Warehousing and shipping management system, warehousing and shipping management method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium

{
  "publication_number": "US11900304B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Warehousing and shipping management system, warehousing and shipping management method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium",
  "abstract": "A warehousing and shipping management system stores first coded information contained in optical recognition codes attached to each of a plurality of objects and second coded information contained in object-attached radio communication tags attached to each of the plurality of objects, acquire the first coded information contained in the optical recognition code attached to a target object, automatically acquires location information of each of the object-attached radio communication tags and location information of an operator's radio communication tag; and associates the stored first coded information corresponding to the optical recognition code attached to the target object and the stored second coded information corresponding to the object-attached radio communication tag attached to the target object on the basis of location information of each of the object-attached radio communication tags and location information of the operator's radio communication tag when the first coded information is acquired.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A warehousing and shipping management system comprising: a scanner configured to acquire first coded information contained in a recognition code attached to a target object out of a plurality of objects, a recognition code being attached to each of the plurality of objects; a plurality of fixed radio communication units configured to: communicate with object-attached radio communication tags respectively attached to each of the plurality of objects and automatically acquire object location information of each of object-attached radio communication tags, and communicate with an operator's radio communication tag attached to an operator and automatically acquire operator location information of the operator's radio communication tag; and at least one processor configured to: specify second coded information corresponding to an object-attached radio communication tag attached to the target object, on the basis of the object location information of the object-attached radio communication tags and the operator location information of the operator's radio communication tag when the first coded information for the target object is acquired by the scanner, when the first coded information for the target object is acquired by the scanner, associate the first coded information for the target object with the second coded information as association information by performing steps comprising: (1) comparing the object location information of each of the object-attached radio communication tags acquired by the plurality of fixed radio communication units and the operator location information of the operator's radio communication tag acquired by the plurality of fixed radio communication units, (2) determining, based on a result of the comparison, an object-attached radio communication tag located nearest to a location of the operator's radio communication tag, and (3) associating, based on a result of the determination, the second coded information corresponding to the object-attached radio communication tag located nearest to the location of the operator's radio communication tag with the first coded information acquired by the scanner, and store the association information in a memory.",
    "2. The warehousing and shipping management system according to claim 1, wherein the object-attached radio communication tag comprises a light, and the warehousing and shipping management system further comprises a transmitter configured to transmit an operation instruction signal for operating the light of the object-attached radio communication tag corresponding to the second coded information associated with the first coded information by the processor.",
    "3. The warehousing and shipping management system according to claim 2, wherein, when the operator's radio communication tag comes within a predetermined distance of a specific object-attached radio communication tag in at least one of a warehousing operation or a shipping operation, the transmitter transmits the operation instruction signal for operating the light of the specific object-attached radio communication tag.",
    "4. The warehousing and shipping management system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a work status using the object location information of object-attached radio communication tags and the operator location information of the operator's radio communication tag.",
    "5. The warehousing and shipping management system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a work status using the object location information of object-attached radio communication tags and the operator location information of the operator's radio communication tag.",
    "6. The warehousing and shipping management system according to claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a work status using the object location information of object-attached radio communication tags and the operator location information of the operator's radio communication tag.",
    "7. The warehousing and shipping management system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of fixed radio communication units acquire the object location information of object-attached radio communication tags on the basis of communication with the object-attached radio communication tags and the operator location information of the operator's radio communication tag on the basis of communication with the operator's radio communication tag.",
    "8. The warehousing and shipping management system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to, when the memory does not include first coded information matching with the first coded information acquired by the scanner, determine that an abnormality in inspection has occurred and transmit an error signal.",
    "9. The warehousing and shipping management system according to claim 1, wherein the object-attached radio communication tag comprises a light, the at least one processor is configured to cause transmission of an operation instruction signal for operating the light of the object-attached radio communication tag, corresponding to the second coded information associated with the first coded information, in a specific pattern indicating that the first coded information is associated with the second coded information, and the light is configured to, when the operation instruction signal is received, flicker in the specific pattern.",
    "10. The warehousing and shipping management system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of fixed radio communication units is configured to communicate with the operator's radio communication tag and the object-attached radio communication tags based on an ultra wide band (UWB) scheme.",
    "11. The warehousing and shipping management system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to automatically delete, from the memory, the association information corresponding to the object-attached tag, when the tag is detached from the object and placed in a predetermined area.",
    "12. A warehousing and shipping management method comprising: acquiring first coded information contained in a recognition code attached to a target object out of a plurality of objects, a recognition code being attached to each of the plurality of objects; communicating, by a plurality of fixed radio communication units, with object-attached radio communication tags respectively attached to each of the plurality of objects and automatically acquiring object location information of each of object-attached radio communication tags; communicating, by the plurality of fixed radio communication units, with an operator's radio communication tag attached to an operator and automatically acquiring operator location information of the operator's radio communication tag; specifying second coded information corresponding to an object-attached radio communication tag attached to the target object, on the basis of the object location information of the object-attached radio communication tags and the operator location information of the operator's radio communication tag when the first coded information for the target object is acquired; when the first coded information for the target object is acquired by a scanner, associating the first coded information for the target object with the second coded information as association information; and storing the association information in a memory, wherein the step of associating the first coded information comprises: (1) comparing the acquired object location information of each of the object-attached radio communication tags acquired by the plurality of fixed radio communication units and the operator location information of the operator's radio communication tag acquired by the plurality of fixed radio communication units, respectively, (2) determining, based on a result of the comparison, an object-attached radio communication tag located nearest to a location of the operator's radio communication tag, and (3) associating the second coded information corresponding to the nearest object-attached radio communication tag with the first coded information acquired by the scanner.",
    "13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program executable by a computer of a warehousing and shipping management system, the program causing the computer to execute: acquiring first coded information contained in a recognition code attached to a target object out of a plurality of objects, a recognition code being attached to each of the plurality of objects; causing a plurality of fixed radio communication units to communicate with object-attached radio communication tags respectively attached to each of the plurality of objects and automatically acquire object location information of each of object-attached radio communication tags; causing the plurality of fixed radio communication units to communicate with an operator's radio communication tag attached to an operator and automatically acquire operator location information of the operator's radio communication tag; specifying second coded information corresponding to an object-attached radio communication tag attached to the target object, on the basis of the object location information of the object-attached radio communication tags and the operator location information of the operator's radio communication tag when the first coded information for the target object is acquired; when the first coded information for the target object is acquired by a scanner, associating the first coded information for the target object with the second coded information as association information; and storing the association information in a memory, wherein the step of associating the first coded information comprises: (1) comparing the object location information of each of the object-attached radio communication tags acquired by the plurality of fixed radio communication units and the operator location information of the operator's radio communication tag acquired by the plurality of fixed radio communication units, (2) determining, based on a result of the comparison, an object-attached radio communication tag located nearest to a location of the operator's radio communication tag, and (1) associating the second coded information corresponding to the nearest object-attached radio communication tag with the first coded information acquired by the scanner."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a warehousing and shipping management system, a warehousing and shipping management method, and a program.\n\nJP2007-254040A discusses a management system in which an IC tag is attached to an article stored in a rack in advance, and identification information of the IC tag and an article number are stored in a database by associating them with each other.\n\nIn this system, in order to store the identification information of the IC tag and the article number in the database by associating them with each other, for example, it is necessary to perform an operation of reading the IC tag attached to the article using a reader and then scanning a bar code attached to the article using a scanner, or an operation of manually inputting information indicating a relationship between the identification information of the IC tag and the article number in the database, or the like.\n\nHowever, when such an operation is performed for overall stored articles, this is cumbersome and increases an operator's work burden, which is disadvantageous.\n\nIn view of the aforementioned problems, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a warehousing and shipping management system capable of reducing an operator's work burden.",
  "cpc": [
    "G06Q 10/083",
    "B65G 1/1371",
    "G06K 19/0723",
    "G06K 7/1447"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B65G 1/137",
    "G06K 19/07",
    "G06K 7/14",
    "G06Q 10/083"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Sato Holdings Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Yoshiyuki UEDA"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2016-10-03",
  "publication_date": "2024-02-13",
  "grant_date": "2024-02-13",
  "priority_date": "2015-10-23",
  "application_number": "US-201615765319-A",
  "family_id": "58557177",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "US8224664B1",
    "US20020070862A1",
    "US20070282482A1",
    "US20060054682A1",
    "US20110153614A1",
    "JP2007254040A",
    "US20080143532A1",
    "US20140240088A1",
    "US20140209676A1",
    "US20150199602A1",
    "US9305283B1",
    "US20160176635A1"
  ]
}