JP7694572B2 - Inventory management system, inventory management method, and recording medium - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the technical fields of inventory management systems, inventory management methods, and recording media for managing store inventory.

Known systems of this type use RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system in which RFID tags are attached to products to track the movement of the products between a storage area and a sales area and apply this to inventory management. Patent Document 2 discloses a light-emitting tag that uses RFID technology and is configured to emit light when it is selected. Patent Document 3 also proposes a system that emits light from electronic shelf tags attached to product display shelves where target products are lined up.

Special Publication No. 2010-517148 JP 2007-171088 A JP 2008-77131 A

However, the light-emitting tag in Patent Document 2 only senses that it has been selected and emits light, and is unable to communicate any information beyond that it has been selected by emitting light. For this reason, even if this light-emitting tag were adopted in the system in Patent Document 1, for example, it would be difficult for the user to recognize information necessary for inventory management through the light-emitting tag. Also, in the system in Patent Document 3, the electronic shelf tag only emits light in response to instructions from the server, and does not emit light in response to the user's selection. Therefore, there is a technical problem in that it is unable to make the user aware of information necessary for inventory management and facilitate the cumbersome task of inventory management in the backroom.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned technical problems, and aims to provide an inventory management system, an inventory management method, and a recording medium that allow a user to recognize information necessary for inventory management and facilitates tedious inventory management work in the backroom.

One aspect of the inventory management system of the present invention comprises a wireless terminal having a short-range wireless communication function, a wireless tag having a short-range wireless communication function and an inventory information output unit that outputs information regarding the inventory of products in a packaging box, and a database that stores inventory information regarding the inventory of the products, and the inventory information output unit of the wireless tag outputs an output mode corresponding to the inventory information for the product identified by the wireless terminal.

One aspect of the inventory management method of the present invention is an inventory management method in an inventory monitoring system that includes a wireless terminal having a short-range wireless communication function, a wireless tag having a short-range wireless communication function, and a database that stores inventory information related to the inventory of products in a packaging box, the inventory management method including providing the wireless tag with an inventory information output unit that outputs information related to the inventory of the products, and causing the inventory information output unit of the wireless tag to output an output mode corresponding to the inventory information for the products identified by the wireless terminal.

One aspect of the recording medium of the present invention is a recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program configured to cause a computer included in an inventory management system comprising a wireless terminal having a short-range wireless communication function, a wireless tag having a short-range wireless communication function and an inventory information output unit that outputs information regarding the inventory of a product in a packaging box, and a database that stores inventory information regarding the inventory of the product, to cause the inventory information output unit of the wireless tag to output an output mode corresponding to the inventory information regarding the product identified by the wireless terminal.

According to each aspect of the inventory management system, inventory management method, and recording medium described above, it is possible to make the user aware of the information necessary for inventory management, thereby facilitating the complicated inventory management work in the backroom.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an overall configuration of an inventory management system according to an embodiment. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a wireless tag according to an embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a wireless terminal according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a server device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of inventory information according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of sales history information according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of search history information according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of take-out history information according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of output mode information according to the embodiment. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a flow of processing performed regarding a linking process according to the embodiment; FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a flow of processing performed regarding a search target product according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a process performed when a product according to the embodiment is taken out of a back room. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a process performed when a packing box according to the embodiment is taken out of a backroom. FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of inventory information according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of multiple room output mode information.

First, the overall configuration of the inventory management system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is an example of the inventory management system 1. The inventory management system 1 is configured to facilitate the management of products (i.e., inventory in the backroom) that are packed and stored in cardboard boxes 10 used as packing boxes in a backroom. Note that this embodiment will be described using clothing as an example of a product, but the products of the inventory management system 1 are not limited to clothing.

In addition, as information for identifying a product (hereinafter referred to as "product identification information"), identification information physically given to each product is called a "product ID", and identification information for identifying a product in SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) units is called an "SKU product ID". The SKU unit is a concept in which products of the same type are subdivided according to multiple attributes such as color, pattern, size, etc., and products that are the same in terms of the multiple attributes are treated as one product. For example, if the same type of shirt is developed in five colors and four sizes, there are 20 SKU product IDs (5 x 4) related to that type of shirt, that is, the shirts are classified as 20 types of products. The product ID may also include information that can identify each attribute for specifying the SKU. In addition, the unit for identifying a product with an SKU product ID may be at least one attribute out of multiple attributes such as type, color, pattern, size, etc., and may be set appropriately depending on the product.

The inventory management system 1 includes, as a cloud-side configuration, a server device 20 and a group of databases 30 accessible by the server device 20, and includes, as an edge-side configuration, a wireless tag 40 associated with the cardboard boxes 10 stored in the backroom and a portable wireless terminal 50. The inventory management system 1 may also include, as an edge-side configuration, a portable operation terminal 60 (an example of an "other wireless terminal") and a gate sensor 90 provided at an entry/exit gate 80 (hereinafter referred to as "gate 80") through which the cardboard boxes 10 pass when they are taken out of the backroom. However, the inventory management system 1 may not include at least one of the operation terminal 60 and the gate sensor 90 as an edge-side configuration. The information included in the group of databases 30 can be accessed from systems other than the inventory management system 1. Although one cardboard box 10 is shown in FIG. 1, multiple cardboard boxes 10 may be stored in the backroom. In this case, one wireless tag 40 is associated with each of the multiple cardboard boxes 10. Between the wireless tag 40 and the wireless terminal 50, short-distance wireless communication is possible in which information carried by radio waves or magnetic fields is exchanged between the antennas of both in a non-contact manner. In this embodiment, for example, RFID technology may be used as the short-distance wireless communication.

The wireless tag 40 can be removably attached to, for example, the surface of the cardboard 10. The attachment may be physical or chemical. In this embodiment, the wireless tag 40 is a plate-shaped wireless tag having a back surface that can be removably attached to the surface of the cardboard 10. By making the wireless tag 40 detachable from the cardboard 10, the wireless tag 40 can be reused even after the corresponding cardboard 10 has been disposed of. Furthermore, the back surface of the wireless tag 40 may be provided with, for example, a 2D code or the like in which identification information (hereinafter referred to as "tag ID") that identifies the wireless tag 40 is recorded.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the hardware configuration of the wireless tag 40 includes a memory unit 41, a tag communication unit 42, a status output unit 43, and a tag control unit 44. The memory unit 41 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a user memory 41a. The user memory 41a is a readable and writable non-volatile memory (e.g., an EE-PROM: Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). The user memory 41a records, for example, product information about the product packed in the corresponding cardboard box 10. The product information includes, for example, product identification information (in this embodiment, for example, a product ID). The user memory 41a further includes the tag ID of the wireless tag 40 corresponding to the product information. Hereinafter, the product information and tag ID recorded in the user memory 41a will be referred to as tag information.

The tag communication unit 42 includes an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves (in this embodiment, radio waves conforming to RFID technology as described above) communicated with the wireless terminal 50, and is configured to be capable of modulating radio waves. The status output unit 43 is an example of an inventory information output unit, and in this embodiment is provided as a light-emitting unit composed of light-emitting elements (e.g., light-emitting diodes and organic EL (Electro Luminescence)) capable of outputting light, and is configured to emit light in the output mode (i.e., light-emitting mode) indicated by an instruction to execute output from the wireless terminal 50. The number of light-emitting elements constituting this light-emitting unit may be one or more. The tag control unit 44 is configured to control the operation of each of the components 41 to 43 of the wireless tag 40, and is, for example, a circuit in which logic is configured to enable such control.

2B, the wireless terminal 50 has a read/write communication unit 51, a server interface 52, a display unit 53, an operation input unit 54, and a wireless terminal control unit 55. The read/write communication unit 51 includes an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves (in this embodiment, radio waves conforming to RFID technology as described above) communicated with the wireless tag 40, and is configured to enable reading of information from the user memory 41a, writing of information to the user memory 41a, and transmission of various commands (instructions) to the wireless tag 40. The server interface 52 is configured to enable data communication with the server device 20. This data communication may be, for example, via a closed predetermined LAN (Local Area Network) or may be network communication via the Internet. In addition, although wired/wireless communication is not required, wireless communication is preferable when the server device 20 is not in a backroom.

The display unit 53 is, for example, a display, and is configured to appropriately display information required by the user. The operation input unit 54 includes, for example, input keys and input buttons, and is configured to appropriately accept input operations from the user. Furthermore, the operation input unit 54 also has a code reading function that can read information recorded in various codes such as barcodes and 2D codes.

The wireless terminal control unit 55 is configured as a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and internal memory such as RAM and ROM required for its operation, as well as other devices. The wireless terminal control unit 55 controls the operation of each of the components 51 to 54 of the wireless terminal 50 by executing a computer program stored in the ROM, and functions, for example, as a specific tag indication unit 55a described below.

As shown in FIG. 3, the server device 20 has a server communication unit 21 and a server control unit 22. The server communication unit 21 is configured to be capable of data communication between each edge-side configuration 50, 60, 90 and each piece of information 31-35 in the database group 30. The server control unit 22 is configured as a computer including a CPU and internal memories such as RAM and ROM required for its operation, as well as other devices. The server control unit 22 controls the operation of each configuration of the server device 20 (e.g., the server communication unit 21) by executing a computer program stored in the ROM, and functions, for example, as an output mode identification unit 22a, a tag identification unit 22b, and an output instruction creation unit 22c, which will be described below.

In addition, the server device 20 is a conceptual device constructed on the cloud, and may be constructed as one theoretical server device by one or more server units as physical computer devices.

Returning to FIG. 1, the operation terminal 60 is configured to allow a user (e.g., a clerk or employee of a store with a back yard) to input information necessary for processing in the server device 20, and to transmit the input information to the server device 20. The operation terminal 60 is preferably, for example, a smartphone or a portable tablet that can be carried by the user. The input information may include not only the input information itself, but also information related to the input, such as the input date and time.

As described above, the gate sensor 90 is provided at the gate 80. The gate sensor 90 is configured to read the tag ID from the wireless tag 40 affixed to the cardboard box 10 passing through the gate 80, and transmit the take-out information based on the tag ID to the server device 20.

The database group 30 includes various information, such as inventory information 31, sales history information 32, search history information 33, take-out history information 34, and output mode information 35. However, the database group 30 does not have to include at least one of the inventory information 31, sales history information 32, search history information 33, take-out history information 34, and output mode information 35.

Inventory information 31 is information regarding product inventory, and for example, as shown in FIG. 4A, for an SKU product ID, for example, inventory quantity information, inventory product ID information, and tag ID information are associated. Inventory quantity information is information regarding the current inventory quantity in the backroom of the product indicated by the SKU product ID. Inventory product ID information is information regarding the product ID of each product stored in a cardboard box 10 as inventory in the backroom. Tag ID information is information regarding the wireless tag 40 corresponding to the cardboard box 10 in which the product indicated by the SKU product ID is stored. The tag ID information may be associated with each product ID, for example.

Sales history information 32 is information about the sales history of the product indicated by the SKU product ID, and for example, as shown in FIG. 4B, the sales history is associated with the SKU product ID. The sales history includes, for example, the quantity, date and time, and place of sale of the product.

Search history information 33 is information about the search history of the product indicated by the SKU product ID, and for example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the search history is associated with the SKU product ID. The search history includes, for example, the date and time when the product was searched, the number of searches, etc. Sales history information 32 and search history information 33 are accessed by sales-related systems such as a mail order system and a POS (Point Of Sale) system, and are updated as appropriate. Note that search history information 33 may also include the search history of products searched for in the search range specification process described below on the operation terminal 60.

The take-out history information 34 is information regarding the take-out of the product indicated by the SKU product ID from the backroom. For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, the take-out history is associated with the SKU product ID. The take-out history includes, for example, the date and time when the product was taken out, the quantity, etc.

The output mode information 35 is information about the output mode of the status output unit 43 of the wireless tag 40, and for example, as shown in FIG. 5C, an output mode is set according to the stock status (an example of "information about stock"). For example, multiple levels are provided for the stock status. Each level is set according to, for example, the degree of stock shortage and the necessity for ordering. As a criterion for determining each level, for example, a table may be provided in which the respective numerical ranges of multiple parameters (for example, current stock quantity) for specifying the stock status are associated. Alternatively, each level may be associated with a range of calculated values obtained by inputting the values of the multiple parameters into a specified formula.

Here, when the status output unit 43 is a light-emitting unit, possible output modes include, for example, the blinking mode (the length of time the light is on and off, the rhythm and speed of the light on and off, etc.), the color of the light, the intensity of the light, the direction of the light emission, the movement in the direction of the light emission (circular movement, linear movement, etc.), and combinations of these. For example, possible modes include a mode in which the light is emitted at a low light intensity when the level of stock tightness is low, a mode in which the light is emitted at a medium light intensity and blinks, when the level of stock tightness is medium, and a mode in which the light intensity is higher than medium and the blinking speed is faster than medium when the level of stock tightness is high in order to make the user aware of the high level of stock tightness.

The following describes the processing executed in the inventory management system 1. In the following description, the processing in the server device 20 is controlled by the server control unit 22, the processing in the wireless tag 40 is controlled by the tag control unit 44, and the processing in the wireless terminal 50 is controlled by the wireless terminal control unit 55.

An example of the process that is performed when a cardboard box 10 containing a product is stored in the backroom will be described with reference to Figure 6. For example, when the cardboard box 10 is stored, the wireless tag 40 is first linked to the cardboard box 10 before it is affixed to the cardboard box 10. For this linking, a linking process is performed by the wireless terminal 50 (step S100).

In the linking process, product information of the products in the cardboard box 10 is obtained from the cardboard box 10, and a tag ID is obtained from the wireless tag 40 attached to the cardboard box 10, and the obtained product information and the tag ID are associated with each other. As described above, the product information includes, for example, product identification information (for example, product ID). The product information may be read, for example, from a barcode recorded in advance on the cardboard box 10, or may be read from the product tag of each product in the cardboard box 10 from the outside of the cardboard box 10. The tag ID may be read, for example, from a 2D code provided on the back side of the wireless tag 40, or may be input in response to a user's operation. The wireless tag 40 is attached to the surface of the corresponding cardboard box 10 after the linking process.

In addition, when the tag ID is entered without using the back side of the wireless tag 40 (for example, when the tag ID is entered in response to a user operation), the processing of Figure 6 may be performed with the wireless tag 40 affixed to the cardboard 10.

After the linking process is performed by the wireless terminal 50, the new inventory information is sent to the server device 20. The new inventory information includes information in which the product information acquired from the cardboard box 10 is associated with the tag ID. The server device 20 performs an information update process on the inventory information 31 based on the received product information (step S101). For example, the SKU is identified from the product identification information of the product information, and the inventory quantity information of the inventory information 31 for the corresponding SKU product ID is updated, and the inventory product ID information and tag ID information are updated so that the SKU product ID, product ID, and tag ID included in the new inventory information are associated with each other.

Furthermore, the wireless terminal 50 writes the linking information to the user memory 41a of the wireless tag 40 (step S102). The linking information includes the product information acquired from the cardboard box 10 and the tag ID linked to the product information. As a result, the linked product information and its own tag ID are recorded as tag information in the user memory 41a.

Next, the process of searching the backroom for products set as search targets in the operation terminal 60 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. First, the operation terminal 60 performs a search range specification process (step S200). In the search range specification process, for example, a list of searchable products is displayed on the screen, and the user is prompted to select a product to be searched. In addition to the product name, the product list displays, for example, text information indicating each attribute for determining the SKU, and a color photo of the product, and the user is prompted to select each attribute. This selection operation specifies the range of products to be searched (hereinafter referred to as "search target products"), that is, the search range (i.e., SKU). When the search range is specified, search range information is sent to the server device 20. The search range information includes, for example, information regarding the SKU product ID corresponding to the search range, and search time information indicating the date and time of the search.

In the server device 20, search product processing is performed based on the search range information (step S201). In the search product processing, processing is performed to create output instructions for the search target product included in the search range information. For example, the server control unit 22 refers to the stock quantity information associated with the SKU product ID corresponding to the search target product in the inventory information 31, and identifies the stock status (e.g., the above-mentioned level) based on this stock quantity information. The server control unit 22 then refers to the output mode information 35 to identify the output mode corresponding to the identified stock status. In this way, the server control unit 22 functions as the output mode identification unit 22a.

The server control unit 22 also identifies the tag ID associated with the SKU product ID corresponding to the search target product in the inventory information 31 as the tag corresponding to the cardboard box 10 in which the search target product is stored. As a result, the server control unit 22 functions as a tag identification unit 22b. When the output mode and tag ID are identified, the server control unit 22 creates an output instruction so that the output mode of the status output unit 43 of the wireless tag 40 corresponding to the identified tag ID becomes the output mode identified by the server control unit 22, and transmits this to the wireless terminal 50. As a result, the server control unit 22 functions as an output instruction creation unit 22c.

Furthermore, in the search product processing, the server device 20 updates the search history information 33 based on the search range information. For example, the server device 20 adds the search time information included in the search range information to the search history of the search target product and updates the number of searches.

When determining the stock status, the server control unit 22 may refer to at least one of the sales history in the sales history information 32, the search history in the search history information 33, and the take-out history in the take-out history information 34 for the searched product in addition to the stock quantity information in the inventory information 31, and may determine the stock status by taking these histories into consideration. For example, if the searched product is determined to be a popular product based on these histories (for example, if the sales volume, number of searches, and number of take-outs are steadily increasing), the level corresponding to the stock quantity in a predetermined range (tight inventory level) may be determined to be higher than normal. Alternatively, for example, if there is a sales trend such as sales volume changing depending on the season, the stock status (tight inventory level) may be determined by taking into consideration the sales trend of the current season.

In the wireless terminal 50, a search execution process is performed based on the output instruction (step S202). In the search execution process, the wireless terminal control unit 55 transmits radio waves to identify the wireless tag 40 corresponding to the tag ID (i.e., the tag ID identified by the server device 20) indicated by the output instruction, and transmits an output execution instruction including a command to output the status output unit 43 in the output mode indicated by the output instruction to the identified wireless tag 40. In this way, the wireless terminal control unit 55 functions as a specific tag instruction unit 55a. The user can recognize that the search target product is stored in the corresponding cardboard box 10 and the inventory status of the product by the light emission of the status output unit 43. Note that if the search target product is not in stock in the back room, for example, the server device 20 may create an output instruction including information indicating that there is no stock, and the wireless terminal 50 may display on the display unit 53 that there is no search target product.

In the wireless tag 40, the search result processing is performed according to the command included in the output execution instruction (step S203). As a result, the wireless tag 40 outputs (lights up) the status output unit 43 (light emitting unit) so as to have the output mode specified by the server device 20.

In the inventory management system 1, when an item is taken out of the backroom and the inventory quantity changes, the inventory information 31 is updated as appropriate. The process of updating the inventory information 31 will be explained using Figures 8 and 9. Note that the processing of the server device 20 in Figures 8 and 9 may be performed by the inventory entry/exit detection unit of the server control unit 22.

An example of the process for taking out a product (e.g. product A) from a cardboard box 10 in the backroom will be described with reference to FIG. 8. First, the wireless terminal 50 performs a take-out product information acquisition process (step S300). In the take-out product information acquisition process, for example, the wireless terminal 50 is used to have the user read the product ID from the product tag of the product A to be taken out. The wireless terminal 50 identifies the date and time when the product ID was read as take-out time information, and transmits take-out information including the read product ID, take-out quantity, and take-out time information to the server device 20. The take-out quantity may be acquired by the wireless terminal 50 in response to an input operation by the user, for example.

When the server device 20 acquires the take-out information, it determines that product A has been taken out from the back room, and performs an information update process based on the take-out information (step S301). In the information update process of step S301, the server device 20 updates, for example, the inventory information 31 and the take-out history information 34. With regard to the inventory information 31, the server device 20 updates the stock quantity information based on the take-out quantity indicated in the take-out information, and may also associate information indicating that the product has been taken out with the product ID indicated in the take-out information (i.e., the stock product ID), or may delete the product ID. With regard to the take-out history information 34, the server device 20 adds, for example, the take-out quantity and take-out time information included in the take-out information to the take-out history of the SKU product ID corresponding to the product ID indicated in the take-out information.

Meanwhile, a tag information update process is performed in the wireless tag 40 (step S302). In the tag information update process, for example, the user writes the product ID of the taken product to the user memory 41a of the wireless tag 40, thereby updating the tag information held in the user memory 41a. For example, the product ID of the taken product may be associated with information indicating that the product has been taken out, or the product ID may be deleted.

Next, an example of the process when the cardboard box 10 is taken out of the backroom and passes through the gate 80 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. First, when the gate sensor 90 detects the wireless tag 40 (e.g., tag ID), tag detection process is performed (step S400). In the tag detection process, for example, the gate sensor 90 identifies the date and time when the wireless tag 40 is detected as take-out time information, and transmits gate take-out information (an example of "outlet time information") including the detected tag ID and take-out time information to the server device 20. The server device 20 that receives the gate take-out information determines that the cardboard box 10 (i.e., the product) has been taken out of the backroom, and performs information update process based on the gate take-out information (step S401). In the information update process of step S401, the SKU product ID and inventory product ID of the product in the cardboard box 10 taken out are identified from the inventory information 31 based on the tag ID included in the gate take-out information. The process for updating the inventory information 31 and the take-out history information 34 after identifying the SKU product ID and the like may be similar to the information update process executed in step S301.

In the information update process of step S301 (FIG. 8) and the information update process of step S401 (FIG. 9), the timing for updating the inventory information 31 and the removal history information 34 does not have to be performed every time a product or cardboard box 10 is removed from the backroom. For example, at least one of the inventory information 31 and the removal history information 34 may be updated by tallying up the removed products at a predetermined period, or may be updated when the number of removed products reaches a predetermined number. The gate sensor 90 may also be capable of detecting the cardboard box 10 and products stored in the backroom using a tag ID or product ID. The determination of whether the product is being stored or removed may be made by adopting a known movement direction determination method. For example, the movement direction may be determined based on the time difference between the detection timings of two or more sensors included in the gate sensor 90 and arranged in the direction in which the product or cardboard box 10 passes through the gate 80.

In addition to the processing in the above embodiment, the inventory management system 1 can also be configured to output the status output unit 43 of the wireless tag 40 to indicate that the search target product is also present in other back rooms when multiple cardboard boxes 10 are stored distributed across multiple back rooms. Below, we will explain the processing that differs from the above embodiment and the additional processing.

For example, instead of inventory information 31, database group 30 includes inventory information 31a in which room information (an example of "location information") has been added to inventory information 31, as shown in FIG. 10A. The room information stores information about a room, including identification information (hereinafter "room ID") of a backroom in which a product with a corresponding SKU product ID is stored.

During the linking process of FIG. 6, for example, the room ID of the backroom in which the cardboard box 10 to be processed is stored is included in the new inventory information and linking information. The room ID may be directly input by the user into the wireless terminal 50, or the corresponding room ID may be identified based on information input by the user (e.g., room name). In the information update process of step S101, the inventory information 31a is updated based on the new inventory information. In the information update process, the same process as described above is performed except that the room ID is stored as room information for the corresponding SKU product ID. Also, in the write process (step S102), the product information, tag ID and room ID are recorded in the user memory 41a as linking information.

In the search product processing of step S201 in FIG. 7, for example, if multiple room IDs are set in the room information of the inventory information 31, the output instruction creation unit 22c of the server device 20 creates an output instruction to have the status output unit 43 output in a predetermined output mode (room output mode) indicating that the search target product is stored in multiple back rooms, in addition to the output mode specified according to the inventory status, and transmits this to the wireless terminal 50. In the search execution processing of step S202, the specific tag instruction unit 55a of the wireless terminal 50 instructs the wireless tag 40 corresponding to the tag ID to execute output, for example, so that the output of the status output unit 43 is executed in a predetermined room output mode in addition to the output mode according to the inventory status. As the predetermined room output mode, for example, when the status output unit 43 outputs light as in this embodiment, it is considered that the light emission moves in a predetermined manner.

Furthermore, if there are two or more back rooms, a color may be determined for each room, and the status output unit 43 may be configured to emit light in a color corresponding to the other back rooms in which the search target product is located. In this case, for example, the following processing may be considered. The database group 30 stores information regarding the output mode of the status output unit 43 corresponding to each room ID, and further includes, for example, multiple room output mode information 36 in which multiple room output modes are associated with room IDs, as shown in FIG. 10B. In the multiple room output mode, a different output mode is set for each back room (i.e., room ID) so that each back room can be identified by the output of the status output unit 43. For example, if the output is light, a different color may be set for each room.

In the search product processing of step S201 in FIG. 7, for example, the server device 20 specifies multiple colors (multiple room output modes) corresponding to multiple room IDs of the room information of the referenced inventory information 31a by referring to the multiple room output mode information 36, and the output instruction creation unit 22c creates an output instruction so that the status output unit 43 outputs in the specified multiple colors in addition to the output mode specified according to the inventory status, and transmits this to the wireless terminal 50. In the search execution processing of step S202, the wireless terminal 50 transmits an output instruction to the wireless tag 40 to emit multiple colors indicated by the output instruction in addition to the output mode specified according to the inventory status. The mode of emitting multiple colors may be, for example, configured to switch between multiple colors in a short time, or, if multiple light-emitting elements are present, may be configured to share the colors emitted by multiple light-emitting elements. The "room output mode" and the "multiple room output mode" are examples of "output modes corresponding to location information". In addition, the room output mode and the multiple room output mode may be, for example, character output or audio output. The information may be output from an output unit (e.g., a voice output unit or a character output unit) other than the output of the status output unit 43 of the wireless tag 40. Furthermore, the wireless terminal 50 may be provided with an output unit that outputs in an output mode corresponding to the room information.

In this embodiment, the status output unit 43 is a light-emitting unit that outputs light, but it may function as a sound generating unit instead of or in addition to the light-emitting unit. In this case, a melody, sound effect, voice, etc. may be output in a predetermined manner instead of or in addition to light emission depending on the inventory status. In addition, the product identification information recorded in the cardboard box 10 or tag information may be an SKU product ID. The system according to this embodiment is constructed so that a user who is alerted by an output manner according to the inventory status places an order for a product that is in short supply or is likely to be in short supply, but may be constructed so that at least a part of the processing related to the order is executed on the server device 20 side. In other words, the system may be constructed so that a user can check that at least a part of the processing related to the order is being executed at the appropriate time on the server device 20 side by the output from the status output unit 43. Furthermore, at least a part of the above-mentioned processing by the server device 20 may be executed on the wireless terminal 50 depending on the processing capacity of the wireless terminal 50.

<Additional Notes>
A part or all of the above-described embodiment can be described as, but is not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

(Appendix 1)
The inventory management system described in Appendix 1 comprises a wireless terminal having a short-range wireless communication function, a wireless tag having a short-range wireless communication function and an inventory information output unit that outputs information regarding the inventory of a product in a packaging box, and a database that stores inventory information regarding the inventory of the product, wherein the inventory information output unit of the wireless tag outputs an output mode corresponding to the inventory information regarding the product identified by the wireless terminal.

According to the inventory management system described in Appendix 1, the inventory information output unit provided in the wireless tag outputs inventory information for a product identified by the wireless terminal in an output mode corresponding to the inventory information of the product in the packaging box. For example, by using a wireless terminal in a backroom, a user can be made aware of inventory information for a target product through the output mode of the inventory information output unit. This allows, for example, a user in the backroom to easily determine the need to order a product. In this way, inventory management work in the backroom can be facilitated by utilizing a wireless terminal and a wireless tag capable of communicating via short-range wireless communication.

The output from the inventory information output unit may be any output that can be sensed by the user using his or her vision or hearing, such as light, melody, sound effects, or voice. There is no restriction on the type of "near-field wireless communication" as long as it is a communication method that transmits and receives information on radio waves or magnetic fields over a relatively short communication distance (e.g., within a few tens of meters). The output mode corresponding to the inventory information may be specified by any configuration within the inventory management system, such as by a wireless terminal or a server device.

(Appendix 2)
The inventory management system described in Appendix 2 is the inventory management system described in Appendix 1, wherein the database includes removal history information regarding the history of the product being removed from the back room, sales history information regarding the history of the product being sold, and search history information regarding the history of the product being searched for, and the inventory information output unit outputs, in addition to the inventory information, an output mode corresponding to at least one of the removal history information, sales history information, and search history information of the product.

According to the inventory management system described in Appendix 2, an output format is output that takes into consideration not only product inventory information, but also sales history information, search history information, and/or take-out history information. Therefore, from this history information, additional information such as product popularity and sales trends can be ascertained, and inventory management that takes this additional information into consideration is possible.

(Appendix 3)
The inventory management system described in Appendix 3 is the inventory management system described in Appendix 1 or 2, further including a server device capable of data communication with the wireless terminal, the server device having an output mode identification unit that identifies the output mode based on the inventory information of the product, and the inventory information output unit of the wireless tag outputs information regarding the inventory in the output mode identified by the output mode identification unit.

According to the inventory management system described in Appendix 3, it becomes possible for the server device to specify the output mode of the inventory information output unit based on the inventory information in the database. This makes it possible to apply the inventory management system of the present invention to wireless terminals with controlled processing power. "Data communication" may be a communication method typically used in client-server systems, such as communication via a closed LAN or communication via a wide area network such as the Internet, or a peer-to-peer method. It does not matter whether the communication is wireless or wired. In the case of an inventory management system including a wireless terminal, a wireless tag, and a server device, it is possible to configure it, for example, as follows. an output mode specifying unit that specifies the output mode of the status output unit of the wireless tag corresponding to the one product in accordance with the inventory status of the identified one product; a tag specifying unit that specifies the wireless tag corresponding to the one product; and an output instruction creating unit that creates an output instruction for the wireless terminal so that the status output unit in the identified wireless tag outputs the inventory status in the identified output mode. The wireless terminal includes a specific tag instruction unit that instructs the specified wireless tag indicated by the output instruction to execute the output so that the status output unit outputs the inventory status in the identified output mode. This makes it possible to apply the present invention to any wireless terminal that has a function for transmitting command codes that control the operation of a wireless tag.

(Appendix 4)
The inventory management system described in Appendix 4 is the inventory management system described in Appendix 2, wherein the wireless terminal is capable of reading a code recorded on the packaging box, the wireless tag holds tag identification information that identifies the wireless tag itself, the wireless terminal obtains information regarding the product in the packaging box from the code and transmits it to the server device, and also obtains the tag identification information from the wireless tag corresponding to the packaging box and transmits it to the server device, and the server device updates the inventory information so that the tag identification information and the information regarding the product are associated with each other.

According to the inventory management system described in Appendix 4, the wireless terminal can associate the wireless tag with the product inside the packing box, and inventory information can be updated based on this association. For example, when a new packing box is received in the back room, inventory information can be updated easily and quickly.

(Appendix 5)
The inventory management system described in Supplementary Note 5 is the inventory management system described in any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 4, in which the output mode is an output mode by a light-emitting means constituted by at least one light-emitting element.

According to the inventory management system described in Appendix 5, information regarding inventory can be notified to the user by emitting light. For example, compared to when the output of the inventory information output unit is an auditory output, this is more suitable for environments that require quiet operation. In addition, even when multiple different products are searched for at once, the outputs are less likely to interfere with each other.

(Appendix 6)
The inventory management system described in Appendix 6 is an inventory management system described in any one of Appendixes 1 to 5, in which the inventory information includes location information where the packaging box corresponding to the product is stored, and the wireless tag or the wireless terminal is caused to output information regarding the product identified by the wireless terminal in an output mode corresponding to the location information.

According to the inventory management system described in Appendix 6, for example, it is possible to easily and quickly inform a user that packaging boxes containing products are present in multiple back rooms. The output based on the location information may be, for example, text output, sound effect output, or voice output. Also, in the case of a wireless tag, the output based on the location information may be output from an inventory information output unit.

(Appendix 7)
In the inventory management system described in Appendix 7, in the above-mentioned inventory management system, the inventory information includes inventory quantity information regarding the inventory number of the product, and the inventory information output unit may output the output mode corresponding to the inventory information of the product based on the inventory quantity information.

According to the inventory management system described in Appendix 7, it is possible to determine the inventory status of a product based on the current stock quantity.

(Appendix 8)
The inventory management system described in Appendix 8 has an in/out detection unit that determines whether the product in the packing box has been in/out of the backroom, and the in/out detection unit obtains out-of-stock time information regarding the time the product was out of stock for the detected product, and may further use the out-of-stock time information to update the inventory information and the removal history information.

According to the inventory management system described in Appendix 8, goods being removed from the backroom can be detected by the in-stock/out-stock detection unit, and inventory information and removal history information can be updated.

(Appendix 9)
The inventory management system described in Supplementary Note 9 may further include another wireless terminal that designates any of the products in the inventory management system, and updates the search history information in the database with respect to the designated product.

According to the inventory management system described in Appendix 9, a user can specify a product. For example, by specifying a product to search for in the backroom, the user can sense not only the product to be searched for but also information regarding the stock of that product. In particular, because this specification operation is performed using a wireless terminal, the user does not need to be in the backroom and can specify the desired product from anywhere.

(Appendix 10)
In the inventory management system described in Supplementary Note 10, the products may be identified by at least one of product type, color, pattern, and size.

According to the inventory management system described in Appendix 10, the products in a packaging box can be managed in at least one unit (so-called SKU unit) of type, color, pattern, and size.

(Appendix 11)
In the inventory management system described in Supplementary Note 11, in the inventory management system, the wireless tag may be removably attached to a surface of the corresponding packaging box.

According to the inventory management system described in Appendix 11, it is possible for a user to easily recognize the correspondence between the wireless tag and the associated packaging box, and since the wireless tag is detachable from the packaging box, it can be reused even after the packaging box has been disposed of.

(Appendix 12)
In the inventory management system described in Supplementary Note 12, in the inventory management system, the short-range wireless communication may be communication using RFID technology.

According to the inventory management system described in Appendix 12, a wireless terminal can communicate wirelessly even if it is a certain distance from a wireless tag (for example, several meters when using UHF waves). It is also possible to read information from multiple wireless tags at once, which makes it possible to make inventory management more efficient.

(Appendix 13)
The inventory management method described in Appendix 13 is an inventory management method in an inventory monitoring system including a wireless terminal having a short-range wireless communication function, a wireless tag having a short-range wireless communication function, and a database storing inventory information regarding the inventory of products in a packaging box, characterized in that the wireless tag is provided with an inventory information output unit that outputs information regarding the inventory of the products, and the inventory information output unit of the wireless tag is caused to output an output mode corresponding to the inventory information regarding the product identified by the wireless terminal.

According to the inventory management method described in Appendix 13, it is possible to realize the inventory management system described in Appendix 1.

(Appendix 14)
The computer program described in Appendix 14 is a computer program configured to cause a computer included in an inventory management system including a wireless terminal having a short-range wireless communication function, a wireless tag equipped with a short-range wireless communication function and an inventory information output unit that outputs information regarding the inventory of a product in a packaging box, and a database that stores inventory information regarding the inventory of the product, to cause the inventory information output unit of the wireless tag to output an output mode corresponding to the inventory information regarding the product identified by the wireless terminal.

The computer program described in Appendix 14 makes it possible to realize the inventory management system described in Appendix 1.

(Appendix 15)
The recording medium described in Appendix 15 is a recording medium on which the computer program described in Appendix 14 is recorded.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the claims and the entire specification without violating the gist or concept of the invention, and the inventory management system, inventory management method and recording medium incorporating such modifications are also included in the technical concept of the present invention.

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-159484, filed on September 24, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

Claims (8)

A wireless terminal having a short-range wireless communication function;
a wireless tag having a short-distance wireless communication function, attached to a surface of a packing box in which products as inventory are packed, and including an inventory information output unit that outputs information related to the inventory;
a database for storing inventory information regarding the product, in which inventory information regarding the inventory number of the product in the packaging box is associated with tag ID information for identifying the wireless tag attached to the packaging box;
an output instruction creating unit that creates an output instruction to cause the inventory information output unit of the wireless tag identified by the tag ID information associated with the product to output an output mode corresponding to an inventory status based on the inventory quantity information,
the wireless terminal identifies the wireless tag indicated by the output instruction based on the output instruction, and transmits an output execution instruction to the inventory information output unit of the wireless tag to output the output mode;
the inventory information output unit of the wireless tag outputs the output format in accordance with the output execution instruction.
An inventory control system comprising: The database includes removal history information regarding a history of the product being removed from the backroom, sales history information regarding a history of the product being sold, and search history information regarding a history of the product being searched for,
2. The inventory management system according to claim 1, wherein the output instruction creation unit creates the output instruction to output, in addition to the inventory quantity information, the output mode corresponding to the inventory status identified by at least one of the product's removal history information, the sales history information, and the search history information. a server device that can access the database and can perform data communication with the wireless terminal;
The inventory management system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the server device includes the output instruction generating unit, and transmits the output instruction to the wireless terminal. The wireless terminal is capable of reading a code recorded on the packaging box,
The wireless tag holds tag ID information for identifying the wireless tag itself,
the wireless terminal acquires information about the product in the packaging box from the code and transmits the information to the server device, and acquires the tag ID information from the wireless tag corresponding to the packaging box and transmits the information to the server device;
The inventory management system according to claim 3 , wherein the server device updates the inventory information so that the tag ID information and information related to the product are associated with each other. The inventory management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the output mode is an output mode by a light-emitting means composed of at least one light-emitting element. The inventory information includes location information indicating that the packing boxes corresponding to the products are stored in a plurality of rooms,
the output instruction creation unit creates the output instruction to cause the inventory information output unit of the wireless tag to output in an output mode corresponding to the location information in addition to the output mode corresponding to the inventory status.
The inventory management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A wireless terminal having a short-range wireless communication function;
a wireless tag having a short-distance wireless communication function, attached to a surface of a packing box in which products as inventory are packed, and including an inventory information output unit that outputs information related to the inventory;
a database for storing inventory information regarding the product, in which inventory information regarding the inventory number of the product in the packaging box is associated with tag ID information for identifying the wireless tag attached to the packaging box;
An inventory management method in an inventory monitoring system comprising:
creating an output instruction to cause the inventory information output unit of the wireless tag identified by the tag ID information associated with the product to output an output mode corresponding to the inventory status based on the inventory quantity information;
the wireless terminal identifies the wireless tag indicated by the output instruction based on the output instruction, and transmits an output execution instruction to the inventory information output unit of the wireless tag to output the output mode;
The inventory management method, wherein the inventory information output unit of the wireless tag outputs the output format in accordance with the output execution instruction. A wireless terminal having a short-range wireless communication function;
a wireless tag having a short-distance wireless communication function, attached to a surface of a packing box in which products as inventory are packed, and including an inventory information output unit that outputs information related to the inventory;
a database for storing inventory information on the product, the database storing inventory information on the product in which inventory information on the inventory number of the product in the packaging box and tag ID information for identifying the wireless tag attached to the packaging box are associated with each other;
creating an output instruction to cause the inventory information output unit of the wireless tag identified by the tag ID information associated with the product to output an output mode corresponding to the inventory status based on the inventory quantity information;
A computer program configured so that a computer of the wireless terminal identifies the wireless tag indicated by the output instruction based on the output instruction, and transmits an output execution instruction to cause the inventory information output unit of the wireless tag to output the output format.

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