Information transmitting device

• US 8,240,565 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2010
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Iizuka, Nobuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US12/782,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20100303285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/375, 235/487, 235/435, 235/376, 382/100, 382/103
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

An information transmitting device 7 with a light source 3 provided on each container 2 which can be arranged and placed so that a surface having the light source can be hidden. Each information transmitting device judges whether or not in a condition where an own container 2 can be monitored from an imaging direction of an external imaging device and placed so as to hide the light source installed on other containers 2. When judged as affirmative, location information about the other containers is transmitted from the information transmitting device installed on the other containers, and location information about the own container is added to the received location information. This information is transmitted to a storage space which is imaged in an information receiving device 4 by controlling the light source to modulate the received information and to repeatedly flash in terms of time based on the modulated information.

Claims

1. An information transmitting device with a light emitting section provided on each respective object which can be arranged and placed so that a surface having the light emitting section can be hidden, comprising:

a first judgment means for judging whether or not in a condition where an own object provided with the information transmitting device can be monitored from an imaging direction of an external imaging device and is placed so as to hide the light emitting section installed on a first other object;

a reception means for receiving location information about the first other object transmitted from the information transmitting device installed on the first other object, when judged as affirmative by the first judgment means;

an addition means for adding location information of the own object provided with the information transmitting device to location information received by the reception means;

a modulation means for modulating location information received by the reception means and location information added by the addition means; and

a first transmission means for transmitting location information to a storage space which is imaged in the external imaging device by controlling the light emitting section to repeatedly flash in terms of time based on location information modulated by the modulation means.

2. The information transmitting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second judgment means for judging whether or not in a condition where the own object provided with the information transmitting device can be monitored from the imaging direction of the external imaging device and is placed so as to hide the light emitting section installed on a second other object; and

a second transmission means for transmitting location information received by the reception means and location information added by the addition means for the information transmitting device installed on the second other object without modulation by the modulation means, when judged as affirmative by both the first judgment means and the second judgment means.

3. The information transmitting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a modulation control means for controlling to modulate location information of the own object provided with the information transmitting device to the modulation means, when judged as negative by the first judgment means.

4. The information transmitting device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a third judgment means for judging whether or not in a condition where the second other object can be monitored from the imaging direction of the external imaging device and is placed so as to hide the light emitting section installed on the own object provided with the information transmitting device; and

a third transmission means for transmitting location information about the own object provided with the information transmitting device to the information transmitting device installed on the second other object without modulation by the modulation means, when judged as affirmative by the third judgment means and judged as negative by the first judgment means.

5. The information transmitting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first detection means for detecting a condition where the own object provided with the information transmitting device can be monitored from the imaging direction of the external imaging device and is placed so as to hide the light emitting section installed on the first other object;

wherein the first judgment means judges according to a detection result made by the first detection means.

6. The information transmitting device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a second detection means for detecting a condition where the own object provided with the information transmitting device can be monitored from the imaging direction of the external imaging device and is placed so as to hide the light emitting section installed on the second other object;

wherein the second judgment means judges according to a detection result made by the second detection means.

7. The information transmitting device according to claim 1, wherein location information about an object includes identification information for identifying an object from another object.

8. The information transmitting device according to claim 1, wherein location information about an object includes a stack position.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program that is executable by a computer in an information transmitting device with a light emitting section provided on each respective object which can be arranged and placed so that a surface having the light emitting section can be hidden, the program being executable by the computer to perform a process comprising:

first judgment processing which judges whether or not in a condition where an own object provided with the information transmitting device can be monitored from an imaging direction of an external imaging device and is placed so as to hide the light emitting section installed on a first other object;

reception processing which receives location information about the first other object transmitted from the information transmitting device installed on the first other object, when judged as affirmative by the first judgment processing;

addition processing which adds location information of the own object provided with the information transmitting device to location information received by the reception processing;

modulation processing which modulates location information received by the reception processing and location information added by the addition processing; and

first transmission processing which transmits location information to a storage space that is imaged in the external imaging device by controlling the light emitting section to repeatedly flash in terms of time based on location information modulated by the modulation processing.