INVENTORY MANAGING METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC INVENTORY RETRIEVAL AND APPARATUS THEREOF

• US 20010042059A1
• Filed: 07/14/1998
• Published: 11/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: YOSHIDA, HIROYUKI, YAMAMOTO, RIEKO, UEHARA, TADAHIRO, SAKURAI, HIROSHI
• Granted Patent: US 6,338,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

Individual attributes are designated to individual hierarchical levels of an inventory information tree stored in an inventory information tree on-memory structure storing unit. Each node that structures the inventory information tree defines at least the type of an attribute of a commodity, the value thereof, the inventory quantity of the commodity that satisfies a classification condition corresponding to the position on the tree, and the relation with another node. While an inventory retrieving unit is searching each node on the inventory information tree corresponding to a retrieving condition designated with a combination of the attribute of the commodity and the value thereof, the unit executes an inventory retrieving process for updating the inventory quantity of each node. The unit searches nodes with priority corresponding to their positions in hierarchical levels with attributes that are not included in a retrieving condition.

Claims

1. An inventory managing method for automatically performing an inventory managing process for a management object, comprising the steps of:

defining to a node that structures binary tree data to which attributes of the management object are designated to individual hierarchical levels at least the type of an attribute of the management object, the value thereof, an inventory quantity of the management object that satisfies a classification condition represented by the position of the node on the binary tree data, and the relation of a link to another node;

designating the attribute and the value of the management object as a retrieving condition when the inventory retrieving process is performed;

executing the inventory retrieving process for updating the inventory quantity of each node while searching each node on the binary tree data corresponding to the retrieving condition; and

searching each node with priority corresponding to the position of each node in hierarchical layers with attributes that are not included in the retrieving condition.

2. An inventory managing apparatus for automatically performing an inventory retrieving process for a management object, comprising:

a database table composed of records to which nodes that structure binary tree data are assigned, each of the nodes being defined with at least the type of an attribute of the management object, the value thereof, an inventory quantity of the management object that satisfies a classification condition represented by the position of the node on the binary tree data, and the relation of a link to another node; and

an inventory retrieving unit for searching each node on the binary tree data through said database table corresponding to a retrieving condition defined with a combination of the attribute and value of the management object, executing an inventory retrieving process for updating the inventory quantity of each node, and searching each node with priority corresponding to the position of each node in hierarchical levels with attributes that are not included in the retrieving condition.

3. The apparatus as set forth in

claim 2

, further comprising:

an inventory stocking unit for executing an inventory stocking process for updating the inventory quantity of each node while searching each node on the binary tree data through said data base corresponding to a stocking condition defined with a combination of the attribute and value of the management object.

4. The apparatus as set forth in

claim 2

or

3

, further comprising:

a binary tree data on-memory structure creating unit for developing the binary tree data from said database table to a memory unit,

wherein said inventory retrieving unit or said inventory stocking unit executes the inventory retrieving process or the inventory stocking process for the binary tree data developed in the memory unit.

5. The apparatus as set forth in

claim 4

,

wherein each record further comprises:

an identification information field for storing identification information having a value corresponding to the position of the node on the binary tree data, and

wherein said binary tree data on-memory structure creating unit develops the binary tree data from said database table to the memory unit corresponding to the content of the identification information field.

6. The apparatus as set forth in

claim 4

,

wherein each record further comprises:

a management object type field for storing the type of the management object, and

wherein said binary tree data on-memory structure creating unit develops the binary tree data for each management object type from said database table to the memory unit corresponding to the content of the management object type field.

7. The apparatus as set forth in

claim 4

,

wherein each node that structures the binary tree data developed to the memory unit has node update information that represents whether or not the inventory quantity corresponding to each node has been updated by said inventory retrieving unit or said inventory stocking unit, and

wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a database updating unit for affecting the update state of the binary tree data developed in the memory unit to said database table corresponding to the node update information.

8. A storage medium from which a computer reads a program that causes the computer to perform the functions of:

defining to a node that structures binary tree data to which attributes of the management object are designated to individual hierarchical levels at least the type of an attribute of the management object, the value thereof, an inventory quantity of the management object that satisfies a classification condition represented by the position of the node on the binary tree data, and the relation of a link to another node;

designating the attribute and the value of the management object as a retrieving condition when the inventory retrieving process is performed;

executing the inventory retrieving process for updating the inventory quantity of each node while searching each node on the binary tree data corresponding to the retrieving condition; and

searching each node with priority corresponding to the position of each node in hierarchical layers with attributes that are not included in the retrieving condition.