SWITCH FUNCTION EQUIPPED TAG, TAG MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, TAG MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AND TAG MANAGEMENT METHOD

• US 20100141448A1
• Filed: 02/09/2010
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nakamura, Norihiro
• Application Number:
  US12/702,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20100141448A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A tag management apparatus that reads individual information on objects to be managed from an IC tag attached to each of the objects to be managed and manages the objects to be managed, the apparatus includes: a switch function equipped tag that is disposed at each of a plurality of locations where the objects to be managed are arranged and can switch at the location in response to a predetermined operation by a user between a valid state in which the switch function equipped tag can be read by a read unit and an invalid state in which the switch function equipped tag cannot be read by the read unit; and a management section that associates location information read from the switch function equipped tag with the individual information on each of the objects to be managed read out from the IC tag for management.

Claims

1. A tag management apparatus that reads individual information on objects to be managed from an IC tag attached to each of the objects to be managed and manages the objects to be managed, the apparatus comprising:

a switch function equipped tag that is disposed at each of a plurality of locations where the objects to be managed are arranged and can switch at the location in response to a predetermined operation by a user between a valid state in which the switch function equipped tag can be read by a read unit and an invalid state in which the switch function equipped tag cannot be read by the read unit; and

a management section that associates location information read from the switch function equipped tag with the individual information on each of the objects to be managed read out from the IC tag for management.

2. The tag management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the switch function equipped tag comprising:

an IC tag that has an antenna and retains predetermined information in a readable manner by the read unit;

a read-blocking member that is brought close to the IC tag so as to makes it impossible for the read unit to read the predetermined information; and

an operation section that separates the read-blocking member away from the IC tag so as to make it possible for the read unit to read the predetermined information.

3. The tag management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the objects to be managed to which the IC tags are attached are arranged in respective locations such that the read unit cannot read the IC tags.

4. The tag management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage rack for object to be managed having a plurality of rows corresponding to the plurality of locations at which the switch function equipped tags are disposed.

5. A tag management apparatus comprising:

a switch function equipped first tag that retains first information and can switch in response to a predetermined operation by a user between a valid state in which the first tag can be read by a read unit and an invalid state in which the first tag cannot be read by the read unit;

a second tag that retains second information in a readable manner by the read unit; and

a management section that associates the first information read from the first tag with the second information read from the second tag for management.

6. The tag management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein,

when the first information is read from the first tag, the management section reads the second information from the second tag and associates the first and second information with each other for management.

7. The tag management apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

after the first and second information are read, the management section associates the first and second information with each other for management on the condition that the first information is read within a predetermined time period.

8. A switch function equipped tag comprising:

an IC tag that has an antenna and retains predetermined information in a readable manner by the read unit;

a read-blocking member that is brought close to the IC tag so as to makes it impossible for the read unit to read the predetermined information; and

an operation section that separates the read-blocking member away from the IC tag so as to make it possible for the read unit to read the predetermined information.

9. The switch function equipped tag according to claim 8, wherein

the read-blocking member is made of a metal material or magnetic material to be biased to the IC tag.

10. The switch function equipped tag according to claim 8, wherein

the switch function equipped tag retains information concerning one location of each of a plurality of objects to be managed to which a plurality of IC tags are attached.

11. A tag management method comprising:

determining whether first information is read from a switch function equipped first tag that can switch in response to a predetermined operation by a user between a valid state in which the first tag can be read by a read unit and an invalid state in which the first tag cannot be read by the read unit; and

managing by associating second information read from a second tag with the first information, when the determining determines that the first information is read.

12. The tag management method according to claim 11, wherein,

when the determining determines that the first information is read, the managing reads the second information from the second tag and associates the read second information with the first information for management.

13. The tag management method according to claim 11, wherein

after the first and second information are read, the managing associates the first and second information with each other for management on the condition that the first information is read within a predetermined time period.

14. The tag management method according to claim 11, wherein

the first tag is disposed at the location at which an object to be managed is arranged,

the first information is position information on the object to be managed,

the second tag is attached to the object to be managed, and

the second information is individual information on the object to be managed.

15. An IC tag switching method that has an antenna and retains predetermined information in a readable manner by a read unit, wherein

a read-blocking member made of a metal material or magnetic material is provided so as to freely be brought close to and separated away from the IC tag, and

bringing the read-blocking member close to the IC tag disables reading of the predetermined information from the IC tag;

while separating the read-blocking member away from the IC tag enables reading of the predetermined information from the IC tag.

16. The IC tag switching method according to claim 15, wherein

the read-blocking member is held in a state of being close to the IC tag, and

the lead-blocking member is separated away from the IC tag so as to enable reading of the predetermined information from the IC tag.

17. A computer-readable recording medium that stores a tag management program allowing a computer to execute a process of managing an object to be managed through management of tag information, wherein

the process comprises:

determining whether first information is read from a switch function equipped first tag that can switch in response to a predetermined operation by a user between a valid state in which the first tag can be read by a read unit and an invalid state in which the first tag cannot be read by the read unit; and

managing by associating second information read from a second tag with the first information, when the determining determines that the first information is read.

18. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 17, wherein,

when the determining determines that the first information is read, the managing allows the computer to read the second information from the second tag and associate the read second information with the first information for management.

19. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 17, wherein

after the first and second information are read, the managing allows the computer to associate the first and second information with each other for management on the condition that the first information is read within a predetermined time period.

20. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 17, wherein

the first tag is disposed at the location at which an object to be managed is arranged,

the first information is position information on the object to be managed,

the second tag is attached to the object to be managed, and

the second information is individual information on the object to be managed.