FAULT MONITORING METHOD FOR COMMODITY MANAGEMENT RADIO COMMUNICATING APPARATUS, STORAGE MEDIUM FOR STORING FAULT MONITORING PROGRAM FOR COMMODITY MANAGEMENT RADIO APPARATUS AND FAULT MONITORING PROGRAM

• US 7,072,648 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2001
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Platforms, Ltd. (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Infrontia Corporation (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ, JULIO R
• Application Number:
  US09/750,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20010007818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: 455/425, 455/67.11, 455/423, 455/561, 455/26.1, 455/67.14, 455/9, 455/7.11, 455/340, 455/84, 455/560, 455/405, 340/989, 340/626, 340/992, 701/424, 709/5
• US Class Current: 455/425
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/145 PLU-management
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

In a fault monitoring method for a portable radio communication terminal, plural portable radio communication terminals communicate with an inventory controller via a radio communication base station. In the portable radio communication terminal in a commodity management system, when the number of retrying times of radio communication between the portable radio communication terminal and the radio communication base station exceeds a predetermined number of times, the portable radio communication terminal automatically executes a test of a radio communication section and displays a fault on a display section of the portable radio communication terminal when a fault occurs.

Claims

1. A fault monitoring method, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of portable radio communication terminals in a commodity management system, each of which manages commodities by communicating with an inventory controller via a radio communication base station;

automatically executing a test of a radio communication section in arbitrary portable radio communication terminal when a number of retrying times of radio communication between the arbitrary portable radio communication terminal and said radio communication base station exceeds a predetermined number of times; and

displaying a fault of said radio communication section on a display section of the arbitrary portable radio communication terminal when said fault occurs and

wherein a call time interval of retrying said radio communication between the arbitrary portable radio communication terminal and said radio communication base station is set longer than an average communication time of said radio communication between each of said portable radio communication terminals and said radio communication base station in said commodity management system.

2. A fault monitoring method of a plurality of portable radio communication terminals used in a commodity management system, each of which manages commodities by communicating with an inventory controller via a radio communication base station, said fault monitoring method comprising:

a step of automatically executing a test of a radio communication section in an arbitrary portable radio communication terminal when a number of retrying times of radio communication between the arbitrary portable radio communication terminal and said radio communication base station exceeds a predetermined number of times; and

a step of displaying a fault of said radio communication section on a display section of the arbitrary portable radio communication terminal when said fault occurs,

wherein a call time interval of retrying said radio communication between the arbitrary portable radio communication terminal and said radio communication base station is set longer than an average communication time of said radio communication between each of said portable radio communication terminals and said radio communication base station in said commodity management system.

3. A fault monitoring method of a plurality of portable radio communication terminals used in a commodity management system, each of which manages commodities by communicating with an inventory controller via a radio communication base station, said fault monitoring method:

a step of automatically executing a test of a radio communication section in an arbitrary portable radio communication terminal when a number of retrying times of radio communication between the arbitrary portable radio communication terminals and said radio communication base station exceeds a predetermined number of times; and

a step of displaying a fault of said radio communication section on a display section of the arbitrary portable radio communication terminal when said fault occurs,

wherein said test for said radio communication section is executed after checking that said radio communication between each of said portable radio communication terminals other than the arbitrary portable radio communication terminal and said radio communication base station is vacant continuously in a case out of an execution prohibiting time zone in said commodity management system.

4. The fault monitoring method of a plurality of portable radio communication terminals used in a commodity management system according to claim 3, wherein said test for said radio communication section is executed after passing a predetermined time by returning to a check of a vacant state in said case out of said execution prohibiting time zone in said commodity management system when said radio communication between each of said portable radio communication terminals other than the arbitrary portable radio communication terminal and said radio communication base station and is waited for until said vacant state.

5. The fault monitoring method of a plurality of portable radio communication terminals used in the commodity management system according to claim 3, wherein said test for said radio communication section is executed after passing a predetermined time by returning to a check of said execution prohibiting time zone of said test in a case in said execution prohibiting time zone in said commodity management system and is waited for until out of said execution prohibiting time zone.

6. The fault monitoring method of a plurality of portable radio communication terminals used in a commodity management system according to claim 4, wherein said test for said radio communication section is executed after passing a predetermined time by returning to a check of said execution prohibiting time zone of said test in a case in said execution prohibiting time zone in said commodity management system and is waited for until out of said execution prohibiting time zone.

7. A storage medium storing a fault monitoring program to cause a computer to carry out a fault monitoring method of a plurality of portable radio communication terminals in a commodity management system, each of which manages commodities by communicating with an inventory controller via a radio communication base station, said fault monitoring method comprising:

a step of automatically executing a test of a radio communication section in an arbitrary portable radio communication terminals when a number of retrying times of radio communication between the arbitrary portable radio communication terminal and said radio communication base station exceeds a predetermined number of times; and

a step of displaying a fault of said radio communication section on a display section of the arbitrary portable radio communication terminal when said fault occurs, and

wherein a call time interval of retrying said radio communication between the arbitrary portable radio communication terminal and said radio communication base station is set longer than an average communication time of said radio communication between each of said portable radio communication terminals and said radio communication base station in said commodity management system.

8. A fault monitoring program to cause a computer to carry out a fault monitoring method of a plurality of portable radio communication terminals in a commodity management system, each of which manages commodities by communicating with an inventory controller via a radio communication base station, said fault monitoring method comprising:

a step of automatically executing a test of a radio communication section in an arbitrary portable radio communication terminal when a number of retrying times of radio communication between the arbitrary portable radio communication terminal and said radio communication base station exceeds a predetermined number of times; and

a step of displaying a fault of said radio communication section on a display section of the arbitrary portable radio communication terminal when said fault occurs, and

wherein a call time interval of retrying said radio communication between the arbitrary portable radio communication terminal and said radio communication base station is set longer than an average communication time of said radio communication between each of said portable radio communication terminals and said radio communication base station in said commodity management system.