JP4319534B2 - Inventory management device for product shelves - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an inventory management device for a product shelf that manages the inventory of products placed on the product shelf using a wireless tag.

  For example, in a convenience store, a store clerk regularly looks around the store to check the number of products on the product display shelf, and replenishes them if they are short. However, in such operations that depend on store staff, the response of the store staff is delayed during times when customers are congested, etc., often resulting in lost sales opportunities due to the loss of products from the shelves.

  Therefore, conventionally, an electronic cash register is provided with storage means for storing the number of displayed items for each product, and the number of displayed items is stored as an initial value every time the product is replenished. Each time a product is registered for sale in the electronic cash register, the sales number of the product is subtracted from the corresponding display number in the storage means, and if the display number after subtraction is less than or equal to a preset value, the stock is insufficient. A technique for issuing the warning is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

A wireless tag is attached to each item displayed on the display shelf, and an antenna of the wireless tag reader is arranged on the display shelf. Then, the wireless tag reader periodically reads the wireless tag attached to each item displayed on the display shelf. An article take-out management system that determines that an article with a wireless tag is taken out of a display shelf has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 2).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 55-157061 JP 2001-22834 A

  However, in the conventional technology for managing the number of displays using an electronic cash register, even if a customer takes the product out of the display shelf, the product is displayed on the display shelf until the product is registered for sale in the electronic cash register. As a result, it was not possible to manage the inventory reduction of the product display shelf in real time.

  On the other hand, by applying a conventional article take-out management system using a wireless tag to a product display shelf, it is possible to manage the taking-out of goods from the product display shelf in real time. There was a restriction that it must be attached.

  The present invention has been made based on such circumstances, and the object of the present invention is to reduce the inventory of each product placed on the product shelf in real time without attaching a wireless tag to each product. An object of the present invention is to provide an inventory management device for merchandise shelves that can be managed easily.

  According to the present invention, a wireless tag is provided on a product shelf so that an inclination angle of the shelf with respect to a product placement surface changes in accordance with an increase or decrease in the number of stocks of products placed on the product shelf. In addition, the antenna is fixed to the product shelf so that a state in which communication with the wireless tag can be performed and a state in which communication cannot be performed are switched according to the inclination angle of the wireless tag with respect to the product placement surface. The inventory of products placed on the product shelf is managed according to the communication status of the antenna with the wireless tag.

  According to the present invention in which such measures are taken, inventory management of a merchandise shelf that can manage the inventory decrease of each merchandise placed on the merchandise shelf in real time without attaching a wireless tag to each merchandise. An apparatus can be provided.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
This embodiment is a case where the present invention is applied to an inventory management device that manages the inventory of products displayed on a product display shelf placed in a store such as a convenience store.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of the present embodiment. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a product display shelf, and reference numeral 2 denotes an inventory management terminal mainly composed of a personal computer or the like.

  The merchandise display shelf 1 is divided into a plurality of sections 3-1, 3-2, 3-3,..., 3-X. At least one section displays only one type of product, and different types of products are displayed. The product is not mixed. The product display shelf 1 is provided with a wireless tag 4 for each of the sections 3-1 to 3-X. Each wireless tag 4 is displayed with various products classified and classified for each section of the product display shelf 1 by a guide groove 71, a guide member 72, a coil spring 73, a slide wall 74, a pedestal 75 and an arm 76, which will be described later. The inclination angle of the shelf with respect to the product placement surface is changed in accordance with the increase / decrease in the number of stocks.

  The product display shelf 1 is provided with an antenna 6 of a wireless tag reader 5 that can communicate with each wireless tag 4 by non-contact communication and read identification information (ID) stored in the memory of each wireless tag 4. It has been. The antenna 6 is fixed to the merchandise display shelf 1 so as to switch between a communicable state and a communicable state for each wireless tag depending on the inclination angle of each wireless tag 4 with respect to the commodity placement surface.

  In the memory of each wireless tag 4, a shelf number (shelf No.) allocated in advance so as to be different for each of the sections 3-1 to 3-X of the commodity display shelf 1 on which the tag 4 is provided. It is set as unique identification information.

  The wireless tag reader 5 repeatedly transmits an interrogation wave from the antenna 6 at a predetermined time interval, receives a response wave from each radio tag 4 with respect to this interrogation wave by the antenna 6, and uses this response wave to the memory of each radio tag 4. The stored identification information (shelf number) is read all at once, and constitutes reading means. The identification information read by the wireless tag reader 5 is transferred to the inventory management terminal 2 via a communication line or the like.

  The inventory management terminal 2 includes a communication interface unit 21 that performs information communication with the wireless tag reader 5, a host interface unit 22 that performs information communication with an upper host device, and an inventory management table having a data structure shown in FIG. 27, a rewritable storage unit 23 for storing the current date and time, a clock unit 24 for measuring the current date and time, a display unit 25 for displaying an out-of-stock warning screen as shown in FIG. 3, and a product display shelf by predetermined program processing 1 comprises a control unit 26 that manages the inventory of each product displayed in 1 and constitutes an inventory management means. The inventory management table 27 corresponds to the shelf number assigned to each of the sections 3-1 to 3 -X of the merchandise display shelf 1 and the name of the sales floor in the store where the section is arranged, and is displayed in the section. A product name, a warning flag that is set to “1” when an out-of-stock warning is being issued for the product displayed in the section, and a time counter that counts the elapsed time during the out-of-stock warning Is stored.

  4 to 7 are schematic views showing one structural example of the product display shelf 1, FIG. 4 is a perspective view, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views when the product display shelf 1 is cut parallel to the side surface. 7 is an enlarged view of a main part. The product display shelf 1 is orthogonal to the shelf plate 11 having a mounting surface for the product 7, a pair of side plates 12 and 13 disposed on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the shelf plate 11, and the longitudinal direction of the shelf plate 11. It is formed by combining a back plate 14 disposed at the rear end portion in the direction and a top plate 15 disposed substantially parallel to the shelf plate 11 above the shelf plate 11 between the pair of side plates 12 and 13. The side facing the back plate 14 with the shelf board 11 in between is used as a product outlet. A product stopper 16 for preventing the product 7 displayed on the product display shelf 1 from dropping is provided at the lower end of the product take-out port. In the figure, only one stage of the merchandise display shelf 1 is shown, but in reality, a plurality of stages are stacked, and the lower top board 15 also serves as the upper shelf board 11.

  A plurality of guide grooves 71 are formed in parallel on the product placement surface of the shelf board 11 from the rear end portion to the front end portion, and each guide groove 71 slides back and forth along the groove. A member 72 is inserted. Coil springs 73 are attached to the rear surfaces of the guide members 72 as urging means for urging the guide members 72 toward the front end of the shelf plate 11. The biasing means is not limited to the coil spring 73, and an elastic body such as rubber may be used, for example.

  On the upper surface of each guide member 72, a slide wall 74 is attached substantially parallel to the back plate 14, and each slide wall 74 is integrated with the guide member 72 and slides back and forth on the product placement surface. It is supposed to move. And the goods 7 are arranged on the goods mounting surface between this slide wall 74 and the goods stopper 16, and are displayed back and forth.

  One end of a plate-like pedestal 75, to which the wireless tag 4 is fixed, is pivotally attached to the lower end on the back plate side of each slide wall 74. The wireless tag 4 may be affixed to one or the other surface of the pedestal, or may be embedded in the pedestal 75. One end of a pair of arms 76 is rotatably attached to both sides of the other end of each pedestal 75. The other end of each arm 76 is rotatably attached in the vicinity of the joint between the shelf plate 11 and the back plate 14.

  Therefore, when the slide wall 74 is pushed against the urging force of the coil spring 73 to the back side of the commodity display shelf 1, the pedestal 75 and each arm 76 are raised in a mountain shape as shown in FIG. The inclination angle in the rotation direction with respect to the product placing surface 4 is increased. On the contrary, when the slide wall 74 is slid to the front side of the commodity display shelf 1 by the biasing force of the coil spring 73, as shown in FIG. The inclination angle in the rotation direction with respect to the product placement surface is reduced.

  The top plate 15 is provided with the antenna 6 of the wireless tag reader 5 over almost the entire area. The antenna 6 may be disposed on the lower surface or the upper surface of the top plate 15 or may be embedded in the top plate 15. The antenna 6 corresponds to a linearly polarized wave system having directivity. In the present embodiment, the antenna 6 is disposed on the top plate 15 so as to have downward directivity, and is a shelf disposed immediately below the shelf. The communication distance is set so that the radio wave reaches the plate 11.

  Here, in order for the antenna 6 having directivity to communicate with the wireless tag 4, there is a limitation on the angle of the rotation direction of each other surface. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, when the angle of the rotation direction of the surface of the wireless tag 4 is small with respect to the surface of the antenna 6, the wireless tag is transmitted to the radio wave from the antenna 6. 4 reacts and communication between the antenna 6 and the wireless tag 4 becomes possible. As shown in (C) and (D), the rotation direction of the surface of the wireless tag 4 with respect to the surface of the antenna 6 When the angle becomes larger, the wireless tag 4 does not react to the radio wave from the antenna 6, and communication between the antenna 6 and the wireless tag 4 becomes impossible. In other words, when the antenna 6 is fixed, the wireless tag 4 is switched from a communicable state to a communicable state as the rotation angle of the wireless tag 4 with respect to the antenna surface increases. Alternatively, as the rotation angle of the wireless tag 4 with respect to the antenna surface decreases, the wireless tag 4 is switched from a state where communication is impossible to a state where communication is possible.

  In the present embodiment, since the surface of the antenna 6 and the product placement surface are substantially parallel, the slide wall 74 is pushed into the back plate 14 as shown in FIG. In a state where the tilt angle in the rotation direction with respect to the mounting surface is large, the wireless tag 4 does not react to the radio wave from the antenna 6 and cannot communicate. When the slide wall 74 gradually slides forward from this state, the inclination angle in the rotational direction with respect to the product placement surface of the wireless tag 4 gradually decreases. Therefore, when the slide wall 74 slides forward to a predetermined position, the wireless tag 4 can communicate with the radio wave from the antenna 6. The position is adjusted so that the slide wall 74 is slightly in front of the position where the slide wall 74 is slid to the maximum as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the main part of the one-second interrupt process executed by the control unit 26 of the inventory management terminal 2 according to a predetermined program. The control unit 26 measures the time counted by the clock unit 24 for one second. This process is executed every time it elapses.

  First, the control unit 26 receives data from the wireless tag reader 5 through the communication interface unit 21 as ST (step) 1. As described above, the wireless tag reader 5 reads the identification information (shelf number) stored in the memories of all the wireless tags 4 that are in communication with each other at a predetermined time interval (interval shorter than 1 second), and sends them to the inventory management terminal 2. Since the data is transferred, the control unit 26 next analyzes the received data from the wireless tag reader 5 as ST2 and determines whether or not the shelf number is included.

  Here, if the shelf number is included, the control unit 26 searches the inventory management table 27 for all the included shelf numbers as ST3 and checks the corresponding warning flag. Then, for the shelf number whose warning flag has been reset to “0” as ST4, the corresponding warning flag is set to “1” as ST5, and the shelf number whose warning flag is set to “1” is set. For ST6, the corresponding time counter is incremented by “1”. When the shelf number is not included in the received data, the control unit 26 does not execute the processes of ST3 to ST6.

  Next, the control unit 26 acquires all the shelf numbers for which the warning flag is set to “1” from the inventory management table 27 in ST7. Then, as ST8, all the obtained shelf numbers are identified as shelf numbers included in the data received this time and shelf numbers not included. For the shelf number not included in the data received this time, the corresponding warning flag is reset to “0” in ST9. In ST10, the corresponding time counter is cleared to “0”. The processing of ST9 and ST10 is not executed for the shelf number included in the data received this time.

  Thereafter, the control unit 26 creates a new out-of-stock warning screen 28 based on the data in the inventory management table 27 in ST11. That is, the product name corresponding to the shelf number for which the warning flag is set to “1”, the sales floor name, and the value of the time counter are extracted, the value of the time counter is converted into the warning elapsed time, and the product information about the out-of-stock warning. And Then, the list of near-out-of-stock warning product information is created as an out-of-stock warning screen 28 and is displayed on the display unit 25.

  In the present embodiment configured as described above, various products 7 are displayed on the product display shelf 1 while being classified into types for each of the sections 3-1 to 3-X. Specifically, the various products 7 are displayed in the front-rear direction in a space between the product stopper 16 formed by pushing the slide wall 74 into the back plate 14 side. The various products 7 are pressed against the product stopper 16 by a slide wall 74 that slides integrally with a guide member 72 biased forward by a coil spring 73.

  In the section 3-i (1 ≦ i ≦ X) where the number of the displayed products 7 is large, the slide wall 74 is pushed into the back plate 14 side, so that the wireless tag 4 attached to the pedestal 75 at the rear thereof. The angle of the rotation direction with respect to the product placement surface is large. For this reason, since the wireless tag 4 does not react to radio waves transmitted from the antenna 6 at predetermined time intervals, the wireless tag reader 5 does not read the identification information of the wireless tag 4, that is, the shelf number of the section. . Accordingly, the commodity 7 displayed in the section is managed as being out of stock shortage warning in the inventory management terminal 2 (warning flag = 0).

  Each time the product 7 is taken out from the product display shelf 1 one by one, the slide wall 74 of the section 3-j (1 ≦ j ≦ X) where the product 7 is displayed gradually slides forward. When the number of products 7 is reduced and the angle of the rotation direction of the wireless tag 4 provided in the section 3-j with respect to the product mounting surface is reduced to a predetermined angle, the wireless tag 4 reacts to the radio wave from the antenna 6. To do. As a result, the wireless tag reader 5 reads the identification information of the wireless tag 4, that is, the shelf number of the section, so that the product 7 displayed in the section can be used as a target of an out-of-stock warning in the inventory management terminal 2. Managed (warning flag = 1). The elapsed time from the occurrence of the warning is counted and managed by the time counter, and is displayed on the display unit 25 as an out-of-stock warning screen 28.

  Therefore, according to the display content of the near-stock warning screen 28, the sales chance loss due to out-of-stock can be prevented beforehand by replenishing the product in the section (sale area) where the warning is displayed. In particular, in this embodiment, since the elapsed time from the occurrence of the warning is also managed, the effect of preventing the out-of-stock can be increased by replenishing products in order starting from the time.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.
For example, although the antenna 6 is fixed to the top plate 15 in the above embodiment, the antenna 6 may be fixed to the back plate 14 as shown in FIG. In this case, when the slide wall 74 is pushed into the back plate 14 side, that is, when the product 7 is sufficiently displayed, the angle of the rotation direction of the surface of the wireless tag 4 with respect to the surface of the antenna 6 Is small, the wireless tag 4 is in a communication state. Thereafter, as the number of products 7 decreases and the slide wall 74 moves forward, the angle of the rotation direction of the surface of the wireless tag 4 with respect to the surface of the antenna 6 gradually increases. And if it becomes large to a certain fixed angle, the wireless tag 4 will be in a non-communication state. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, the control unit 26 of the inventory management terminal 2 analyzes the received data from the wireless tag reader 5 (ST2 ′), and performs the processes of ST3 to ST6 when the shelf number is not included. All the shelf numbers for which the warning flag is set to “1” are acquired, and the shelf numbers are identified as the shelf numbers included in the data received this time and the shelf numbers not included At this time (ST8 ′), each unit may be controlled so that the processes of ST9 and ST10 are executed on the shelf number included in the data received this time.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 11, it is good also as a structure where the goods 7 are pressed against the goods stopper 16 by dead weight by inclining the goods mounting surface of the shelf board 11 to the front from the back board 14 side. By doing so, even if the biasing means of the guide groove 71, the guide member 72, and the coil spring 73 is omitted, the slide wall 74 slides forward due to its own weight and presses the product 7 forward from the back plate 14 side. Therefore, real-time inventory management can be performed as in the above embodiment. Also in this case, it goes without saying that the antenna 6 may be fixed to the back plate 14.

  In addition, when the product display shelf 1 is partitioned by a partition plate for each of the sections 3-1 to 3 -X, the product placement on the shelf is changed according to the increase or decrease in the number of stocks of the products displayed on the product display shelf. By providing the wireless tag 4 so that the inclination angle with respect to the mounting surface changes in the twist direction and fixing the antenna 6 to each partition plate, the same operational effects as in the above embodiment can be obtained.

  In the embodiment, the wireless tag 4 from which the shelf number as identification information is read and the wireless tag 4 from which the shelf number is not read are identified, and the out-of-stock warning screen 28 is created based on the identification result. The product inventory is managed by displaying on the display unit 25, but the product inventory may be managed by giving a warning by an output technique other than screen display, for example, audio output or print output.

Further, the content of the warning display is not limited to that shown in FIG. 3, and for example, a message such as “Caution on out of stock of product AAA” may be popped up on the display unit 25. In this case, by incorporating the function as the inventory management terminal 2 into the POS terminal, it is possible to promptly alert the store clerk at the accounting office that the stock is about to run out.
In addition to the above, the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the gist of the present invention, for example, by applying the present invention to an inventory management apparatus that manages the inventory of a product shelf in a warehouse in real time.

The system block diagram in one embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the example of 1 structure of the inventory management table in the embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the stock shortage warning screen in the embodiment. The perspective view of the goods display shelf in the embodiment. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the goods display shelf in the embodiment. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the goods display shelf in the embodiment. The principal part expansion perspective view of the goods display shelf in the embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the directivity of an antenna and the relationship between the position of a wireless tag. The flowchart which shows the principal part of the 1-second interruption process which the control part of the inventory management terminal in the embodiment performs. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the goods display shelf in other embodiment of this invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the merchandise display shelf in other embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows the principal part of the 1 second interruption process which the control part of the inventory management terminal in other embodiment shown in FIG. 10 performs.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Merchandise display shelf, 2 ... Inventory management terminal, 3-1 to 3-X ... Section, 4 ... Wireless tag, 5 ... Wireless tag reader, 6 ... Antenna, 16 ... Product stopper, 27 ... Inventory management table, 28 ... Inventory Near-cut warning screen, 71 ... guide groove, 72 ... guide member, 73 ... coil spring, 74 ... slide wall, 75 ... pedestal, 76 ... arm.

Claims (2)

As the stock quantity of the products placed on the product shelf increases, the inclination angle of the shelf with respect to the product placement surface increases in a direction approaching 90 degrees, and as the stock quantity decreases, the inclination with respect to the product placement surface A plate-like pedestal that rotates on the product placement surface so that the angle decreases in a direction approaching 0 degrees;
A wireless tag provided on this pedestal ;
An antenna fixed to a surface parallel to or perpendicular to the product placement surface of the product shelf ;
Inventory management means for managing the inventory of products placed on the product shelf depending on whether or not the wireless tag is in a state where it can communicate with the antenna ;
An inventory management device for product shelves, comprising: As the number of stocks of various products that are provided for each section of the product shelf and are classified and placed in each section increases, the inclination angle of the shelf with respect to the product placement surface increases toward 90 degrees. A plurality of plate-like pedestals that rotate on the product placement surface so that an inclination angle with respect to the product placement surface decreases toward 0 degrees as the stock quantity decreases;
A plurality of wireless tags provided on each pedestal, each storing unique identification information,
An antenna fixed to a surface parallel to or perpendicular to the product placement surface of the product shelf ;
Reading means for reading identification information from the wireless tag in communication with the antenna;
Inventory management means for discriminating between a wireless tag whose identification information has been read by this reading means and a wireless tag that has not been read, and managing the inventory of the products placed on the product shelf based on the identification result When,
An inventory management device for product shelves, comprising:

Images