System for stocktaking asset articles using a mobile device

• US 7,370,027 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2003
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ozawa, Masahiro, Sakurazawa, Shigeru, Kimura, Naomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Wilson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/349,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20030182211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,930 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/10, 705/28, D14/420
• US Class Current: 707/621
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A stocktaking asset article system using a mobile terminal in which correct and rapid updates or new registrations of assets in an asset management master database may be accomplished. The mobile terminal has a specified database storing data necessary for the stocktaking, means for reading specific information from the asset article, means for retrieving information regarding the asset article from the specified database on the basis of the specific information, and inputting means for inputting information regarding an asset article recognized as not existing in the specified database. An assets management apparatus has means for extracting the data necessary for the stocktaking from the master database and registering the data as the specified database, and means for reflecting the information inputted from the inputting means upon the stocktaking on the master database.

Claims

1. An assets management system which comprises an assets management apparatus (10) having a master database (121) storing information regarding an asset article, and a terminal (20) connected to the assets management apparatus (10) in such a manner that data communication can be performed, and performs stocktaking of the asset article using the terminal (20), wherein

the terminal (20) comprises:

a specified database (221) storing data necessary for the stocktaking,

reading means (26) for reading specific information to identify the asset article from other asset articles,

retrieving means (211) for retrieving information regarding the asset article from the specified database (221) on the basis of the specific information read out by the reading means (26),

inputting means (23, 241) for inputting information regarding an asset article recognized as not existing in the specified database (221) by the retrieving means (211),

checking means (212) for inquiring of the assets management apparatus (10) about the asset article recognized as not existing in the specified database (221) by the retrieving means (211) as to whether the information regarding the asset article corresponding to the specific information exists in the master database (121) or not,

an emergency registration database (222) storing emergency registration data when an answer to the effect that the information regarding the asset article exists in the master database (121) is given as an answer from the assets management apparatus (10) in response to the inquiry from the checking means (212),

an emergency new registration database (223) storing emergency new registration data when an answer to the effect that the information regarding the asset article does not exist in the master database (121) is given as an answer to the assets management apparatus (10) in response to the inquiry from the checking means (212),

urgently registration means (214) for, when an answer to the effect that the information regarding the asset article exists in the master database (121) is given as an answer from the assets management apparatus (10) in response to the inquiry from the checking means (212), correcting the result of the retrieval from the master database (121) as the answer on the basis of the information regarding the asset article inputted from the inputting means (23, 241) and storing the corrected result of the retrieval as the emergency registration data in the emergency registration database (222), and

urgently newly registering means (215), when an answer to the effect that the information regarding the asset article does not exist in the master database (121) is given as an answer from the assets management apparatus (10) in response to the inquiry from the checking means (212), storing the information regarding the asset article inputted from the inputting means (23, 241) as the emergency new registration data in the emergency new registration database (223), wherein

the assets management apparatus (10) comprises;

extracting and registering means (111) for extracting the data necessary for the stocktaking from the master database (121) prior to the stocktaking and registering the data in the specified database (221) in the terminal (20),

answering means (114) for answering the result of the retrieval of the information regarding the asset article from the master database (121) to the terminal (20) in response to the inquiry from the checking means (212), and

reflecting means (115) for updating the information regarding the asset article inputted from the inputting means (23, 241) upon the stocktaking on the master database (121),

wherein the reflecting means (115) updates the master database (121) on the basis of the emergency registration data stored in the emergency registration database (222) and adds the emergency new registration data stored in the emergency new registration database (223) to the master database (121).

2. The asset management system according to claim 1, wherein the assets management apparatus (10) has a display unit (14) for displaying various kinds of information and a display control unit (116) for controlling the display unit (14), and wherein

the display control unit (116) controls the display state of the display unit (14) in such a manner that the information regarding the asset article reflected on the master database (121) by the reflecting means (115) is displayed in the display unit (14), before the reflecting means (115) updates the information regarding the asset article on the master database (121).

3. The assets management system according to claim 1 or 2, which comprises setting means (113) for setting validity or invalidity of an inputting operation by the inputting means (23, 241) prior to the stocktaking.

4. The assets management system according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the extracting and registering means (111) performs condition retrieval according to prescribed conditions in the assets management apparatus (10), thereby extracting the specified database (221) from the master database (121).

5. A terminal for assets management, which is connected to an assets management apparatus (10) having a master database (121) storing information regarding an asset article in such a manner that data communication can be performed, and is used in stocktaking of the asset article, the terminal comprising:

a specified database (221) storing data necessary for the stocktaking, which is extracted from the master database (121),

reading means (26) for reading specific information to identify the asset article from other asset articles, retrieving means (211) for retrieving information regarding the asset article from the specified database (221) on the basis of the specific information read out by the reading means (26),

inputting means (23, 241) for inputting information regarding an asset article recognized as not existing in the specified database (221) by the retrieving means (211),

checking means (212) for inquiring of the assets management apparatus (10) about the asset article recognized as not existing in the specified database (221) by the retrieving means (211) as to whether the information regarding the asset article corresponding to the specific information exists in the master database (121) or not,

an emergency registration database (222) storing emergency registration data when an answer to the effect that the information regarding the asset article exists in the master database (121) is given as an answer from the assets management apparatus (10) in response to the inquiry from the checking means (212),

an emergency new registration database (223) storing emergency new registration data when an answer to the effect that the information regarding the asset article does not exist in the master database (121) is given as an answer from the assets management apparatus (10) in response to the inquiry from the checking means (212),

urgently registering means (214) for, when an answer to the effect that information regarding the asset article exist in the master database (121) is given as an answer form the assets management apparatus (10) in response to the inquiry from the checking means (212), correcting the result of the retrieval from the master database (121) as the answer on the basis of the information regarding the asset article inputted from the inputting means (23, 241) and storing the corrected result of the retrieval as the emergency registration data in the emergency registration database (222), and

urgently newly registering means (215) for, when an answer to the effect that the information regarding the asset article does not exist in the master database (121) is given as an answer from the assets management apparatus (10) in response to the inquiry from the checking means (212), storing the information regarding the asset article inputted from the inputting means (23, 241) as emergency new registration data in the emergency new registration database (223).

6. An assets management apparatus having a master database (121) storing information regarding an asset article and connected to a terminal (20) used in stocktaking of the asset article in such a manner that data communication can be performed, the assets management apparatus comprising:

extracting and registering means (111) for extracting the data necessary for the stocktaking from the master database (121) prior to the stocktaking and registering the data as a specified database (221) in the terminal (20),

answering means (114) for, when an inquiry from the terminal (20) about whether information regarding an asset article recognized as not existing in the specified database (221) exists in the master database (121) or not is made, answering the result of the retrieval of the information regarding the asset article from the master database (121) to the terminal (20) in response to the inquiry, and

reflecting means (115) for updating information regarding an asset article recognized as not existing in the specified database (221) and inputted in the terminal (20) upon the stocktaking on the master database (121)), wherein

when an answer to the effect that the information regarding the asset article exists in the master database (121) is given to the terminal (20) by the answering means (114), the reflecting means (115) updates the master database (121) on the basis of emergency registration data obtained by correcting the result of the retrieval as the answer according to the information regarding the asset article inputted in the terminal (20) and stored in an emergency registration database (222), and

when an answer to the effect that the information regarding the asset article does not exist in the master database (121) is given to the terminal (20) by the answering means (114), the reflecting means (115) adds emergency new registration data newly inputted as the information regarding the asset article in the terminal (20) and stored in an emergency new registration database (223) to the master database (121).

7. The assets management apparatus according to claim 6, which has a display unit (14) for displaying various kinds of information and a display control unit (116) for controlling the display unit (14), wherein

the display control unit (116) controls the display state of the display unit (14) in such a manner that the information regarding the asset article reflected on the master database (121) by the reflecting means (115) is displayed in the display unit (14), before the reflecting means (115) updates the information regarding the asset article on the master database (121).

8. The assets management apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, which has setting means (113) for setting validity or invalidity of an inputting operation of the information regarding the asset article in the terminal (20) prior to the stocktaking.

9. The assets management apparatus according to any one of claims 6 or 7, wherein the extracting and registering means (111) performs condition retrieval according to prescribed conditions, thereby extracting the specified database (221) from the master database (121).