JP2012236716A - Existence/location information management system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an existence/location information management system which allows a user to easily take out a required article or the like when necessary, and to easily arrange and store the article.SOLUTION: The existence/location information management system 1 manages the existence/location of a managed object housed in a predetermined area, and includes: an RFID tag in which area specific information has been recorded; mobile equipment which includes a communication means for communicating with the RFID tag; a database 21; and a management means 3 which is provided in the mobile equipment, and can input and output the information. The management means includes a nonexistence information recording means 24 that generates the existence/location information in which managed object specific information and the area specific information are related to each other when the managed object is taken in the predetermined area, and generates the nonexistence information of the managed object when the managed object is taken out from the predetermined area, and then records the generated information in the database through the communication means, and a retrieving means 25 that can retrieve the required information in the database.

Description

  The present invention relates to a location information management system. Specifically, the present invention relates to a location information management system that can easily search whether or not a management target is located in a predetermined area.

  For example, it is desirable to arrange items in the home so that necessary items can be taken out when necessary. However, it is troublesome to arrange and store the articles because it takes time. Also, even if the articles are well organized and stored, there are many cases in which it is impossible to remember where they are stored.

  In particular, with the aging of society, the degree of forgetfulness increases and it becomes difficult to manage things around us. Moreover, there are many cases in which goods purchased in the past are repeatedly purchased.

  In order to solve the above problems, various organizing and storing tools are provided. For example, in Patent Document 1, an article moving and storing apparatus is proposed. The article moving storage device is configured to movably attach an article storage body to an endless rail body, and to store articles such as kitchen utensils, household items, shoes, etc. separately in each article storage body. ing.

  By providing such a large storage device as described above, home articles can be efficiently organized and stored. However, it is not practical from the viewpoint of space and cost to provide a storage device as described in the above patent document in a general home.

  Further, even if various articles are sorted and stored in the storage device, it is very difficult to recognize in which storage body a required article is stored. For this reason, in order to take out a required article, it is often necessary to search all the storage bodies.

  That is, even if each article can be organized and stored by the conventional storage method, the user himself / herself needs to recognize in which storage location the specific article is stored. For this reason, it is often very difficult to completely grasp and organize all the articles in the home and take out the required articles in a short time.

  In addition, when storing an article, it is often difficult to remember in which storage location a predetermined article is stored. For this reason, the same kind of articles are often distributed and stored. As a result, it is often difficult to take out the article because it is not known in which storage location the required article is located.

  The present invention is not limited to the home, but the location information management that can easily take out necessary items when necessary by checking the location of the required items and can easily organize and store the items. A system is provided.

  The invention described in claim 1 is a location information management system for managing the location of a management target accommodated in a predetermined area, which is arranged in the predetermined area and records at least area specifying information related to the predetermined area. And a mobile device including a region identification unit capable of transmitting recorded information, a communication unit capable of communicating with the region identification unit, a database provided in the region identification unit or / and the mobile device, and a mobile device. And management means capable of inputting / outputting information recorded in the database. The management unit generates location information in which the management target specifying information and the region specifying information of the region identifying unit are associated with each other when the management target is brought into the predetermined region, and the location information recorded in the database When the management target is taken out of the predetermined area, the recording unit generates the non-existence information of the management target and records the non-location information recording unit to record in the database and the required information in the database And a search means capable of being configured.

  The type and configuration of the region according to the present invention are not particularly limited. For example, in the case of home storage, the present invention can be applied to areas where various articles such as rooms, chests, bookshelves, closets, and the like can be located. Note that the present invention is not limited to household storage, and can be applied to location searches in various areas.

  The management target is not particularly limited. For example, the present invention can be applied to all articles such as books, clothes, and shoes. Furthermore, a person such as a patient who is hospitalized in a hospital can be applied as a management target.

  Various solid identification means can be adopted as the region identification means. The area identification means may be any means as long as it can read at least written information. For example, a recording medium on which information that can be read by a mobile device, such as a barcode or a magnetic tape, is recorded. As in the invention described in claim 2, it is preferable to use an RFID tag (Radio Frequency Identification). Various tags can be adopted as the RFID tag. For example, not only a passive tag that operates using radio waves from communication means of a mobile device as an energy source, but also an active tag having a power source can be employed.

  The RFID tag employed in the present invention includes not only a narrowly defined RFID tag in which only the individual identification information of the tag is written but also a broadly defined RFID tag having a memory area that can be written and read via the communication means. It is. In addition, the external appearance form of the RFID tag is not particularly limited, and an RFID tag having various forms such as a card as well as a sticking type RFID tag can be employed.

  The recording capacity of the RFID tag is not particularly limited. For example, when the database is provided in the RFID tag, when the number of management objects located in the storage area of the home is small, an RFID tag equipped with an IC chip having a small recording capacity can be employed. On the other hand, when each floor of a building is a target area, it is preferable to employ an RFID tag equipped with an IC chip having a large storage capacity.

  At least area specifying information is written in the area identifying means such as an RFID tag. If only the area is specified, solid identification information such as a barcode can be used in correspondence with the predetermined area specifying information. In addition, when an RFID tag is adopted as a solid identification means, a database is constructed by writing information related to the area, location information, date and time of entry / exit to the area, characteristics of the management target, etc. in the RFID tag memory area. You can also.

  In the present invention, a mobile device that can communicate with the region identification means is employed. The communication means is not particularly limited. For example, when a bar code is employed as the area identification unit, the bar code information can be read by the image recognition unit. In addition, when an RFID tag is employed, radio wave communication means is employed as the communication means. For the communication with the RFID tag, one according to an international standard can be adopted, or a communication means unique to the present application can be adopted. The type of the mobile device is not particularly limited, and a mobile phone can be adopted as the mobile device as in the invention described in claim 8. A dedicated information terminal can also be employed.

  In the present invention, a database is provided in the area identification means or / and the mobile device. The database records at least location information and non-location information in which the management target specifying information and the RFID tag region specifying information are associated with each other. The form of the database is not particularly limited, and can be set according to the management target and area. For example, as in the invention described in claim 3, the predetermined area is configured as an area having a hierarchical structure, the area identifying means is arranged for each area and each hierarchy, and the database is A folder having a hierarchy corresponding to the hierarchical structure of the area can be provided.

  For example, each floor of a building is set as a first area section, each floor is provided with a predetermined area identifying means, each room of each floor is set as a second area section, each room is provided with a predetermined area identifying means, An area identifying means can be provided in each space with the storage space such as each shelf as a third area section. In this case, each of the area sections constitutes a hierarchical structure.

  On the other hand, a folder corresponding to the hierarchical structure can be provided as the database, and the entry / exit of each management target can be managed according to the area having the hierarchical structure. By adopting this configuration, management targets in a large number of areas can be managed in an integrated manner.

  In order to manage the system according to the present invention including the database, a management means is provided that is provided in the mobile device and that can generate and input / output information recorded in the database.

  The management means generates location information in which the management target specifying information and the RFID tag area specifying information are associated with each other when the management target is brought into the predetermined area, and the database via the communication means The location information recording means for recording the location information and the location information recording means for generating the location information of the management target when the management subject is taken out of the predetermined area and recording it in the database via the communication means Means. Specifically, the management means can be configured by installing a software program that operates in the mobile device.

  The location information and non-location information recorded in the database are updated via the mobile device, and whether or not a management target exists in a predetermined area is recorded. When a new management target is added, the management target is registered according to a predetermined format, and the location information and non-location information associated with the management target are stored in the communication unit via the communication means. Recorded in the database.

  The database may be provided in one of the area identification means and the mobile device, or may be provided in both the area identification means and the mobile device as in the invention described in claim 7. it can. In the case where both are provided with a database, it is preferable that an RFID tag is adopted as the area identification means, and that data recorded in the database is synchronized via the communication means. When this configuration is adopted, the location information can be managed not only by a specific mobile device but also by various mobile devices. Moreover, even if one of the databases is damaged, it can be easily restored.

  The management means includes a search means that can search for required information in the database. It is preferable that the search is configured not only to search in which area the predetermined management object is located but also to search in which area the new management object should be stored. For example, as in the invention described in claim 4, the search means lists management target specifying information related to a management target located in a predetermined area and a management target not located, and displays it on the screen of the mobile device It is preferable to provide a list-up means. As a result, it is possible to easily detect a management object and take it out from a predetermined area simply by operating the mobile device, and easily determine in which area a specific management object should be located. Can be stored. For this reason, various articles can be organized and stored very easily and reliably.

  Since the location information management system does not rely on human memory, it can be easily used by persons other than users. For this reason, even a large number of people can reliably organize and store.

  As in the invention described in claim 5, the management target specifying information can be configured to include characteristic information related to each management target.

  The characteristic information is not particularly limited. For example, when an antique such as a tea bowl, a vase, a picture, an old document, etc. is adopted as a management target, the characteristics of each management target, such as era, author, purchase date and time, can be recorded. On the other hand, the location of the management target to be extracted can be searched from the characteristic information using the management means.

  The characteristic information can be recorded in the database. By recording in the database, it is possible not only to confirm the location of the management target from the mobile device but also to use it for organizing collected materials.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, each management target is provided with individual area identification means in which management target specifying information and location information for specifying the management target are written, and each area is located within the area. An area management device is provided that can read the information written in the individual area identification means provided in the management target and record the information in the area identification means arranged in each area.

  In addition to managing the location information by the management means and the area identification means corresponding to the area, the invention described in this claim provides management of the location information by providing individual area identification means for each management target. It is. In this case, it is preferable to use an RFID tag as the individual area identification means and the area identification means.

  An area management device capable of reading the information written in the individual area identification means provided in each management object and recording the information in the area identification means provided in each area in the area in which the management object is accommodated Is provided.

  The area management device detects the individual area identification means existing in each area and reads the information written in it. And the said information is transmitted to the area | region identification means provided in the said area | region. As a result, the location information regarding the management target can be automatically written in the database provided in the area identification means of each area. Therefore, the location information management system can be automated.

  It is possible to confirm the location of a required article and the like and easily take out what is necessary when necessary, and easily organize and store the article.

It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of the location information management system which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the location information management system shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the area | region of the location information management system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of a database about the area | region shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of the location information management system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of the location information management system which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the location information management system shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present invention, the present invention is applied to a location information management system related to various articles at home. In the present embodiment, an RFID tag is used as the area identification unit.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the location information management system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of areas (area A, area B, area C) that can store various articles (10a to 10h) as management targets. The RFID tag (tag a, tag b, tag c) provided in each of the above areas and the mobile phone 2 capable of writing and reading information to and from the RFID tags a, b, c are configured.

  In the present embodiment, the region A corresponds to the living room, and articles (10a to 10c) such as glasses are located. The area B corresponds to the entrance, and shoes, umbrellas, etc. (10d, 10e) are located. Moreover, the said area | region C respond | corresponds to a kitchen and the pan and the kettle (10f-10h) are located.

  The region A, the region B, and the region C are provided with a tag a, a tag b, and a tag c, respectively. The tag is a so-called IC tag, and the individual identification information of each tag is configured to correspond to area specifying information corresponding to each area. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, each of the tags includes an information recording area, and the location information and non-location information of the article (management target) are associated with the area specifying information in the database 21. To be recorded. That is, when the article is located in the area, location information regarding the article is written. In addition, in the case where the management target is to be located in the area but is not located, the absence information is written.

  Writing to each of the tags a, b, and c is performed using the mobile phone 2. That is, when each article is brought into the area, location information indicating that the article is located in the area is written by the mobile phone 2 in the database 21 of each corresponding tag a, b, c. On the other hand, when the article is taken out, absence information indicating that the article does not exist in the area is written in the tag database 21 corresponding to the area. Reading of the area information of each tag and writing of location information and the like are performed via the communication means 26 attached to the mobile phone 2. The form of the communication means is not particularly limited, and not only those used in conventional RFID tags but also unique forms of communication means can be used.

  The mobile phone 2 is provided with management means 3 for managing the location information. As the management means 3, software capable of managing the information on the article can be employed.

  The management means 3 includes a reading means 22 for reading out information of a database provided in each of the tags a, b, and c through the communication means 26, and the articles are brought into the predetermined areas A, B, and C. The location information recording means 23 for generating the location information in which the article identification information and the area identification information read by the readout means are associated with each other, and recording the location information recording means 23 in the database 21; It is configured to include absence information recording means 24 that generates absence information related to the article when it is taken out and records it in the database 21.

  In the database 21, storage areas corresponding to the articles accommodated in the respective areas are set, and the location information is written or the non-location information is written in accordance with the carry-in or take-out of the articles.

  The management means 3 is provided with search means 25. In the location information management system 1 having the above-described configuration, the search unit 25 is configured to be able to search in which area the required article is located using the management unit 3 of the mobile phone 2. ing. That is, by inputting article specifying information such as an article name into the mobile phone 2, it is possible to easily know in which area the article is located. Alternatively, a list of articles located in a predetermined area and articles not located can be displayed as a list on the screen of the mobile phone 2. For this reason, it becomes possible to quickly find and use necessary articles. In addition, since it can be easily confirmed even when the user is not present due to taking out or the like, it is possible to quickly determine that there is no need to search.

  On the other hand, it is possible to easily identify in which region a predetermined article is stored. For example, it is possible to know which storage area should be stored by inputting the article name to the mobile phone. For this reason, it becomes possible to securely store a specific article in a specific area. In addition, it is possible to easily determine in which area the newly purchased article should be stored.

  Since the location information management system 1 does not rely on human memory, it can reliably manage articles. Further, since the mobile phone 2 and the RFID tags a, b, and c can be easily configured, there is no great cost. Furthermore, it is possible to reliably manage articles and the like even in elderly households with poor memory.

  FIG. 3 shows an application of the location information management system according to the present invention when various articles are organized and stored using a four-story building as a storage area.

  The building I is provided with a tag I. In the tag I, not only information related to the storage area of the building but also information such as an address and an administrator can be written.

  Each floor (1F, 2F, 3F, 4F) of the building I is provided with a tag (tag 1, tag 2, tag 3, tag 4) in which information relating to each floor is written.

  In addition, tags (1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B) are provided in each room on each floor. At least information relating to the shelves present in each room is recorded in the tag.

  Further, each chamber is provided with a plurality of shelves (1a to 1d, 2a to 2d, 3a to 3d, 4a to 4d), and tags (tag 1a to tag 1d, tag 2a to tag) are provided on each shelf. 2d, tag 3a to tag 3d, and tag 4a to tag 4d). In each tag, information on an article accommodated in the shelf is recorded. In addition, in FIG. 3, the articles | goods accommodated in each shelf are not shown.

  When an article is brought in or taken out from each shelf on each floor of the building I, information about entering and exiting is recorded in each tag.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the storage area forms a hierarchical structure with the building I as a vertex. And the tag corresponding to each area | region of each said hierarchy is each provided.

  FIG. 4 shows a folder structure of a database used in the location information management system for building I shown in FIG. Note that the database according to the present embodiment is preferably provided in the tag I and the mobile phone.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the folder structure has a hierarchical structure with the folder I corresponding to the building I as a vertex, and the floor folders (folders 1, 2F, 3F, 4F) corresponding to each floor (1F, 2F, 3F, 4F). Room folders (tags 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B) corresponding to each room are provided under the folder 2, the folder 3, and the folder 4). In addition, shelf folders (1a to 1d, 2a to 2d, 3a to 3d, 4a to 4d) are provided for the shelves located in each room. Then, the location information of each article to be managed is written in the shelf folder.

  In the location information management system 101 shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the location area has a hierarchical structure, and the mobile device such as a mobile phone and / or the tag I of the uppermost layer has a hierarchical structure corresponding to the location area. A database including a folder is provided. For this reason, the location of an article can be reliably managed by writing the location information of a desired article in each of the folders. On the other hand, it is possible to reliably store a required article in a required area using the hierarchical structure.

  FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, an identification tag (tag a, tag b, tag c, tag d) is provided on each article to be managed (article a, article b, article c, article d).

  On the other hand, an area management device 205 capable of reading the tag information is provided in an area (room A) in which the article is stored. The area management device 205 is configured to be able to read at least information of the tags a to d located in the management area.

  Information read by the area management device 205 is configured to be recorded on a tag A provided in the room A.

  By adopting the above configuration, it is possible to reliably grasp the presence or absence of a management target that should be located in a predetermined area.

  Also, if the area has a hierarchical structure, the information of the area in the end hierarchy is automatically recorded in the tag of the hierarchy provided in the upper hierarchy, so that the location of the management target in each hierarchy is Can be reliably grasped.

  6 and 7 show a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

  In the fourth embodiment, a database is not provided for each of the tags A, B, and C arranged in each accommodation area, and only solid identification information corresponding to the area information is recorded. On the other hand, the mobile phone 302 is provided with management means 303 and a database 321.

  In the present embodiment, the reading means 322 of the management means 303 reads the individual identification information of each of the tags A, B, and C as area information via the communication means 326, and the location information associated with the article specifying information or the absence Information is generated and recorded in the database 321. That is, when each article is brought into the predetermined areas a, b, and c, location information in which the article specifying information is associated with the area specifying information read from each tag by the reading means is generated, and Location information recording means 323 for recording in the database 321 and absence information recording means 324 for generating absence information relating to the article when each article is taken out of the predetermined area and for recording in the database 321. And is configured. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  When the above configuration is adopted, tags A, B, and C in which only solid identification information is recorded are arranged in each area, while a location information management system is constructed by providing management means 303 and database 321 on the mobile phone 302 side. can do. Thereby, even when a tag provided in each accommodation area is damaged, it is only necessary to change the area specifying information, and it is possible to easily cope with it. In the case of the fourth embodiment, a barcode or the like can be employed as the area identifying means instead of the RFID tag. In this case, information such as a barcode can be read using the camera function and image recognition function of the mobile phone.

  In the above-described embodiment, the database is provided only on one of the tag and the mobile phone, but the mobile phone can be configured by providing the database on both the tag and the mobile phone and synchronizing the recording data by the communication means. Or it becomes possible to cope easily when a tag is damaged.

  The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined not by the above-mentioned meaning but by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

    It is possible to confirm the location of a required article and the like and easily take out what is necessary when necessary, and easily organize and store the article.

A area B area C area 10a article (management object)
10b Goods (managed)
10c Goods (managed)
10d Goods (managed)
10e Goods (managed)
10f Goods (managed)
10g Goods (managed)
10h Goods (managed)
a tag (RFID tag)
b Tag (RFID tag)
c Tag (RFID tag)
2 Mobile devices (cell phones)
3 Management means 21 Database 23 Location information recording means 24 Absent information recording means 25 Search means 26 Communication means

Claims (8)

A location information management system for managing the location of a management target accommodated in a predetermined area,
An area identifying means that is arranged in the predetermined area and at least area specific information relating to the predetermined area is recorded, and is capable of transmitting the recorded information;
A mobile device comprising communication means capable of communicating with the area identification means;
A database provided in the area identification means or / and the mobile device;
The mobile device is provided with a management means capable of inputting / outputting information recorded in the database,
The management means is
When the management object is brought into the predetermined area, location information recording means for associating the management object specifying information with the area specifying information of the area identifying means and recording the location information recording means in the database;
When the management target is taken out of the predetermined area, the management target non-existence information is generated and recorded in the database,
A location information management system comprising search means for searching for required information in the database.   The location information management system according to claim 1, wherein the area identification means is an RFID tag. While the predetermined area is configured as an area having a hierarchical structure, the area identifying means is arranged for each area and each hierarchy,
The location information management system according to claim 1, wherein the database includes a folder having a hierarchy corresponding to a hierarchical structure of the area.   The search unit includes a list-up unit that lists management target identification information related to a management target located in a predetermined area and a management target that is not located and displays the management target specifying information on a screen of the mobile device. 4. The location information management system according to any one of 3 above.   The location information management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the management target specifying information includes characteristic information related to each management target. Each management target is provided with individual area identification means in which management target specifying information and location information that can specify the management target are written,
Each area is provided with an area management device capable of reading the information written in the individual area identification means provided in the management target located in the area and recording the information in the area identification means arranged in each area. The location information management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.   7. The database according to claim 1, wherein the database is provided in both the area identification unit and the mobile device, and data recorded in the database is synchronized via the communication unit. Location information management system described in the section.   The location information management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.

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