JP7117888B2 - Distribution management device and program - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a distribution management device and a program.

Goods collected, processed, or manufactured by producers are delivered from producers to retailers and the like through distribution channels. Since such distribution channels are generally composed of a plurality of routes (distributors), the storage environment at each distributor is an important factor in maintaining the quality of the goods. For example, perishable foods that require freshness control may be stored correctly before they are shipped from producers, but if they are not properly stored in subsequent distribution channels, the quality (freshness) will be compromised. It will arrive at the final base in a reduced state.

For this reason, conventionally, a technology has been proposed in which a tag equipped with a sensor and a memory is included in a package for fresh food, and the quality of the fresh food is determined from the history of the storage environment indicated by the data collected from the tag. ing.

However, although the conventional technology can determine the quality of an article, it is not possible to specify at which position on the distribution route the quality has deteriorated.

A problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a distribution management device and a program capable of specifying a position in a distribution route of an article where quality deterioration of the article has occurred.

A distribution management apparatus according to an embodiment includes acquisition means for acquiring state information indicating the state of the surrounding environment of the goods recorded in chronological order along the distribution route of the goods, temporal changes in the state information, and quality of the goods. and a determination means for determining whether the storage environment of the article is normal based on the conditions of the storage environment for holding the article, and if the storage environment is determined to be abnormal by the determination means, the storage environment is abnormal Identifying means for identifying, from the distribution route, the location where the abnormality in the storage environment occurred based on the date and time in the chronological order of occurrence, each route that constitutes the distribution route, and a business that is in charge of the route an output means for reading the business operator information of the route corresponding to the occurrence position specified by the specifying means from the data associated with the business operator information about the business, and outputting the information together with the information indicating the occurrence position specified by the specifying means; and the output means uses an image representing the bases of the route handled by each of the business operators and the order relationship between the bases in the distribution route, and information indicating the position of occurrence identified by the identification means is displayed at the corresponding position on the image.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of a distribution system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a server device according to the embodiment; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of article management data according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of storage condition data according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of distribution position data according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of notification setting data according to the embodiment. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a server device according to the embodiment; FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the determination unit according to the embodiment; FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a display screen output (displayed) by the output unit of the embodiment; 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the server device according to the embodiment; FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the data configuration of storage condition data according to the embodiment.

Hereinafter, a distribution management device and a program according to embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, an example in which perishables such as perishables, fresh flowers, and living things are distributed will be described, but the present invention is not limited by these embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of a distribution system 1 according to this embodiment. The distribution system 1 is for quality control of an article to be distributed (perishables B1) and for identifying the location of occurrence of quality deterioration of the article on the distribution route.

The distribution route of this embodiment is composed of a producer A1, a transport vehicle A2, a warehouse A3, and a store A4. Producer A1 is a producer such as a farm or a plant factory that collects, processes, or manufactures perishables B1. The transport vehicle A2 is a transport vehicle (transporter) that transports the perishables B1 shipped from the producer A1 to the warehouse A3. Warehouse A3 is a warehouse (storage company) that stores perishables B1 transported by transport vehicle A2. Store A4 is a store (retailer) that sells perishables B1 stored in warehouse A3.

In the distribution route of FIG. 1, perishables B1 shipped from the producer A1 are transported to the warehouse A3a by the transport vehicle A2, and then transported to the warehouse A3b via the warehouse A3a. The store A4a sells the perishables B1 stored in the warehouse A3a as merchandise, and the store A4b sells the perishables B1 stored in the warehouse A3b as merchandise. The warehouse A3 may be a warehouse or a backyard in the same facility as the store A4. Also, if warehouse A3 and store A4 are physically separated, perishables B1 stored in warehouse A3 are transported to store A4 by the same transporter as transport vehicle A2 or by a different transporter. may

In the above configuration, the sensor tag 10 is attached to the perishables B1 to be distributed. More specifically, the sensor tag 10 is attached to the perishables B1 or the container C1 containing the perishables B1. The example of FIG. 1 shows an example in which a sensor tag 10 is attached to a container C1 containing perishables B1. Note that the sensor tag 10 may be attached to the container C2 that houses (packs) the container C1.

The sensor tag 10 is an example of a measuring device. The sensor tag 10 stores information (hereinafter referred to as product information) on the fresh food B1 attached to the sensor tag 10 in a storage medium provided in the own device. The article information includes information that can identify the perishables B1, such as the item name and identifier of the perishables B1. The article information also includes an individual identifier for distinguishing the own sensor tag 10 from other sensor tags 10 . The individual identifier is information for identifying the individual of the perishables B1 when the sensor tag 10 is attached to each perishables B1. The article information may include information other than the information described above. For example, the product information may include information on traceability, such as information on the producer A1, such as a person or business who collected, processed, or manufactured the perishables B1.

Moreover, the sensor tag 10 has various sensor elements. The sensor tag 10 cooperates with the sensor element to measure the state of the surrounding environment around the device at all times or at predetermined time intervals (for example, every 5 minutes). For example, the sensor tag 10 measures temperature, humidity, illuminance, atmospheric pressure, acceleration, tilt, magnetic force, etc. as the state of the surrounding environment. The sensor tag 10 sequentially records state information in which the measurement result is associated with the date and time of measurement in a storage medium provided in the self device.

In addition, the sensor tag 10 has a functional unit such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) capable of measuring the current position (positional coordinates) of its own device. The sensor tag 10 sequentially records position information associated with the measured position coordinates of its own device and the date and time of measurement in a storage medium provided in its own device. Note that the sensor tag 10 may be configured to measure the state of the surrounding environment and the position of its own device at the same timing.

The sensor tag 10 also has a short-range wireless communication function such as RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) and Bluetooth (registered trademark). The sensor tag 10 performs short-range wireless communication with a reader device 20, which will be described later, to transmit the state information and position information recorded on the recording medium to the reader device 20 together with the article information. The sensor tag 10 may be configured to clear the existing state information and position information recorded in the storage medium along with the transmission of the state information and position information.

In addition, in this embodiment, reader devices 20 capable of short-range wireless communication with the sensor tags 10 are provided at respective positions on the distribution route. For example, in the producer A1, the reader device 20 is provided at a place where the collected, processed or manufactured perishables B1 are stored, at a gate D1 through which the perishables B1 are shipped, or the like. For example, in the transport vehicle A2, the reader device 20 is provided in the transport vehicle (container) that transports the perishables B1. For example, in the warehouse A3, the reader device 20 is provided at a gate D2 through which perishables B1 are received, and at a storage location for storing the received perishables B1. For example, in a store A4, the reader device 20 is provided on a product shelf or the like that displays perishables B1.

The reader device 20 is an example of a communication device. The reader device 20 performs short-range wireless communication with each of the sensor tags 10 within the communication range, and reads article information, status information, and position information stored (recorded) in the sensor tags 10 . The reader device 20 is connected to the network N1 via an Internet line, a mobile communication network, or the like, and is configured to be able to communicate with an external device connected to the network N1. The reader device 20 transmits article information, state information and position information read from each of the sensor tags 10 to the server device 30 connected to the network N1.

A reader identifier that can be identified from other reader devices 20 is assigned to the reader device 20 . The reader device 20 transmits a reader identifier assigned to itself when communicating with an external device (server device 30). For example, when transmitting the location information to the external device (server device 30), the reader device 20 may transmit the location information including the reader identifier assigned to the reader device 20 itself.

The timing at which the reader device 20 reads the sensor tag 10 is not particularly limited. For example, the reader device 20 may read the sensor tag 10 at predetermined time intervals. For example, the reader device 20 may read the sensor tag 10 in response to a request from the server device 30 .

The server device 30 is an example of a distribution management device. The server device 30 is provided, for example, in a data center or the like, and is connected to the network N1 via an Internet line, a mobile communication network, or the like.

The server device 30 sequentially acquires article information, state information, and position information stored (recorded) in each of the sensor tags 10 through the reader device 20 connected to the network N1. Based on the state information acquired from each sensor tag 10, the server device 30 monitors the state of the storage environment of the perishables B1 to which the sensor tag 10 is attached. Then, when the server device 30 detects an abnormality in the storage environment, the server device 30 identifies the position where the abnormal state occurs from the distribution route. The configuration of the server device 30 will be described below.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server device 30. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2 , the server device 30 includes a control section 31 , a display section 32 , an operation section 33 , a communication section 34 and a storage section 35 . These units are interconnected via a system bus 36 such as a data bus and an address bus.

The control unit 31 includes a computer configuration such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). The control unit 31 comprehensively controls the operation of the server device 30 . The ROM is a storage medium that stores various programs and data. RAM is a storage medium that temporarily stores various programs and various data.

The display unit 32 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display. The operation unit 33 is an input device such as a keyboard or pointing device. The communication unit 34 is a communication interface for connecting to the network N1.

The storage unit 35 is a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage unit 35 stores various programs executable by the control unit 31 (CPU) and various setting information. The storage unit 35 also stores various information related to display such as a map image M1 (see FIG. 9), which will be described later.

The storage unit 35 also holds article management data 351 for storing and managing article information, state information, and position information acquired from the sensor tag 10 . FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the article management data 351. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the article management data 351 associates article information (item name), state information (temperature, humidity), and position information (position) related to each individual identifier of the sensor tag 10. Remember. The state information and position information are stored in the order of measurement date and time (chronological order). In addition, in FIG. 3, the result of having measured temperature and humidity as state information is shown.

The storage unit 35 also holds storage condition data 352 in which conditions for maintaining the quality (freshness) of the perishables B1 are set. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the storage condition data 352. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the storage condition data 352 stores an optimum storage value, an allowable temperature change value, and an allowable humidity change value for each identifier (item name) of fresh food B1 in association with each other.

The storage optimum value is set to the optimum storage environment (surrounding environment) value for maintaining the quality of the perishables B1. In this embodiment, temperature and humidity are targeted as the ambient environment, so the optimum temperature (optimal storage temperature) and humidity (optimal storage humidity) for quality maintenance are set. Here, the optimum storage temperature is set to the optimum temperature for maintaining the quality of the fresh food B1. Also, the optimal humidity for storage is set to the optimal humidity for maintaining the quality of the perishables B1. Note that the optimal storage temperature and the optimal storage humidity are not limited to fixed numerical values, and numerical ranges may be set.

The allowable temperature change value is composed of an allowable temperature change range and an allowable temperature change time. In the allowable temperature change range, an upper limit value (high) and a lower limit value (low) of allowable temperature change are set with reference to the allowable optimum temperature. In the permissible temperature change time, the length of time for which the state is allowed when the temperature change permissible range is deviated is set. It should be noted that the allowable temperature change range and the allowable temperature change time are set to values that have been confirmed to prevent deterioration of quality.

The allowable humidity change value is composed of an allowable humidity change range and an allowable humidity change time. In the allowable humidity change range, an upper limit value (high) and a lower limit value (low) of allowable humidity change are set based on the allowable optimum humidity. In the permissible humidity change time, the length of time for which the state is permitted when the humidity change exceeds the permissible range is set. It should be noted that the permissible humidity change range, the permissible humidity change time and the permissible temperature change value are set to values for which it has been confirmed that quality deterioration does not occur.

The storage unit 35 also holds distribution position data 353 relating to position identification on the distribution route. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the distribution position data 353. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the distribution position data 353 includes position identifiers that identify each base and route (producer A1, transport vehicle A2, warehouses A3a and A3b, stores A4a and A4b, etc.) that make up the distribution route. , the area information and the business operator information are stored in association with each other.

Area information is information that can specify a position on a distribution route. For example, the area information can use position coordinates such as latitude and longitude and GPS coordinates that indicate the position of each route. In this case, for example, the location coordinates of the warehouse A3a are set in the area information of the warehouse A3a. Further, the area information of the transport vehicle A2 includes position coordinates indicating the route on which the transport vehicle A2 travels and position coordinates indicating the range between facilities on which the transport vehicle A2 travels. In the case where the transportation vehicle A2 transports the perishables B1 via a plurality of points, it is possible to assign a position identifier to each section of each point and store area information that can specify each section in association with each other. preferable. For example, when transport vehicle A2 transports perishables B1 to warehouse A3b via warehouse A3a, position Identifiers may be assigned separately.

Also, the area information can use the reader identifier of the reader device 20 placed on each route. In this case, for example, the area information of the producer A1 is set with the reader identifier of the reader device 20 installed in the facility of the producer A1. For example, the area information of the transportation vehicle A2 is set with the reader identifier of the reader device 20 installed on the transportation vehicle A2. For example, the area information of the store A4b is set with the reader identifier of the reader device 20 installed at the store A4b. If a plurality of reader devices 20 are installed in one facility, a position identifier may be assigned to each installation position of the reader device 20, and the reader identifier of the corresponding reader device 20 may be set as area information. good. For example, when the reader device 20 is installed on each product shelf in the store A4, a position identifier may be separately assigned to each product shelf and the corresponding reader identifier may be associated.

The business operator information includes various information about the business operator in charge of each route. For example, the business information includes information such as business name, contact information, and person in charge.

The storage unit 35 also holds notification setting data 354 in which contents to be notified about the storage environment of the perishables B1 and the like are set. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the notification setting data 354. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the notification setting data 354 stores notification conditions and notification contents in association with each identifier (item name) of fresh food B1.

The notification condition defines conditions for notification. In addition, the notification content defines the content to be notified. These notification conditions and notification contents can be set based on the setting contents of the storage condition data 352 .

In the present embodiment, for each of the storage conditions (1) to (4) described later, the fact that the determination unit 312 described later determines that the storage condition is not met is set as the notification condition. In this case, it is preferable to set the content of the notification according to the failed storage condition. For example, if the temperature is higher than the optimum temperature plus the allowable temperature range (high), and the allowable temperature change time is exceeded, the quality deterioration (deterioration of freshness) has occurred due to the temperature rise. may be set as the notification content. In addition, if the humidity is higher than the optimum humidity plus the allowable humidity range (high), and the allowable humidity change time is exceeded, the content of the notification will indicate that the freshness has deteriorated due to the increase in humidity. May be set.

Note that the notification conditions are not limited to the above conditions. For example, in the store A4, there is a case where the commodity shelf where the commodity (perishables B1) is to be displayed is determined in advance for each item name and type. In such a case, by setting the area information of the product shelf and the item name and type of the perishable product B1 displayed on the relevant product shelf in association with each other, the perishable product B1 is displayed on the non-regular product shelf. can be detected. In such a case, the notification condition is that the set of the product shelf and the perishable product B1 displayed on the product shelf is different from a predetermined set, so that the perishable product B1 is displayed on the wrong product shelf. Notification can be made on the condition that In this case, the notification content may be set to the effect that the product is displayed on the wrong product shelf.

Next, the functional configuration of the server device 30 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the server device 30. As shown in FIG. In the server device 30, the CPU of the control unit 31 executes various programs stored in the ROM and the storage unit 35 to operate the information acquisition unit 311, the determination unit 312, the identification unit 313, and the output unit 314. come true.

The information acquisition unit 311 is an example of acquisition means. The information acquisition unit 311 acquires article information, state information, and position information recorded in the sensor tag 10 via the network N1 and the reader device 20 . The information acquisition unit 311 stores the acquired article information, state information, and position information in the article management data 351 so that the article information, state information, and position information are stored in association with each individual identifier of the sensor tag 10 .

In addition, in this embodiment, since a plurality of reader devices 20 are provided, the status information and position information for the same period are obtained a plurality of times. Therefore, the information acquisition unit 311 stores new status information and location information in the article management data 351 in chronological order, for example, by sequentially storing new status information and location information after the previously acquired period.

The determination unit 312 is an example of determination means. Based on the amount of time-series change in the state information stored in the article management data 351 and the setting values stored in the storage condition data 352, the state of the storage environment of the perishables B1 is determined for each individual identifier.

Specifically, the determination unit 312 generates the following storage conditions (1) to (4) based on the setting contents of the storage condition data 352 corresponding to the item name of the product information associated with the individual identifier. Then, the determination unit 312 determines the state of the storage environment based on the generated storage conditions.

(1) Optimal temperature + allowable temperature range (high) < measured temperature (2) Optimal temperature - allowable temperature range (low) > measured temperature (3) Optimal humidity + allowable humidity range (high) < measured temperature (4) Optimal humidity - Allowable humidity range (low) > Measured temperature

Here, the storage conditions (1) to (4) are based on the settings stored in the storage condition data 352. FIG. The measured temperature indicates the temperature at each time recorded as the state information. The measured humidity indicates the humidity at each time recorded as the state information.

The determination unit 312 determines that the quality (freshness) of the fresh food B1 is in a normal state when all of the storage conditions (1) to (4) are satisfied. In addition, when any of the storage conditions (1) to (4) is not met, the determination unit 312 determines that the time (duration time) during which the failure state continues is the allowable time set in the storage condition data 352. It is determined whether or not the

For example, when either of the storage conditions (1) and (2) is not satisfied, the determination unit 312 determines whether the duration time has reached the temperature change allowable time duration time. Further, when either of the storage conditions (3) and (4) is not satisfied, the determination unit 312 determines whether or not the duration has reached the allowable humidity change time. Then, when the duration reaches the permissible time, the determination unit 312 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the storage environment, and specifies the date and time of occurrence of the abnormal state from the time series of the state information.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the determination unit 312. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 8, a graph G1 shows temporal changes in temperature (measured temperature) measured by the sensor tag 10 on the distribution route. Graph G2 shows the optimum temperature. Graph G2a shows optimum temperature+temperature tolerance range (high), and graph G2b shows optimum temperature-temperature tolerance range (low).

The determination unit 312 refers to the time-series state information (measured temperature) stored in the article management data 351 and determines whether the measured temperature is within the range of the graphs G2a and G2b. Here, when the measured temperature becomes a high temperature state exceeding the graph G2a, the determination unit 312 starts measuring the duration. For example, in FIG. 8, the measured temperature exceeds the temperature in the graph G2a at 15:30, so the identifying unit 313 starts measuring the duration at 15:30.

Then, when the measured temperature reaches the allowable temperature change time while being in a high temperature state, the determination unit 312 determines that an abnormal state has occurred, and specifies the date and time of occurrence of the abnormal state. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, if the allowable temperature change time T1 is 30 minutes, the duration reaches the allowable temperature change time at 16:00. Identifies the date and time when the condition occurred.

Note that if the measured temperature returns to the range of graphs G2a and G2b before the duration reaches the allowable temperature change time, the determination unit 312 clears the duration and stops measuring the duration. . When the temperature and humidity are discretely recorded, the determination unit 312 identifies (estimates) the date and time of occurrence of the abnormal state by performing interpolation such as linear interpolation or spline interpolation.

The identifying unit 313 is an example of identifying means. The specifying unit 313 specifies the position of occurrence of the abnormal state on the distribution route based on the occurrence date and time of the abnormal state specified by the determination unit 312 .

Specifically, the specifying unit 313 extracts the position information corresponding to the date and time specified by the determining unit 312 from the article management data 351 . For example, the specifying unit 313 extracts the location information of the date and time specified by the determining unit 312 . Further, for example, the determining unit 313 determines the date and time when the determination unit 312 started measuring the duration, or position information for a period from the date and time when the determination unit 312 starts measuring the duration until reaching the date and time specified by the determination unit 312. may be extracted.

Based on the distribution position data 353, the identification unit 313 identifies the position corresponding to the extracted position information, that is, the position on the distribution route. More specifically, the identifying unit 313 identifies area information corresponding to the position coordinates and the reader identifier included in the position information from the distribution position data 353 . The position specified by the specifying unit 313 indicates the position where the storage environment abnormality occurred on the distribution route, that is, the position where the quality deterioration of the perishables B1 occurred.

Here, the position on the distribution route may be specified using either one or both of the position coordinates and the reader identifier included in the position information. For example, when transport vehicle A2 transports perishables B1 to warehouse A3b via warehouse A3a, reader device 20 is transported together with perishables B1 (sensor tag 10). Therefore, only the position of the transport vehicle A2 on the distribution route can be identified only by the reader identifier. It is not possible to determine whether a condition has occurred. In such a case, by specifying the position on the distribution route using the position coordinates corresponding to the date and time of occurrence of the abnormal state, it is possible to determine whether the producer is on the way from the producer A1 to the warehouse A3a or from the warehouse A3a to the warehouse A3b. can be discriminated.

The output unit 314 is an example of output means. The output unit 314 outputs information based on the determination result of the determination unit 312 and the identification result of the identification unit 313 . For example, the output unit 314 displays on the display unit 32 information representing the position on the distribution route specified by the specifying unit 313 . Also, the output unit 314 reads the corresponding item name and notification contents of the notification conditions from the notification setting data 354 based on the determination result of the determination unit 312 and the notification conditions of the notification setting data 354, and displays them on the display unit 32. do.

FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a display screen output (displayed) by the output unit 314. As shown in FIG. Here, FIG. 9 shows the positions on the distribution route specified by the specifying unit 313 using images representing the positional relationship between each base constituting the distribution route. Specifically, the output unit 314 displays on the display unit 32 the map image M1 of the area including the route from the producer A1 to the store A4 (A4a, A4b). When the position on the distribution route is specified by the specifying unit 313, the output unit 314 emphasizes and displays the position (position M2 in the figure) on the map image M1 corresponding to the specified position.

Also, the output unit 314 displays various types of information in association with the highlighted position M2. For example, the output unit 314 displays the content of the notification read from the notification setting data 354 (occurrence of freshness deterioration due to temperature rise) in the message box M3 associated with the position M2. In addition, the output unit 314 reads the item information (item name) of the individual identifier determined by the determination unit 312 to be in an abnormal state from the item management data 351, and displays it in the message box M3. Further, the output unit 314 reads the business operator information (delivery company) corresponding to the position on the distribution route specified by the specifying unit 313 from the distribution position data 353, and displays it in the message box M3. The output unit 314 also displays the date and time of occurrence of the abnormal state specified by the determination unit 312 in the message box M3.

By referring to the information (display screen) output by the output unit 314, the administrator of the distribution system 1 can easily confirm at what position along the distribution route and what type of abnormal state has occurred. be able to. In addition, since the administrator of the distribution system 1 can easily confirm the business operator in charge of the position where the abnormal state has occurred based on the business operator information output by the output unit 314, it is possible to efficiently respond to the business operator. can be done systematically. In addition, since the administrator of the distribution system 1 can easily confirm the perishables B1 whose quality has deteriorated based on the article information output by the output unit 314, the perishables B1 can be dealt with efficiently. be able to. In addition, since the administrator of the distribution system 1 can easily confirm the date and time of occurrence of the abnormal state based on the date and time of occurrence output by the output unit 314, it is possible to efficiently perform the work related to specifying the date and time of occurrence. can.

Note that the form of the display screen displayed by the output unit 314 is not limited to the example in FIG. For example, the output unit 314 outputs an image representing other relationships (order relationships, etc.) between the bases that make up the distribution route, such as the producer A1, the transport vehicle A2, the warehouse A3, and the store A4 shown in FIG. may be used to indicate the position on the distribution route specified by the specifying unit 313 .

Also, the output unit 314 may output (transmit) information such as the position on the distribution route and the content of the notification to an external device connected to the network N1 via the communication unit 34 . Further, the output unit 314 may perform control to display the above display screen on the display unit of the external device connected to the network N1.

Next, referring to FIG. 10, the operation of the server device 30 described above will be described. Here, FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the server device 30. As shown in FIG. As a premise of this processing, the information acquisition unit 311 acquires the article information, state information, and position information held by the sensor tag 10 through the reader device 20 all the time or at predetermined time intervals. Also, the information acquisition unit 311 stores the acquired state information and position information in the article management data 351 in chronological order.

First, for each individual identifier stored in the article management data 351, the determination unit 312 refers to the state information associated with the individual identifier. The determination unit 312 reads various set values corresponding to the article information (item name) of the referenced state information from the storage condition data 352, and generates the storage conditions (1) to (4) described above. Next, the determination unit 312 determines whether or not the time change of the referenced state information satisfies all of the storage conditions (1) to (4) (step S11).

For an individual identifier determined to satisfy all storage conditions (step S11; Yes), the determination unit 312 continues monitoring the state information by executing step S11 again. Note that the timing of executing step S11 is not particularly limited. For example, it may be executed at predetermined time intervals or when the state information is updated.

On the other hand, if there is an individual identifier for which any of the storage conditions (1) to (4) is not satisfied (step S11; No), the determination unit 312 determines the length of time (duration) for which the unsatisfied state continues. Timing is started (step S12).

Next, the determining unit 312 refers to the item name from the item information of the item management data 351 associated with the individual identifier for which time measurement was started in step S12. The determining unit 312 reads the permissible time (permissible temperature change time or permissible humidity change time) of the failed storage condition from the storage condition data 352 of the referenced item name, and based on the permissible time, determines whether to continue counting. It is determined whether or not the time has reached the allowable time (step S13).

When it is determined in step S13 that the allowable time has not been reached (step S13; No), the determination unit 312 proceeds to step S14. Here, the determination unit 312 determines that the time change of the state information of the article management data 351 associated with the individual identifier for which time measurement is started in step S12 meets all of the storage conditions (1) to (4). (step S14).

For the individual identifier determined to satisfy all storage conditions in step S14 (step S14; Yes), the determination unit 312 clears the duration time being measured (step S15), and returns the process to step S11. For individual identifiers for which the storage condition is still unsatisfied, the determination unit 312 returns the process to step S13.

In step S13, when the duration reaches the permissible time (step S13; Yes), the determination unit 312 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the storage environment for the individual identifier to be processed. Next, the determination unit 312 identifies the occurrence date and time of the abnormal state from the time series of the corresponding state information (step S16).

Subsequently, the identifying unit 313 extracts the location information corresponding to the date and time of occurrence identified in step S16 from the article management data 351, and compares it with the area information of the distribution location data 353 to identify the abnormal state on the distribution route. is specified (step S17).

Then, the output unit 314 outputs to the display unit 32 or the like the information indicating the location of occurrence specified in step S17, the content of the notification corresponding to the failed storage condition, and the like (steps S18 and S19), and the process proceeds to step S11. Return processing.

As described above, the server device 30 can record perishables B1 in chronological order through the sensor tag 10 and the reader device 20 in a series of distribution routes from collection, processing or manufacture to sales. State information indicating the state of the surrounding environment of the object B1 is acquired. Moreover, the server device 30 determines whether the storage environment of the perishables B1 is normal based on the time change of the state information and the storage conditions for maintaining the quality of the perishables B1. In addition, when the server device 30 determines that the storage environment is abnormal, the server device 30 identifies the location of the occurrence of the abnormal state from the distribution route based on the date and time of the occurrence of the abnormal state in chronological order. Then, the server device 30 outputs information indicating the identified position of occurrence via the display unit 32 or the like.

As a result, when an abnormality occurs in the storage environment, the server device 30 can quickly detect the abnormal state and locate the position of the abnormal state on the distribution route, that is, the position where the quality deterioration of the perishables B1 has occurred. , the administrator of the distribution system 1 can be notified. In addition, the server device 30 can notify the administrator of the distribution system 1 of information such as the business operator in charge of the position where the abnormal state occurred and the name of the item in which the quality deterioration occurred. Therefore, the server device 30 can support distribution management of the perishables B1.

It should be noted that the above embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

For example, in the above embodiment, perishables B1 are targeted as goods to be distributed. Goods to be distributed may be precision instruments, medicines, arts and crafts, and the like. It should be noted that the state of the surrounding environment to be measured is preferably set according to the goods to be distributed. For example, when precision equipment is to be distributed, in addition to temperature and humidity, it may be configured to measure air pressure, acceleration, tilt, magnetic force, and the like.

In the above embodiment, the server device 30 holds the storage condition data 352, the distribution position data 353, and the notification setting data 354. A configuration in which a part or all of them are held may be adopted.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the server device 30 monitors the status information in real time has been described. good too. In this case, the reader device 20 may be configured to be installed at a base where the storage environment is determined.

Further, in the above embodiment, the temperature and humidity are set as the optimum storage values of the storage condition data 352, but other reference values may be set. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, a storage limit indicating the number of days that can be stored may be set as the optimal storage value.

Here, FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the data configuration of the storage condition data 352, showing the data configuration of the storage condition data 352a. In the figure, the storage limit defines the number of days that can be stored under the above storage conditions (1) to (4). When using the storage condition data 352a, the determination unit 312 determines whether or not the storage condition is within the storage limit in addition to the storage conditions (1) to (4) described above. Here, the earliest date and time recorded in the state information can be used as the date from which the storage limit is calculated.

Note that even when all the storage conditions (1) to (4) are satisfied, the determination unit 312 determines that the storage environment is abnormal when the storage limit is exceeded. In this case, by setting the fact that the storage limit has been exceeded as the notification condition in the notification setting data 354, and by setting the fact that the storage limit has been exceeded as the notification content, The top position can be notified to the administrator. Furthermore, by setting a notification condition such as one day before the storage limit in the notification setting data 354 and setting that the storage limit is approaching in the notification content, location can be notified to the administrator.

The program executed by the server device 30 of the above embodiment is a file in an installable format or an executable format, and can be stored on a computer such as a CD-ROM, flexible disk (FD), CD-R, DVD (Digital Versatile Disk). It is recorded on a readable recording medium and provided.

Further, the program executed by the server device 30 of the above embodiment may be stored in a computer connected to a network such as the Internet, and may be provided by being downloaded via the network. Further, the program executed by the server device 30 of the above embodiment may be configured to be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

1 distribution system 10 sensor tag 20 reader device 30 server device 311 information acquisition unit 312 determination unit 313 identification unit 314 output unit 351 article management data 352, 352a storage condition data 353 distribution position data 354 notification setting data

JP 2002-358591 A

Claims (5)

Acquisition means for acquiring state information indicating the state of the surrounding environment of the article recorded in chronological order along the distribution route of the article;
determining means for determining whether or not the storage environment of the article is normal based on the time change of the state information and the conditions of the storage environment for maintaining the quality of the article;
When the determination means determines that the storage environment is abnormal, the position of occurrence of the abnormality in the storage environment is specified on the distribution route based on the date and time in the time series when the abnormality in the storage environment occurred. specific means;
reading the business operator information of the route corresponding to the occurrence position identified by the identifying means from the data that associates each route constituting the distribution route with the business information about the business operator in charge of the route; an output means for outputting together with information indicating the occurrence position specified by
with
The output means outputs information indicating the position of occurrence specified by the specifying means using an image representing the bases on the route that each of the business operators is in charge of and the order relationship between the bases on the distribution route. A distribution management device that displays and outputs at the corresponding position on the image . 2. The acquisition means acquires the state information from a measuring device that is attached to the article or a container that stores the article and records the results of measuring the state of the surrounding environment in chronological order as the state information. The distribution management device according to . The measuring device records the results of measuring the current position on the distribution route in chronological order as position information,
The acquisition means acquires the position information from the measurement device,
3. The distribution management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said identifying means identifies said location of occurrence based on said location information corresponding to the date and time when said abnormality in said storage environment occurred. The acquisition means is provided at each position on the distribution route and acquires the state information recorded in the measuring device via a communication device capable of communicating with the measuring device,
4. The distribution management according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the identifying means identifies the position of occurrence based on the position of the measuring device used to acquire the state information corresponding to the date and time when the abnormality in the storage environment occurred. Device. The computer of the distribution management device,
Acquisition means for acquiring state information indicating the state of the surrounding environment of the article recorded in chronological order along the distribution route of the article;
determining means for determining whether or not the storage environment of the article is normal based on the time change of the state information and the conditions of the storage environment for maintaining the quality of the article;
When the determination means determines that the storage environment is abnormal, the position of occurrence of the abnormality in the storage environment is specified on the distribution route based on the date and time in the time series when the abnormality in the storage environment occurred. specific means;
reading the business operator information of the route corresponding to the occurrence position identified by the identifying means from the data that associates each route constituting the distribution route with the business information about the business operator in charge of the route; an output means for outputting together with information indicating the occurrence position specified by
to make it work ,
The output means outputs information indicating the position of occurrence specified by the specifying means using an image representing the bases on the route that each of the business operators is in charge of and the order relationship between the bases on the distribution route. A program that displays and outputs the corresponding position on the image .

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