JP2014143593A - Article management system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an article management system capable of constructing a rack dedicated to article management by utilizing an existing article management rack without the need to newly introduce a dedicated article rack.SOLUTION: An article management system comprises: an article group formed from a plurality of articles with which passive UHF-band RFIDs are affixed on the outer surfaces thereof; a metallic article rack including a shelf board for placing the article group thereon; a leakage coaxial cable which is molded in a coil shape and placed on the shelf board in such a manner that centers of coil portions are disposed side by side substantially in one straight line, transmits an inquiry signal to the article and receives a response signal from the article-side RFID; a reflection plate disposed around the article rack for reflecting a radio wave leaked from the leakage coaxial cable; and a reader/writer device connected to the leakage coaxial cable for processing transmitted/received signals to/from the RFIDs.

Description

  The present invention relates to a product management system that can reliably verify products using RFID.

  In recent years, product management by RFID in the UHF band has been increasing, and by using a sheet-type antenna placed on a shelf, tag information affixed to the product is always read, so that product management is automatically performed without human intervention. In recent years, there have been an increasing number of examples of equipment management shelves that can be used for spare parts management, dedicated equipment such as tools, and equipment management.

Japanese Patent No. 4578284

  In the case of a product management shelf as described above, the management target is often a dedicated product or there are restrictions on the shape of the product to be handled, and in the case of product management that targets an unspecified shape or a different product every time May have been difficult to apply.

  In addition, in the management shelf corresponding to UHF band RFID, sheet type antennas and fixed antennas used for antennas are expensive, and the detection area of RFID is narrow, so a system should be constructed according to any shelf. It is difficult.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and does not introduce a new dedicated product shelf, but uses an existing product management shelf, and uses the existing product management shelf. An article management system that makes it possible to construct a product is provided.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, an article management system includes an article group comprising a plurality of articles having a passive UHF band RFID attached to an outer surface, and a shelf board on which the article group is placed. A metal product shelf having a coil shape, and placed on the shelf plate so that the center of the coil part is aligned substantially in a straight line, from the reference signal transmission to the product and the RFID on the product side A leaky coaxial cable that receives the response signal, a reflector that is disposed around the product shelf, reflects a radio wave leaking from the leaky coaxial cable, and is connected to the leaky coaxial cable, and is transmitted to and received from the RFID It comprises a reader / writer device for processing signals.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to construct a product management shelf using an existing product shelf as it is, and it is possible to automatically inspect a management target product with an RFID attached at a relatively low cost.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a product management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the wiring shape of LCX2. It is a figure which shows an example of the wiring shape of LCX2. It is a figure which shows an example of the wiring shape of LCX of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the wiring shape of LCX of 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the wiring shape of LCX of 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the wiring shape of LCX of 5th Embodiment. It is the figure which looked at the shelf board of the state which attached the reflecting plate of 6th Embodiment from the top. It is a figure which shows the principal part of the article | item management system which concerns on 7th Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

(First embodiment)
The present embodiment is an example of an article management system using UHF band passive RFID. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a product management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the product management system according to the present embodiment mainly includes a product shelf 1, a leaky coaxial cable 2, a shelf plate 3, an RFID 4, a reflector 6, a curtain 7, a reader / writer 8, an approach cable 9, It consists of a personal computer 10.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a shelf plate 3 is provided on the upper part of the product shelf 1, and a leaky coaxial cable (hereinafter abbreviated as LCX) 2 is wired.

  The supply shelf 1 is made of steel, for example, and has a resin or wooden shelf 3. In the present embodiment, the material of the shelf board 3 is preferably one that does not contain metal.

  The LCX 2 is a coaxial cable having a function of transmitting a signal and radiating a part of the signal to the outside as a radio wave. A coaxial cable is a type of electric wire that transmits electrical signals. A rod-shaped conductor is formed at the center of the wire, an insulator is formed around it, and a conductor that is knitted in a net or thin foil, and is protected outside. It is a cable made of a structure called covering. The LCX 2 is provided with slits (gap) at regular intervals outside the coaxial cable, and radio waves leak from the slits. If a leaky coaxial cable is installed, radio waves can be transmitted and received along the cable. A terminating resistor 2A is attached to one end of the LCX 2 in order to prevent unnecessary reflection of signals at the end of the cable.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the wiring shape of the LCX 2. It is important to apply radio waves exhaustively to the RFID 4 placed at an arbitrary position in the supply shelf 1 and to improve the reception sensitivity of radio waves from the RFID 4. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the coil-shaped product is arranged on the shelf board 3 so that the centers of the coil portions are aligned on a substantially straight line. At this time, a detection area with high completeness can be constructed by suppressing the coil arrangement interval to be equal to or less than the radius of the coil. Moreover, the diameter of the coil is preferably 20 to 30 cm in the case of RFID 4 in the 900 MHz band.

  Further, the wiring shape of the LCX 2 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 2, and for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the coil portions of the LCX 2 can be arranged on the same curve.

  The passive RFID 4 is an IC tag that does not contain a battery and can communicate with the LCX 2 that functions as an antenna of the reader / writer 8 at a short distance of 1 m or less.

  The product 5 is a management target in the product management system according to the present embodiment, and the RFID 4 is attached to the outer surface of the product 5.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a reflector 6 is arranged around the product shelf 1. The reflector 6 is for efficiently applying radio waves to the RFID 4 and the LCX 2 attached to the product 5. When the shelf plate 3 and the top plate of the steel product shelf 1 are non-metallic, it is preferable to attach the reflection plate 6. The reflector 6 is preferably made of aluminum, for example.

  Furthermore, a transparent curtain 7 having a function of reflecting radio waves is disposed on the front side of the shelf 1. The curtain 7 makes it easy for the user to put in and take out the article 5 and to visually check it. As the curtain 7, for example, a transparent resin made of metal in a net shape or an inexpensive aluminum vapor deposition sheet which is not transparent is suitable.

  The other end of the LCX 2 is connected to the approach cable 9 at the end of the article shelf 1 and connected to the output port of the reader / writer 8. The approach cable 9 is a coaxial cable for feeding. The reader / writer 8 reads and writes individual information stored in the RFID 4 by communication.

  The reader / writer 8 is connected to the PC 10 with a USB cable or the like, and the user can perform accurate product management by checking the individual information of the detected RFID 4 on the screen of the PC 10.

  The flow of signals from the reader / writer 8 in the article management system configured as described above is as follows. The radio wave output from the LCX 2 connected to the reader / writer 8 reaches the RFID 4, and the RFID 4 is activated by the electromotive force generated by the received radio wave and transmits the radio wave.

  In the case of this system, the radio waves that reach the RFID 4 directly from the LCX 2 are few, and in many cases, the radio waves emitted from the coiled LCX 2 are reflected by the surrounding reflector 6 and reach the RFID 4. Similarly, when the LCX 2 receives radio waves from the RFID 4, a part of the LCX 2 reaches the reflector 6. The reader / writer 8 reads the signal received by the LCX 2, the RFID 4 is detected, and the target product can be confirmed on the PC 10. By sending a signal from the reader / writer 8 at regular intervals, the product 5 in the product shelf 1 can be always inspected automatically.

  According to the first embodiment, by constructing the above-described system by combining the LCX 2 and the reflector 6, it is possible to comprehensively detect the RFID 4 in a wide area without preparing a dedicated article shelf. The management system can be easily and inexpensively constructed.

(Second Embodiment)
The second embodiment will be described below. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wiring shape of the LCX according to the second embodiment.

  In the first embodiment, the shape of the LCX2 formed into a coil shape is arranged so that the centers of the coil portions are aligned on a substantially straight line on a plane, and in the modification, the coil portions of the LCX2 are the same. Placed on the curve. In the second embodiment, the shape of the LCX 2 is formed into a coil shape as shown in FIG. 3, and the coil portions are arranged on a plane so that the circular center points of the individual coil portions are on the same circumference. Stretch and place.

  In addition, when arrange | positioning a coil on the same periphery, it is also effective to arrange | position on the one part circular arc of a periphery.

  According to the second embodiment, radio waves can be more easily diffused, and the reception sensitivity of radio waves from the RFID 4 placed at an arbitrary position can be further increased.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the wiring shape of the LCX according to the third embodiment.

  In the first embodiment, the shape of the LCX2 formed into a coil shape is arranged so that the centers of the coil portions are aligned on a substantially straight line on the plane, and in the modification, the coil portions of the LCX2 are the same. Placed on the curve. In the third embodiment, the shape of the LCX 2 is formed into a coil shape as shown in FIG. 5, and the coil portions are arranged on a plane so that the circular center points of the individual coil portions are on the same square side. Extend to position.

  In addition, when arranging a coil on the same square side, it is also effective to arrange it only in the part which a square side continues.

  According to the third embodiment, radio waves can be more easily diffused, and the reception sensitivity of radio waves from the RFID 4 placed at an arbitrary position can be further increased.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the wiring shape of the LCX according to the fourth embodiment.

  In the first embodiment, the shape of the LCX2 formed into a coil shape is arranged so that the centers of the coil portions are aligned on a substantially straight line on a plane, and in the modification, the coil portions of the LCX2 are the same. Placed on the curve. In the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the shape of the LCX 2 is formed into a coil shape, and when the circular center point of each coil portion is arranged on the side or circumference of the same figure, Two or more coils are stacked in the same position.

  According to the fourth embodiment, radio waves can be more easily diffused, and the reception sensitivity of radio waves from the RFID 4 placed at an arbitrary position can be further increased.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a fifth embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the wiring shape of the LCX in the fifth embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the shape of the LCX 2 is formed into four leaves in the manner of one stroke. Coils overlap at the base of the four leaves. If the coating of LCX2 is not so flexible, it is not easy to mold it into a small diameter circle. Further, when the diameter is increased or the small diameters are stacked several times, the cable length becomes longer and the attenuation amount increases.

  Therefore, according to the fifth embodiment, radio waves can be easily diffused with a relatively short cable length, and the reception sensitivity of radio waves from the RFID 4 placed at an arbitrary position can be further increased.

(Sixth embodiment)
Next, a sixth embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a top view of the shelf board 3 with the reflection plate of the sixth embodiment attached. In FIG. 8, for the sake of clarity, the shelf board 3 is drawn with a broken line, and no supplies are drawn.

  In the sixth embodiment, when the reflector 6 is installed around the product shelf 1, as shown in FIG. 8, bending is performed so that the outer periphery of the product shelf 1 forms an angle of 10 degrees to 25 degrees or less. Are formed continuously. If the angle of the bent portion is within the above range, the radio wave diffusibility is good.

  For example, when the size of the reflector is 900 MHz band RFID, it is effective that one side of the hypotenuse of the mountain shape is about 15 cm.

  According to the fifth embodiment, radio waves between the LCX 2 and the RFID 4 can be diffused to improve detection sensitivity.

(Seventh embodiment)
Next, a seventh embodiment will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a main part of a product management system according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 shows a main part different from the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the article 5 having the RFID 4 attached to the side surface 5 </ b> A is stacked and placed on the shelf plate 11 with a predetermined interval therebetween and facing the side surfaces 5 </ b> A. That is, the RFIDs 4 of the articles 5 facing each other are also facing each other. For example, LCX 2 formed as shown in FIG. 2 is placed in a resin bag-like folder 12 and suspended from the lower surface side of the shelf board 3. The LCX 2 placed in the folder 12 is located between the facing RFIDs 4.

  According to the seventh embodiment, since the RFID4 application position of the product 5 is opposite, the LCX2 is positioned between the product 5 group and the product 5 group, thereby reducing the influence of the metal inside the product and detecting it. Efficiency can be improved.

  Further, by providing the movement mechanism 13 that can move the position of the LCX 2 in parallel, it can be easily changed to a position corresponding to the size of the article placed on the shelf board 11, and the article shelf that does not select the type of article to be stored. Can be built.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Supply shelf 2 ... Leaky coaxial cable 2A ... Termination resistor 3 ... Shelf board 4 ... RFID
5 ... article 6 ... reflector 7 ... curtain 8 ... reader / writer 9 ... approach cable 10 ... personal computer 11 ... shelf 12 ... folder 13 ... movement mechanism

Claims (13)

A product group consisting of a plurality of products with a passive UHF band RFID attached to the outer surface;
A metal product shelf having a shelf for placing the product group;
Leakage that is formed into a coil shape and is placed on the shelf so that the center of the coil portion is aligned on a substantially straight line, and transmits a verification signal to the product and receives a response signal from the RFID on the product side Coaxial cable,
A reflector that is disposed around the product shelf and reflects radio waves leaking from the leaky coaxial cable;
A product management system comprising: a reader / writer device that is connected to the leaky coaxial cable and processes transmission / reception signals with the RFID.   The article management system according to claim 1, wherein the leakage coaxial cable has a coil arrangement interval equal to or less than a coil radius.   The article management system according to claim 1, wherein the leaky coaxial cable has coil portions arranged on the same curve.   2. The article management system according to claim 1, wherein a curtain having a function of reflecting radio waves is disposed on the front side of the article shelf.   5. The article management system according to claim 4, wherein the curtain is made of a resin in which a metal is netted.   2. The article management system according to claim 1, wherein the reflection plate is formed by continuously bending the outer circumference of the article shelf so as to form an angle of 10 degrees to 25 degrees or less.   2. The article management according to claim 1, wherein the leaky coaxial cable is placed with the coil portions extended on a plane so that the circular center points of the individual coil portions are placed on the same circumference. system.   2. The leaky coaxial cable is mounted by extending a coil part on a plane so that a circular center point of each coil part is placed on a side of the same polygon. Supplies management system.   The leaky coaxial cable has two or more coils stacked in the same position when the circular center points of the individual coil portions are arranged side by side on the side or circumference of the figure on the plane. The article management system according to claim 1.   The article management system according to claim 1, wherein the leaky coaxial cable is formed into a four-leaf shape, and a coil overlaps at a root portion of the four leaves.   The article according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the reader / writer device is connected to a personal computer via a cable and presents the detected individual information of the RFID on a screen of the personal computer. Management system. A supply shelf having a shelf plate made of a first metal, a second metal or a function of reflecting radio waves;
A passive UHF band RFID is affixed to one side of the product, and the product group loaded on the first shelf with the side surfaces facing each other,
A leaky coaxial cable that is suspended from the lower surface side of the second shelf and is located between the product groups, and that transmits a verification signal to the product and receives a response signal from the RFID on the product side;
A reflector that is disposed around the product shelf and reflects radio waves leaking from the leaky coaxial cable;
A product management system comprising: a reader / writer device that is connected to the leaky coaxial cable and processes transmission / reception signals with the RFID.   The leaky coaxial cable is suspended in a resin bag having a mechanism that can move in parallel with the second shelf surface from the lower surface side of the second shelf. Item 13. The article management system according to item 12.

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