it is necessary to update information stored in the system controller, and the processing for that is complicated.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and can easily manage the storage status of articles, improve the work efficiency at the time of loading articles, and effectively use the article storage space. An object is to provide an article management system and an article management method that can be used.

  In order to achieve the above object, the article management system according to claim 1 is an article management system that manages the storage status of a plurality of articles by a plurality of storage shelves, and is provided on each of the plurality of storage shelves, A first storage device in which specific information for specifying an article stored in a storage shelf provided is stored in advance and the storage content is configured to be readable and writable from the outside, and the storage in a state in which the article is accommodated It is provided in at least one of the article container stored in the shelf and the article stored in the storage shelf, and when provided in the article container, for specifying the article stored in the article container When the specific information is stored in advance and provided in the article, the specific information for specifying the article is stored in advance, and the storage content is configured to be readable / writable from the outside. And a management device that manages the storage status of articles stored in the plurality of storage shelves based on the specific information stored in the first storage device and the specific information stored in the second storage device It is equipped with.

  According to the article management system of the first aspect, the first memory is configured in which the specific information for specifying the article stored in the provided storage shelf is stored in advance, and the storage content is configured to be readable and writable from the outside. Devices are provided in a plurality of storage shelves to be managed.

  In addition, when provided in an article container that is stored in the storage shelf in a state where the article is accommodated, specific information for specifying an article accommodated in the article container is stored in advance, and the storage shelf When the article stored in the storage device itself is provided, the second storage device in which the specific information for specifying the article is stored in advance and the storage content is configured to be readable and writable from the outside includes the article container and the article It is provided on at least one of the articles themselves.

  As the storage medium of the first storage device and the second storage device, semiconductor storage elements such as EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) and flash EEPROM (Flash EEPROM), SmartMedia (SmartMedia®) , XD-Picture Card, CompactFlash, ATA (AT Attachment) card, micro drive, floppy disk, CD-R (Compact Disc-Recordable), CD-RW (Compact Disc-ReWritable) A portable recording medium such as a magneto-optical disk or a fixed recording medium such as a hard disk can be applied. The specification information for specifying the article includes any information that can specify the type of the article, such as the name of the article, a code given in advance for each article type, and the model number of the article. Furthermore, the above-described article container includes any container that can accommodate articles, such as a container, a tray, a box, and a bag.

  Here, in the present invention, the management device stores the articles stored in the plurality of storage shelves based on the specific information stored in the first storage device and the specific information stored in the second storage device. Is managed.

  That is, in the present invention, when the article container is provided with respect to at least one of the article container stored in the storage shelf and the article itself stored in the storage shelf in a state where the article is stored, the article container is provided. Specific information for specifying an article contained in the storage is stored in advance, and when provided in the article itself, the specific information for specifying the article is stored in advance, and the storage content can be read and written from the outside. The second storage device is provided so that the article container and the article can be moved to other storage shelves and stored in an empty space at an arbitrary position. In addition to the improvement, the article storage space can be used effectively.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, for each of a plurality of storage shelves to be managed, specific information for specifying an article stored in the provided storage shelf is stored in advance, and the stored contents are read and written from the outside. A first storage device configured to be possible is provided. Therefore, by reading the specific information stored in the first storage device, it is possible to specify the article stored in the storage shelf provided with the first storage device, and further, the second storage device. The storage position of the article in the storage shelf can be specified by reading the specific information stored by the above.

  As described above, in the present invention, the storage position of each article can be specified by reading the specific information stored in the first storage device and the specific information stored in the second storage device. It is not necessary to store in advance information indicating the relationship between the names of stored items and the positions of storage shelves in a management device that manages the storage status, and the storage status of articles can be easily managed.

  In addition, the “storage shelf” of the present invention includes a shelf that is divided into a plurality of storage areas by a plurality of shelf boards, and a shelf having only one storage area by only one shelf board. In addition, as a modification, this region includes a region where a predetermined region on the floor surface is used as a storage region. Here, when a predetermined area of the floor is applied as the storage shelf of the present invention, the first storage device of the present invention is provided for the area.

  As described above, according to the article management system according to claim 1, the specific information for specifying the article stored in the provided storage shelf is stored in advance, and the stored contents can be read and written from the outside. When the first storage device is provided in a plurality of storage shelves to be managed and is provided in an article container that is stored in the storage shelf in a state where the article is accommodated, the first storage device is accommodated in the article container. Specific information for identifying the article being stored is stored in advance. When provided in the article stored in the storage shelf, the specific information for specifying the article is stored in advance and the stored contents can be read and written from the outside. The second storage device configured as described above is provided in at least one of the article container and the article, and is stored in the specific information stored in the first storage device and the second storage device. Since the storage status of the articles stored in the plurality of storage shelves is managed based on the fixed information, the storage status of the articles can be easily managed and the work efficiency at the time of carrying in the articles is improved. And the article storage space can be used effectively.

  According to the present invention, it is preferable that the first storage device and the second storage device are IC tags configured so that the stored contents can be read and written wirelessly, as in the invention described in claim 2. Thereby, reading / writing of the memory content with respect to a 1st memory | storage device and a 2nd memory | storage device can be performed in real time, and the convenience at the time of the said reading / writing can be improved significantly.

  Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, as in the third aspect of the present invention, the present invention is interposed between the management device and the first storage device and the second storage device, and in response to an instruction from the management device. Accordingly, it is preferable that the information processing apparatus further includes an access device that reads / writes data stored in the first storage device and the second storage device. As a result, a management device that manages the storage status of articles can be provided in a location different from the location where the storage shelves are provided, and flexibility in constructing the system can be improved.

  In particular, the invention according to claim 3 is the same as the invention according to claim 4, wherein the first storage device and the second storage device include light emitting means for emitting light in response to an external request, The access device requests that the light emitting means provided in each of the first storage device and the second storage device in which specific information indicating the product is stored when the product is taken out from the storage shelf. It is preferable to carry out. As a result, the storage position of the article to be taken out from the storage shelf is clearly indicated by light emission by the light emitting means, so that the article can be quickly collected. The light emitting means includes an LED, a light bulb, a fluorescent lamp, and the like.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, as in the fifth aspect of the present invention, the first storage device and the second storage device are provided with electric power for causing the light emitting means provided to emit light. It is preferable that the access device supplies the power to the first storage device and the second storage device including the light emitting means when making a request to cause the light emitting means to emit light. As a result, it is possible to control light emission and light emission stop of each light emitting means by supplying power to the first storage device and the second storage device from the access device and stopping power supply, and the light emission state of the light emitting means can be easily switched.

  Further, the access device according to any one of claims 3 to 5 is configured such that when a new article is stored in the storage shelf as in the invention according to claim 6, the storage shelf Specific information for specifying the article is additionally stored in the first storage device provided in the storage unit, and the article is stored from the first storage device provided in the storage shelf when the article disappears from the storage shelf. It is preferable to delete specific information for specifying. As a result, the specific information stored in the first storage device can always be accurate.

  Further, in the invention according to any one of claims 3 to 6, as in the invention according to claim 7, the first storage device and the second storage device are based on stored specific information. The order information indicating the time-series order stored in the storage shelves of the same type of articles of the identified articles is further stored in advance in association with the specific information, and the management device stores the articles from the storage shelves. It is preferable to instruct the access device to take out from the storage shelf with priority from the oldest time-series order indicated by the order information. Accordingly, the articles can be taken out in the order in which they are stored, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of inconvenience that the old articles are stored.

  Furthermore, when the second storage device according to the present invention is provided in the article container as in the invention described in claim 8, the quantity information indicating the quantity of the article accommodated in the article container. Is preferably stored in association with the specific information for specifying the article. Thereby, the quantity of the articles accommodated in the article container can be grasped without viewing the articles, and the convenience can be further improved.

  According to the present invention, as described in claim 9, the access device is provided in a carriage for transporting the article, or in the invention described in claim 10, the plurality of storage shelves are provided. The top surface of the shelf is preferably inclined from one end to the other end. By providing the access device of the present invention on a carriage for conveying an article, the access device can be used simultaneously with the conveyance of the article, and a plurality of storage shelves with the upper surface of the shelf inclined from one end to the other end. Thus, when there is an empty space in the storage shelf, the articles stored in the storage shelf can be easily moved to the lower end side, so that the empty space is located at the upper end. As a result, the article storage space can be used more effectively.

  On the other hand, in order to achieve the above object, an article management method according to claim 11 is an article management method for managing a storage status of a plurality of articles by a plurality of storage shelves, and is stored in a provided storage shelf. Specific information for specifying an article to be stored is provided in advance in the plurality of storage shelves, and the storage shelves in a state in which the articles are accommodated. Specific information for specifying the article stored in the article container is stored in advance, and when provided in the article stored in the storage shelf Specific information for specifying an article is stored in advance, and a second storage device configured to be readable and writable from the outside is provided in at least one of the article container and the article, and the first storage device Based on the identification information stored by the identification information and the second storage device stored by, and manages the storage status of the article being stored by said plurality of storage shelves.

  Therefore, according to the article management method according to the eleventh aspect, since it operates in the same manner as the invention according to the first aspect, it is possible to easily manage the storage status of the articles as in the first aspect. At the same time, the work efficiency at the time of carrying in the article can be improved, and the article storage space can be used effectively.

  In addition, the “storage shelf” of the present invention includes a shelf that is divided into a plurality of storage areas by a plurality of shelf boards, and a shelf having only one storage area by only one shelf board. In addition, as a modification, this region includes a region where a predetermined region on the floor surface is used as a storage region. Here, when a predetermined area of the floor is applied as the storage shelf of the present invention, the first storage device of the present invention is provided for the area.

  In the present invention, as in the invention described in claim 12, it is preferable that the first storage device and the second storage device are IC tags configured so that stored contents can be read and written wirelessly. Thereby, reading / writing of the memory content with respect to a 1st memory | storage device and a 2nd memory | storage device can be performed in real time, and the convenience at the time of the said reading / writing can be improved significantly.

  The invention according to claim 11 or claim 12, as in the invention according to claim 13, emits light from the first storage device and the second storage device in response to an external request. When the article is taken out from the storage shelf, the light emitting means provided in each of the first storage device and the second storage device in which specific information indicating the article is stored is caused to emit light It is preferable to make the request. As a result, the storage position of the article to be taken out from the storage shelf is clearly indicated by light emission by the light emitting means, so that the article can be quickly collected.

  Particularly, in the invention described in claim 13, as in the invention described in claim 14, the electric power for causing the light emitting means provided in the first storage device and the second storage device to emit light is external. It is preferable that the power is supplied to the first storage device and the second storage device having the light emitting means when the light emitting means is requested to emit light. Accordingly, the light emission and the light emission stop of each light emitting unit can be controlled by the power supply to the first storage device and the second storage device and the power supply stop, and the light emission state of the light emission unit can be easily switched.

  Further, the invention according to any one of claims 11 to 14 is provided in the storage shelf when a new article is stored in the storage shelf, as in the invention according to claim 15. Specific information for specifying the article is additionally stored in the first storage device, and the article is specified from the first storage device provided in the storage shelf when the article disappears from the storage shelf. It is preferable to delete the specific information. As a result, the specific information stored in the first storage device can always be accurate.

  Further, in the invention according to any one of claims 11 to 15, according to the invention according to claim 16, the specific information stored in the first storage device and the second storage device is used. The rank information indicating the time-series rank stored in the storage shelves of the same type of articles of the identified article is further stored in advance in association with the specific information, and the rank is determined when the article is removed from the storage shelf. It is preferable to instruct that the time-series order indicated by the information is removed from the storage shelf with priority from the oldest one. Accordingly, the articles can be taken out in the order in which they are stored, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of inconvenience that the old articles are stored.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, when the second storage device is provided in the article container as in the invention described in claim 17, the second storage device is accommodated in the article container. It is preferable to store the quantity information indicating the quantity of the article in association with the specific information for specifying the article. Thereby, the quantity of the articles accommodated in the article container can be grasped without viewing the articles, and the convenience can be further improved.

  According to the present invention, the first storage device in which the specific information for specifying the article stored in the provided storage shelf is stored in advance and the storage content is configured to be readable and writable from the outside is the management target. When provided in a plurality of storage shelves and in an article container that is stored in the storage shelf in a state where the articles are accommodated, specific information for identifying the articles accommodated in the article container is previously stored. When the article stored in the storage shelf is provided for the article, the second storage device is configured so that the specific information for specifying the article is stored in advance, and the storage content is configured to be readable / writable from the outside. Based on the specific information stored in the first storage device and the specific information stored in the second storage device, provided in at least one of the container and the article, the plurality of storage shelves Since the storage status of stored items is managed, it is possible to easily manage the storage status of the items, improve the work efficiency at the time of carrying in the items, and effectively use the item storage space The effect that it can do is acquired.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Here, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an application for managing articles stored in a warehouse will be described.

  First, the configuration of an article management system 10 to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in the figure, the article management system 10 according to this embodiment includes an inventory management server 20 owned by an operator of the article management system 10 and management of each warehouse that is managed by the article management system 10. And a warehouse management personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “warehouse management personal computer”) 30 provided in the room.

  The inventory management server 20 and the warehouse management personal computer 30 are connected to the Internet 50 via connection devices such as a modem, a router, and a TA (Terminal Adapter) not shown. Therefore, the inventory management server 20 and the warehouse management personal computer 30 can communicate with each other via the Internet 50.

  A relay machine 32 is connected to the warehouse management personal computer 30, and the warehouse management personal computer 30 is placed on a carriage 40 (hereinafter referred to as an “article transportation carriage”) used to transport articles in the warehouse. Communication with the personal computer 42 (hereinafter referred to as “computer for cart”).

  Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the article transport cart 40 according to the present embodiment will be described. As shown in the figure, the personal computer 42 for the cart is fixedly provided in the vicinity of one end portion of the article carrying cart 40 on the side where the handle 41 on the upper surface of the article placing plate is provided.

  On the other hand, in the vicinity of the cart personal computer 42 on the upper surface of the article placing plate of the article transport cart 40, various information is stored in a memory built in an IC tag described later, and various information is read from the memory. A tag reader / writer 46 having a role of, for example, is placed. In addition, an antenna 48 for wirelessly transmitting and receiving various kinds of information to and from the IC tag is fixed in the vicinity of the lower end portion of the article placing plate.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the IC tag used in the article management system 10 according to the present embodiment is configured such that a light emitting diode (hereinafter referred to as “LED”) 72 is provided at the upper corner. ing.

  By the way, in the article management system 10 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4A, an IC is provided at each end of a plurality of rows (eight rows in the figure) of storage shelves 90 provided in the warehouse. A tag (hereinafter referred to as “column tag”) 70A is provided, and as shown in FIG. 4B, an IC tag (hereinafter referred to as “article tag”) is placed in an article storage container 80 for storing a plurality of articles stored in a warehouse. 70B ”is provided.

  Each storage shelf 90 is also provided with a row tag 70A (not shown) at each other end, and each storage shelf 90 is provided with two row tags 70A. In order to avoid complications, a case where one type of article is stored in one article storage container 80 will be described below.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 5, the main components of the electrical system of the personal computer 42, the column tag 70A, and the article tag 70B according to the present embodiment will be described.

  As shown in the figure, the cart personal computer 42 according to the present embodiment includes a CPU (central processing unit) 42A that controls the operation of the cart personal computer 42 as a whole, and a work area when the CPU 42A executes various processing programs. A RAM (Random Access Memory) 42B used, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 42C in which various processing programs and various parameters are stored in advance, a hard disk 42D used to store various information, and various information are input. Between the keyboard 42E used for the purpose, the display 42F used for displaying various types of information, the external interface 42G that manages the exchange of various types of information with an externally connected device, and the repeater 32 described above. The communication control unit 42H that manages the communication is connected to each other by a system bus BUS. There. The communication control unit 42H is connected to an antenna 42I for wirelessly transmitting / receiving various information to / from the repeater 32.

  Therefore, the CPU 42A accesses the RAM 42B, ROM 42C, and hard disk 42D, acquires various input information via the keyboard 42E, displays various information on the display 42F, and exchanges various information with the external device via the external interface 42G. , And various information can be exchanged with the warehouse management personal computer 30 via the communication control unit 42H, the antenna 42I, and the relay 32.

  Here, the tag reader / writer 46 to which the antenna 48 described above is connected is connected to the external interface 42G. On the other hand, in addition to the LED 72 described above, the row tag 70A and the article tag 70B incorporate a nonvolatile memory 74 for storing various information and an antenna 76 for wirelessly transmitting and receiving various information. Therefore, the CPU 42A can write and read various information to and from the memory 74 built in each tag 70A, 70B via the external interface 42G, the tag reader / writer 46, the antenna 48, and the antenna 76.

  Note that the row tag 70A and the article tag 70B according to the present embodiment are configured such that driving power is supplied by electromagnetic induction from the outside, and the memory 74 according to an instruction input by electromagnetic induction from the outside. It is configured to be able to control the reading / writing of various information with respect to and the turning on / off of the LED 72.

  Next, referring to FIG. 6, inventory management information stored in the hard disk 22 provided in the inventory management server 20 and information stored in the memory 74 built in the column tag 70A (hereinafter referred to as “column tag information”). And information stored in the memory 74 built in the article tag 70B (hereinafter referred to as “article tag information”) will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the hard disk 22 provided in the inventory management server 20 has, as inventory management information, a warehouse number given in advance for each warehouse to be managed, and the type of article to be managed. Each information of an article code assigned in advance, an article name corresponding to the article code, a generation number indicating a time series order stored in a warehouse for each article, and an inventory quantity for each generation number of each article Remembered.

  Therefore, by referring to the inventory management information, it is possible to grasp the inventory quantity for each generation number of articles stored for each warehouse to be managed.

  In addition, only information related to the warehouse in the inventory management information (information excluding warehouse number information in FIG. 6A) is stored in the hard disk (not shown) of the warehouse management personal computer 30 provided in each warehouse. .

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6B, the memory 74 built in the column tag 70A provided in each storage shelf 90 stores the storage shelf 90 provided with the column tag 70A as column tag information. The item code indicating the item stored in the item and each information of the generation number in the item are stored. Information indicating that the tag is a column tag (hereinafter referred to as “column tag specifying information”) is stored in advance at a predetermined address in the memory 74 of the column tag 70A.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6C, the memory 74 built in the article tag 70B provided in each article storage container 80 stores the article in which the article tag 70B is provided as the article tag information. Each information of the article code indicating the article accommodated in the container 80, the generation number of the article, and the quantity of the article accommodated is stored.

  Next, the operation of the article management system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. Here, in order to avoid complications, a case will be described in which there is only one article conveyance carriage 40 provided in the warehouse and only one carriage personal computer 42. First, with reference to FIG. 7, the warehousing process performed in the article management system 10 every predetermined period (in this embodiment, 10 days) will be described.

  First, the inventory management server 20 refers to the inventory management information stored in the hard disk 22 (see also FIG. 6A), and the article code and the article name of the article whose inventory quantity is less than a predetermined number. The generation number, quantity, and warehouse number information are read out, and information other than the warehouse number is classified for each warehouse number. By referring to the classified information (hereinafter referred to as “classified information”), it is possible to grasp the missing articles for each warehouse.

  Therefore, the inventory management server 20 performs a process for arranging the shortage of goods to the delivery source of the goods so that a predetermined number is delivered to the corresponding warehouse. As the processing, the inventory management server 20 itself arranges the delivery source directly and automatically via the Internet 50, displays the classification information on a display (not shown), or displays a printer (not shown). For example, a process for clearly indicating the inventory shortage status for each warehouse to the administrator of the inventory management server 20 can be exemplified. In the latter case, the manager of the inventory management server 20 makes an arrangement for delivering the missing articles to the corresponding warehouse with respect to the delivery source.

  After that, the inventory management server 20 waits until the delivery of the arranged articles to each warehouse is completed, and then refers to the above classification information, for the warehouse management provided in the warehouse with the missing articles. Information on the item code, generation number, item name, and quantity of delivered delivery to the personal computer 30; and warehousing instruction information for instructing to store the delivered item in the storage shelf 90; Is transmitted via the Internet 50 (step 100). For the generation number, a value obtained by incrementing 1 is applied to the last generation number (maximum value) of the corresponding article in the warehouse.

  The warehouse management personal computer 30 that has received the information transfers the information to the cart personal computer 42 via the relay 32 (step 102). The cart personal computer 42 that has received the information executes a storage process to be described later (step 104).

  Due to the storage process, warehousing information to be described later is transmitted from the cart personal computer 42 to the warehouse management personal computer 30. The warehouse management personal computer 30 waits for receipt of the warehousing information (step 106) and is received. Based on the received information, the inventory management information stored therein is updated (step 108), and then the received information is transferred to the inventory management server 20 (step 110).

  Therefore, the inventory management server 20 waits for receipt of the warehousing information (step 112), and updates the inventory management information stored in the hard disk 22 based on the received warehousing information (step 114). The warehousing process is completed by the above process.

  In addition, since the said warehousing information is the information regarding the goods actually completed in the storage shelf 90 of the warehouse, by updating the inventory management information based on this, the inventory management server 20 and the warehouse management personal computer 30 The stored inventory management information can indicate an accurate inventory status.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 8, a storage process executed in the cart personal computer 42 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of a storage processing program executed by the CPU 42A of the personal computer 42 for carts when executing the storage processing, and the program is stored in advance in the hard disk 42D. In addition, here, the delivery of the article arranged by the warehousing process to the warehouse has been completed, and the article tag is provided by the article storage staff (hereinafter simply referred to as “person in charge”). A case will be described in which loading on the article transport cart 40 is completed after being stored in the article storage container 80.

  In step 200 in the figure, it waits for receipt of the upper entry instruction information from the warehouse management personal computer 30. In the next step 202, the information received together with the entry instruction information (in this embodiment, the missing item) The storage processing screen having a predetermined format is displayed on the display 42F on the basis of the product code, generation number, product name, and delivery quantity.

  FIG. 9 shows a storage processing screen according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, on the storage processing screen, the date and time at this time and the serial number of the storage processing are displayed, and the item code, generation number, item name, and delivery quantity of the missing item are displayed. Information is displayed for each article. In the storage processing screen, a cursor frame W for selectively designating any one of displayed items is displayed so as to indicate information related to any item.

  When such a storage processing screen is displayed on the display 42F, the person in charge moves the article transport cart 40 between the storage shelves 90 in the warehouse, and the article storage container 80 loaded on the article transport cart 40. An empty space of the storage shelf 90 for storing the item is searched, and the article storage container 80 is placed (stored) in the empty space. The person in charge puts the cursor frame W on the storage processing screen displayed on the display 42F of the personal computer 42 for the cart at a position indicating information related to the articles stored in the article storage container 80 placed on the storage shelf 90. By performing an operation for confirmation after the movement by the keyboard 42E, it is input that the storage of the article in the storage shelf 90 is completed.

  Therefore, in the next step 204, an operation for the keyboard 42E is waited to wait for storage of any article loaded on the article transport carriage 40 on the storage shelf 90. In the next step 206, the above step 204 is performed. Articles provided in the article storage container 80 containing the articles stored in the article code, generation number, and delivery quantity information in the information determined by the person in charge (information on articles stored in the storage shelf 90) Processing for storing the information as article tag information in the memory 74 built in the tag 70B is performed.

  In the next step 208, it is determined whether or not the column tag specifying information stored in advance in the memory 74 of the column tag 70A can be read, so that the article transport carriage 40 is located immediately before this. It is determined whether or not the storage in the row between the shelves 90 has been completed. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step 204. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 210.

  In step 210, the memory 74 built in the column tag 70A from which the column tag specifying information was read in step 208 corresponds to the articles stored in the storage shelf 90 provided with the column tag 70A until just before that. Processing for additionally storing each item code and generation number information to be stored as column tag information is performed, and then the process proceeds to step 212.

  In step 212, it is determined whether or not all the articles loaded on the article transport cart 40 have been stored in the storage shelf 90. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step 204, and again in step 204. -The process of step 210 is performed.

  On the other hand, if the determination in step 212 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 214, and all the information stored in the memory 74 of the article tag 70B by the processing in step 206 is stored in the warehouse management personal computer 30 as the above-described warehousing information. After the transmission, the storage processing program is terminated.

  In this storage processing program, information related to the newly stored article is additionally stored only in one of the two column tags 70A provided at both ends of the storage shelf 90. However, for the other column tag 70A, Also, the information additionally stored in one column tag 70A is stored separately.

  By the way, when the article stored in the storage shelf 90 is moved to another storage shelf 90, in the article management system 10 according to the present embodiment, the article is stored by the cart personal computer 42 before the movement. The column tag information related to the article is deleted from the memory 74 of the column tag 70A provided in the storage shelf 90, and the memory 74 of the column tag 70A provided in the storage shelf 90 to which the article is moved is Column tag information related to the article is additionally stored.

  In the article management system 10 according to the present embodiment, as described above, articles stored in the article storage container 80 are stored in the article storage container 80 stored in the storage shelf 90 in a state where the articles are stored. Since an article tag 70B in which an article code for specifying is stored and the stored content is configured to be readable / writable from the outside is provided, movement of the article storage container 80 to another storage shelf 90, or any position Can be stored in the empty space, the work efficiency at the time of carrying the article can be improved, and the article storage space can be used effectively.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 10, a delivery process that is executed when a delivery of an article to any warehouse that is a management target in the article management system 10 is instructed will be described.

  First, the inventory management server 20 sends an article code, a generation number, an article name, a quantity to be delivered, an order number of the delivery to the warehouse management personal computer 30 provided in the warehouse to which the delivery is instructed. Order number), the delivery destination of the goods to be delivered, and information indicating whether or not the articles are removed from the article storage container 80 picked by the current delivery (hereinafter referred to as “article deletion information”), and the delivery The delivery instruction information to be instructed is transmitted via the Internet 50 (step 300). The generation number is preferentially applied from the oldest (the smallest value) among the generation numbers of the corresponding articles in the warehouse.

  The warehouse management personal computer 30 that has received the information transfers the information to the cart personal computer 42 via the relay 32 (step 302). And the personal computer 42 for carts which received the said information performs the picking process mentioned later (step 304).

  Due to the picking process, the delivery information described later is transmitted from the cart personal computer 42 to the warehouse management personal computer 30. Therefore, the warehouse management personal computer 30 waits for receipt of the delivery information (step 306) and is received. Based on the delivery information, the inventory management information stored therein is updated (step 308), and then the delivery information is transferred to the inventory management server 20 (step 310).

  Therefore, the inventory management server 20 waits for receipt of the delivery information (step 312), and updates the stock management information stored in the hard disk 22 based on the received delivery information (step 314). The shipping process is completed by the above process.

  In addition, since the said delivery information is the information regarding the goods actually picked from the storage shelf 90 of the warehouse, by updating the inventory management information based on this, the inventory management server 20 and the warehouse management personal computer 30 The stored inventory management information can indicate an accurate inventory status.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 11, the picking process performed in the cart personal computer 42 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of a picking processing program executed by the CPU 42A of the personal computer 42 for cart when executing the picking processing, and the program is stored in the hard disk 42D in advance.

  In step 400 of the figure, reception of the above-mentioned delivery instruction information from the warehouse management personal computer 30 is waited, and in the next step 402, information received together with the delivery instruction information (in this embodiment, an article to be delivered is shown). A picking processing screen having a predetermined format is displayed on the display 42F based on the article code, generation number, article name, delivery quantity, order number, and delivery destination information.

  FIG. 12 shows a picking processing screen according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, on the picking process screen, the date and time at this time, the serial number of the picking process, the order number, and the delivery destination are displayed, and the article code, generation number, article name, And each information of a delivery quantity is displayed for every article. In the picking processing screen, a cursor frame W for selectively designating any one of the displayed articles is displayed so as to indicate information regarding any of the articles.

  When such a picking processing screen is displayed on the display 42 </ b> F, the picking person moves the article transport carriage 40 in the passage on one end side of each storage shelf 90 in the warehouse. Note that the person in charge of picking at the time of the movement indicates that the distance between the row tag 70A provided on each storage shelf 90 and the antenna 48 provided on the article transport carriage 40 is the communication with the row tag 70A. It moves so that it may become in the predetermined range which is possible.

  In the next step 404, instruction information for reading all the column tag information (in this embodiment, each item code and generation number information) stored in the memory 74 is transmitted to the column tag 70A. Accordingly, since the column tag information is transmitted from the column tag 70A, the next step 406 waits for reception of the information, and in the next step 408, the received column tag information is changed to the above step 400. The article to be picked is stored in the storage shelf 90 provided with the row tag 70A by determining whether or not there is an item that matches each item code and generation number information received from the warehouse management personal computer 30. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step 404. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 410.

  In step 410, instruction information for lighting the built-in LED 72 is transmitted to the column tag 70A. In response to this, the LED 72 in the row tag 70A is turned on, so that the person in charge of picking can easily confirm that the article to be picked is stored in the storage shelf 90 provided with the row tag 70A in which the LED 72 is turned on. I can grasp it.

  In the next step 412, the LED 72 is determined by determining whether or not there is information indicating that the article is to be removed from the article storage container 80 among the article deletion information for the article determined to be picked in the step 408. It is determined whether or not there is an article storage container 80 in which no article is present in the storage shelf 90 provided with the lit column tag 70A. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 414 and the article storage container The column tag information related to the articles accommodated in the item 80 is deleted from the memory 74 of the column tag 70A, and the process proceeds to step 416. If the determination in step 412 is negative, the process proceeds to step 416 without executing the process in step 414.

  When the LED 72 of any row tag 70A is turned on, the picking person enters the article transport carriage 40 into the passage on the front side (the side to take out the article) of the storage shelf 90 provided with the row tag 70A. The interior is advanced toward the rear end of the storage shelf 90. In this process, the person in charge of picking takes the article tag 70B and the article transport cart 40 provided in the nearest article storage container 80 placed (stored) on the storage shelf 90 provided with the row tag 70A. The article transport carriage 40 is moved so that the distance between the antenna 48 and the antenna 48 is within a predetermined range in which communication with the article tag 70B is possible.

  Note that the row tag 70A according to the present embodiment is configured such that driving power is supplied from the outside (in this embodiment, the personal computer 42 for carts) by electromagnetic induction. Automatically turns off when is more than a predetermined distance away.

  In step 416, the article tag information (in the present embodiment, the article code, generation number, and quantity information) stored in the memory 74 is read for the article tag 70B provided in each article storage container 80. Send instruction information to this effect. In response to this, the article tag information is transmitted from the article tag 70B. In the next step 418, the reception of the information is waited. In the next step 420, the received article tag information is added to the received article tag information in the step 400. By determining whether there is an item that matches each item code and generation number information received from the warehouse management personal computer 30, the item to be picked is stored in the item storage container 80 provided with the item tag 70 </ b> B. It is determined whether or not it is housed. If a negative determination is made, the process returns to step 416. If an affirmative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 422.

  In step 422, instruction information for turning on the built-in LED 72 is transmitted to the article tag 70B provided in the article storage container 80 determined to contain the article to be picked. Accordingly, the LED 72 in the article tag 70B is lit, so that the person in charge of picking can easily store the article to be picked in the article storage container 80 provided with the article tag 70B in which the LED 72 is lit. Can grasp.

  When instruction information for turning on the LED 72 is transmitted in the above step 422, the instruction information may be received also in the article tag 70B of the article storage container 80 in which the article to be picked nearby is not stored. It is done. In order to cope with this case, in this embodiment, the item code and generation number information of the item to be picked are also transmitted to the item tag 70B together with the instruction information, and the item tag 70B receives the information. The built-in LED 72 is lit only when information matching the information of the article code and the generation number is stored in the memory 74. Not limited to this form, different identification information for each article tag 70B is stored in the memory 74 in advance, the identification information is read out by the personal computer 42 for carts, and the identification information of the article tag 70B to which the LED 72 should be turned on. Is transmitted together with the instruction information for turning on the LED 72, and the article tag 70 </ b> B turns on its own LED 72 only when the received identification information matches the identification information stored in its own memory 74. It is good also as a form.

  When the LED 72 of the article tag 70B is turned on, the picking person takes out the article storage container 80 provided with the article tag 70B from the storage shelf 90, and is displayed on the display 42F of the cart personal computer 42 from the article storage container 80. Articles to be picked are picked up by the quantity indicated by the picking processing screen, and are put into an article collection box 44 (see also FIG. 2) placed on the article transport carriage 40. Then, the person in charge of picking moves the cursor frame W of the picking processing screen from the storage shelf 90 to a position indicating the information related to the picked article, and then performs an operation for confirmation by using the keyboard 42E. Enter that picking is complete.

  Therefore, in the next step 424, by waiting for an operation on the keyboard 42E, the completion of picking of any article instructed to be taken out is waited, and in the next step 426, the article storage container 80 in which the article has been picked. Whether or not the article is left is determined based on the article deletion information. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 428 and the article tag 70B provided in the picked article storage container 80 is placed. The processing for updating the information indicating the quantity of articles stored in the memory 74 so as to be reduced by the picked quantity is performed, and then the process proceeds to step 430. Thereby, the quantity of the articles accommodated in the article accommodating container 80 and the quantity information stored in the memory 74 of the article tag 70B provided in the article accommodating container 80 can be matched.

  On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step 426, the process proceeds to step 430 without executing the process in step 428.

  In step 430, by determining whether or not column tag specifying information stored in advance in the memory 74 of the column tag 70A can be read, the storage shelf 90 on which the article transporting carriage 40 has been located until immediately before is determined. It is determined whether or not the picking operation is completed in the middle row. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step 416. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 432.

  In step 432, by determining whether or not there is any information indicating that there are no articles from the article storage container 80 among the article deletion information for the articles determined to be picked in step 408, step 430 is performed. In step S434, it is determined whether or not there is an article storage container 80 with no articles in the storage shelf 90 provided with the column tag 70A from which the column tag identification information is read. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 434. Then, a process for deleting the column tag information related to the articles stored in the article storage container 80 from the memory 74 of the column tag 70A is performed, and then the process proceeds to step 436. If a negative determination is made in step 432, the process proceeds to step 436 without executing the process in step 434.

  In step 436, it is determined whether or not the picking of all articles to be picked shown on the picking processing screen displayed on the display 42F of the personal computer 42 is completed. Returning to step 4, the processing of step 404 to step 434 is performed again.

  On the other hand, if the determination in step 436 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 438, where information on all items picked from the storage shelf 90 by the above processing (in this embodiment, the item code, generation number, and picking quantity). Are sent to the warehouse management personal computer 30 as the above-mentioned delivery information, and then the picking processing program is terminated.

  FIG. 13 schematically illustrates the overall flow of the above-described delivery process.

  As shown in the figure, in the shipping process according to the present embodiment, first, the stock management server 20 sends the shipping instruction information to the warehouse management personal computer 30 provided in the warehouse where the shipping is instructed. It is sent together with various information necessary for.

  The warehouse management personal computer 30 that has received the delivery instruction information transfers the information transmitted from the inventory management server 20 to the cart personal computer 42. In response, the cart personal computer 42 displays a picking processing screen based on the received information on the display 42F.

  When the picking processing screen is displayed on the display 42F, the person in charge of picking moves the article transport carriage 40 in the passage on one end side in each storage shelf 90 in the warehouse. As a result, the LED 72 of the row tag 70A provided on the storage shelf 90 where the articles to be picked are stored is turned on, so that the person in charge of picking can move the front side of the storage shelf 90 provided with the row tag 70A. The article transport carriage 40 is caused to enter the passage on the side where the article is taken out.

  Then, since the LED 72 of the article tag 70B provided in the article storage container 80 in which the article to be picked is stored is turned on, the person in charge of picking takes out the article storage container 80 from the storage shelf 90 and removes the article. After the necessary number of picks have been picked, the fact that the picking of the article has been completed is input to the cart personal computer 42.

  The person in charge of picking performs the above work until picking of all articles to be picked shown on the picking processing screen is completed. In addition, when the article remains in the picked article storage container 80 at the time of the picking, the quantity information stored in the article tag 70B provided in the article storage container 80 is the relevant article. Is updated to indicate the remaining number. In addition, when all the articles stored in the article storage container 80 run out during the picking, they are stored in the row tag 70A provided on the storage shelf 90 in which the article storage container 80 is stored. The column tag information related to the article is deleted.

  When all picking is completed, information on all items picked from the storage shelf 90 by the above processing (in this embodiment, information on the item code, generation number, and picking quantity) is used as warehouse information for warehouse management. Since the information is transmitted to the personal computer 30, the warehouse management personal computer 30 updates the stock management information stored in the warehouse management personal computer 30 based on the received delivery information, and then transfers the delivery information to the stock management server 20.

  Then, in the inventory management server 20, the inventory management information stored in the hard disk 22 is updated based on the delivery information received from the warehouse management personal computer 30.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 14, an inventory process performed every predetermined period (one year in the present embodiment) in the article management system 10 will be described.

  First, the inventory management server 20 transmits inventory instruction information for instructing execution of inventory to the warehouse management personal computer 30 provided in the warehouse targeted for inventory via the Internet 50 (step 500).

  Then, the warehouse management personal computer 30 that has received the stocktaking instruction information transfers the information to the cart personal computer 42 via the relay 32 (step 502). In response to this, the cart personal computer 42 executes an inventory execution process described later (step 504).

  In the inventory execution process, inventory information (to be described later) is transmitted from the cart personal computer 42 to the warehouse management personal computer 30. Therefore, the warehouse management personal computer 30 waits to receive the inventory information (step 506). Based on the inventory information thus obtained, the inventory management information stored therein is updated (step 508), and then the inventory information is transferred to the inventory management server 20 (step 510).

  Therefore, the inventory management server 20 waits for receipt of the inventory information (step 512), and updates the inventory management information stored in the hard disk 22 based on the received inventory information (step 514). In addition, the inventory management server 20 uses the received inventory information to execute processing relating to inventory other than the update of inventory management information.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 15, an inventory execution process executed in the personal computer 42 for trolleys according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing of an inventory execution processing program executed by the CPU 42A of the personal computer 42 for cart when executing the inventory execution processing, and the program is stored in advance in the hard disk 42D. .

  In step 600 of the figure, reception of the above inventory instruction information from the warehouse management personal computer 30 is awaited, and in the next step 602, a screen (not shown) for instructing execution of inventory is displayed on the display 42F. . In response to this, the person in charge of inventory moves the article transport carriage 40 through the passages on the front side of all the storage shelves 90.

  Therefore, in the next step 604, the article tag information stored in the memory 74 with respect to the article tag 70B provided in each article storage container 80 (in this embodiment, each item code, generation number, and quantity information). ) Is transmitted. In response to this, since the article tag information is transmitted from the article tag 70B, the next step 606 waits for reception of the information, and in the next step 608, the received article tag information is stored in a predetermined area of the RAM 42B. Remember.

  In the next step 610, it is determined whether reading and storage of the article tag information stored in the article tag 70B provided in all the article storage containers 80 stored in each storage shelf 90 has been completed, If a negative determination is made, the process returns to step 604 and the processes of steps 604 to 608 are repeatedly executed. When an affirmative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 612. It should be noted that when the processes in steps 604 to 610 are repeatedly executed, in step 608, the same information as the article tag information stored so far is not stored.

  In step 612, all the information stored in the RAM 42B by the repetitive processing in steps 604 to 612, that is, the item code, generation number, and quantity information of all items stored in the storage shelf 90 are described above. After the inventory information is transmitted to the warehouse management personal computer 30, the book inventory execution processing program is terminated.

  As described above in detail, in the present embodiment, an article code for specifying an article stored in the provided storage shelf is stored in advance, and the stored contents are configured to be readable and writable from the outside. The tag is provided on a plurality of storage shelves to be managed, the article code for specifying the article stored in the provided article storage container is stored in advance, and the storage content is configured to be readable and writable from the outside. An article tag is provided in the article container, and the storage status of articles stored by the plurality of storage shelves is managed based on the article code stored by the row tag and the article code stored by the article tag. As a result, it is possible to easily manage the storage status of articles, improve work efficiency when carrying in articles, and make the article storage space effective. It is possible to use.

  In particular, as the storage shelf 90 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16 as an example, by applying the one whose upper surface of the shelf is inclined from one end to the other end (storage shelf 90B in the same figure). When there is an empty space in the storage shelf, the items stored in the storage shelf can be easily moved to the lower end side (the right end side in the figure). As a result, the article storage space can be used more effectively.

  In this embodiment, since the column tag and the article tag are IC tags configured so that the stored contents can be read and written wirelessly, reading and writing of the stored contents with respect to the column tag and the article tag is performed in real time while moving. Therefore, the convenience when performing the reading and writing can be greatly improved.

  Further, in the present embodiment, it is interposed between the inventory management server, the column tag and the article tag, and reads / writes the storage contents in the column tag and the article tag in accordance with an instruction from the inventory management server. Since the dolly personal computer 42 is provided, the inventory management server can be provided in a place different from the place where the storage shelf is provided, and the flexibility in constructing the system can be improved. it can.

  In the present embodiment, the column tag and the article tag are provided with LEDs that emit light in response to an external request, and the article is shown when the article is taken out from the storage shelf by the cart personal computer 42. Since the LED provided in each of the column tag and the article tag in which the article code is stored is requested, the storage position of the article to be taken out from the storage shelf can be clearly indicated by the emission of the LED. Articles can be collected quickly.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment, the electric power for light-emitting LED provided for the row tag and the article tag shall be supplied from the outside, and when the personal computer 42 for carts makes the request | requirement which light-emits said LED Since the power is supplied to the row tag and the product tag, the light emission and the light emission stop of each LED can be controlled by supplying power to the row tag and the product tag from the cart personal computer 42 and stopping the power supply. The state can be easily switched.

  Further, in the present embodiment, when a new article is stored in the storage shelf, an article code for specifying the article is additionally stored in a column tag provided in the storage shelf, and the article is stored in the storage shelf. Since the article code for specifying the article is erased from the row tag provided on the storage shelf when it disappears, the article code stored in the row tag can always be accurate.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the rank information indicating the time-series rank stored in the storage shelf in the same type of article of the article specified by the stored article code by the column tag and the article tag (this embodiment In the form, generation number information) is stored in association with the article code, and the inventory management server gives priority to the oldest time-series rank indicated by the rank information when the article is taken out from the storage shelf. Since the cart personal computer 42 is instructed to take out from the storage shelf, the articles can be taken out in the order in which they are stored, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of inconveniences that keep old articles from being stored.

  In the present embodiment, the article tag stores the quantity information indicating the quantity of the article stored in the article storage container in association with the article code for specifying the article. The quantity of articles stored in the storage container can be grasped without viewing the articles, and convenience can be further improved.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the cart personal computer 42 is provided in the article transport cart for transporting articles, the cart personal computer 42 can be used simultaneously with the transport of articles.

  In the present embodiment, in the warehousing process (see FIG. 7), the case where an article whose inventory quantity indicated by the inventory management information is less than a predetermined number is delivered to the warehouse has been described. The present invention is not limited, and, for example, an article can be delivered in response to a request from an article custodian (a user of the article management system 10) regardless of the inventory quantity. Also in this case, the same effects as in the present embodiment can be obtained.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a case has been described in which only one article transport cart 40 and cart PC 42 provided in each warehouse is provided, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the article transport A plurality of carts 40 and carts 42 may be used. In this case, when performing the delivery process (see FIG. 10), since it is possible to perform picking simultaneously by the plurality of article transport carts 40 and the cart personal computer 42, the LED 72 of the column tag 70A and the article tag It is conceivable that a plurality of LEDs 72 of 70B are lit at the same time, but it is possible to change the blinking interval for each trolley with the lighting operation of the LED 72 as a blinking operation, This can be dealt with by changing the emission color.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a case where it is automatically determined that the article transport cart 40 has moved to the end of each storage shelf 90 according to the readout result of the column tag specifying information stored in the column tag 70A. Although described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a determination may be made according to whether or not an instruction input via the keyboard 42E is performed by a worker. In this case, although an instruction input operation by a worker is required, it is possible to prevent erroneous determination due to automatic determination.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a form in which the article is stored in the storage shelf, the article is picked from the storage shelf, or the like is described manually, the present invention is limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to an automatic warehouse system that automatically performs these operations. Also in this case, the same effects as in the present embodiment can be obtained.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a case has been described in which the same type of article is accommodated in one article accommodating container 80, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a plurality of articles are accommodated in one article accommodating container 80. It can also be set as the form which accommodates the goods of a kind. In this case, each type of article code, generation number, and quantity information stored in the memory 74 of the article tag 70B provided in the article storage container 80 is stored. In this case, since a plurality of types of articles can be stored in one article storage container 80, convenience can be improved as compared with the present embodiment.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the article tag 70B is provided for the article storage container 80 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the article itself is provided with the article tag 70B. It can also be. In this case, since there is a one-to-one correspondence between the article and the article tag 70B, it is not necessary to store quantity information in the memory 74 of the article tag 70B. Furthermore, a form in which this form is combined with this embodiment, that is, an article provided with an article tag 70B on itself, and an article provided with an article tag 70B on the contained article storage container 80, It is also possible to adopt a form in which both of these are managed as storage statuses. In these cases, the same effects as in the present embodiment can be obtained.

  The configuration of the article management system 10 described in the present embodiment (see FIGS. 1 to 6) is merely an example, and it goes without saying that the configuration can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  For example, in the present embodiment, the case where the inventory management server 20 and the warehouse management personal computer 30 are connected via the Internet 50 has been described. For example, these are connected via the dedicated line without using the Internet 50. It is also possible to adopt a form of connection.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the case where an article stored in the warehouse is managed by the inventory management server 20 has been described. However, for example, the article may be managed by the cart personal computer 42. In this case, of the inventory management information (see FIG. 6A) according to the present embodiment, information excluding the warehouse number information is stored in the hard disk 42D of the personal computer 42 for the cart, and the article Management will be performed. In this case, the cart personal computer 42 corresponds to the management device of the present invention.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the case where various information is exchanged between the inventory management server 20 and the cart personal computer 42 via the warehouse management personal computer 30 has been described. Various information can be exchanged with the cart personal computer 42 directly without using the warehouse management personal computer 30.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a case in which various information is written and read by the personal computer 42 for carriage mounted on the article transporting carriage 40 with respect to the memory 74 built in each of the column tag 70A and the article tag 70B. As described above, for example, various types of information can be read and written using a handy type tag reader / writer.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as the row tag 70A and the article tag 70B, driving power is supplied by electromagnetic induction from the outside, and various types of memory 74 are input according to an instruction input by electromagnetic induction from the outside. The description has been given of the case where information can be read and written and the LED 72 can be controlled to be turned on and off. However, various information is read from and written to the memory 74 and the LED 72 is turned on and off by electromagnetic induction from the outside with a built-in driving power supply. An IC tag that can be directly controlled can also be applied.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the case where a shelf configured by dividing a plurality of storage areas by a plurality of shelf boards is applied as the storage shelf of the present invention has been described. However, for example, only one shelf board is used. A shelf having only one storage area can be applied, and furthermore, the area in the case where a predetermined area on the floor surface is used as the storage area can be applied. In addition, when applying the predetermined area | region of a floor as a storage shelf of this invention, column tag 70A will be provided with respect to the said area | region.

  In these cases, the same effects as in the present embodiment can be obtained.

  Furthermore, the flow of various processes shown in this embodiment (see FIGS. 7, 10, and 14) and the flow of processes of various processing programs (see FIGS. 8, 11, and 15) are examples. Needless to say, modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the storage processing program according to the present embodiment (see FIG. 8), the article tag information is stored in the article tag 70B provided in the article storage container 80 after the storage of the article storage container 80 on the storage shelf 90 is completed. However, the article tag information may be stored before the article storage container 80 is stored.

It is a mimetic diagram showing composition of article management system 10 concerning an embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the goods conveyance trolley | bogie 40 concerning embodiment. It is an external view which shows the structure of row tag 70A and the article tag 70B which concern on embodiment. It is a perspective view showing the laying state of row tag 70A and article tag 70B concerning an embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the electric system of the personal computer 42 for trolley | bogies, row tag 70A, and article tag 70B which concerns on embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the inventory management information which concerns on embodiment, column tag information, and article tag information. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the warehousing process which concerns on embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the storage process program which concerns on embodiment. It is the schematic which shows an example of a storage process screen. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the leaving process which concerns on embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the picking process program which concerns on embodiment. It is the schematic which shows an example of a picking process screen. It is a schematic diagram which shows the whole flow of the leaving process which concerns on embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the inventory process which concerns on embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the inventory execution process program which concerns on embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the modification of the storage shelf applied with the article | item management system which concerns on embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

10 Item Management System 20 Inventory Management Server (Management Device)
30 PC for warehouse management 40 Cargo for goods transportation (cart)
42 Personal computer for trolley (access device)
42A CPU
46 Tag reader / writer 48 Antenna 70A Row tag (first storage device)
70B Article tag (second storage device)
72 LED (light emitting means)
74 Memory 80 Article container (article container)
90 storage shelf

Claims (17)

An article management system for managing the storage status of a plurality of articles by a plurality of storage shelves,
A first storage device that is provided in each of the plurality of storage shelves, stores specific information for specifying articles stored in the provided storage shelves in advance, and that the storage contents can be read and written from the outside. When,
Provided in at least one of the article container stored in the storage shelf and the article stored in the storage shelf in a state where the article is stored, and when provided in the article container, is stored in the article container Specific information for specifying the article being stored is stored in advance, and when provided in the article, the specific information for specifying the article is stored in advance, and the storage content is configured to be readable and writable from the outside. A second storage device;
A management device that manages the storage status of articles stored in the plurality of storage shelves based on the specific information stored in the first storage device and the specific information stored in the second storage device;
Article management system including The article management system according to claim 1, wherein the first storage device and the second storage device are IC tags configured so that stored contents can be read and written wirelessly. The contents stored in the first storage device and the second storage device are interposed between the management device, the first storage device, and the second storage device, and in accordance with an instruction from the management device, The article management system according to claim 1, further comprising an access device for reading and writing. The first storage device and the second storage device comprise light emitting means for emitting light in response to an external request,
The access device causes the light emitting means provided in each of the first storage device and the second storage device in which specific information indicating the product is stored when the product is taken out from the storage shelf to emit light. The article management system according to claim 3 which makes a request. Power for causing the light emitting means provided in the first storage device and the second storage device to emit light is supplied from the outside,
5. The article management system according to claim 4, wherein the access device supplies the power to the first storage device and the second storage device that include the light emitting unit when making a request to cause the light emitting unit to emit light. The access device additionally stores specific information for specifying the article in the first storage device provided in the storage shelf when a new article is stored in the storage shelf, and the article is stored in the storage shelf. The article management system according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the information for identifying the article is deleted from the first storage device provided on the storage shelf when the shelf disappears. In the first storage device and the second storage device, the order information indicating the time series order stored in the storage shelves of the same type of articles of the articles specified by the stored specific information corresponds to the specific information. Attached and stored in advance,
4. The management device instructs the access device to take out the item from the storage shelf with priority from the oldest time-series order indicated by the order information when the article is taken out from the storage shelf. The article management system according to any one of claims 6 to 6. When the second storage device is provided in the article container, the second storage device associates quantity information indicating the quantity of articles contained in the article container with the identification information for identifying the article. The article management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the article management system is stored. The article management system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the access device is provided on a carriage for transporting the article. The article management system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the plurality of storage shelves are configured such that an upper surface of the shelf is inclined from one end to the other end. An article management method for managing the storage status of a plurality of articles by a plurality of storage shelves,
Provided in the plurality of storage shelves a first storage device in which specific information for specifying articles stored in the provided storage shelves is stored in advance and the storage content is configured to be readable and writable from the outside,
When provided in an article container that is stored in the storage shelf in a state where the article is stored, specific information for specifying the article stored in the article container is stored in advance and stored in the storage shelf. When the information storage device is provided in the article to be stored, specific information for specifying the article is stored in advance, and the second storage device configured to be readable and writable from the outside is provided as at least one of the article container and the article. Provided in
Managing the storage status of articles stored in the plurality of storage shelves based on the specific information stored in the first storage device and the specific information stored in the second storage device;
Article management method. The article management method according to claim 11, wherein the first storage device and the second storage device are IC tags configured such that stored contents can be read and written wirelessly. The first storage device and the second storage device have light emitting means for emitting light in response to an external request,
A request is made to emit light from the light emitting means provided in each of the first storage device and the second storage device in which specific information indicating the product is stored when the product is taken out from the storage shelf. The article management method according to claim 11 or claim 12. Power for causing the light emitting means provided in the first storage device and the second storage device to emit light is supplied from the outside,
The article management method according to claim 13, wherein the power is supplied to the first storage device and the second storage device having the light emitting means when making a request to cause the light emitting means to emit light. When a new article is stored in the storage shelf, specific information for specifying the article is additionally stored in the first storage device provided in the storage shelf, and the article disappears from the storage shelf. The article management method according to claim 11, wherein specific information for identifying the article is deleted from the first storage device provided in the storage shelf. Corresponding rank information indicating time-series ranks stored in the storage shelves of the same type of articles of the articles specified by the stored specific information in the first storage device and the second storage device corresponds to the specific information. And store it in advance.
The instructing to take out from the storage shelf in preference to the oldest time-series order indicated by the order information when the article is taken out from the storage shelf. The article management method described. When the second storage device is provided in the article container, the second storage device is provided with quantity information indicating the number of articles contained in the article container, for identifying the article. The article management method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the article management method stores the information in association with specific information.

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