MATERIALS LOCATION SYSTEM AND SELECTING METHOD OF MATERIALS RECEIVING LOCATIONS

• US 20070162299A1
• Filed: 01/10/2007
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi-Ge Nuclear Energy Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi-Ge Nuclear Energy Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Araki, Kenji, Ono, Satoru, Ito, Atsuko
• Application Number:
  US11/621,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20070162299A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0834 Choice of carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Working efficiency improvement of shipping and receiving operations in a materials storage location is contemplated. An optimal location is provided so as to minimize work volume in shipping operation when receiving materials control objects in a materials storage location to improve working efficiency in the materials stockroom. As means to achieve it, a location information of the materials control objects stocked in the materials storage location and vacant area where the materials control objects to be received can be stocked are calculated by use of location information of the materials control objects in the materials storage location and materials dimensions and shape information represented by the three-dimensional CAD used in design to select and decide the area to minimize work volume when shipping. Consequently, shipping operation efficiency can be improved. Further, provision of means to obtain automatically location information of the stocked materials control objects enables to obtain location information of the stocked materials control objects at a spot away from the materials storage location, and thus makes it possible to reduce traveling time of operators to the materials storage location.

Claims

1. A materials location system having an information storage device storing materials storage location information, location coordinates of stocked materials control object, and design information of materials control object and a materials location control device having a computing device, said materials location system comprising:

a materials location control device having means for calculating locations of the materials control objects stocked at the materials storage location and area and coordinates of areas where the materials control objects are not placed, from the storage location information, the location coordinates of stocked materials control object, and the design information from which dimensions and shapes of the materials control objects can be recognized.

2. The materials location system according to claim 1, wherein, said materials location control device includes means to automatically obtain the location coordinates of the materials control objects attached with a transmitter, by utilizing a base station which detects positions by transmitting and receiving radio wave in non-contact manner and the transmitter which transmits information stored in advance, as means to detect the location coordinates of the stocked materials control objects, and to automatically calculate the locations of the stocked materials control objects and area and coordinates of places where the materials control objects are not placed.

3. The materials location system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first storage device for storing information on location of the stocked materials control object and on the place where no materials control objects are placed, the information being calculated by the materials location control device;

a second storage device which stores design information from which dimensions and shapes of the materials control objects are recognized when receiving the materials control objects at the materials storage location and process information; and

a computing device.

wherein said materials control device includes means for selecting a storage location so as to minimize work volume for shipping when shipping the materials control objects.

4. The materials location system according to claim 3, further comprising:

means for selecting a storage location so as to minimize work volume for shipping when receiving the materials control objects, considering sizes of the materials control objects which arrive afterwards in the case where the materials control objects arriving afterwards have to be placed in the same area,

wherein said materials control device includes means for reserving a materials storage location so that a materials stockroom kept vacant for the materials control objects arriving afterwards is not allocated to other materials.

5. The materials location system according to claim 3, wherein said materials control device includes means for selecting a storage location in view of safety restriction condition and process information when the materials control objects are stocked in stacked manner.

6. The materials location system according to claim 3, wherein said materials control device includes means for grouping process information, areas required to stock, and materials control objects so as to minimize work volume for shipping in the case where no materials control objects placed areas are smaller than areas required to stock materials control objects to be newly received and in the case where the materials control objects to be newly received are plural.

7. The materials location system according to claim 3, wherein said materials control device includes means for indicating location coordinates of the materials control objects to be shipped at shipping operation of the materials control objects, means for calculating shipping means and a shipping sequence to minimize work volume for shipping, and means for instructing said location coordinates, calculated shipping means and shipping sequence to operators.

8. The materials location system according to claim 3, further comprising means for detecting shipping missing of the materials control objects from location coordinates of the materials control objects, information of the materials control objects to be shipped, and shipping completion information to automatically report to persons concerned, and to review transportation plan automatically.

9. The materials location system according to claim 3, further comprising means for verifying appropriateness of materials carrier, transporter, or combination of the shipped materials control objects, to automatically detect wrong shipped materials control objects different from shipping plan or arbitrary shipping of the materials control objects out of shipping schedule, and to perform automatic report to persons concerned, making use of location coordinates of the materials control objects, information of the materials control objects to be shipped, location of materials carrier and names of control trader, and shipping completion information.

10. A materials receiving location selecting method for controlling materials control objects controlled in a materials storage location, comprising:

a location detecting step for automatically obtaining location coordinates of the materials control objects attached with a transmitter by means of communication between a base station detecting location through transmitting and receiving radio wave in non-contact manner and the transmitter transmitting information stored in advance;

a location calculating step for calculating location of the materials control objects stocked in a materials storage location and area and coordinates of vacant places where no materials control objects are placed by use of storage location information, location coordinates of the stocked materials control objects and design information from which dimensions and shapes of the materials control objects can be recognized; and

an information collecting step for extracting design information of the materials control objects stocked around places where said materials control objects are not placed,

wherein receiving operation is assisted through selection of vacant place for receiving objects so as to minimize work volume for shipping operation based on volume of the materials control objects to be received hereafter and design information.