Inventory control system

• US 6,870,464 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vantec RF Solutions Corporation
• Original Assignee: Leading Information Technology Institute, Inc.
• Inventors: Okamura, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US09/746,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20020014964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.51, 340/10.1, 340/572.1, 340/825.49, 340/825.36, 340/5.92, 340/539.13, 340/539.32, 340/571, 340/10.42, 340/568.1
• US Class Current: 340/10.51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

The disclosed inventory control system is well suited for many types of small-volume products. A plurality of electronic tags 1 are installed in a floor 3 in which data on installation locations is stored, a storage shelf 8 for storing inventory, and a movable reader 23 that reads location data from the electronic tags 1 and carries a product that moves along the aisle. Data stored in an electronic tag, from among a plurality of electronic tags 3, installed near the storage shelf 8 on which inventory is stored contains data on a product stored on the storage shelf 8. The movable reader 23 comprises a communications antenna 4 that communicates in a wireless fashion with the electronic tags, a transceiver connected to the communications antenna 4, a data processor that sends and receives data via the transceiver, and a database 7 that provides data to the data processor.

Claims

1. An inventory control system comprising:

a plurality of electronic location tags disposed at respective identified locations along a path, each electronic location tag storing installation location data for a respective said identified location;

a storage means for storing inventory products of at least some of said identified locations; and

a transport device which is adapted to carry and move products along said path and read said installation location data from the associated electronic location tags in the vicinity of the transport device to thereby facilitate transfer of the products between the transport device and respective identified locations of the storage means.

2. The inventory control system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic location tag is a no-contact type wireless tag.

3. The inventory control system according to claim 1, wherein data stored on the electronic tag disposed at a particular said location comprises data relating to products stored in said storage means in the vicinity of said location.

4. The inventory control system according to claim 3, wherein data stored on the electronic location tag further comprises the date and time that said stored data was updated.

5. The inventory control system according to claim 4, wherein hash values of said stored data are used as data to represent data stored on the electronic tag.

6. The inventory control system according to claim 1, wherein the transport device includes a communication antenna for wireless communication with the electronic location tag, a transceiver connected to said communication antenna, a data processing device for sending and receiving data via said transceiver;

and a database which provides data to said data processing device.

7. The inventory control system according to claim 6, wherein the transport device further includes a reading device for reading data from a package tag attached to a package.

8. The inventory control system according to claim 7, wherein the reading device for reading data from the package tag attached to the package is furnished with a writing function.

9. The inventory control system according to claim 6, wherein the transport device further includes a reading device for reading data from a product tag attached to a product.

10. The inventory control system according to claim 9, wherein said product is at least clothing, shoes a handbag, a wallet or a fashion item.

11. The inventory control system according to claim 6, wherein a display device is provided on the transport device, the electronic location tag further includes installation location map data, and said display device displays a map.

12. The inventory control system according to claim 6, wherein the transport device includes update day and time data and/or representative data stored on the electronic tag, update day and time data and/or representative data saved on its database, and a comparison means for comparing the data stored on the tag with the data stored in the database.

13. The inventory control system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic location tag is disposed on the floor of a building, a wall surface, or a storage shelf.