Storage cabinet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10949802-B2
Application number	US-201916675402-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2019
Priority date	Apr 28, 2015
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

A storage cabinet according to an embodiment stores a plurality of items, each item including a first tag attached thereto, the first tag being an RF tag for recording item information relating to a corresponding item. The storage cabinet includes: a first reader for reading the item information recorded in the first tag of items stored in a housing, when the door is in a closed state; and a second reader for reading item information of a first tag, when the door is in an open state, and an item to which the first tag is attached is made proximate from the outside to a predetermined area on the housing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A storage cabinet configured to store a plurality of items, each item of the plurality of items including an RF tag attached thereto for recording item information relating to a corresponding item, the storage cabinet comprising:
a housing configured to store the plurality of items, the housing configured to be in an open state in which the plurality of items is accessible from outside, or in a closed state in which the plurality of items is inaccessible from the outside;
a first reader configured to read item information from RF tags of the plurality of items stored in the housing, when the housing is in the closed state;
a second reader configured to read item information from an RF tag of an item when a user moves the item close to an area exterior of the housing; and
a controller programmed to cause generation of a warning concerning the item moved close to the area exterior of the housing by comparing item information from the first reader and item information from the second reader.

2. The storage cabinet according to claim 1 , further comprising a display configured to display the warning.

3. The storage cabinet according to claim 1 , further comprising a speaker configured to output the warning.

4. The storage cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein the area exterior of the housing is on the housing.

5. The storage cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein the first reader is configured to read item information from all RF tags in the housing.

6. The storage cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein the item information includes a date.

7. The storage cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein items of the same type are in the storage cabinet and the warning is issued by comparing (1) information from the first reader for items of the same type and (2) information from the second reader for one of said items of the same type when said one of said items is moved close to the area exterior of the housing.

8. A storage cabinet configured to store a plurality of items, each item of the plurality of items including an RF tag attached thereto for recording item information relating to a corresponding item, the storage cabinet comprising:
a housing configured to store the plurality of items, the housing configured to be in an open state in which the plurality of items is accessible from outside, or in a closed state in which the plurality of items is inaccessible from the outside;
a first reader configured to read item information from RF tags of the plurality of items stored in the housing, when the housing is in the closed state;
a second reader configured to read item information from an RF tag of an item when a user moves the item close to an area exterior of the housing; and
a controller programmed to cause generation of a warning based on item information from the first reader and item information from the second reader,
wherein the warning is issued when items of the same type having different expiration dates are in the storage cabinet and an item with a later expiration date is read by the second reader.

9. A method of operating a storage cabinet configured to store a plurality of items in a housing, the method comprising:
reading item information from RF tags of the plurality of items stored in the housing when the housing is in a closed state using a first reader;
reading item information from an RF tag of an item when a user moves the item close to an area exterior of the housing using a second reader; and
generating a warning concerning the item moved close to the area exterior of the housing by comparing item information from the first reader and item information from the second reader.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising displaying the warning.

11. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising outputting an audible warning.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the area exterior of the housing is on the housing.

13. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the first reader is configured to read item information from all RF tags in the housing.

14. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the item information includes a date.

15. The method according to claim 9 , wherein items of the same type are in the storage cabinet and the warning is issued by comparing (1) information from the first reader for items of the same type and (2) information from the second reader for one of said items of the same type when said one of said items is moved close to the area exterior of the housing.

16. The method of operating a storage cabinet configured to store a plurality of items in a housing, the method comprising:
reading item information from RF tags of the plurality of items stored in the housing when the housing is in a closed state using a first reader;
reading item information from an RF tag of an item when a user moves the item close to an area exterior of the housing using a second reader; and
generating a warning based on item information from the first reader and item information from the second reader,
wherein the warning is issued when items of the same type having different expiration dates are in the storage cabinet and an item with a later expiration date is read by the second reader.

Assignees

• Sato Holdings Kk

Inventors

• Uno Yoshiaki
• Kasdani Yusita
• Withrow Kaleb

Classifications

• G06Q10/087 Primary

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• B65G1/137

  with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed · CPC title

• E05B65/02

  for thin, hollow, or thin-metal wings · CPC title

• E05B49/00

  Electric permutation locks; Circuits therefor {; Mechanical aspects of electronic locks; Mechanical keys therefor (arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; mechanisms including electronic locks actuated by nonmechanical keys such as passive and active electrical keys and other data carriers G07C9/00, G07F7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00)} · CPC title

• B65G1/1371 Primary

  with data records · CPC title