DE102020122289A1 - Method and detection system for identifying and localizing at least one object - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for identifying and locating at least one object (1) to which a wirelessly readable object identification element (G1) is attached, having the following steps:A. Reading in all available position information (111, 112, 121, 122, 131, I32) from at least two stationary position identification elements (P11, P12, P21, P22, P31, P32) using a reading device (3);B. Reading at least one piece of item information (11) of the item identification element (G1) attached to the item (1) using the reading device (3) and identifying the item (1) by the reading device (3) using this item information (I1);C. re-reading all now available position information (111, 112, 121, 131, I32) of the at least two stationary position identification elements (P11, P12, P21, P22, P31, P32) and comparing this new position information (111, 112, 121, 131 , I32) with the previous position information (111, 112, 121, 122, 131, I32) from step A;D. Recognizing that one of the items of position information (I22) has been eliminated since step A and locating the object (1) at a position (R22) associated with this item of position information (I22) which has been eliminated.

Description

The invention is based on a method for identifying and locating at least one object according to the generic type of independent method claim 1.

Furthermore, the invention is based on a detection system for identifying and localizing the at least one object by means of a method according to claim 1.

Methods and systems of this type are required in logistics, for example, in order to record an inventory and electronically store, display and/or process the information about it. In particular, so-called “RFID” (Radio Frequency Identification Device) transponders and readers are often used for this purpose.

State of the art

The pamphlet DE 20 2018 106 954 U1 discloses a sensor system for monitoring the occupancy of a goods shelf.

The disadvantage of this prior art is that the system is not able to clearly assign an item to a position within the goods shelf.

The pamphlet EP 2 462 790 B1 discloses a receiving device, in particular a cabinet or a rack, with a receiving space. This receiving space serves to receive built-in components provided with RFID transponders. Furthermore, a detection device is provided for detecting installed built-in components, which is connected or can be connected to an evaluation device and has at least one RFID antenna for communication with the component's own RFID transponders. Several device-specific RFID transponders are distributed along the receiving space. The installation or removal of an installation component changes the communication between the device's own transponder and the antenna due to the presence of the installation component, which enables the installation positions within the recording space to be detected.

The disadvantage of this arrangement is that the built-in components are only arranged one above the other in the rack.

In order not only to identify at least one object, but also to assign it to its exact position within a shelf in a differentiated manner, ie also to be able to localize it, complex arrangements are necessary in the current state of the art, which means an undesirably high additional hardware outlay.

task

Consequently, the object of the invention is to reduce the effort required within a detection system in order to assign at least one object to an associated location at which it is located. In particular, this should apply to objects that are or will be arranged in a shelf arrangement and particularly preferably in a rack cabinet.

The object is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims.

1. A. Lesen aller verfügbaren Positionsinformationen von mindestens zwei ortsfesten Positions-Identifikationselementen mittels eines Lesegerätes;
2. B. Lesen mindestens einer Gegenstandsinformation des an dem Gegenstand angebrachten Gegenstands-Identifikationselements mittels des Lesegerätes und Identifizieren des Gegenstandes durch das Lesegerät mittels dieser Gegenstandsinformation;
3. C. erneutes Lesen aller nun verfügbaren Positionsinformationen der mindestens zwei ortsfesten Positions-Identifikationselemente und Vergleichen dieser neuen Positionsinformationen mit den vorherigen Positionsinformationen aus Schritt A;
4. D. Erkennen des Ausscheidens einer der Positionsinformationen seit Schritt A und Lokalisieren des Gegenstands an einer dieser ausgeschiedenen Positionsinformation zugeordneten Position.

A method for identifying and locating at least one object to which a wirelessly readable object identification element, in particular an RFID transponder, is attached has the following steps:

1. A. reading all available position information from at least two stationary position identification elements by means of a reading device;
2. B. reading at least one piece of item information of the item identification element attached to the item by means of the reading device and identifying the item by the reading device by means of this item information;
3. C. re-reading all now available position information of the at least two fixed position identification elements and comparing this new position information with the previous position information from step A;
4. D. Recognizing that one of the items of position information has been eliminated since step A and locating the object at a position associated with this item of position information which has been eliminated.

• - Ein Lesegerät mit
  • ◯ mindestens einem Antenneneingang;
  • ◯ mindestens einer daran angeschlossenen Antenne mit einem dazugehörigen Empfangsbereich;
  • ◯ mindestens einem Mikroprozessor;
  • ◯ mindestens einem Datenspeicher mit
    • ▪ zumindest einem im Datenspeicher abgelegten, vom Mikroprozessor ausführbaren Programm;
• - ein Regal oder Rackschrank mit mehreren ortsfest darin angeordneten Identifikationselementen (P) zur Positionserkennung;
• - zumindest ein an einem Gegenstand angebrachtes Gegenstands-Identifikationselement zur Identifikation des Gegenstands;

wobei das Lesegerät dazu eingerichtet ist, mittels seines Programms Folgendes zu registrieren:

1. a) Das Eintreten des an dem Gegenstand angeordneten Gegenstands-Identifikationselements in den Empfangsbereich der Antenne, um daraus zumindest eine im Gegenstands-Identifikationselement abgelegte Gegenstandsinformation zu gewinnen, sowie
2. b) das Verschwinden eines ortsfest im Regal oder im Rackschrank angeordneten Positions-Identifikationselements aus dem Empfangsbereich der Antenne um daraus eine Positionsinformation zu gewinnen, und
3. c) die Gegenstandsinformation und die Positionsinformation als einander zugehörig gekennzeichnet im Datenspeicher abzulegen.

A recording system is used to carry out such a procedure and has at least the following:

• - A reader with
  • ◯ at least one antenna input;
  • ◯ at least one antenna connected to it with an associated reception range;
  • ◯ at least one microprocessor;
  • ◯ at least one data store
    • ▪ at least one program stored in the data memory and executable by the microprocessor;
• - A shelf or rack cabinet with a plurality of identification elements (P) fixedly arranged therein for position detection;
• - at least one item identification element attached to an item for identifying the item;

the reading device being set up to use its program to register the following:

1. a) The entry of the item identification element arranged on the item into the receiving range of the antenna in order to obtain at least one piece of item information stored in the item identification element, and
2. b) the disappearance of a position identification element arranged in a stationary manner on the shelf or in the rack cabinet from the reception range of the antenna in order to obtain position information therefrom, and
3. c) store the object information and the position information as belonging to one another in the data memory.

Advantageous configurations of the invention are specified in the dependent claims and the following description.

The invention has the advantage that the objects to be localized in the shelf or rack cabinet can be arranged next to one another, one behind the other and one above the other and an exact localization is nevertheless made possible. As a result, this arrangement is particularly well suited, for example, to monitoring an energy cabinet in which so-called "battery packs", which are usually in 19-inch format, are stacked, cooled and monitored in at least a two-dimensional and often three-dimensional arrangement, for example to monitor their To analyze and/or predict and/or influence their service life or their state of charge or their long-term behavior under environmental conditions such as temperature influence, etc.

The invention also has the advantage that both the respective object--usually there are a large number of objects--and its position can be obtained from identification elements by means of an associated reading device. In this case, therefore, only a single technology and thus only a single reading method is necessary.

The term “identification element(s)” includes object identification elements and position identification elements. Technically, the object identification elements and the position identification elements can have exactly the same structure, but they differ in terms of their functionality within the described method and detection system.

In particular, the identification elements and the reading device with its antenna can be constructed according to the so-called "RFID" (Radio Frequency Identification Device) technology and function according to the corresponding specifications. Particularly preferably, both the said object identification elements and the position identification elements can be so-called “RFID” (Radio Frequency Identification Device) transponders and the reading device can be an RFID reader.

In an advantageous embodiment, the position identification elements are arranged in different positions in a shelf with several shelf levels or in a rack cabinet with several rack cabinet levels and in particular in a two-dimensional or even three-dimensional arrangement.

In particular, several, ie at least two, of the position identification elements in one plane, d. H. Shelf level or rack cabinet level, be arranged. Each of these position identification elements arranged in one plane can then be read by a different antenna of the reading device than the other position identification elements arranged in the same plane. This can contribute to both redundancy and readability. Accordingly, the antenna range can be greatly reduced in each case, as a result of which interference is avoided. It is particularly advantageous to use an antenna that is essentially formed by a cable, in particular by a coaxial cable. A so-called “lockfield antenna” can be used with particular preference.

As a result, at least one piece of information about said position and further information about the object arranged at this position can be recorded, stored, displayed and/or processed as belonging to one another with only little technical effort, for example by the program of the reading device or by a data processing device connected to it will.

In the shelf or in the rack cabinet, there can therefore be a number of predetermined positions at which the respective object can be adjusted or installed. These positions can also be arranged in two or three dimensions (height, width and depth). At least one stationary position identification element is arranged on the shelf or rack cabinet at each of these positions. in the unoccupied state, this position identification element can be read by at least one of the antennas. In the occupied state, ie when the object is arranged at the position, the position identification element is covered by the placed or built-in object in relation to the antenna and thus cannot be read by any antenna of the detection system. From the point of view of the reader's program, this position identifier "disappears".

The positions on the shelf or in the rack cabinet can be clearly numbered in rows and columns. A separate antenna can then be provided either for each column or for each row. The antennas, which are preferably formed from a cable, are then routed along the rows or columns and attached to the shelf or rack cabinet.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the rack cabinet can be a power cabinet that is suitable for inserting objects with 19-inch dimensions. The objects can be designed as rechargeable batteries with which the energy cabinet is equipped. In particular, the arrangement can also be used three-dimensionally, i. H. the batteries are not only arranged side by side and one below the other, but also one behind the other. In this arrangement, too, they can be localized by the system according to the invention, in particular by means of the two aforementioned antennas. These antennas can preferably be said Lockfield antennas.

example

• 1 ein Erfassungssystem;
• 2 das Erfassungssystem mit einem einzuführenden Gegenstand;
• 3 das Erfassungssystem mit dem eingeführten Gegenstand.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and is explained in more detail below. Show it:

• 1 a detection system;
• 2 the detection system with an object to be inserted;
• 3 the detection system with the introduced object.

The figures contain partially simplified, schematic representations. In some cases, identical reference symbols are used for the same but possibly not identical elements. Different views of the same elements could be scaled differently.

the 1 shows a detection system. The detection system has a rack cabinet 2 with three rack cabinet levels R1, R2, R3 and two rack cabinet columns S1, S2. This results in six positions R11, R12, R21, R22, R31, R32 in the rack cabinet.

A position identification element in the form of a position transponder (RFID transponder) P11, P12, P21, P22, P31, P32 is attached to rack cabinet 2 for each position R11, R12, R21, R22, R31, R32. Information I11, I12, I21, I22, I31, I32 about its position R11, R12, R21, R22, R31, R32 is stored in each of these position transponders P11, P12, P21, P22, P31, P32.

The detection system also has a reading device in the form of an RFID reader 3. This has two antennas 31, a microprocessor 33 and a data memory 35, in which a program 38 that can be executed by the microprocessor is stored.

Using its antennas 31, the RFID reader reads the position transponders P11, P12, P21, P22, P31, P32 and thus receives the information 111, 112, 121, 122, 131, I32 about the unoccupied positions R11, R12, R21, R22 , R31, R32 in rack cabinet 2.

the 2 shows the detection system with an object 1 to which an object transponder G1 (RFID transponder) is attached. This object transponder G1 is detected by the RFID reader 3 via one of the antennas 31 , ie its information 11 is read by the RFID reader 3 . The program 38 thus registers that the object 1 with the information 11 has been added.

In the 3 item 1 is placed in rack cabinet position R22. Accordingly, the position transponder P22 is shielded by the object 1 and can no longer be read by the antenna 31. The program 38 registers that the rack cabinet position R22 is occupied and concludes from this and from the previous information that the object 1 is now located at the rack cabinet position R22. For this purpose, the item information 11 and the position information I22 are stored as belonging to one another in the data memory 35 (11-122). The same procedure can now be carried out with other items until Rack 2 is fully occupied.

Even if different aspects or features of the invention are shown in combination in the figures, it is obvious to the person skilled in the art--unless stated otherwise--that the combinations shown and discussed are not the only possible ones. In particular, mutually corresponding units or complexes of features from different exemplary embodiments can be exchanged with one another.

Reference List

1

subject

G1

Item identification element (item) RFID transponder

11

information about the item

2

rack cabinet

R1, R2, R3

rack cabinet levels

S1,S2

rack cabinet columns

R11, ..., R32

Positions, rack cabinet positions (positions in the rack cabinet)

P11, ..., P32

Position identification elements, (position) RFID transponders

I11, ..., I32

position information

3

Reader, RFID reader

31

antenna

33

microprocessor

35

data storage

38

program

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• DE 202018106954 U1 [0004]
• EP 2462790 B1 [0006]

Claims (10)

Method for identifying and locating at least one object (1) to which a wirelessly readable object identification element (G1) is attached, with the following steps: A. Reading in all available position information (111, 112, 121, 122, 131, I32) from at least two stationary position identification elements (P11, P12, P21, P22, P31, P32) by a reading device (3); B. reading at least one piece of item information (11) of the item identification element (G1) attached to the item (1) using the reading device (3) and identifying the item (1) by the reading device (3) using this item information (I1); C. Re-reading all now available position information (111, 112, 121, 131, I32) of the at least two stationary position identification elements (P11, P12, P21, P22, P31, P32) and comparing this new position information (111, 112, 121 , 131, I32) with the previous position information (111, 112, 121, 122, 131, I32) from step A; D. Recognizing that one of the items of position information (122) has been eliminated since step A and locating the object (1) at a position (R22) associated with this item of position information (122) which has been eliminated. procedure according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two position identification elements (P11, P12, P21, P22, P31, P32) in a rack with multiple rack levels or a rack cabinet (2) with multiple rack cabinet levels (R1, R2, R3) at different positions (R11 , R12, R21, R22, R31, R32) are stationary. procedure according to claim 2 , wherein in each case at least two of the position identification elements (P11, P12, P21, P22, P31, P32) are arranged in one level, ie shelf level or rack cabinet level, (R1, R2, R3), each of these in one level (R1, R2, R3) arranged position identification elements (P11, P12, P21, P22, P31, P32) is read by a different antenna (31) of the reading device (3) than the other positions arranged in the same plane (R1, R2, R3). -Identification elements (P11, P12, P21, P22, P31, P32). Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one piece of information (I22) about said position (R22) and further information (11) about the object (1) arranged at this location are recorded by the reading device (3) as belonging to one another , displayed and/or processed. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the object identification elements (G1) and the position identification elements (P11, P12, P21, P22, P31, P32) and the reading device (3) with its antenna (31) according to the so-called "RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) technology are built and work. Detection system for carrying out a method according to one of Claims 1 until 5 , having at least the following: - A reading device (3) with ◯ at least one antenna input; ◯ at least one antenna (31) connected thereto with an associated reception range; ◯ at least one microprocessor (33); ◯ at least one data memory (35) with ▪ at least one program (38) stored in the data memory (35) and executable by the microprocessor (33); - A shelf or a rack cabinet (2) with a plurality of position identification elements (P11, P12, P21, P22, P31, P32) arranged stationarily therein for position detection; - At least one item identification element (G1) attached to an item (1) for identifying the item (1); wherein the reading device (3) is set up to register the following by means of its program: a) The entry of the object identification element (G1) arranged on the object (1) into the reception range of the antenna (31) in order to detect at least one in the object identification element (G1) to obtain stored item information (11), and b) the disappearance of a position identification element (P22) arranged in a stationary manner on the shelf or in the rack cabinet (2) from the reception range of the antenna (31), in order to obtain position information (I22 ) to win, c) to store the item information (11) and the position information (I22) marked as belonging to one another in the data memory (48). detection system according to claim 6 , where in the shelf or in the rack cabinet (2) there are several predetermined positions (R11, R12, R21, R22, R31, R32) at which the respective object (1) can be adjusted or installed, with each of these positions (R11 , R12, R21, R22, R31, R32) on the shelf or rack cabinet (2) at least one stationary identification element (P11, P12, P21, P22, P31, P32) is arranged, which in the unoccupied state of the respective position (R11, R12 , R21, R22, R31, R32) by at least one of the antennas (31) can be read and which in the occupied state of the respective position (R11, R12, R21, R22, R31, R32) by the set or turned on built object (1) covered from the aforementioned antenna (31) and thus by any antenna (31) of the detection system is readable Detection system according to one of Claims 6 until 7 , where the positions (R11, R12, R21, R22, R31, R32) on the shelf or in the rack cabinet (2) are divided into levels (R1, R2, R3) and columns (S1, S2, S3), with either for each Column or a separate antenna (31, 31') is provided for each row. Detection system according to one of Claims 6 until 8th , wherein the antenna (31, 31 ') is essentially formed by a coaxial cable. Detection system according to one of Claims 6 until 9 , whereby both the object identification elements (G1) and the position identification elements (P11, P12, P21, P22, P31, P32) are so-called "RFID" (Radio Frequency Identification Device) transponders and the reading device (3) is an RFID reader.

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