Transportation management system, transportation management method, communication sheet, and communication antenna

• US 7,593,737 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2005
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Kawashima, Hideki, Kutami, Atsushi, Hamada, Wakoh, Saitoh, Tatsuro, Sakurai, Hideo, Noji, Tetsuo, Sugiyama, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Huy D
• Application Number:
  US11/217,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20060059193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/42, 455/412.1, 340/572.1, 340/571, 340/568.1
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A disclosed transportation management system includes a database including operational information and operator information that correspond to a target object, a transmission control part for transmitting a transmission radio wave to an information storage medium attached to the target object and a reception control part for receiving a reception radio wave, including identification information of the target object, from the information storage medium, a transport information obtaining part for obtaining transport information of the target object, an operational information retrieving part for retrieving the operational information from the database in accordance with the identification information of the target object, an information comparing part for comparing the transport information of the target object and the operational information, a notification information generating part for generating notification information indicative of the result of the comparison; and a notification information transmitting part for transmitting the notification information in accordance with the operator information.

Claims

1. A transportation management system for managing transportation of a target object with an attached information storage medium, the transportation management system comprising:

a database including operational information and operator information that correspond to the target object, the operational information including an anticipated result of the transportation of the target object;

a communication apparatus including

a transmission control part configured to transmit a transmission radio wave to the information storage medium attached to the target object, and

a reception control part configured to receive a reception radio wave, including identification information of the target object, from the information storage medium in response to the transmitted transmission radio wave;

a transport information obtaining part configured to obtain transport information of the target object when the target object is transported to a predetermined area, the transport information including an actual result of the transportation of the target object;

an operational information retrieving part configured to retrieve the operational information from the database in accordance with the identification information of the target object;

an information comparing part configured to determine a delay or advance in schedule of the transportation of the target object by comparing the actual result in the transport information and the anticipated result in the operational information;

a notification information generating part configured to generate notification information indicative of a result of the comparison; and

a notification information transmitting part configured to transmit the notification information to a predetermined destination in accordance with the operator information.

2. A transportation management system for managing transportation of a target object with an attached information storage medium, the transportation management system comprising:

a database including operational information and operator information that correspond to the target object, the operational information including an anticipated result of the transportation of the target object;

a communication apparatus including

a transmission control part configured to transmit a transmission radio wave to the information storage medium attached to the target object, and

a reception control part configured to receive a reception radio wave, including identification information of the target object, from the information storage medium in response to the transmitted transmission radio wave;

a transport information obtaining part configured to obtain transport information of the target object when the target object is transported to a predetermined area, the transport information including an actual result of the transportation of the target object;

an operational information retrieving part configured to retrieve the operational information from the database in accordance with the identification information of the target object;

an information comparing part configured to determine delay or advance in schedule of the transportation of the target object by comparing the actual result in the transport information and the anticipated result in the operational information;

a notification information generating part configured to generate notification information indicative of a result of the comparison; and

a notification information transmitting part configured to transmit the notification information to a predetermined destination in accordance with the operator information,

wherein the communication apparatus is detachably attached to a sheet member, and the sheet member is configured to sway when the target object contacts the sheet member.

3. The transportation management system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sheet member is shaped as a split curtain, and the sheet member includes a pouch part that is configured to removably install the communication apparatus therein.

4. A communication sheet, comprising:

the communication apparatus and the sheet member of claim 2.

5. A transportation management system for managing transportation of a target object with an attached information storage medium including a rewritable display area that displays visible information, the transportation management system comprising:

a database including operational information and operator information that correspond to the target object;

a communication apparatus including

a transmission control part configured to transmit a transmission radio wave to the information storage medium attached to the target object, and

a reception control part configured to receive a reception radio wave, including identification information of the target object, from the information storage medium in response to the transmitted transmission radio wave;

a transport information obtaining part configured to obtain transport information of the target object when the target object is transported to a predetermined area;

an operational information retrieving part configured to retrieve the operational information corresponding to the target object from the database in accordance with the identification information of the target object;

an information comparing part configured to compare the transport information of the target object and the operational information corresponding to the target object;

a notification information generating part configured to generate notification information indicative of a result of the comparison;

a notification information transmitting part configured to transmit the notification information;

a rewriting apparatus configured to rewrite the visible information displayed in the rewritable display area of the information storage medium; and

a computing apparatus configured to instruct the rewriting apparatus that the visible information be displayed in the rewritable display area of the information storage medium in accordance with the notification information transmitted from the notification information transmitting part.

6. A transportation management apparatus for managing transportation of a target object with an attached information storage medium, the transportation management apparatus comprising:

a database including operational information and operator information that correspond to the target object, the operational information including an anticipated result of the transportation of the target object;

a communication part including

a transmission control portion configured to transmit a transmission radio wave to the information storage medium attached to the target object, and

a reception control portion configured to receive a reception radio wave, including identification information of the target object, from the information storage medium in response to the transmitted transmission radio wave;

a transport information obtaining portion configured to obtain transport information of the target object when the target object is transported to a predetermined area, the transport information including an actual result of the transportation of the target object;

an operational information retrieving portion configured to retrieve the operational information from the database in accordance with the identification information of the target object;

an information comparing portion configured to determine delay or advance in schedule of the transportation of the target object by comparing compare the actual result in the transport information of the target object and the anticipated result in the operational information corresponding to the target object;

a notification information generating portion configured to generate notification information indicative of a result of the comparison; and

a notification information transmitting portion configured to transmit the notification information to a predetermined destination in accordance with the operator information.

7. A transportation management method for managing transportation of a target object with an attached information storage medium, the method comprising:

storing operational information and operator information that correspond to the target object in a database, the operational information including an anticipated result of the transportation of the target object;

transmitting a transmission radio wave to the information storage medium attached to the target object;

receiving a reception radio wave, including identification information of the target object, from the information storage medium in response to the transmitted transmission radio wave;

obtaining transport information of the target object when the target object is transported to a predetermined area, the transport information including an actual result of the transportation of the target object;

retrieving the operational information from the database in accordance with the identification information of the target object;

determining a delay or advance in schedule of the transportation of the target object by comparing the actual result in the transport information of the target object and the anticipated result in the operational information corresponding to the target object;

generating notification information indicative of a result of the determining; and

transmitting the notification information to a predetermined destination in accordance with the operator information.

8. A transportation management apparatus for managing transportation of a target object with an attached information storage medium, the transportation management apparatus comprising:

a database including operational information and operator information that correspond to the target object, the operational information including an anticipated result of the transportation of the target object;

a communication part including

a transmission control portion configured to transmit a transmission radio wave to the information storage medium attached to the target object, and

a reception control portion configured to receive a reception radio wave, including identification information of the target object, from the information storage medium in response to the transmitted transmission radio wave;

a transport information obtaining portion configured to obtain transport information of the target object when the target object is transported to a predetermined area, the transport information including an actual result of the transportation of the target object;

an operational information retrieving portion configured to retrieve the operational information from the database in accordance with the identification information of the target object;

an information comparing portion configured to determine delay or advance in schedule of the transportation of the target object by comparing the actual result in the transport information and the anticipated result in the operational information;

a notification information generating portion configured to generate notification information indicative of a result of the comparison; and

a notification information transmitting portion configured to transmit the notification information to a predetermined destination in accordance with the operator information,

wherein the communication part is detachably attached to a sheet member, and the sheet member is configured to sway when the target object contacts the sheet member.

9. A transportation management method for managing transportation of a target object with an attached information storage medium, the method comprising:

storing operational information and operator information that correspond to the target object in a database, the operational information including an anticipated result of the transportation of the target object;

transmitting a transmission radio wave to the information storage medium attached to the target object;

receiving a reception radio wave,including identification information of the target object, from the information storage medium in response to the transmitted transmission radio wave;

obtaining transport information of the target object when the target object is transported to a predetermined area, the transport information including an actual result of the transportation of the target object;

retrieving the operational information from the database in accordance with the identification information of the target object;

determining a delay or advance in schedule of the transportation of the target object by comparing the actual result in the transport information and the anticipated result in the operational information;

generating notification information indicative of a result of the determining;

transmitting the notification information to a predetermined destination in accordance with the operator information; and

detachably attaching a communication apparatus used in said transmitting of the transmission radio wave and used in said receiving the reception radio wave to a sheet member for allowing the sheet member to sway when the target object contacts the sheet member.

10. A transportation management apparatus for managing transportation of a target object with an attached information storage medium including a rewritable display area that displays visible information, the transportation management apparatus comprising:

a database including operational information and operator information that correspond to the target object;

a communication part including

a transmission control portion configured to transmit a transmission radio wave to the information storage medium attached to the target object, and

a reception control portion configured to receive a reception radio wave, including identification information of the target object, from the information storage medium in response to the transmitted transmission radio wave;

a transport information obtaining portion configured to obtain transport information of the target object when the target object is transported to a predetermined area;

an operational information retrieving portion configured to receive the operational information corresponding to the target object from the database in accordance with the identification information of the target object;

an information comparing portion configured to compare the transport information of the target object and the operational information corresponding to the target object;

a notification information generating portion configured to generate notification information indicative of the result of the comparison;

a notification information transmitting portion configured to transmit the notification information;

a rewriting apparatus configured to rewrite the visible information displayed in the rewritable display area of the information storage medium; and

a computing apparatus configured to instruct the rewriting apparatus that the visible information be displayed in the rewritable display area of the information storage medium in accordance with the notification information transmitted from the notification information transmitting portion.

11. A transportation management method for managing transportation of a target object with an attached information storage medium including a rewritable display area that displays visible information, the method comprising:

storing operational information and operator information that correspond to the target object in a database;

transmitting a transmission radio wave to the information storage medium attached to the target object;

receiving a reception radio wave, including identification information of the target object, from the information storage medium in response to the transmitted transmission radio wave;

obtaining transport information of the target object when the target object is transported to a predetermined area;

receiving the operational information corresponding to the target object from the database in accordance with the identification information of the target object;

comparing the transport information of the target object and the operational information corresponding to the target object;

generating notification information indicative of the result of the comparing;

transmitting the notification information;

rewriting the visible information displayed in the rewritable display area of the information storage medium; and

instructing the rewriting apparatus that the visible information be displayed in the rewritable display area of the information storage medium in accordance with the notification information transmitted in the transmitting.