JP2010134774A - Rental materials management system, and center computer and on-site computer used in the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rental materials management system with which uniform management of rental materials is performed including current state management after lending, from ordering lending to return of rental material on the basis of identification information. <P>SOLUTION: The rental materials management system includes an identification information recording material 1 wherein identification information of rental materials is recorded, an on-site computer 4 which receives identification information read from the identification information recording material by a reader terminal 2, and a center computer 3 connected to the on-site computer via a network. The on-site computer includes a materials ordering information generation part 41 for generating materials ordering information including identification information of rental materials and a materials operation state information generation part 42 for using the identification information to generate materials operation state information showing the operation state of rental materials at a site. The center computer includes a reserved lending management part 31 for managing reserved lending of rental materials on the basis of the materials ordering information and a materials current state management part 32 for managing the current state of rental materials on the basis of the materials operation state information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a rental equipment management system using readable identification information attached to rental equipment and assigned to the rental equipment.

When renting rental equipment such as building materials and construction equipment owned by a rental company to a construction site, in the management form where a person goes to the warehouse to check the rental equipment, if there are many identical equipment, which equipment is rented It is impossible to immediately judge whether this is possible. For this reason, it has been proposed to use a system for managing the rental equipment reservation status, rental status, maintenance status, etc. using a computer. As such a system, a portable terminal device having equipment input means for inputting a unique identification code assigned to each rental equipment placed in the rental equipment storage area and wireless communication means, and rental equipment A database in which information for rental is stored, a server for reading information from the database in response to a command from the portable terminal device via the communication means, a rental equipment identification code input by the equipment input means, and a server A rental management system is known that includes a determination unit that determines whether rental equipment can be rented based on the issued information, and a notification unit that notifies the determination result of the determination unit via a mobile terminal device. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). In this rental management system, whether or not the rental equipment can be rented is determined based on the unique identification code input to the mobile terminal device from the actual rental equipment and the rental equipment information read by the server. Since the result is notified via the portable terminal device, an advantage that the availability of rental can be recognized immediately is obtained.
However, with this rental management system, the current status of rental equipment rented to the site of use is not managed at all.

JP 2006-178845 A (paragraph number 0005-0013, FIG. 1, FIG. 7)

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a rental equipment management system that realizes rental equipment management including rental equipment management from rental ordering to return of current conditions after rental, through a unified network based on identification information. Is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, a rental equipment management system according to the present invention includes an identification information recording body that is attached to a rental equipment and records identification information of the rental equipment, and a reader from the rental equipment identification information recording body at the site of use. A field computer to which the identification information read by the terminal is transferred, and a central computer connected to the field computer so as to be able to transmit data through a network, the field computer When the reader terminal reads the equipment operating status information indicating the operating status of the rented rental equipment at the site, the equipment ordering information generating unit for generating equipment ordering information including the rental equipment identification information at the time Equipment operation status information generation unit The central computer includes a reservation lending management unit that manages reservation lending of rental equipment based on the equipment ordering information received from the field computer, and rental equipment based on the equipment operation status information received from the field computer. It is equipped with an equipment status management department that manages the status quo.

  According to the above configuration, the on-site computer located at the site where the rental equipment is used and the central computer located at the rental equipment management headquarters are connected so as to be able to transmit data over the network, and are attached to the rental equipment. The rental equipment identification information recorded in the identification information recording body is read by the reader terminal and transferred to the field computer. The equipment operating status information generation unit as a function built in the on-site computer generates equipment operating status information indicating the operating status at the site of the rental equipment rented using the transferred identification information, and sends it to the central computer. Can send. The equipment current status management unit as a function constructed in the central computer can manage the current status of rental equipment based on the equipment operating status information received from the field computer. Therefore, the rental equipment management system according to the present invention can realize the rental equipment management including the current management after the rental order from the rental order of the rental equipment to the return by the unified network based on the identification information.

  In one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the central computer includes an equipment carry-in / out management unit that performs carry-in / out management of the rental equipment, and the central computer manages the rental equipment in and out. The identification information of the rental equipment read by the reader terminal from the rental equipment carried out from the storage site to the site or from the rental equipment carried into the storage site from the site is taken in via the network. By adopting this configuration, the identification information of the rental equipment to be loaded / unloaded read by the reader terminal at the time of loading / unloading the rental equipment is sent to the equipment loading / unloading management section of the central computer. Information related to the return and rental equipment that is scheduled to be rented can be grasped as information from the storage where this work is actually performed, so that rental equipment management with high temporal accuracy is realized.

  In a further preferred embodiment, a reader terminal that reads identification information of the rental equipment at a use site is connected to a network via a network adapter, and the identification information is transferred to the field computer together with a network address of the network adapter. The site computer is configured to determine the location of the rental equipment at the site of use based on the identification information and the network address. Even if the site where rental equipment is used is widespread, if the installation location of the network adapter on the reader terminal side that is used when reading the identification information of the rental equipment and transferring it to the on-site computer is set in advance, the leader terminal The network adapter installation location, that is, the location where the network adapter is installed, that is, the location where the reader terminal is used, and consequently the location of the rental equipment specified by the transferred identification information. This makes it possible to grasp the on-site computer without bothering people. The location of the rental equipment that has been grasped in this way is further transferred from the field computer to the central computer, so that the equipment status management section can confirm the operating location of the rental equipment.

  There are many cases where the network environment is inadequate at construction sites. However, since the power line is laid over a considerable area, it is preferable to use PLC (Power Line Communication) as a network between the reader terminal and the field computer. In this case, the network adapter is a PLC (Power Line Communication) adapter. Since the PLC adapter realizes its function by being inserted into a power socket, the reader is similarly realized by being inserted into the power socket. It is convenient to adopt a configuration that is integrated with the charging adapter of the terminal.

The single central computer and the single on-site computer used in the rental equipment management system described above are also included in the scope of the invention. For example, rental equipment management that is attached to the rental equipment and connected to the field computer to which the identification information read by the reader terminal is transferred from the identification information recording body that records the identification information of the rental equipment, so that data can be transmitted through the network. A central computer for the system is also an object of the present invention. This central computer for rental equipment management system manages the rental rental of rental equipment based on equipment ordering information including identification information of the rental equipment generated at the time of rental ordering of rental equipment to the site by the site computer. Equipment for managing the current state of rental equipment based on equipment operating status information indicating the operating status of the rental equipment generated on site by the reservation computer using the reservation lending management section and the identification information read by the reader terminal The current status management department.
Further, a field computer for a rental equipment management system that is attached to a rental equipment and relays and transmits the identification information read by the reader terminal from the identification information recording body that records the identification information of the rental equipment to the central computer is also an object of the present invention. is there. The on-site computer for the rental equipment management system includes an equipment ordering information generation unit that generates equipment ordering information including identification information of the rental equipment when the rental equipment is ordered to the site, and a rental equipment rental site. A machine operating status information generating unit that generates equipment operating status information indicating the operating status of the equipment using the identification information read by the reader terminal, and the central computer reserves rental equipment based on the equipment ordering information. The equipment ordering information is transmitted to the central computer. Further, the equipment operating status information is transmitted to the central computer so that the central computer can manage the current status of rental equipment based on the equipment operating status information.
Each of the rental equipment management system central computer and the rental equipment management system field computer also has the respective operational effects of the central computer and the field computer constituting the rental equipment management system according to the present invention described above.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 schematically shows an embodiment employing a rental equipment management system according to the present invention. This rental equipment management system unifies information on rental equipment (hereinafter simply referred to as equipment) used at a construction site between the construction site (construction company) and the rental company using identification information assigned to each equipment as a key. Distributed effectively, it has realized efficient management of equipment. The identification information of each device is recorded in an IC tag 1 as an example of an identification information recording body attached to each device.

  The IC tag 1 holds identification information such as an identification code, and can provide identification information to the reader through interaction with the reader terminal. By the radio wave emitted from the reader terminal 2 as the IC tag reader, A very small amount of power is generated in the circuit, information is processed with the power, and the information is transmitted to the reader terminal 2. The rental company assigns a machine code as an identification code to the machine being handled, and attaches at least the IC tag 1 in which the machine code is recorded so as to be transmitted as equipment information to the corresponding machine.

  In this rental equipment management system, a central computer 3 is arranged on the equipment rental side, and a field computer 4 is arranged on the equipment rental side. The on-site computers 4 are arranged for each construction site as the equipment use site and are far away from the central computer 3 and are therefore connected to each other using a wide area communication network (WAN) 5 so that data can be transmitted.

  The leader terminal 2 has a network function, and the leader terminal 2 arranged in the equipment storage area on the renting side is connected to the central computer 3 using a local communication network (LAN) 6 built in the company. The reader terminal 2 that is connected so as to be able to transmit data and is arranged at the use site on the borrower side can transmit data to and from the central computer 3 using a local area communication network (LAN) 6 built in the site. It is connected. In particular, a power line communication network (PLC) is adopted for the on-site communication network (LAN) 6 built in the site in consideration of a special environment such as a building site. This is because the power line is stretched even in the construction site, and the on-site communication network is easily constructed by inserting the PLC adapter 6a into the electrical outlet. By connecting the reader terminal 2 to the PLC adapter 6a wirelessly or wired, necessary information read from the IC tag 1 attached to the equipment and the equipment code for identifying the equipment can be transferred to the field computer 4. it can.

  Since the reader terminal 2 uses a rechargeable battery as a driving power source to ensure portability, if the charging adapter and the PLC adapter 6a are integrated, information read by the reader terminal 2 when the reader terminal 2 is charged can be obtained. It can be transferred to the field computer 4.

  The central computer 3 manages the equipment efficiently by distributing information about the equipment between the construction site (construction company) and the rental company using the equipment code (a kind of identification information) assigned to each equipment as a key. In order to realize this, a database unit 30 that centrally manages the information is provided. A schematic data structure of main information handled by the database unit 30 is shown in FIG. Typical information to be handled is equipment basic information, equipment attribute information, reservation information, rental information, and operation information.

  The basic equipment information includes equipment code, equipment name, and classification code as information for identifying the equipment. The equipment attribute information is information attached to each equipment, and includes a manufacturer name, a purchase date, a maintenance code for extracting maintenance information recording maintenance performed from the purchase, and the like. Reservation information is the information that makes up the reservation ledger created based on the equipment rental request from the lender. Reservation code, reservation date, reservation code, reservation name, use site name, use start date, use end The day is included. Most of the contents of the lending information are transferred from the reservation information when the reserved equipment is actually issued to the use site. The lending code, lender code, lender name, use site name, delivery date and time, The borrower's delivery date and time, the scheduled return date and time, etc. are included. The operation information records the operation status of the rented equipment at the use site, and includes an operation code, a use local position, a user code, a use start time, a use end time, and the like. This operation information is created especially for the equipment that needs to check the operation status. For example, by using this information, a business model such as a change in rental fee depending on usage time for a large construction machine such as a backhoe is possible. In order to accurately acquire the use start time and use end time, the reader terminal 1 and the master key of a construction machine such as a backhoe are linked together, and the reader terminal 1 acquires the operating time of the equipment together with the equipment code. The central computer 3 is advantageous in that it can obtain such operation information with high reliability without human intervention.

  The on-site computer 4 includes a browser unit 40 that can handle an HTTP file, an XLM file, and the like, displays an equipment rental order document sent from the central computer on a monitor, and uses a mouse or the like to display the order document. The data entered in can be returned. The on-site computer 4 further includes a machine order information generation unit 41 and a machine operation status information generation unit 42 as functions substantially constructed by a program. The equipment ordering information generation unit 41 cooperates with the browser unit 40 to generate equipment ordering information including the equipment code (identification information) of the equipment when the equipment is rented out to the site. Has a function of generating equipment ordering information independently, that is, in batch processing. The equipment operating status information generation unit 42 reads equipment operating status information indicating the operating status of the rented equipment at the site from the IC tag 1 of the equipment by the reader terminal 3 at the start and end of use of the equipment. It has a function to generate using code. This equipment operation status information includes information necessary for creating the operation information described with reference to FIG. 2, and the equipment operation status information of a large number of equipment is batch-processed, for example, at the end of the day. Are collectively transmitted to the central computer 3.

  The central computer 3 includes a reservation lending management unit 31, an equipment current state management unit 32, and an equipment carry-in / out management unit 33 as functions substantially constructed by a program. The reservation lending management unit 31 accesses the database unit 30 using the equipment code included in the equipment ordering information received from the field computer 4 as a search key, and checks whether the equipment with the equipment code can be rented during the reservation period. If possible, it is added to the reservation information of the database unit 30 as a new rental reservation. If the rental is impossible, the fact is notified to the field computer 4. The equipment current state management unit 32 records the operation state data of each piece of equipment included in the equipment operation state information received from the field computer 4 in the operation information of the database unit 30. The equipment current state management unit 32 extracts the operation information recorded in the database unit 30 and displays the information in a monitor in various display formats, thereby enabling easy grasp of the current state of the rented equipment.

  The equipment loading / unloading management unit 33 manages the loading / unloading of equipment in the equipment storage based on information sent from the reader terminal 2 arranged in the equipment storage. The equipment in the equipment storage is identified by the equipment code read by the reader terminal 2, and is read by the leader terminal 2 from the equipment carried in / out at the site where the equipment is rented and sent to the central computer 3. By checking the equipment code, the loading / unloading check that accompanies the accurate rental of equipment can be realized.

  As described above, information on equipment rental required by the construction site (construction company) and the rental company is stored in the database section 30 of the central computer 3 using the equipment code (a type of identification information) assigned to each equipment as a key. Has been. Accordingly, it is possible to search and extract the status of the desired equipment and display it on the monitor or print it out using the equipment code as a search key. FIG. 3 shows an example of a monitor screen that displays information about a specific equipment. This monitor screen shows the equipment code, equipment name, loan status, borrower company code, borrower company name, borrower site code, borrower site name, loan period, and the date of delivery from the storage of this equipment. The name of the person in charge of Zhou is also displayed.

The flow of various information in the rental equipment management system configured as described above will be described with reference to the chart of FIG.
First, when a rental destination (site computer 4) intends to rent equipment required at the site, the rental source (central computer 3) is accessed and rental reservation information is received (# 01). This rental reservation information is information necessary for a rental reservation, and includes a list of equipment that can be rented, an electronic order document for a rental request, and the like. The lending destination generates reservation ordering information based on the received rental reservation information and sends it to the lending source (# 02). The lending source checks the received reservation order information, generates reservation confirmation information related to the confirmed lending reservation, and sends it to the lending destination (# 03). Since the confirmed reservation information is recorded in the database unit 30, when the reserved equipment comes out, the equipment is taken out (unloaded) at the storage, and at that time, the reader terminal 2 of the lending source is used. The delivery information relating to the equipment delivered together with the equipment code read in is transferred from the reader terminal 2 to the central computer that is the lending source (# 04).

  When the equipment is transported and arrives at the rented site, the site is processed for acceptance. At that time, the equipment code read by the renter's reader terminal 2 is transferred to the field computer 4 and sent to the central computer as the renter as carry-in information regarding the equipment carried in from there (# 05). With the start of use of the rented equipment at the site of use, the equipment code is read from the IC tag of the equipment by the reader terminal 2 and transferred to the on-site computer 4 in a timely manner for the equipment that needs to create operation information. Further, it is processed as equipment operation information from the on-site computer 4 and sent to the central computer which is the lending source (# 06). When the rental period of the equipment expires, the equipment is carried out from the site of use. At that time, the equipment code of the equipment is read by the reader terminal 2 and relayed to the local computer 4 as carry-out information and sent to the central computer. (# 07). When the equipment carried out from the use site is carried into the rented storage, the equipment code of the equipment is read again by the reader terminal 2 and transferred to the central computer as warehousing (return) information (# 08). .

  As described above, the rental equipment management system according to the present invention realizes efficient management of equipment because the rental source computer and the rental destination computer exchange information on equipment rental using the identification information assigned to each rental equipment as a key. To do.

[Another embodiment]
In the embodiment described above, the reader terminal 2 and the field computer 4 arranged at the site of use are configured separately, but the reader terminal 2 and the field computer 4 can be provided by installing the network computer function in the reader terminal 2. Can also be integrated. In this configuration, various information relating to rental equipment can be transmitted directly from the reader terminal 2 to the central computer. It is also possible to place rental orders for rental equipment at the reader terminal 2. The present invention also includes such embodiments within the scope of the right.

Schematic diagram illustrating a rental equipment management system according to the present invention Schematic diagram explaining the data structure of various information related to rental equipment management The figure which shows an example of the monitor screen which displays the information regarding the specific equipment Chart showing an example of the flow of various information in the rental equipment management system

Explanation of symbols

1: IC tag (identification information recording medium)
2: Reader terminal (IC tag reader)
3: Central computer 4: Field computer 5: WAN (network)
6: LAN (network)
6a: PLC adapter (network adapter)
30: Database unit 31: Reservation / lending management unit 32: Equipment current state management unit 33: Equipment carry-in / out management unit 40: Browser unit 41: Equipment ordering information generation unit 42: Equipment operation status information generation unit

Claims (6)

An identification information recording body that is attached to the rental equipment and records the identification information of the rental equipment; an on-site computer to which the identification information read by the reader terminal from the identification information recording body of the rental equipment at the use site is transferred; and A field computer and a central computer connected to be able to transmit data through a network;
The on-site computer indicates an equipment ordering information generation unit that generates equipment ordering information including identification information of the rental equipment when the rental equipment is ordered on the site of the rental equipment, and indicates the operation status of the rented rental equipment at the site. A machine operating status information generating unit that generates equipment operating status information using identification information read by the reader terminal;
The central computer includes a reservation lending management unit that manages reservation lending of rental equipment based on the equipment ordering information received from the field computer, and a current state of rental equipment based on the equipment operation status information received from the field computer. Rental equipment management system with equipment management section for equipment management.   The central computer includes an equipment carry-in / out management unit for carrying in and carrying out the rental equipment, and the central computer is configured to manage the rental equipment from the rental equipment that is carried out from a storage site to the site for carrying-in / out management. The rental equipment management system according to claim 1, wherein the rental equipment management system reads the rental equipment identification information read by the reader terminal from the rental equipment carried into the storage from the site through a network.   The reader terminal that reads the identification information of the rental equipment at the site of use is connected to a network via a network adapter, and the identification information is transferred to the field computer together with the network address of the network adapter. The rental equipment management system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a location of the rental equipment at a use site is determined based on the network address.   The rental equipment management system according to claim 3, wherein the network adapter is a PLC (Power Line Communication) adapter and is integrated with a charging adapter of the reader terminal. For rental equipment management systems that are attached to rental equipment and connected to a local computer to which the identification information read by the reader terminal is transferred from the identification information recording body that records the identification information of the rental equipment, so that data can be transmitted through the network In the central computer
A reservation lending management unit that manages reservation lending of rental equipment based on equipment ordering information including identification information of the rental equipment generated at the time of lending order of rental equipment to the site by the on-site computer; and the reader terminal Rental equipment provided with a equipment current status management unit for managing the current status of rental equipment based on equipment operating status information indicating the operating status of the rental equipment generated on site using the read identification information Central computer for management system. In the field computer for rental equipment management system that transmits the identification information read by the reader terminal from the identification information recording body that is attached to the rental equipment and records the identification information of the rental equipment through the central computer,
The equipment ordering information generation unit that generates equipment ordering information including identification information of the rental equipment when the rental equipment is rented to the site, and the equipment operation status information indicating the operation status of the rented rental equipment at the site An equipment operating status information generating unit that generates using the identification information read by the reader terminal,
The central computer transmits the equipment ordering information to the central computer so that the central computer can manage reservation rental of rental equipment based on the equipment ordering information, and the central computer transmits the current status of rental equipment based on the equipment operating status information. An on-site computer for rental equipment management system that transmits the equipment operating status information to the central computer so that management can be performed.

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