ID issue management system, article information management system and ID issue management method

• US 20050231370A1
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Tagato, Hiroki
• Granted Patent: US 7,274,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader

Abstract

An ID issue management system capable of uniquely assigning and issuing an ID depending upon an article classification to a tag having an blank ID, and an article information management system and an ID issue management method capable of managing article information by issuing new IDs are provided. An ID reading and writing control server is connected to an ID issue management server via a network. An operator inputs an article classification by using an input device in the ID reading and writing control server, and places an article which becomes a subject of ID issue on an RF tag reader/writer. If it is detected that an ID is not yet issued, a new ID is received from the ID issue management server and is written. The article classification may also be specified by reading a bar code or on the basis of appearance of the article. Verification is conducted on the written ID to determine whether there is a mistake in writing.

Claims

1. An ID issue management system comprising:

article classification setting means which set an article classification serving as unit of handling, for a subject article;

ID issue means which select one unused number from among numbers assigned in advance to the article classification set by the article classification setting means, and issue a new ID having a combination of the selected number with the article classification;

tag discrimination means which determine every subject article of ID issue whether a tag having an already issued ID stored therein is attached or a tag having a blank ID is attached; and

ID writing means which write an ID issued by the ID issue means into a tag when the tag is judged by the tag discrimination means to have a blank ID.

2. The ID issue management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

ID comparison means which read out an ID written by the ID writing means, and compare the ID with an ID issued by the ID issue means to an article to which a tag storing the ID read out is attached;

verification means which verify whether ID coincidence is detected in the ID comparison means; and

lock means which lock the ID written by the ID writing means so as not to be rewritten illegally, when the verification means detect ID coincidence and verify that the ID is written correctly.

3. The ID issue management system according to claim 1, wherein the article classification setting means comprise:

a bar code reader which reads a bar code attached to an article; and

article classification discrimination means which discriminate an article classification on the basis of bar code information read by the bar code reader, an article classification being set on the basis of a result of discrimination conducted by the article classification discrimination means.

4. The ID issue management system according to claim 1, wherein the article classification setting means comprise:

image scan means which scan an image of appearance of an article; and

article classification discrimination means which discriminate an article classification on the basis of image data obtained by the image scan means, an article classification being set on the basis of a result of discrimination conducted by the article classification discrimination means.

5. An article information management system comprising:

the ID issue management system according to claim 1;

and

a management server which registers information of an article to which a tag having an ID stored therein is attached, in association with the ID, when the ID issue means have issued the ID, and manages information of the article.

6. An ID issue management method comprising:

an article classification setting step of setting an article classification serving as unit of handling, for a subject article;

an ID issue step of selecting one unused number from among numbers assigned in advance to the article classification set at the article classification setting step, and issuing a new ID having a combination of the selected number with the article classification;

a tag discrimination step of determining every subject article of ID issue whether a tag having an already issued ID stored therein is attached or a tag having a blank ID is attached; and

an ID writing step of writing an ID issued at the ID issue step into a tag when the tag is judged at the tag discrimination step to have a blank ID.

7. The ID issue management method according to claim 6, further comprising:

an ID comparison step of reading out an ID written at the ID writing step, and comparing the ID with an ID issued at the ID issue step to an article to which a tag storing the ID read out is attached;

a verification step of verifying whether ID coincidence is detected at the ID comparison step; and

a lock step of locking the ID written at the ID writing step so as not to be rewritten illegally, when ID coincidence is detected and it is verified that the ID is written correctly at the verification step.