Product management device and product management method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9734483-B2
Application number	US-201615009944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2016
Priority date	Mar 10, 2015
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A product management device searches for a missing bar-code ID which is not present among bar-code IDs read by a reading section from among a list of bar-code IDs recorded, in advance, in a predetermined order, calculates a reading time of the missing bar-code ID using reading times associated with bar-code IDs before and after the missing bar-code ID, and instructs the outputting of image data of capture times by cameras of the product to which the missing bar-code ID is attached using the calculated reading time, the relative positions of the cameras, and a speed of a belt conveyor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A product management device which manages products which are carried to the product management device in a predetermined order using a video recording device which records images captured by a camera, the product management device comprising:
a reader that reads a plurality of product identification information, each product identification information being attached to a surface of a product; and
a controller that executes instructions, the instructions, when executed by the controller, causing the controller to perform operations including:
acquiring a stock list including a plurality of stock identification information;
acquiring a reading list including the read plurality of product identification information, in which each product identification information of the read plurality of product identification information is associated with a reading time of the product identification information;
acquiring target identification information from the plurality of the stock identification information in the stock list; and
searching the reading list to determine whether or not the target identification information is present in the reading list,
wherein, when the target identification information is not present in the reading list, the controller further performs operations including:
identifying the target identification information, which is not present in the reading list, as a missing identification information;
acquiring a preceding stock identification information from the stock list, the preceding stock identification information appearing before the missing identification information in the stock list, and being present in the reading list;
acquiring a following stock identification information from the stock list, the following stock identification information appearing after the missing identification information in the stock list, and being present in the reading list; and
estimating a reading time of the missing identification information based on a preceding reading time and a following reading time, the previous reading time being associated with the preceding stock identification information in the reading list, the following reading time being associated with the following stock identification information in the reading list.

2. The product management device of claim 1 , wherein the controller further performs operations including:
identifying a capture time, by the camera, of the product to which the missing identification information is attached, using the estimated reading time of the missing identification information, a relative position of the camera to the reader, and a moving speed of the product.

3. The product management device of claim 2 , wherein the controller further performs operations including:
instructing the video recording device to output an image at the identified capture time.

4. The product management device of claim 1 ,
wherein the products are carried by a belt conveyor, and
the controller further performs operations including:
identifying a capture time, by the camera, of the product to which the missing identification information is attached, using a moving speed of the belt conveyor.

5. The product management device of claim 1 , wherein the camera comprises a plurality of cameras, and
the controller further performs operations including:
identifying a plurality of capture times, captured by the plurality of the cameras, of the product to which the missing identification information is attached, and
instructing the video recording device to output an image at each of the plurality of capture times.

6. A product management method in a product management device which manages products which are carried to the product management device in a predetermined order using a video recording device which records images captured by a camera, the product management method comprising:
reading, by a reader, a plurality of product identification information, each product identification information being attached to a surface of a product;
acquiring a stock list including a plurality of stock identification information;
acquiring a reading list including the read plurality of product identification information, in which each product identification information of the read plurality of product identification information is associated with a reading time of the product identification information;
acquiring target identification information from the plurality of the stock identification information in the stock list;
searching the reading list to determine whether or not the target identification information is present in the reading list;
when the target identification information is not present in the reading list, the product managing method further comprising:
identifying the target identification information, which is not present in the reading list, as a missing identification information;
acquiring a preceding stock identification information from the stock list, the preceding stock identification information appearing before the missing identification information in the stock list, and being present in the reading list;
acquiring a following stock identification information from the stock list, the following stock identification information appearing after the missing identification information in the stock list, and being present in the reading list; and
estimating a reading time of the missing identification information based on a preceding reading time and a following reading time, the previous reading time being associated with the preceding stock identification information in the reading list, the following reading time being associated with the following stock identification information in the reading list.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
identifying a capture time, by the camera, of the product to which the missing identification information is attached, using the estimated reading time of the missing identification information, a relative position of the camera to the reader, and a moving speed of the product.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
instructing the video recording device to output an image at the identified capture time.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the camera comprises a plurality of cameras, the method further comprising:
identifying a plurality of capture times, captured by the plurality of cameras, of the product to which the missing identification information is attached, and
instructing the video recording device to output an image at each of the capture times.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kitaoka Hirokazu

Classifications

• G06K7/10722

  Photodetector array or CCD scanning · CPC title

• G06Q10/087 Primary

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