Article position management system, article position management method, terminal device, server, and article position management program

An article position management system that manages a position of an article on the basis of identification information read out from an identification tag that is affixed to the article and stores the identification information used to identify the article, and further on the basis of positional information of the position where the article is present, characterized by comprising:

• a terminal device configured for article position management having
• optical signal transmission means configured for optically transmitting positional information only to a specific region,
• positional information reception means configured for receiving the positional information transmitted from the optical signal transmission means, and
• identification information readout means configured for reading out the identification information from the identification tag;
• and
• a server having storage means configured for storing information indicating the position where the article is present,
• wherein said terminal device for article position management includes sending means configured for sending the positional information received by the positional information reception means in the specific region and the identification information read out by the identification information readout means to said server through a wireless communication medium, and
• said server includes the storage means configured for storing information indicating the position where the article is present and article position management means configured for storing, in the storage means, the positional information and identification information received from said terminal device for article position management through the wireless communication medium such that the positional information and identification information are associated with each other.

An article position management method for managing a position of an article on the basis of identification information read out from an identification tag that is affixed to the article and stores the identification information used to identify the article, and further on the basis of positional information of the position where the article is present,

• characterized in that positional information is optically transmitted only to a specific region,
• the transmitted positional information is received,
• the identification information is read out from the identification tag, and
• the positional information received in the specific region and the read-out identification information are stored in storage means for storing information indicating the position where the article is present such that the positional information and identification information are associated with each other.

A terminal device for article position management that reads out identification information from an identification tag that is affixed to the article and stores the identification information used to identify the article, and receives positional information from optical signal transmission means for optically transmitting the positional information only to a specific region in order to manage a position where the article is present, characterized by comprising:

• positional information reception means configured for receiving the positional information transmitted from the optical signal transmission means;
• identification information readout means configured for reading out the identification information from the identification tag;
• storage means configured for storing information indicating the position where the article is present;
• and
• article position management means for storing, in said storage means, the positional information received by said positional information reception means in the specific region and the identification information read out by said identification information readout means such that the positional information and identification information are associated with each other.

A terminal device for article position management that reads out identification information from an identification tag that is affixed to the article and stores the identification information used to identify the article, and receives positional information from optical signal transmission means for optically transmitting the positional information only to a specific region in order to manage a position where the article is present, characterized by comprising:

• light-receiving means configured for receiving light from the optical signal transmission means;
• positional information extraction means configured for extracting positional information from the light received by said light-receiving means;
• identification information readout means configured for reading out the identification information from the identification tag;
• and
• sending means configured for sending the positional information extracted by said positional information extraction means and the identification information read out by said identification information readout means to a server which manages information indicating the position where the article is present through a wireless communication medium.

An article position management program for causing a computer mounted in a terminal device for article position management which reads out identification information from an identification tag that is affixed to the article and stores the identification information used to identify the article, and receives positional information from optical signal transmission means for optically transmitting the positional information only to a specific region in order to manage a position where the article is present to execute:

• extracting positional information from light received from the optical signal transmission means by light-receiving means,
• reading out the identification information from the identification tag;
• and
• storing the extracted positional information and read-out identification information in storage means such that the positional information and identification information are associated with each other.

An article position management program configured for causing a computer mounted in a terminal device for article position management, which reads out identification information from an identification tag that is affixed to the article and stores the identification information used to identify the article, and receives positional information from optical signal transmission means for optically transmitting the positional information only to a specific region in order to manage a position where the article is present to execute:

• extracting positional information from light received from the optical signal transmission means by light-receiving means,
• reading out the identification information from the identification tag;
• and
• sending the extracted positional information and the read-out identification information to a server which manages information indicating the position where the article is present.