JP2007031043A - Physical distribution management system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform simply checking the existence or none of a skip in reading the information tag and surplus/shortage of objects. <P>SOLUTION: A physical distribution management system is equipped with product information tags T1 affixed to respective objects 1, a transporting information tag T2 attached to a transporting material 2 for in-lump transportation of the objects, a reading device 4 to read the two sorts of information tags, and a managing means 5 whereto the reading device is connected. The total number information to show the total number of objects transported by the transporting material is recorded in the transporting information tag. The managing means checks whether the value of the total number information obtained from the transporting information tag is identical or not with the read number of the product information tag. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a physical distribution management system using an RFID information tag.

  Various types of information management using RFID information tags have been provided in the past for distribution management. However, Patent Document 1 discloses that it corresponds to distribution management of articles composed of an arbitrary combination of a plurality of articles. There is a thing shown by patent document 2 and a thing.

  In the former, related information indicating the relevance with other products to be combined is written in the product information tag attached to each product to be combined. Due to the presence of this related information, the product information tag of each product combined. It is possible to check whether there is any excess or deficiency when reading out simultaneously.

  However, it is necessary to use an information tag having an area in which relevance information can be written, and the related information must be rewritten when the product combination is changed. Further, when reading each information tag of a plurality of articles at a time, it is impossible to determine whether or not there is a product information tag that has been overlooked unless the related information is attached.

  In the latter case, a plurality of articles are stored in a storage box, and a product information tag is provided for each of the plurality of articles, and a transport information tag is attached to the storage box for storing these articles. Data corresponding to a plurality of articles is stored in the storage means, the conveyance information tag of the storage box and each product information tag of the plurality of articles stored in the storage box are read, the information of the conveyance information tag, and each product By comparing the tag information with the corresponding data stored in the storage means, the excess or deficiency or mistakes of a plurality of articles stored in the storage box are checked.

  In this case, it is not necessary to write the related information on the product information tag, and it is not necessary to rewrite the product information tag when the product combination is changed. When the transport information tags are collectively read, it is necessary to wait until the above-described data collation is completed to determine whether there is any product information tag that has been overlooked.

In addition, when the article is a housing building material or a housing equipment, and inspection of whether there are excesses or deficiencies in a plurality of articles conveyed to the construction site, there are many cases where it is not possible to connect to the storage means online. At this time, inspection cannot be performed unless the correspondence data between the storage box and a plurality of articles stored in the storage box is brought into the construction site by some means.
JP 2002-092114 A JP 2004-352436 A

  The present invention has been invented in view of the above-described conventional problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a physical distribution management system that can easily check whether an information tag has been read over and whether an article is excessive or insufficient. To do.

  In order to solve the above problems, a physical distribution management system according to the present invention includes a product information tag attached to each of a plurality of articles, a transport information tag attached to a transport material for batch transport of these articles, A physical distribution management system comprising a reading device that reads both types of information tags and a management means to which the reading device is connected. Total information indicating the total number of articles conveyed by the conveying material is recorded in the conveying information tag. The management means is characterized in that it checks whether or not the value of the total number information obtained from the transport information tag matches the number of read product information tags.

  When a combination of multiple items forms a single shape, if the total number does not match, there is no need to verify each item, so the total number is checked first. Further, the overwriting of the product information tag can be confirmed before collating the information of the transport information tag and the product information tag.

  When the information on the article to be transported by the transport material is recorded in the transport information tag, and the management means matches the value of the total number information obtained from the transport information tag and the number of the read product information tag, the transport information If the item information obtained from the tag and the information obtained from the product information tag are checked for coincidence, a detailed check can be performed even in an EDI (Electric Data Interchange) environment.

  Further, it is preferable to use an RFID having a longer communication distance than the article information tag as the transport information tag. When the carrier information tag is read out, the check itself cannot be performed, but the possibility of such a situation can be reduced.

  In the present invention, in order to check the number of product information tags (total number of articles) based on the total number information written on the conveyance information tag attached to the conveyance material that conveys a plurality of articles, It is possible to check the excess or deficiency of the product before checking the information on the transport information tag and the product information tag. This can save unnecessary man-hours, and even in places where the EDI environment is not in place. A simple check can be easily performed.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings. In FIG. 2, 1 is an article, 2 is a conveying material such as a pallet, a container, and a storage box used when a plurality of articles 1 are shipped and delivered together. Each product 1 is attached with a product information tag T1 made of RFID in which product information is written. This product information tag T1 is recorded with, for example, “numbering organization code”, “company code”, “product code”, etc. Here, as shown in FIG. The recorded one is used. Needless to say, these codes recorded in the product information tag T1 are assigned in correspondence with the article 1.

  And the conveyance information tag T2 which described conveyance information is attached | subjected to the conveyance material 2 on which the said article | item 1 was mounted (accommodated). The conveyance information tag T2 made up of RFID records, for example, “numbering organization code” and “total number information”. Here, as shown in FIG. ”,“ Single ”and“ how many ”information are recorded. The above-mentioned “total number information” is information on the total number of articles 1 stored in the transporting material 2, and indicates that the “numbering engine code” on the transport information tag T2 describes transport information. Data is used.

  In the inspection for physical distribution management, the product is passed through the gate G provided with the antenna 3 connected to the RFID reader 4 while the plurality of articles 1 are stored in the transport material 2. At this time, as shown in FIG. 1, the computer 5 to which the reader 4 is connected reads the information recorded in the plurality of product information tags T1 and the transport information tag T2, and stores the “total information” in the transport information tag T2. First, it is checked whether or not the value matches the number of the read product information tag T1. If they match, receipt / shipment data sent online or separately based on the conveyance information is compared with each product information, and if the products match, the inspection is completed.

  If the total number does not match, reading the information tags T1 and T2 by slowing or re-passing the gate G is repeated, and if the number does not match even after a predetermined number of times, the information tag Since troubles such as T1 and T2 and problems on the antenna 3 side can also be considered, it is checked whether the total number matches by visual confirmation of the worker, and if the total number still does not match, it is returned to the shipping department as an incorrect packaging. If the match can be confirmed by visual inspection, further manual inspection is performed.

  Note that the electronic verification and product matching determination flow in FIG. 1 is not necessarily required, and the inspection may be completed when the total number matches. This is because when the article 1 is a building material and the main management is performed at the transported construction site, it is not always possible to prepare an EDI environment on the construction site side.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in addition to the “total number information”, information on “company code” and “product code” for each stored article 1 may be recorded in the transport information tag T2. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, since it can be determined from the information in the transport information tag T2 and the information in the product information tag T1 whether the products match in the computer 5, in this case Even in places where there is no EDI environment, it is possible to perform inspections that include product matching.

  By the way, a plurality of antennas 3 are provided on the gate G. When the article 1 is a building material, since there are many large-sized ones, the size of the gate G is increased, and the information tags T1, T2 and the antenna 3 are provided. This is because the distance from the information tags T1 and T2 to the antenna 3 can be increased by providing the antenna 3 above and on both sides of the gate G. The distance is not so long.

  These information tags T1 and T2 are preferably attached to the article 1 or the conveying material 2 at a position facing the antenna 3 in terms of reading accuracy.

  The product information tag T1 and the carrier information tag T2 may use different frequency bands or the same frequency band that use different frequencies. The anti-collision at the time of reading the tags T1 and T2 can be eliminated and the reading accuracy can be improved.

  If the information of the transport information tag T2 is read out, the total number check itself cannot be performed. Therefore, at least the information of the transport information tag T2 must be surely read. From this point, it is preferable to use the UHF band having a long communication distance as the transport information tag T2. This is because a long communication distance increases the probability of reading even when passing at high speed.

  When different frequency bands are used for the information tags T1 and T2, those corresponding to both frequency bands are used as the reader 4, but the reader 4 and the antenna 3 for each frequency band may be used. Further, the reader 4 may have a writer function, and when the inspection is completed, a process of setting an inspection completion flag for the information tags T1 and T2 may be performed.

  Reference numeral 6 in FIG. 2 denotes a display device that displays the information of the read information tags T1 and T2. In manual inspection by visual confirmation, reference is made to the information displayed on the display device 6.

  The product information tag T1 may be a passive type, and the transport information tag T2 may be an active type. This is because the latter has a much longer communication distance and a higher probability of being read even at high speeds. Further, although the active type is more expensive than the passive type, the cost is not a big problem since it is repeatedly used by being affixed to the conveying material 2. In terms of repeated use, it is also preferable to use a tag with high environmental resistance such as water resistance, metal resistance, and deterioration resistance for the transport information tag T2.

  In addition, even if a transport information tag T2 having a size larger than the product information tag T1 (actually the antenna size of the tag) is used, the communication distance becomes longer due to the electromotive force. The same effect can be obtained even if a tag equipped with an IC chip with low power consumption is used.

It is a flowchart of the check for management in an example of an embodiment of the invention. It is a schematic block diagram same as the above. (a) is explanatory drawing of the information in a product information tag, (b) is explanatory drawing of the information in a conveyance information tag. (a) is explanatory drawing of the information in the product information tag in another example, (b) is explanatory drawing of the information in the conveyance information tag in another example. It is a flowchart of the check for management same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Goods 2 Carrier material 3 Antenna 4 Reader 5 Computer G Gate T1 Product information tag T2 Transport information tag

Claims (3)

  A product information tag attached to each of a plurality of articles, a transport information tag attached to a transport material for batch transport of these articles, a reader that reads both kinds of information tags, and the reader are connected. A total number information indicating the total number of articles transported by the transport material is recorded in the transport information tag, and the management means stores the total number information obtained from the transport information tag. A physical distribution management system for checking whether or not a value matches the number of read product information tags.   Information on articles to be transported by a transport material is recorded in the transport information tag, and the management means performs transport information when the total information value obtained from the transport information tag matches the number of read product information tags. 2. The physical distribution management system according to claim 1, wherein the product information obtained from the tag is checked for coincidence with the information obtained from the product information tag.   3. The physical distribution management system according to claim 1, wherein an RFID having a longer communication distance than the article information tag is used as the transport information tag.

Images