INSPECTION SYSTEM

• US 20110205024A1
• Filed: 08/06/2008
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Sogabe, Yasushi
• Application Number:
  US12/672,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20110205024A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

An inspection system according to the present invention includes a sensor (2) that obtains a position of a delivery vehicle (6) that carries an item (7) attached with an electric tag; a communication control device (4) that calculates a communication area using the position that is obtained by the sensor (2), the communication area configured to cover an area between the delivery vehicle (6) and a carry-in/out entrance of the item (7); and an antenna device (1) that produces the communication area by controlling an antenna and performs, via the antenna, wireless communications with the electric tag (8) that is within the communication area. The inspection system automatically inspects all the items that are present between the delivery vehicle (6) and the carry-in/out entrance.

Claims

1. An inspection system comprising:

a position identifying unit that obtains a position of a transporter that carries an item attached with an electric tag;

a communication control unit that calculates a communication area using the position obtained by the position identifying unit, the communication area configured to cover an area between the transporter and a carry-in/out entrance of the item; and

a wireless communications unit that produces the communication area by controlling an antenna and performs, via the antenna, wireless communications with the electric tag that is within the communication area,

wherein item data is obtained from the electric tag by the wireless communications.

2. The inspection system according to claim 1, further comprising an instructing unit that issues an instruction in accordance with a predetermined control by the communication control unit to guide the transporter to a correct position,

wherein upon determining using the position obtained by the position identifying unit that the transporter is out of a communicapable area of the wireless communication unit, the communication control unit performs control as the predetermined control so as to give the transporter a warning of incorrect position or a guiding instruction to guide the transporter into the communicapable area.

3. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein upon determining using the position obtained by the position identifying unit that a plurality of transporters are in front of respective carry-in/out entrances, the communication control unit calculates the communication areas, each communication area configured to cover an area between the corresponding transporter and the carry-in/out entrance and configured to prevent wireless communications performed in the respective communication areas from interfering with each other.

4. The inspection system according to claim 3, wherein

the wireless communications unit is provided with a plurality of antennas each having different directionality at each of the carry-in/out entrances, and

the communication control unit selects from the antennas at each of the carry-in/out entrances the antenna that prevents the wireless communications from interfering with each other.

5. The inspection system according to claim 4, further comprising an instructing unit that issues an instruction in accordance with a predetermined control of the communication control unit to guide the transporter to a correct position, wherein

Wherein upon determining using the position obtained by the position identifying unit that the transporter is out of a communicable area of the selected antenna, the communication control unit performs control as the predetermined control so as to give the transporter a warning of incorrect position or a guiding instruction to guide the transporter into the communicable area.