Article management device, article management system, article management method, and RFID-tag producing apparatus

• US 7,545,275 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Taki, Kazunari
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phung
• Application Number:
  US11/496,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20060290493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5729, 340/10.1, 235/462.13, 235/462.14
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

An article management device for management of a plurality of articles handled as a set consisting of a main article and accessory article, by using a first RFID tag attached to the main article and second RFID tag attached to the at least one accessory article, the article management device including a communicating portion operable to read out information of all of the plurality of articles written on the first RFID tag, and information of each of the second article and information of the first article which are written on the second RFID tag, a control portion operable to effect a comparison of the information read out from the first RFID tag, with the information read out from the second RFID tag, and an indicator portion operable to indicate a result of the comparison by the control portion.

Claims

1. An article management device operable to read out information written on a plurality of RFID tags respectively attached to a plurality of articles handled as a set, for management of the plurality of articles, said plurality of articles consisting of a first article and at least one second article other than said first article, and said plurality of RFID tags including a first RFID tag attached to the first article, and at least one second RFID tag attached to said second articles, said article management device comprising:

a communicating portion operable to read out information of all of said plurality of articles written on said first RFID tag, and information of each of said second articles and information of said first article which are written on said second RFID tag;

a control portion operable to effect a comparison of the information read out from said first RFID tag, with the information read out from said second RFID tag; and

an indicator portion operable to indicate a result of said comparison effected by said control portion.

2. The article management device according to claim 1, wherein said control portion commands said indicator portion to indicate missing of said at least one second article, when said control portion has determined that there is information which is not included in the information read out from all of the second RFID tags and included in the information read out from the first RFID tag.

3. The article management device according to claim 1, wherein said control portion compares the information which has been read out from said first RFID tag in every article by said communicating portion and which indicates said second article, sequentially with the information read out from said second RFID tag by said communicating portion, and commands said indicator portion to indicate the result of the comparison in every article by said control portion, when the information read out from said first RFID tag is compared with the information read out from said second RFID tag.

4. The article management control device according to claim 1, wherein said control portion commands said indicator portion to indicate missing of said first article together with the information of the first article, on the basis of the information read out from said second RFID tag, when said communicating portion has not received the information from said first RFID tag.

5. The article management device according to claim 4, wherein said control portion commands said indicator portion to indicate the missing of said first article together with the information of the first article, on the basis of the information read out from said second RFID tag, when said communicating portion has not received identification information identifying said first RFID tag, from said first RFID tag.

6. The article management device according to claim 4, wherein said control portion commands said indicator portion to indicate the missing of said first article together with the information of the first article, on the basis of the information read out from said second RFID tag, when said communicating portion has not received information indicative of three articles of said plurality of articles, from any of said plurality of RFID tags.

7. The article management device according to claim 1, wherein said control portion commands said indicator portion to indicate existing of an article other than said plurality of articles handled as the set, when said communicating portion has received information from an RFID tag not corresponding to any one of the information which have been read out from said first RFID tag.

8. The article management device according to claim 1, wherein compatibility information indicative of compatible article each interchangeable with any one of said plurality of articles is written on said first RFID tag, and when said control portion has determined that there is information which is not included in the information read out from all of the second RFID tags and included in the information read out from the first RFID tag, and that the information read out from said second RFID tag includes information indicative of one of said compatible article indicated by said compatibility information read out from said first RFID tag, said control portion determines that one of said compatible article which is interchangeable with said second article is existing, rather than determines that said second article is missing.

9. The article management device according to claim 1, wherein said indicator portion includes a display portion operable to display the result of said comparison effected by said control portion.

10. The article management device according to claim 9, wherein said control portion commands said display portion to display the information of said second article, on the basis of the information read out from said first RFID tag or said second RFID tag, when the comparison effected by said control portion reveals the missing of said second article.

11. The article management device according to claim 9, wherein said control portion commands said display portion to display information of article other than said plurality of articles handled as the set, on the basis of the information read out from said second RFID tag, when the comparison effected by said control portion reveals the existing of said article other than said plurality of articles.

12. The article management device according to claim 9, wherein said control portion commands said display portion to display information of compatible article each interchangeable with any one of said second article, on the basis of the information read out from said second RFID tag, when the comparison effected by said control portion reveals the existing of said compatible article.

13. The article management device according to claim 9, wherein compatibility information indicative of compatible article each interchangeable with said first article is written on said second RFID tag, and when the comparison effected by said control portion reveals the missing of said first article, said control portion commands said display portion to display the information of said first article and information of said compatible article.

14. An article management system operable to write information on a plurality of RFID tags to be respectively attached to a plurality of articles handled as a set, and read out the information from said plurality of RFID tags, for management of the plurality of articles, said plurality of articles consisting of a first article and at least one second article other than said first article, said plurality of RFID tags including a first RFID tag to be attached to the first article, and at least one second RFID tag to be attached to said second article, said article management system comprising:

an RFID-tag producing apparatus operable to write information of all of said plurality of articles on said first RFID tag, and information of each of said second article and information of said first article on said each of said second RFID tag, on the basis of information input thereto; and

an article management device including a communicating portion operable to read out the information of all of said plurality of articles from said first RFID tag, and the information of each of said second article and the information of said first article from said second RFID tag, a control portion operable to effect a comparison of the information read out from said first RFID tag, with the information read out from said second RFID tag, and an indicator portion operable to indicate a result of said comparison by said control portion.

15. The article management system according to claim 14, wherein said RFID-tag producing apparatus is operable to write identification information identifying said first RFID tag on said first RFID tag, and identification information identifying said second RFID tag on said second RFID tag.

16. The article management system according to claim 14, wherein said RFID-tag producing apparatus is operable to write information indicative of the number of all of said plurality of articles, on said first RFID tag.

17. The article management system according to claim 14, wherein said RFID-tag producing apparatus includes a printing portion operable to perform a printing operation on a medium which incorporates said plurality of RFID tags.

18. The article management system according to claim 14, wherein said control portion commands said indicator portion to indicate the missing of said second article when said control portion has determined that there is information which is not included in the information read out from all of the second RFID tags and included in the information read out from the first RFID tag.

19. The article management system according to claim 14, wherein said control portion commands said indicator portion to indicate the missing of said first article together with the information of the first article, on the basis of the information read out from said second RFID tag, when said communicating portion has not received the information from said first RFID tag.

20. An article management method for management of a plurality of articles handled as a set, by writing information on a plurality of RFID tags to be respectively attached to said plurality of articles, and reading out the information from said plurality of RFID tags, said plurality of articles consisting of a first article and at least one second article other than said first article, said plurality of RFID tags including a first RFID tag to be attached to the first article, and at least one second RFID tag to be attached to said second article, said article management method comprising:

reading out information of all of said plurality of articles from said first RFID tag attached to said first article, and information of each of said second article and information of said first article from said second RFID tag attached to said second article in block;

effecting a comparison of the information read out from said first RFID tag, with the information read out from said second RFID tag; and

indicating a result of said comparison.

21. An RFID-tag producing apparatus operable to write information on a plurality of RFID tags to be respectively attached to a plurality of articles handled as a set, said plurality of articles consisting of a first article and at least one second article other than said first article, said plurality of RFID tags including a first RFID tag to be attached to said first article, and at least one second RFID tag to be attached to said second article, said RFID-tag producing apparatus comprising:

an input portion operable to input information specifying each of all of said plurality of articles; and

a control portion operable to write information of all of said plurality of articles on said first RFID tag, and information each of said second article and information of said first article on said each of said second RFID tag, on the basis of the information input by said input portion.

22. The RFID-tag producing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the information input through said input portion specifies each of said plurality of articles so as to distinguish said first article and said second article from each other, and said control portion is operable to generate identification information identifying said first RFID tag and said second RFID tag, on the basis of the information input through said input portion, and writes the generated identification information on said first and second RFID tags.

23. The RFID-tag producing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said control portion is operable to write information indicative of the number of all of said plurality of articles on said first RFID tag, on the basis of the information input through said input portion.

24. The RFID-tag producing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said control portion is operable to write compatibility information indicative of compatible article each interchangeable with said plurality of articles, together with the information specifying each of the plurality of articles, on said first and second RFID tags, when said compatibility information is input through said input portion.

25. The RFID-tag producing apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a cartridge in which a roll of a tape is accommodated, and a label making portion operable to cut said tape fed from said roll into labels each having a predetermined length.

26. The RFID-tag producing apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising a printing portion operable to perform a printing operation on said tape.

27. The RFID-tag producing apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said control portion is operable to write information printed by said printing portion, on said first and second RFID tags.

28. The RFID-tag producing apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a printing portion operable to perform a printing operation on a medium which incorporates a plurality of RFID-tag.