KR20190119464A - Method and apparatus for Logistics by using reusable RFID tag - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are a logistics processing method using a reusable RFID tag and an apparatus thereof. A terminal photographs a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag having an identification code formed on a surface thereof to identify the identification code from the outside, records an index table on which cargo information to be assigned to cargo is recorded, and obtains the cargo information. Thereafter, the terminal generates mapping information by mapping the identification code of one RFID tag to the cargo information and transmits the mapping information to a logistics processing device and performs logistics processing based on the mapping information.

Description

Logistics processing method and apparatus using reusable RFID tag {Method and apparatus for Logistics by using reusable RFID tag}

The present invention relates to logistics processing, and more particularly, to a logistics processing method and apparatus using reusable radio frequency identification (RFID).

Labels printed with two-dimensional barcodes, three-dimensional barcodes, and identification codes (numbers and letters), which have been traditionally used in the logistics field, can identify cargo at low cost and control the flow of logistics. Currently, RFID technology is used in various industrial fields that require automatic identification at a short distance by using a contactless and wireless technology. RFID technology is used in various industries as well as in the logistics industry as it has a merit that it is possible to read and write information by embedding a memory inside, and to provide various application services and functions than identification technologies such as barcodes. Examples of using RFID technology include city gas inspection / reading system, construction materials monitoring, production management, logistics system, medical insurance card service, Hanwoo distribution system improvement, warehouse management system, parcel delivery solution, tire history management system, amusement park mia It is used in countless industrial sites such as prevention system, Hanwoo production history management system, product forgery prevention, and airport baggage management system. In the case of RFID tag, there are tag technologies such as 13.56Mhz, 900Mhz UHF, 2.45GHz, etc. according to the tag type and combination method for each frequency, and RFID products for each application environment are introduced and used by various companies.

Barcodes and QR (quick response) codes (two-dimensional barcodes) have limitations on the assumption that barcodes can be read at a certain distance by a dedicated barcode reader or camera for identification, but they are printed on the surface of paper or various materials. There is an advantage that almost no cost other than the cost. On the other hand, RFID has advantages in all aspects such as identification of codes at various distances in contactless and non-face-to-face environments and service implementation through its own memory. Big. RFID tags are priced differently depending on the packaging method and the quantity purchased, but cost several hundred won. This makes it difficult to apply to industrial sites. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the overall cost through the RFID recycling scheme at the application site.

In addition, there is a method using a pallet in which an RFID tag is inserted, which still has practical limitations for use in a workplace. On the actual job site, the size and shape of the cargo to be shipped varies, so it is difficult to package various cargoes with standard pallets like standard containers.

Currently, the logistics industry, such as bonded warehouses, print out tickets and attach them to cargo, manage inventory books, and record the location and quantity of inventory items by handwriting them on printed books. Status grasp, such as quantity grasp, is not automated or systemized.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for performing logistics processing by utilizing an optical character reader (OCR) technology, a radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, and an RFID tag packaging method.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a logistics processing method comprising: photographing a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag having an identification code formed on a surface thereof so as to be identified from the outside, and a questionnaire having recorded cargo information assigned to the cargo; Obtaining an identification code of the RFID tag and the cargo information from the captured image; Generating mapping information by mapping an identification code of one RFID tag to the cargo information; And transmitting the mapping information to the logistics processing apparatus so that the logistics processing is performed based on the mapping information.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, by using the RFID tag formed on the surface of the identification code to map the identification code and cargo information obtained from the RFID tag without a separate RFID reader, it is possible to facilitate the logistics business processing.

In addition, by mapping the cargo information obtained from the ticket table and the identification code of the RFID tag, it is possible to make a database of all logistics work in the warehouse, and to improve the business process in the warehouse by tracking cargo in real time. Can be.

In addition, the difficulty in applying a relatively expensive RFID tag in the logistics warehouse, such as a bonded warehouse, automated the task of mapping the RFID tag to the cargo using the RFID tag reuse and the label RFID tag, the cargo of the warehouse It can increase the efficiency of logistics warehouse and increase the real-time control effect by providing convenience of recognition.

1 is a view showing the structure of a logistics processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an exemplary view showing an RFID tag according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is an exemplary view showing cargo information according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart illustrating a logistics processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. In the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted in order to clearly describe the present invention, and like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is said to "include" a certain component, it means that it can further include other components, except to exclude other components unless specifically stated otherwise.

The expressions used in the singular herein may be interpreted in the singular or the plural, unless an explicit expression such as “one” or “single” is used.

Hereinafter, a logistics processing method and apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 is a view showing the structure of a logistics processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the logistics processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention performs a logistics process while transmitting and receiving with a terminal 2 through a network, and in particular, an RFID tag 3 attached to a cargo. Logistics processing is performed using the information obtained by photographing.

The terminal 2 acquires an identification code of the RFID tag by photographing the RFID tag 3 attached to the cargo, and the obtained identification code is mapped to the cargo information attached to the cargo and provided to the logistics processing apparatus 1.

To this end, the terminal 2 includes a photographing unit 21, an optical character reader (OCR) recognition processor 22, a mapping processor 23, and a communication unit 24.

The photographing unit 21 photographs the RFID tag 3 and the cargo information attached to the cargo.

The OCR recognition processor 22 processes an image provided from the photographing unit 21 based on OCR to obtain an identification code and cargo information of the RFID tag. The OCR recognition processor 22 performs an OCR function for obtaining information from an image in software.

The mapping processor 23 maps the identification code and cargo information of the RFID tag provided from the OCR recognition processor 22.

The communication unit 24 transmits the identification code and the cargo information of the mapped RFID tag to the logistics processing apparatus 1 through the network.

Since the terminal 2 having such a structure acquires the cargo information related to the cargo and the identification code of the RFID tag by shooting, it can also be called an OCR-based label recognition terminal, for example, a mobile smart device having a camera function ( Tablet, smartphone, etc.). The OCR recognition processing unit and the mapping processing unit of the terminal 2 may be implemented by a processor that can read a program that can be stored in a computer.

Meanwhile, the logistics processing apparatus 1 includes a communication unit 11, a logistics business processing unit 12, and a data storage unit 13.

The communication unit 11 receives information transmitted from the terminal 2 (identification code and cargo information of the mapped RFID tag) and transmits the information to the logistics service processing unit 12.

The logistics business processing unit 12 performs the logistics business processing based on the information transmitted from the communication unit 11. Specifically, the identification code and cargo information of the RFID tag from the terminal 2 transmitted through the communication unit 11 is connected to one cargo, and the information is stored in the data storage unit 13.

The data storage unit 13 stores information related to logistics processing, and stores the cargo information and the identification code of the RFID tag in correspondence with one cargo. Here, the cargo information transmitted from the terminal and the identification code of the RFID tag may be stored and managed corresponding to the serial number assigned to one cargo. In addition, the cargo may be classified by type, and the cargo information transmitted from the terminal and the identification code of the RFID tag may be stored and managed according to the number assigned according to the type.

The logistics processing apparatus 1 having such a structure may function as a logistics server that stores cargo information, and collects information of the logistics warehouse as a warehouse management system (WMS) to function as an information server supporting business processes. can do. The logistics processing unit of the logistics processing apparatus 1 may be implemented by a processor readable a program that can be stored in a computer.

2 is an exemplary view showing an RFID tag according to an embodiment of the present invention.

RFID tag 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured such that the identification code is formed on the surface of the RFID tag. As an identification code, an electronic product code (EPC) code value stored in a chip of an RFID tag may be used. For example, as shown in (a) of FIG. 2, the EPC code value may be printed on the surface of the RFID tag so as to be distinguishable, or a label on which the EPC code value is printed may be attached to the surface of the RFID tag. As the identification code EPC code value is printed on the surface of the RFID tag, the RFID tag can be identified without an RFID reader.

The identification code may have a predetermined scheme, and the scheme of the identification code does not necessarily have to be identical to the EPC scheme in the chip of the RFID tag, and a scheme conversion scheme is set between these schemes so that the EPC code value is the scheme of the identification code. And the converted value can be formed on the surface of the RFID tag so as to be identified. In this case, security benefits and ease of use can be improved. In addition to the EPC code value, other information capable of identifying the RFID tag may be used as the identification code.

In addition, to recognize the identification code formed on the surface of the RFID tag 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention and to reuse the RFID tag, the RFID tag 3 is illustrated in FIG. Likewise, the package is made of a material made of a soft material such as plastic, rubber, urethane, or the like. According to the packaging of the RFID tag, the identification code formed on the surface of the RFID tag can be identified from the outside, it can be prevented from changing according to the environment, such as snow / rain / ultraviolet rays.

The packaged RFID tag 3 is attached to the cargo, which may be attached to the cargo in the same manner as an adhesive sticker, but for fixing and recyclability, it is attached to the cargo using attachment means such as cable ties, separate clip clips, etc. Can be. Accordingly, the perforated area for hanging the cable tie and the clip clip at the end of the package of the RFID tag may be provided.

3 is an exemplary view showing cargo information according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Cargo information according to an embodiment of the present invention can be obtained from the look-up table attached to the cargo, for example, as shown in FIG. The ticket table is attached to the cargo in the logistics industry such as bonded warehouse, and as illustrated in FIG. 3, shipper, device number, B / L number, item name, quantity, weight, arrival date, import date, customs clearance date, use Includes information such as department and contact person.

In an embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the information obtained from the lookup table as illustrated in FIG. 3 may be used as cargo information, and the cargo information of the present invention is not limited thereto. In the following description, a device number is used as cargo information among pieces of information obtained by photographing a ticket.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the RFID tag 3 is provided separately from the lookup table as an identification method for recognizing the cargo together with the lookup table. An RFID tag 3 is provided with an identification code recognizably formed on the surface, and the RFID tag 3 is packaged so that the identification code can be identified and attached to the cargo. Hereinafter, the RFID tag 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be referred to as a "label RFID tag".

In the embodiment of the present invention, since the terminal 2 does not include a separate RFID HW / SW reader module, since the terminal 2 may be generally implemented as a smart device used in the market, the terminal 2 may be an alternative device capable of recognizing an RFID tag at a low cost. It can be used.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, by acquiring the cargo information attached to the cargo and the identification code of the RFID tag according to the character recognition process from the image obtained by photographing, it is possible to provide an automatic recognition function of the cargo, such as a bonded warehouse It can automate business process in real time by intelligentizing business process of logistics warehouse.

Next, a logistics processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a logistics processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In an embodiment of the present invention, when the cargo arrives in the bonded warehouse, the RFID tag is photographed together with the ticket table (S100). For example, after outputting the ticket table, the number of labels RFID tags and the ticket table by the number of cargoes are placed on a table in pallet units, and photographed using the terminal 2 which is an RFID mapping device according to an embodiment of the present invention. . If the number of cargoes is plural, plural label RFID tags should be connected to the same ticket. In this case, when the plurality of label RFID tags cannot be photographed at a time due to the limitation of the photographing area, the screen interface may be supported to photograph a plurality of times and support processing for the same index table (S110).

The terminal 2 performs OCR-based processing from at least one captured image to obtain an identification code of the cargo information and the label RFID tag from the lookup table (S120). In this case, when a plurality of label RFID tags are used, the terminal 2 maps the identification codes of the plurality of label RFID tags to the obtained cargo information. Therefore, the identification code of at least one label RFID tag is mapped to cargo information obtained from one ticket table. When there are a plurality of cargoes, not only one-to-one but also one-to-many (1-m) mapping support, it is possible to support the cargo handling process for each pallet (S130).

The terminal 2 transmits the mapping information including the cargo information and the identification code of at least one label RFID tag mapped thereto to the logistics processing apparatus 1 (S140).

On the other hand, in this example, before the look-up table and the label RFID tag is attached to the cargo, taking the look-up table and the label RFID tag to obtain the mapping information including the cargo information and at least one identification code, for example, the ticket table and / Alternatively, even after the label RFID tag is attached to the cargo, mapping information including cargo information and at least one identification code may be obtained through the above photographing process. In this case, the photographing and identification code acquisition processing of the label-specific RFID tag for each cargo can be performed through the screen interface supporting the processing for the same index.

Meanwhile, the logistics processing apparatus 1 receives the mapping information transmitted from the terminal 2 and stores the received mapping information in the data storage unit 13 (S150). The logistic processing apparatus 1 may then perform logistical business processing on the cargo to be brought in / out based on the stored mapping information. For example, when the RFID reader installed in the logistics warehouse wirelessly recognizes the label RFID tag 3 attached to the cargo, the logistics processing apparatus 1 may perform a work process by distinguishing the cargo according to the stored mapping information. have.

Specifically, when the label RFID tag 3 is attached to the cargo and the cargo passes through the gate (point) where the RFID reader in the warehouse is installed, the RFID reader installed at the gate automatically applies the label RFID tag 3 to the cargo. The identification code can be obtained from the chip of the label RFID tag 3 by recognition. An identification code obtained by the RFID reader is provided to the logistics processing apparatus 2, and the logistics processing apparatus 2 obtains relevant cargo information from the data storage unit 3 based on the identification code obtained from the RFID reader. Based on the acquired cargo information, it is possible to support the import and export of the cargo (S160, S170).

An embodiment of the present invention is not implemented only through the above-described apparatus and / or method, but may be implemented through a program for realizing a function corresponding to the configuration of the embodiment of the present invention, a recording medium on which the program is recorded, and the like. In addition, such an implementation may be easily implemented by those skilled in the art from the description of the above-described embodiments.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements of those skilled in the art using the basic concepts of the present invention defined in the following claims are also provided. It belongs to the scope of rights.

Claims (1)

Photographing, by the terminal, an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag having an identification code formed on a surface thereof so as to be identified from the outside, and a ticket table in which cargo information assigned to the cargo is recorded;
Acquiring, by the terminal, an identification code of the RFID tag and the cargo information from the captured image;
Generating, by the terminal, mapping information by mapping an identification code of one RFID tag to the cargo information; And
Transmitting, by the terminal, the mapping information to a logistics processing apparatus so that logistics processing is performed based on the mapping information;
Including, logistics processing method.

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