JP7347158B2 - Inventory management system, inventory management method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an inventory management system and an inventory management method.

There is an assortment system that sorts products by destination (for example, Patent Document 1). In such an assortment system, a sorting batch number is input from a control station, and the total amount corresponding to the sorting batch number is picked and stored in a picking cart. Then, the JAN codes affixed to the products stored in the picking cart are read one by one. Every time the JAN code is read, the destination is specified in accordance with the JAN code, and the loading lamp in the frontage corresponding to this destination flashes. The person in charge of sorting checks the flashing loading lamp and puts the products into the container at the frontage corresponding to the loading lamp. As a result, the output of the electronic scale that measures the weight of the container into which the product has been placed changes, and the loading lamp also turns off accordingly.
By performing this kind of work on each picked product, it is possible to prevent mistakes in sorting by destination. Moreover, efficient picking can be performed.
As described above, a shelf having a plurality of child shelves may store products sorted by destination, but on the other hand, the shelf may also be used to store inventory.

Patent No. 5455534

However, since the above-mentioned assortment system is for sorting picked products, its purpose of use is different from that of shelves for storing inventory.
Additionally, if the pick case is placed in the frontage of the assortment system, it is possible to grasp the weight of the products in the pick case, but when the pick case is taken out from the frontage, the weight of the product can be determined just by looking at the pick case. It is not possible to determine the weight of the products in the pick case. Therefore, when trying to use the above-mentioned assortment system for inventory management, once the pick case is taken out, it is impossible to grasp the weight inside the pick case, that is, the amount of inventory.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide inventory management that allows the storage unit to keep track of the inventory even when the storage unit that stores articles is taken out from the shelf. The purpose is to provide a system and inventory management method.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention is an inventory management system including a plurality of child shelves and a plurality of storage sections that can be taken in and taken out from the child shelves and that can store articles. , the child shelf communicates with a communication destination identification unit that identifies a first communication module included in a storage unit placed in the child shelf among the plurality of storage units, and the identified first communication module. a second communication module, a weight sensor that measures the weight of the containing container, and a control unit that transmits the measurement result of the weight sensor to the identified first communication module by the second communication module; , the storage unit includes a first communication module that communicates with the second communication module, a display unit, and a control unit that displays the measurement result of the weight sensor received by the first communication module on the display unit. It has a section and a.

Further, one aspect of the present invention is an inventory management method in an inventory management system including a plurality of child shelves and a plurality of storage sections that can be taken in and out of the child shelves and can store articles, the method comprising: The communication destination identification unit of the child shelf identifies a first communication module included in the storage unit placed in the child shelf from among the plurality of storage units, and the weight sensor of the child shelf identifies the first communication module included in the storage unit placed in the child shelf. the control unit of the child shelf transmits the measurement result of the weight sensor to the identified first communication module by a second communication module, and the control unit of the storage unit transmits the measurement result of the weight sensor to the specified first communication module. In this inventory management method, a measurement result of a weight sensor received by one communication module is displayed on a display section provided in the storage section.

As explained above, according to the present invention, the weight measurement result is displayed on the display section provided on the storage section side, so even when the storage section that stores the article is taken out from the shelf. , inventory can be grasped on the storage side.

1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of an inventory management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating one section of the shelf 10. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram illustrating the configuration of an inventory management system 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of the inventory management system 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the reception list which MUC105 produces|generates. It is a figure which shows an example when information is displayed on the display part 111a. 3 is a diagram showing an example of history data stored in a storage unit 202. FIG.

Hereinafter, an inventory management system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of an inventory management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The inventory management system 1 includes a shelf 10 and a management server 20.
The shelf 10 is divided into a plurality of sections. In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the partition is a child shelf. Further, in this figure, the shelf 10 is divided into three sections in the vertical direction (height direction) and three sections in the horizontal direction (horizontal direction). Each of the compartments has a child shelf 100 and a storage section. The accommodating part may be anything that can accommodate the article, and for example, a box, a drawer, a tray, a plate, a basket, etc. can be used, but in this embodiment, a case where a casing 110 is used will be described. . The shelf 10 is provided with a plurality of child shelves 100 and a plurality of storage boxes 110. Here, the child shelf 100 and the storage box 110 located in the top compartment of the right row when viewed from the front side of the shelf 10 will be explained as an example, and the other compartments will not be described because they have the same configuration. .

The child shelf 100 has an opening through which the storage box 110 can be inserted and removed. The container box 110 is inserted into the child shelf 100 and placed on the shelf board. A front plate is provided on the front of the storage box 110, and a display 111 and a pull handle 119 are provided on this front plate.
The management server 20 communicates with a communication module (child shelf communication module) provided in each of the child shelves 100.
Such a shelf 10 can store any items, for example, Chinese herbal medicines and pharmaceuticals.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating one section of the shelf 10.
The child shelf 100 has a storage area 101 in which boxes 110 can be taken in and out from the front side. Furthermore, a weight sensor 103 is provided on the bottom portion 102 that constitutes the shelf board of the child shelf 100.
Weight sensor 103 measures the weight of an object placed on the top surface of bottom portion 102 .
When the container box 110 is inserted into the accommodation area 101, the weight sensor 103 measures the weight of the inserted container box 110. The weight sensor 103 can measure the weight of the placed box 110 because the box 110 is placed on the upper surface side of the bottom 102 when the box is stored in the storage area 101 .

The child shelf communication module 104 is provided on the bottom 102 and communicates with the box communication module 112 located within the communicable area. The communication method between the child shelf communication module 104 and the storage box communication module 112 may be wireless communication, for example, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) (Bluetooth is a registered trademark) can be used. In addition to BLE, Wi-Fi (registered trademark) may be used as an available communication method. Further, the child shelf communication module 104 functions as a central when communicating using BLE.
Further, the child shelf communication module 104 communicates with the management server 20. When communicating with the management server 20, the child shelf communication module 104 may communicate using BLE or a communication method other than BLE. For example, the child shelf communication module 104 can use any communication method among Wi-Fi (registered trademark), 4G (fourth generation mobile communication system), and the like.
Note that the child shelf communication module 104 is arranged such that the top surface of the child shelf communication module 104 and the top surface of the bottom part 102 are on the same plane or , is preferably provided at a position lower than the upper surface of the bottom portion 102.

The storage box 110 has an inner peripheral portion 110a that is a region surrounded by a front plate, two side plates, a tip plate, and a bottom plate. This inner peripheral portion 110a can accommodate articles whose inventory is to be managed.
A display 111 and a pull handle 119 are provided on the front plate of the storage box 110.
A display section 111a is provided on the front side of the display 111.
The display unit 111a displays various information such as characters and images. For this display section 111a, a display device such as electronic paper or a liquid crystal display device can be used, for example. When using electronic paper, power is displayed when the display content is rewritten, but the content displayed on the screen is maintained even without power supply, reducing maintenance such as battery replacement. be able to.

Further, the display device 111 is provided with a container communication module 112.
The container communication module 112 communicates with the child shelf communication module 104.
This box communication module 112 functions as a peripheral (also referred to as a slave) when communicating using BLE.
Although not shown, the display 111 has a built-in battery, and can be driven by power supplied from the battery.

FIG. 3 is a system configuration diagram illustrating the configuration of the inventory management system 1.
In the inventory management system 1, a shelf 10 and a management server 20 are communicably connected via a network 30. The network 30 can use a communication line that is wireless communication.
The shelf 10 includes a plurality of shelf units 10Ua, 10Ub, and 10Uc. Hereinafter, when the shelf unit 10Ua, the shelf unit 10Ub, and the shelf unit 10Uc are not particularly identified, they may be simply referred to as the shelf unit 10U.
The shelf unit 10Ua is a combination of one child shelf 100 and one container box 110 inserted into the child shelf 100, and exists in each section. Since the functions of each shelf unit 100U are similar, they may also be referred to as shelf units 10U.
The shelf unit 10Ua includes a child shelf 100 and a storage box 110.
The child shelf 100 includes a weight sensor 103, a child shelf communication module 104, and an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) 105.

《Functions of MCU105》
MCU 105 is connected to child shelf communication module 104 and weight sensor 103.
The MCU 105 controls the child shelf communication module 104 and the weight sensor 103.
《Functions when connected》
In addition, the MCU 105 has a communication destination specifying function that identifies the container communication module 112 provided in the container box 110 stored in the child shelf 100 among the plurality of container boxes 110, and the specified container communication module 112. The sub-shelf communication module 104 has a function of communicating with the sub-shelf communication module 104, and a function of transmitting the measurement result of the weight sensor 103 to the identified box communication module 112 using the sub-shelf communication module 104.

《Sleep function》
The MCU 105 also has a weight change determination function that determines whether there is a change in weight within the time period to be determined based on the measurement results of the weight sensor 103, and a function to set the child shelf communication module 104 to an operating state when there is no change in weight. It also has a child shelf communication management function that transitions from to sleep state.
Furthermore, the MCU 105 has a function of shifting to a sleep state when there is no weight change, and a function of starting up and reconnecting when it is determined that there has been a weight change in the sleep state.
《Functions when reconnecting》
Furthermore, the MUC 105 has a weight comparison function that compares the measurement result of the weight sensor 103 with a weight reference value determined according to the state in which the container box 110 is pulled out from the child shelf. This weight reference value may be any value that allows the user to know that the box 110 has been pulled out, and for example, "0 grams" may be used as the weight reference value.
The MUC 105 also has a weight determination function that determines the magnitude relationship between the measurement result of the weight sensor 103 and a weight reference value that is a value corresponding to the weight measured when the storage section is taken out from the child shelf; Based on the judgment result of the judgment function, if the measurement result of the weight sensor 103 does not exceed the weight standard value, it is connected to the box communication module 112 with which communication was performed last time, and the measurement result of the weight sensor 103 exceeds the weight standard value. If the communication module 104 exceeds the limit, the communication partner selection function selects the connection destination based on the radio field strength transmitted from the box communication module 112 located near the self-shelf communication module 104.

The container 110 includes a container communication module 112, a display section 111a, a vibration sensor 113, a memory 114, and an MCU 115. These box communication module 112, display section 111a, vibration sensor 113, memory 114, and MCU 115 may be provided inside the display 111. When these functions are provided inside the display unit 111, when adding functions to the storage box 110, if the display unit 111 is attached to each storage box 110 one by one, multiple functional parts can be attached individually. Since this is not necessary, the installation work can be simplified.

The MCU 115 is connected to the box communication module 112, the display section 111a, the vibration sensor 113, and the memory 114.
Vibration sensor 113 detects vibrations applied to container box 110. In particular, the vibration sensor 113 detects vibrations applied to the storage box 110 when the storage box 110 is inserted into or removed from the child shelf 100. When vibration is detected by the vibration sensor 113, it can be detected that the storage box 110 has been pulled out or inserted from the child shelf. A case will be described in which the vibration sensor 113 is used to detect opening/closing (insertion/removal) of the storage box 110, but other sensors may be used as long as the opening/closing can be detected. For example, a magnetic sensor or an optical sensor may be used. When using a magnetic sensor, a magnet is attached to the box, the magnetic sensor is attached to the child shelf 100, and if the magnetic sensor detects the magnetism of the magnet, it is determined that the box 110 is inserted into the child shelf 100. However, if the magnetic sensor does not detect magnetism, it may be determined that the storage box 110 has been removed from the child shelf 100.
Further, when a tray is used as the storage box 110, it may be possible to take out the item without removing or inserting the item into the child shelf 100. In such a case, if it is difficult to detect vibrations applied to the tray, the sensor detects something other than vibrations to detect whether the hand has come within a predetermined range from the tray. Good too. For example, the entire shelf 10 may be imaged with a camera, and it may be detected which tray an item is taken out or an item is put into.

In addition, when using an optical sensor to detect opening/closing, the optical sensor is attached to the child shelf 100, and when the drawer is pulled out, the optical sensor detects external light that enters the inner peripheral side of the child shelf 100. This will detect that the drawer has been pulled out. Furthermore, if the outside light no longer reaches the inner circumferential side of the child shelf 100 due to the insertion of a drawer, the optical sensor will no longer detect the light, so even if the insertion of a drawer is detected, good.

The memory 114 stores article information that is information regarding articles stored in the container box 110. For example, the memory stores the name, expiration date, etc. of the medicine (herbal medicine or medicine) placed in the container 110. The medicine placed in the container 110 is often in the form of powder, granules, etc. Further, when the medicine is a Chinese herbal medicine, the raw material of the Chinese medicine may be cut or crushed into small pieces, small lumps, etc., and may be roughly cut, medium cut, or finely chopped.
The memory 114 also stores a lower limit reference value indicating the lower limit of the weight of the medicine that can be placed in the container 110. This lower limit reference value can be used as information indicating the lower limit of the inventory amount, and when it is less than this value, it can be understood that it is better to add inventory to the storage box 110.

《Functions of MCU115》
The MCU 115 has a function of receiving information transmitted from the child shelf communication module 104 using the box communication module 112, and displaying the information on the display section 111a. The data displayed on the display section 111a is, for example, the measurement result measured by the weight sensor 103.
The MCU 115 also has a vibration change determination function that determines whether or not there is a change in vibration within the time period to be determined based on the measurement results of the vibration sensor 113. and a storage unit communication management function that transitions to a sleep state.

《Management server functions》
The management server 20 includes a communication section 201, a storage section 202, and a formulation management section 203.
The communication unit 201 communicates with each child shelf communication module 104. For example, the communication unit 201 transmits the child shelf ID for identifying the child shelf 100, the container ID for identifying the container 110, and the measurement result of the weight of the container transmitted from each of the child shelf communication modules 104. and receive.
The child shelf ID may be any information that can identify the child shelf. For example, a module identification number such as a UUID (Universally Unique IDentifier) assigned to the child shelf communication module 104 can be used as the child shelf ID. Further, the container ID may be any information that can identify the container. For example, as the container ID, a module identification number such as a UUID (Universally Unique IDentifier) assigned to the container communication module 112 can be used.

The storage unit 202 stores various information. For example, the storage unit 202 stores information received by the communication unit 201. Furthermore, the storage unit 202 includes a recipe storage unit that stores recipe information indicating the relationship between the combination of ingredients and the formula name. Furthermore, the storage unit 202 can also store the correspondence between the UUID of the child shelf communication module 104 and the UUID of the container communication module 112. In this case, the control unit of the management server 20 determines whether the combination of UUIDs of the child shelf communication module 104 and the paired box communication module 112 is correct or not based on the correspondence relationship stored in the storage unit 202. By determining whether or not they match, it is also possible to confirm whether or not they have been placed correctly in the preset location. If it is placed in the wrong place, the management server 20 sends an error message to the box communication module 112 via the child shelf communication module 104. Thereby, the MCU 115 can display an error message on the display unit 111a, and the user can understand that the combination of the child shelf 100 and the storage box 110 is not a preset combination.
The blend management unit 203 determines whether the blend of ingredients is correct based on the recipe information corresponding to the formula name input from the outside and the information received by the communication unit 201.

FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of the inventory management system 1.
Processing based on this sequence diagram is performed for each child shelf 100 among the plurality of child shelves 100.
The MCU 115 of the container box 110 reads the measurement results of the vibration sensor 113 and determines whether vibration is detected (step S101). For example, the MCU 115 obtains the measurement results of the vibration sensor 113 at regular intervals, determines the difference between the vibration value obtained this time and the vibration value obtained last time, and determines whether the difference is greater than or equal to a certain value. , if the change is greater than a predetermined value, it is determined that the change in vibration is greater than the predetermined value, and it is determined that vibration has been detected.
If the MCU 115 determines that no vibration is detected based on the vibration measurement result obtained by the vibration sensor 113 (step S101 - NO), the MCU 115 waits until a certain wait time elapses, and then waits until the wait time elapses. After elapsed, the determination in step S101 is performed again.

On the other hand, if the MCU 115 determines that vibration has been detected based on the vibration measurement result obtained by the vibration sensor 113 (step S101-YES), the MCU 115 outputs advertisement as a peripheral, that is, the MCU 115 outputs advertisement as a peripheral. An advertisement packet containing information regarding the storage box 110 is transmitted by broadcast (step S102). Here, vibrations may be detected when, for example, the user takes out medicine from the storage box 110 or puts additional medicine into the storage box 110 to increase inventory. 110 is pulled out or inserted into the child shelf 100. Advertisement output is repeatedly performed at fixed time intervals.

On the other hand, the MCU 105 of the child shelf 100 determines whether there is a change in weight based on the detection result detected by the weight sensor 103 (step S201). For example, the MCU 105 measures data at fixed time intervals (for example, every few seconds) using the weight sensor 103, and uses the difference between data indicating the latest measurement result and data indicating the previous measurement result as a reference. The presence or absence of a change in weight may be determined by determining whether or not the value is greater than or equal to a value. In this case, if the difference between the latest data and the previous data is greater than or equal to the standard value, it is determined that there has been a change in weight, and if it is less than the standard value, it is determined that there has been no change in weight. do. For example, when the box 110 placed in the child shelf 100 is pulled out, when comparing the weight before being pulled out and the weight after being pulled out, there is no change in weight because it is lighter after being pulled out. (Step S201-YES), and if the box 110 is inserted into the child shelf 100, the weight before the box is compared with the weight after the box is inserted. Since it is heavy, it is determined that there has been a change in weight. In addition, if the box 110 continues to be stored in the child shelf 100 or if the box 110 continues to be taken out, there is no change in weight or the change is within the error range. Therefore, the MCU 105 determines that there is no weight change (step S201-NO), waits until a certain wait time has elapsed, and after the wait time has elapsed, makes the determination in step S201 again.

If the MCU 105 determines that there has been a change in weight, it scans the peripherals as a central device (step S202). That is, the MCU 105 detects the container communication module 112 that exists near the own MUC 105 based on the advertisement packet transmitted from the container communication module 112. As a result of the scan, if there is a detected container communication module 112, the MUC 105 acquires the container ID of the detected container communication module 112 based on the advertisement packet, and sends a received message containing the acquired container ID. Generate a list. Here, the MCU 105 transmits the acquired box ID to the management server 20 via the child shelf communication module 104, and has the management server 20 determine whether it is the registered box ID. If the MCU 105 receives a result indicating that the storage box ID is registered from the management server 20, the MCU 105 may determine that the storage box ID is OK and proceed to the next step.
Furthermore, the MCU 105 obtains the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) indicating the strength of the radio waves received from the detected container communication module 112 for each container ID, and associates it with the container ID in the received list. memorize it.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a reception list generated by the MUC 105. The reception list is data in which box IDs and received signal strengths are associated with each other.

When the reception list is generated, the MCU 105 identifies the storage box ID with the largest received signal strength among the storage box IDs included in the reception list, and identifies the storage box to which that storage box ID is assigned. A connection request is transmitted using the communication module 112 as the communication partner (step S203).
When the MCU 115 of the storage box 110 receives the connection request transmitted from the child shelf communication module 104, it stops transmitting the advertisement packet and establishes a connection with the child shelf communication module 104 (step S103). This completes the connection process.
When the communication connection is established, the MCU 115 of the container 110 reads out the article information (medicine manufacturer name, drug name, expiration date, etc.) stored in the memory 114, and transmits the read article information to the container communication module 112. It is transmitted to the child shelf communication module 104 (step S104).

When the connection process in step S203 is completed, the MCU 105 of the child shelf 100 measures the weight using the weight sensor 103 and obtains the measurement result (step S204). When the child shelf communication module 104 receives the article information transmitted from the container communication module 112, the MCU 105 transmits the weight measurement result to the container communication module 112 (step S205).

When the MCU 115 of the container box 110 receives the weight measurement result through the container communication module 112, the MCU 115 of the container box 110 displays the received measurement result on the display unit 111a (step S105).
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of information displayed on the display unit 111a. For example, article information and weight are displayed on the display screen of the display unit 111a. For example, the article information includes the manufacturer's name of the medicine, the name of the medicine (product name), and the expiration date. Further, the weight of the medicine placed in the container 110 is displayed in the inventory display column.
Thereby, the user can easily understand the container 110, the medicine put therein, and the weight of the medicine put therein by looking at the information displayed on the display section 111a. Here, since there is a correspondence between the content displayed on the display section 111a and the container box 110 in which the display section 111a is provided, it is possible to grasp the contents from the outside without opening the container box 110 and looking at the actual article. be able to. Furthermore, since the weight of the medicine can be ascertained, the amount of items placed in the container 110 can be ascertained, so the remaining amount of medicine in the container 110 can be ascertained. Thereby, the amount of inventory in the container 110 can be easily grasped. Furthermore, even if the storage box 110 is pulled out, this information remains displayed on the display section 111a, so even if the storage box 110 is pulled out from the child shelf 100, the storage box 110 remains displayed on the display section 111a. 110, the weight can be checked.

Returning to FIG. 4, when the weight is displayed, the MCU 115 of the container box 110 determines whether the change in vibration is larger than a predetermined value based on the vibration detection result obtained from the vibration sensor 113. , it is determined whether there is a change in vibration (step S106).
If it is determined that there is no change in vibration (step S106-NO), the MCU 115 disconnects communication by disconnect processing (step S107), shifts to sleep mode (step S108), and shifts to step S101. The sleep mode is maintained until vibrations are detected in step S101, and the sleep mode is canceled when vibrations are detected. By shifting to the sleep mode in this manner, at least no communication is performed, so that the power consumption of the display 111 can be reduced.
Here, if there is no change in vibration, it can be determined that the user has not performed any operations such as pulling out or inserting the container box 110. Since communication can be disconnected, the frequency of communication can be reduced during periods when medicines are not being taken out or added to the storage box 110, and power consumption in the display section 111a can be reduced. Furthermore, by using electronic paper as the display section 111a, it is possible to maintain the display of the weight measurement result even after disconnection and without supplying power to the display section 111a. Power for display can also be reduced.

On the other hand, if it is determined that there has been a change in vibration (step S106-YES), the MCU 115 moves the process to step S102, and outputs an advertisement from the MCU 115 of the container 110 (step S102).
Here, an advertisement is output when it is determined that there is vibration, so that the communication establishment process can be performed again at the timing when the container box 110 is pulled out or inserted.

Next, after transmitting the weight data in step S205, the MCU 105 of the child shelf 100 transmits the article information received from the box communication module 112 and the measurement result measured by the weight sensor 103 to the management server 20. (Step S206). At this time, the child shelf communication module 104 transmits the child shelf ID assigned to itself and the container ID of the container communication module 112 to which it is connected.

When the management server 20 receives the article information, the measurement result of the weight sensor 103, the child shelf ID, and the box ID sent from the child shelf communication module 104, the management server 20 associates these pieces of information and stores them in the storage unit 202 as historical data. It is stored (step S301). Here, the management server 20 determines whether the child shelf ID transmitted from the child shelf communication module 104 matches the container ID stored in advance in the storage unit 202, and if stored, , it may be determined that the box is registered in the own system.
Here, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of history data stored in the storage unit 202. The storage unit 202 associates the child shelf ID, box ID, article information, and weight as history data. As a result, it is possible to grasp the correspondence between child shelves and boxes for each child shelf, and also to identify the articles placed in the boxes, as well as to know their weight.

On the other hand, in the child shelf 100, the MCU 105 determines whether it is in a disconnected state after step S206 (step S207). If the MCU 105 is not in the disconnected state (in the connected state), the MCU 105 moves to step S204 after a certain wait time has elapsed. As a result, while it is determined that there is a change in vibration on the side of the holding box 110, the holding box 110 is being pulled out and the article is being taken out (or being put in), or 110 is inserted, the weight can be measured again, and the weight data can be sent again.

On the other hand, if the device is in the disconnected state, the MCU 105 reads the measurement result of the weight sensor 103 and determines whether there is a change in weight (step S208). For example, the MCU 105 obtains the measurement results of the weight sensor 103 at regular intervals, determines the difference between the currently obtained weight value and the previously obtained weight value, and determines whether the difference is greater than or equal to a certain value. If it is less than a certain value, it is determined that there is no change in weight (step S208-NO). The MCU 105 then shifts to sleep mode (step S220), and then shifts to the process of step S201. Here, since the container box 110 is inserted into the child shelf 100 and remains stationary, it can be considered that no vibration is detected in the container box 110. Therefore, the sleep mode is maintained until a change in weight is detected in step S201. Then, when vibration is detected (for example, when the box 110 is pulled out), the sleep mode is canceled. By shifting to the sleep mode when the storage box 110 remains stationary in this way, at least no communication is performed, so power consumption in the child shelf 100 can be reduced.

On the other hand, if the difference between the currently acquired weight value and the previously acquired weight value is greater than or equal to a certain value, the MCU 105 determines that there is a change in weight (step S208 - YES), and The wireless signal of the box communication module 112 of 110 is searched again and the connection is made.
Here, when the MCU 105 reconnects to the storage box communication module 112, the condition that "connect to the storage box communication module 112 with the largest RSSI value" is set to the storage box 110 to which the display device 111 to be connected is attached. is not necessarily placed on the weight sensor 103. For example, instead of being inserted into the child shelf 100, the storage box 110 may be placed outside the shelf (for example, on a workbench near the shelf, on the floor near the shelf, etc.).

Therefore, the MCU 105 specifies the other party to reconnect by making a preferential judgment based on the following conditions. That is, the MCU 105 refers to the weight history stored in the management server 20 during the period of connection with the previous container communication module 112 (step S210), and determines that the weight has exceeded the threshold value (weight standard value). (step S211), and if the weight does not exceed the threshold (step S211-NO), determine whether the previously connected container communication module 112 is in the scan list. (step S212), and if the box communication module 112 that was connected just before is on the scan list (step S212-YES), connect to the same display unit again even if the radio waves are not the strongest (step S212-YES). S213). For example, when the box 110 is separated from the weight sensor, the weight becomes 0, so 0 is used as the threshold, and if the weight does not exceed 0 (if the current measurement result remains 0), the weight of the box 110 becomes 0. It can be seen that it has been extracted and maintained in a stationary state. Therefore, if the measurement result is 0, the MCU 105 reconnects to the box communication module 112 to which it was connected last time. Thereby, even if the storage box 110 is in a stationary state outside the child shelf 100, it can be reconnected to the storage box 110 that was inserted until just before.
Note that if the weight has exceeded the threshold in step S211 (step S211-YES), and if the weight is not on the scan list in step S212 (step S212-NO), the MCU 105 moves to step S203.

According to the embodiment described above, the amount of articles stored in the storage box can be grasped simply by looking at the display from outside the shelf, without having to pull out the storage box 110 and directly check the inside of the storage box 110. can do. Further, the name of the stored article and related information (expiration date, etc.) can also be grasped from the display contents of the display. Therefore, even if an item is stored in a box so that it cannot be seen directly, it is possible to easily know which box it is in and how much inventory remains. Also, in the management server 20, by referring to the history data stored in the storage unit 202, it is possible to grasp the inventory status of the articles stored in each box. For example, by receiving the inventory status from the management server 20 using a tablet, smartphone, or the like that can be connected to the management server 20, it is possible to grasp the inventory in real time on the tablet, smartphone, or the like.

Further, according to the embodiment described above, after transitioning to the disconnected state due to no detected change in vibration in the paired storage box, it is determined that the weight of the child shelf 100 has not changed. When a change in weight is detected, a transmission is made to the box communication module 112. As a result, since a call is made when it is determined that there has been a change in weight, the frequency of calls can be reduced, and power consumption can be reduced.

In addition, when communicating with the storage box communication module 112 again in the disconnected state, the storage box ID of the storage box communication module 112 that was connected immediately before transitioning to the disconnected state is generated at the time of communication. It is determined whether or not it is on the scan list, and if it is not on the scan list, communication is performed with any of the box communication modules 112 on the scan list. At this time, the combination of the storage box ID of the newly connected storage box communication module 112 and the connection source child shelf communication module 104, and the storage box communication module with a storage box ID that is different from the storage box ID that was connected just before. 112, it can be determined whether or not the storage box 110 has been inserted into a child shelf 100 different from the child shelf 100 into which it was inserted just before. Furthermore, even if the device is inserted into another child shelf 100, it is possible to know which child shelf 100 the device is inserted into.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the weight is displayed on the display 111 has been described, but as the article information stored in the memory 114, the lower limit reference value of the drug to be put in the container 110 is stored, and the MCU 115 However, it may be determined whether the weight to be displayed is less than the lower limit reference value, and the determination result may be displayed on the display section 111a. As a result, an alert may be displayed when the amount of medicine contained in the container 110 becomes low to a certain extent. This makes it possible to understand whether it is better to add more inventory to the container. Any value may be used as the lower limit reference value.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, since the weight is measured on the child shelf 100 side, there is no need to provide a weight sensor on the storage box 110 side, so the weight of the storage box 110 as a whole does not increase. You can do it like this. In particular, it is preferable to suppress an increase in the weight of the container 110 in terms of workability when inserting and removing the container 110.

《Application example》
In the embodiment described above, a case has been described in which the shelf 10 is used as the inventory management system 1, but the shelf 10 may be, for example, a Hyakumidansu (Hyakumidansu). In this case, different Chinese herbal medicines are placed in each drawer (box). A typical Hyakumi chest of drawers has a paper label with the name of the Chinese herbal medicine affixed to the front of the drawer.
For example, a Chinese herbalist doctor takes out herbal medicines from each drawer and weighs and adjusts them using a scale or the like, depending on the contents of the prescription. In this case, it becomes necessary to repeatedly take out the herbal medicine from the drawer until the correct amount is reached. Additionally, for Chinese herbal medicines that require moisture-proofing and light-shielding, it may not be possible to visually check the amount remaining inside the drawer with the drawer inserted, making it difficult to keep track of inventory levels in real time.

Therefore, by using the above-described inventory management system 1, a display device equipped with BLE communication and a vibration sensor is attached to a drawer instead of a label, and the name, expiration date, and weight of the herbal medicine are displayed. This allows you to check inventory even when the drawer is inserted. For Chinese herbal medicines that are prohibited from being stored as inventory in an opened state, and those that require moisture-proof and light-proof storage, there is an advantage in that the stock can be checked with the drawer inserted.
Additionally, a communication device with a weight sensor is installed at the bottom of each shelf to communicate with the management server.
When the herbal medicine is pulled out of the drawer, the display detects the vibration of the drawer and starts advertising BLE. At the same time, the weight sensor detects a change in weight, activates BLE, and searches for nearby display devices.
The communication device on the child shelf side connects with the display device that has limited advertising information. The communication device on the child shelf side sends the weighing results from the weight sensor and necessary information to the display in real time, and displays the remaining amount of herbal medicine, etc. on the display. In addition, the name of the herbal medicine, expiration date, and other necessary information stored in the display device in advance are transmitted to the communication device.
The location where the drawer is returned to the child shelf may change, but even in such cases, the location can be determined again by performing two-way communication between the display and the communication device on the child shelf side. I can do it.
In addition, when managing information with the management server, communication is performed between the communication device on the child shelf side and the management server. In addition to performing two-way communication between the display and the communication device, the necessary information communicated is sent to the management server, allowing for real-time management and confirmation of the history of taking out Chinese medicine.

Furthermore, when preparing Chinese herbal medicines, depending on the prescription, multiple drawers may be pulled out from a child shelf and arranged in a work area, and the required amount may be taken out using a spoon. In such cases, the drawer may be disconnected while being pulled out, but by performing reconnection processing, the relationship between the drawer and the child shelf to which it was inserted until just before can be changed. can be maintained.

《Other embodiments》
Furthermore, when dispensing multiple medicines such as herbal medicine according to a prescription, the management server 20 compares the prescription information with the inventory status in each drawer to ensure that the medicines are in the correct combination and quantity. Alternatively, it may be determined whether or not there is one.
In this case, recipe information stored in the storage unit 202 is used. The recipe information includes the relationship between the combination of ingredients and the formula name. The materials are medicines and Chinese herbal medicines that can be placed in the container 110. The formula name is the name of the formula created by mixing the ingredients.
The combination management unit 203 of the management server 20 determines whether the combination of ingredients is correct based on recipe information corresponding to the prescription name input from the outside and information received by the communication unit 201. To input the prescription name, for example, a touch panel is provided on the shelf 10, and the user selects the prescription name from a list via this touch panel. Then, the communication module ID and prescription name are transmitted from the communication module provided in the touch panel to the management server 20.
When receiving the prescription name, the formulation management unit 203 reads out information indicating the ingredient formulation corresponding to the received prescription name from the storage unit 202 . After that, when the history data transmitted from the child shelf communication module 104 is received, the correspondence between the received history data and the material combination is determined. For example, the formulation management unit 203 identifies the material from the article information included in the received history data. Next, the formulation management unit 203 uses the weight measurement results of the history data to determine the weight taken out of the container 110 from the weight indicated by the previous measurement result of the same container and the measurement result received this time. Then, the formulation management unit 203 determines whether or not this combination of weight and material name matches the weight and material name included as the ingredient formulation in the recipe information, and if they match, it is determined that the combination corresponds to the formulation. The determination result indicating this is transmitted to the communication module of the transmission source shelf 10. As a result, information indicating that the recipe is compatible is displayed on the touch panel. Such a determination is made every time a material is taken out from the storage box 110, and when the required amount of the necessary material has been taken out, the blend management unit 203 sends the information to the communication module of the shelf 10. As a result, information indicating that the combination is OK is displayed on the touch panel. On the other hand, if the ingredients taken out from the container 110 do not correspond to the recipe information, or if there is an excess or deficiency in weight, the formulation management unit 203 sends an error message. As a result, a formulation error is displayed on the touch panel.

In this way, since the touch panel displays whether or not the formulation is correct, it is possible to easily determine whether or not the formulation of the medicine is correct.

The MUC 105 and MCU 115 in the embodiments described above may be realized by a computer. In that case, a program for realizing this function may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the recording medium may be read into a computer system and executed. Note that the "computer system" herein includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. Furthermore, the term "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. Furthermore, a "computer-readable recording medium" refers to a storage medium that dynamically stores a program for a short period of time, such as a communication line when transmitting a program via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. It may also include a device that retains a program for a certain period of time, such as a volatile memory inside a computer system that is a server or client in that case. Further, the above-mentioned program may be one for realizing a part of the above-mentioned functions, or may be one that can realize the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system. It may be realized using a programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and includes designs within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Inventory management system, 10... Shelf, 10U, 10Ua, 10Ub, 10Uc... Shelf unit, 20... Management server, 30... Network, 100... Child shelf, 100U... Shelf unit, 101... Accommodation area, 102... Bottom, 103 ... Weight sensor, 104 ... Child shelf communication module, 110 ... Box, 110a ... Inner peripheral part, 111 ... Display device, 111a ... Display section, 112 ... Box communication module, 113 ... Vibration sensor, 114 ... Memory, 119 ... Pull , 201...Communication Department, 202...Storage Department, 203...Composition Management Department

Claims (7)

An inventory management system including a plurality of child shelves and a plurality of storage sections that can be taken in and taken out from the child shelves and can accommodate articles,
The child shelf is
a communication destination identification unit that identifies a first communication module included in a storage unit placed in a child shelf among the plurality of storage units;
a second communication module that communicates with the identified first communication module;
a weight sensor that measures the weight of the containing part;
a control unit that transmits the measurement result of the weight sensor to the identified first communication module by the second communication module;
has
The accommodating part is
a first communication module that communicates with the second communication module;
A display section;
a control unit that displays the measurement result of the weight sensor received by the first communication module on the display unit;
Inventory management system with. The child shelf is
a weight change determination unit that determines whether there is a change in weight within the time period to be determined based on the measurement result of the weight sensor;
a child shelf communication management unit that shifts the first communication module from an operating state to a sleep state when there is no weight change;
The inventory management system according to claim 1, characterized in that it has the following. The child shelf is
a weight determination unit that determines the magnitude relationship between the measurement result of the weight sensor and a weight reference value that is a value corresponding to the weight measured when the storage unit is taken out from the child shelf;
Based on the determination result of the weight determination unit, if the measurement result of the weight sensor does not exceed the weight standard value, the first communication module with which communication was previously performed is connected, and the measurement result of the weight sensor is determined to be equal to the weight standard value. Claim 2, further comprising: a communication partner selection section that selects a connection destination based on the radio wave intensity transmitted from the first communication module in the vicinity of the second communication module when the communication value exceeds the above value. Inventory management system described in. The accommodating part is
a vibration sensor that detects vibrations of the housing part;
a vibration change determination unit that determines whether there is a change in vibration within a determination target time based on a measurement result of the vibration sensor;
an accommodating communication management unit that shifts the second communication module from an operating state to a sleep state when there is no vibration change;
The inventory management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, having the following. The inventory management system further includes a management server,
The management server is
A child shelf ID for identifying the child shelf, a storage unit ID for identifying the storage unit, and a measurement result of the weight of the storage unit in a state that is transmitted from the second communication module. a receiving section for receiving;
The inventory management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a storage unit that stores the received child shelf ID, storage unit ID, and measurement result. the article is a material;
The management server is
a recipe storage unit that stores recipe information indicating a relationship between the combination of the ingredients and the formula name;
a formulation management unit that determines whether the formulation of the ingredients is correct based on recipe information corresponding to the prescription name inputted from the outside and information received by the reception unit;
The inventory management system according to claim 5, comprising: An inventory management method in an inventory management system including a plurality of child shelves and a plurality of storage sections that can be taken in and taken out from the child shelves and that can store articles, the method comprising:
The communication destination identification unit of the child shelf identifies a first communication module included in a storage unit placed in the child shelf among the plurality of storage units,
a weight sensor of the child shelf measures the weight of the placed storage section;
The control unit of the child shelf transmits the measurement result of the weight sensor to the identified first communication module by a second communication module,
An inventory management method, wherein a control unit of the storage unit displays the measurement result of the weight sensor received by the first communication module on a display unit provided in the storage unit.

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