Control system

• US 10,479,603 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2018
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hoang, Le Anh, Koga, Yasutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Point, Rufus C
• Application Number:
  US15/876,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20180141753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/08 Systems for determining direction or position line
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking

Abstract

A control system of an article according to an embodiment includes a first transmitter having a first radio signal range, being mounted at a first location, and transmitting first position information relating to the first location, a second transmitter having a second radio signal range, being mounted at a second location, and transmitting second position information relating to the second location, the second radio signal range being narrower than the first radio signal range, an acquirer acquiring the first position information and the second position information, and a memory part, information relating to the article is associated with the first position information or the second position information and stored in the memory part.

Claims

1. A control system of an article, the control system comprising:

a first transmitter having a first radio signal range, being mounted at a first location, and transmitting first position information relating to the first location;

a second transmitter having a second radio signal range, being mounted at a second location, and transmitting second position information relating to the second location, the second radio signal range being narrower than the first radio signal range;

an acquirer acquiring at least one of the first position information and the second position information;

a first identifier including first identification information and being attached to the article; and

a memory part, the first identification information being associated with the first position information or the second position information and stored in the memory part,

wherein the acquirer is configured to associate the first identification information with at least one of the first position information and the second position information based on the acquired at least one of first and second position information and the association stored in said memory part, thereby to identify the location of the article as being within the range of at least one of the first transmitter or the second transmitter based on the acquired first or second position information and the association stored in the memory part.

2. The control system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first reader reading the second position information and transmitting the second position information to the acquirer; and

a second reader reading the first identification information and transmitting the first identification information to the acquirer,

the transmitting to the acquirer from the first transmitter, the first reader, and the second reader being performed using a common wireless communication standard.

3. The control system according to claim 2, wherein

the first transmitter is a beacon,

the second transmitter is a RFID tag,

the first reader is a RFID reader, and

the wireless communication standard is Bluetooth (registered trademark).

4. The control system according to claim 1, further comprising a displayer visualizing and displaying the first position information or the second position information associated with the first identification information.

5. The control system according to claim 1, further comprising a third transmitter having the first radio signal range, being mounted at a third location, and transmitting third position information relating to the third location,

the first transmitter being mounted to a first storer provided along a first direction,

the third transmitter being mounted to a second storer provided along the first direction, the second storer opposing the first storer in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,

a position in the first direction of the first transmitter being different from a position in the first direction of the second transmitter.

6. A control system of an article, the control system comprising:

a first transmitter having a first radio signal range, being mounted at a first location, and transmitting first identification information;

a second transmitter having a second radio signal range, being mounted at a second location, and transmitting second identification information, the second radio signal range being narrower than the first radio signal range;

an acquirer acquiring at least one of the first identification information and the second identification information;

a first identifier including third identification information and being attached to the article; and

a memory part, first position information and second position information being stored in the memory part, the first position information relating to the first location and corresponding to the first identification information, the second position information relating to the second location and corresponding to the second identification information, the third identification information being associated with the first identification information or the second identification information and stored in the memory part,

wherein the acquirer is configured to associate the third identification information with at least one of the first position information and the second position information based on the acquired at least one of first and second position information and the association stored in said memory part, thereby to identify the location of the article as being within the range of at least one of the first transmitter or the second transmitter based on the acquired first or second position information and the association stored in the memory part.

7. A control system of an article stored inside a warehouse, the control system comprising:

a beacon mounted on a prescribed location inside the warehouse, the beacon transmitting first position information relating to the prescribed location;

an identifier attached to the article, the identifier including identification information unique to the article,

a reader reading the identification information;

an acquirer acquiring the first position information transmitted from the beacon, the identification information read by the reader and second position information input as a voice input;

a displayer displaying the first position information and the identification information acquired by the acquirer; and

a memory part storing the identification information associated with selected one of the first position information and the second position information,

wherein the acquirer is configured to acquire the second position information during the displayer displaying the first position information acquired therein and the identification information.