Article management apparatus and its system

• US 8,502,646 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2010
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sano, Kouichi, Saegusa, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAMSON, SARA B
• Application Number:
  US12/686,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20100182132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.92, 340/5.9, 340/5.1, 340/1.1, 340/10.4, 340/10.1, 340/5.91, 340/10.5, 340/10.6, 235/375, 235/385, 700/216, 700/265
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

In an article management apparatus in which the weight of a bottle, including content, placed on a weighing scale is measured and tag data of a radio tag, indicating content of the bottle, which is affixed on the bottle is read out in a non-contact manner by a radio tag reading section through an antenna when the bottle is placed on the weighing scale, a compound data for discriminating whether or not content in a bottle is compoundable with contents in other bottles is stored. It is determined, based on the compound data stored, whether content of a first bottle on which a first radio tag is affixed can be compounded with content of a second bottle on which a second radio tag is affixed when the radio tag reading section reads out tag data of first and second radio tags.

Claims

1. An article management apparatus that determines whether contents of a plurality of containers on which radio tags are respectively attached are compoundable with one another, comprising:

a weighing scale;

a weighing section configured to weigh the plurality of containers on the weighing scale as a total weight;

a radio tag reading section configured to, in response to the weighing section beginning to weigh a first container and a second container of the plurality of containers, initiate communication with a first radio tag attached to the first container and a second radio tag attached to the second container, and read out, in a non-contact manner, first tag data of the first radio tag and second tag data of the second radio tag, wherein the first tag data comprises a first chemical substance identification code indicating first content in the first container and first compound data identifying one or more chemical substances which are able to be safely compounded with the first content, and wherein the second tag data comprises a second chemical substance identification code indicating second content in the second container and second compound data identifying one or more chemical substances which are able to be safely compounded with the second content;

a compound determination section configured to determine whether the first chemical substance identification code is contained in the second compound data; and

an informing section configured to notify a first result indicating that the first content is safely compoundable with the second content in response to a determination by the compound determination section that the first chemical substance identification code is contained in the second compound data, and to notify a second result indicating that the first content is not safely compoundable with the second content in response to a determination by the compound determination section that the first chemical substance is not contained in the second compound data.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a radio tag data counter configured to count a number of tag data read by the radio tag reading section, wherein a count value of the radio tag data counter is increased by one in response to the radio tag reading section reading out tag data from any of the radio tags.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a memory configured to stores the first tag data and the second tag data read out by the radio tag reading section at an address thereof corresponding to the count value of the radio tag data counter.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the informing section is further configured to display a total number of radio tags read out by the radio tag reading section in response to the result indicating that the first content is safely compoundable with the second content.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a user determination section configured to determine whether the first tag data or the second tag data includes data specifying a user, the compound determination section being operated in response to a determination by the user determination section that the data specifying the user is included in the first tag data or the second tag data.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radio tag reading section comprises a plurality of antennas arranged such that the plurality of antennas surround the weighing scale to form a communication area with the first radio tag and the second radio tag above the weighing scale.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of antennas include a planar antenna.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the first compound data or the second compound data indicates a material that is inhibited from being compounded with at least one of the first content or the second content.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display section configured to display the total weight measured on the weighing section.

10. An article management system which manages whether respective content of a plurality of containers is compoundable with one another, comprising:

a weighing scale;

a weight detecting section configured to measure a total weight of the plurality of containers in response to the plurality of containers being placed on the weighing scale;

radio tags respectively attached to the plurality of containers, the radio tags respectively comprising a memory storing a chemical substance identification code and compound data, the chemical substance identification code identifying content of a container and the compound data indicating a set of chemical substances which are able to be safely compounded with the content;

a radio tag reading section configured to, in response to a determination that the weight detecting section has begun to weigh a first container and a second container of the plurality of containers, read out, in a non-contact manner, first tag data including a first chemical substance identification code and first compound data from a first of the radio tags attached to the first container, and second tag data including a second chemical substance identification code and second compound data from a second of the radio tags attached to the second container;

a compound determination section configured to determine whether the first chemical substance identification code is included in the second compound data; and

an informing section configured to notify a first result indicating that first content identified by the first chemical substance identification code is safely compoundable with second content identified by the second chemical substance identification code in response to a determination by the compound determination section that the first chemical substance identification code is included in the second compound data, and to notify a second result indicating that first content is not safely compoundable with second content in response to a determination by the compound determination section that the first chemical substance identification code is not included in the second compound data.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the compound data stored in the memory of the radio tags indicates a material safely compoundable with content housed in one of the containers.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the compound data stored in the memory of the radio tags indicates a material that is prohibited from being compounded with content housed in one of the containers.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the radio tag reading section is further configured to read tag data from a radio tag in response to a container on which the radio tag is affixed being placed on the weighing scale.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the radio tag reading section comprises a plurality of antennas arranged such that the antennas surround the weighing scale to form a communication area with the radio tag above the weighing scale.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of antennas include a planer antenna.

16. The system according to claim 10, further comprising a user radio tag comprising data specifying a user, the data being read out by the radio tag reading section.

17. The system according to claim 16, further comprising a user determination section configured to determine whether tag data read out by the radio tag reading section includes the data specifying a user, the compound determination section being operated in response to the user determination section determining that the data specifying the user is included in the tag data read out by the radio tag reading section.

18. The system according to claim 10, further comprising a display section configured to display the total weight of the plurality of containers.