Patent Abstract:
An article management program causes a computer to execute a process including: receiving, from a plurality of articles each including a sensor that detects a movement state of each of the articles, a sensor signal that includes therein identification information on an article and a sensor value of the sensor; and displaying, based on the received sensor signal, display information that indicates in a comparable way a change in the sensor value related to each of the plurality of the articles and the identification information on each of the articles.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-244466, filed on Dec. 15, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIELD 
       [0002]    The embodiments discussed herein are related to a computer-readable recording medium, a mobile terminal device, and an article management method. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    In recent years, articles are sometimes managed by mounting a wireless tag, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like, that can perform wireless communication on each of the articles and by using wireless communication between the wireless tags and a mobile terminal device. Specifically, it is conceivable that by, for example, the mobile terminal device receiving identification information on the articles from the corresponding wireless tags, the mobile terminal device identifies the articles near the mobile terminal device or estimates the distance between the mobile terminal device and the articles on the basis of the radio wave intensity at the time of the reception of the identification information. 
         [0004]    Recently, wireless tags with a built-in acceleration sensor are also developed and technologies related to Internet of Things (IoT) in which wireless tags are mounted on various kinds of articles and the articles are connected to the Internet are actively studied. By using IoT, articles can be managed or controlled from a remote place. 
         [0005]    Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-334439 
         [0006]    Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-56177 
         [0007]    Patent Document 3: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-256180 
         [0008]    The management of the articles by using each of the wireless tags is also useful when managing personal belongings. For example, a wireless tag is mounted on each of the articles that are daily used by a user and, when the user uses these articles, the position of the articles can be searched by a mobile terminal device, such as a smart phone, held by the user. 
         [0009]    However, if the number of articles on each of which a wireless tag is mounted is increased, there is a problem in that management of the personal belongings of the user becomes complicated. Namely, with the development of reducing the size and manufacturing costs, it is conceivable that a wireless tag is mounted on each of the large number of articles held by persons. Consequently, for example, if the positions of articles present around the mobile terminal device are searched, the positions of the large number of articles are searched and thus it takes time to specify the position of the desired article from the position list of these articles. 
         [0010]    Furthermore, for example, if a list of articles on each of which a wireless tags is mounted is output, pieces of identification information on the large number of articles are disorderly listed and thus it is difficult to efficiently manage the articles. In this way, if a wireless tag is mounted on each of the large number of articles, the usability of the wireless tags is not able to be sufficiently used and management of the article becomes complicated. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0011]    According to an aspect of an embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium stores therein an article management program. The article management program causes a computer to execute a process including: receiving, from a plurality of articles each including a sensor that detects a movement state of each of the articles, a sensor signal that includes therein identification information on an article and a sensor value of the sensor; and displaying, based on the received sensor signal, display information that indicates in a comparable way a change in the sensor value related to each of the plurality of the articles and the identification information on each of the articles. 
         [0012]    The object and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims. 
         [0013]    It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an article management system according to a first embodiment; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a mobile terminal device according to the first embodiment; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating the function of a processor according to the first embodiment; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific example of a target list; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific example of a group list; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram illustrating the function of a similarity determination unit according to the first embodiment; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a flowchart illustrating an article management process according to the first embodiment; 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific example of display information; 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a block diagram illustrating the function of a similarity determination unit according to a second embodiment; 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  is a flowchart illustrating an article management process according to the second embodiment; 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  is a block diagram illustrating the function of a similarity determination unit according to a third embodiment; 
           [0025]      FIG. 12  is a flowchart illustrating an article management process according to the third embodiment; 
           [0026]      FIG. 13  is a block diagram illustrating the function of a processor according to a fourth embodiment; 
           [0027]      FIG. 14  is a flowchart illustrating an alert notification process according to the fourth embodiment; 
           [0028]      FIG. 15  is a block diagram illustrating the function of a processor according to a fifth embodiment; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 16  is a flowchart illustrating an article management process according to the fifth embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0030]    Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments. 
       [a] First Embodiment 
       [0031]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an article management system according to a first embodiment. In the article management system illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the articles, such as a bag  10  and a wallet  20 , are managed by a mobile terminal device  100 . Namely, a wireless tag  30  is mounted on each of the articles, such as the bag  10  and the wallet  20 . 
         [0032]    Each of the wireless tags  30  includes, for example, a three-axis acceleration sensor and a wireless interface that can perform wireless communication using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Then, each of the wireless tags  30  temporarily accumulates sensor values of a three-axis acceleration sensor in order to record the speed or the direction of the movement of the articles. Then, each of the wireless tags  30  periodically sends, from a wireless interface, a sensor signal that includes therein both the identification information on each of the articles and the accumulated sensor values. 
         [0033]    The mobile terminal device  100  receives the sensor signal sent from each of the wireless tags  30  and manages the articles, such as the bag  10 , the wallet  20 , and the like. At this time, the mobile terminal device  100  determines, on the basis of the sensor values included in the sensor signal, a movement state that indicates whether each of the articles is moving or stands still and groups the articles that have similar movement states. In this way, by grouping the articles using the movement states, the mobile terminal device  100  efficiently manages the articles on each of which the wireless tag  30  is mounted. The management of the articles performed by the mobile terminal device  100  will be described in detail later. 
         [0034]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the mobile terminal device  100  according to the first embodiment. The mobile terminal device  100  illustrated in  FIG. 2  includes a wireless communication unit  110 , a processor  120 , a memory  130 , an input interface (hereinafter, simply referred to as an “input I/F”)  140 , and a display  150 . 
         [0035]    The wireless communication unit  110  performs wireless communication using, for example, BLE and receives a sensor signal sent from the wireless tag  30  that is mounted on each of the articles. Then, the wireless communication unit  110  outputs the received sensor signal to the processor  120 . 
         [0036]    The processor  120  includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), or the like and performs the overall control of the entirety of the mobile terminal device  100 . Namely, the processor  120  performs various kinds of processes by using the memory  130 . Specifically, the processor  120  determines, on the basis of the sensor values included in the sensor signal, the movement state of each of the article and groups the articles that have similar movement states. The function of the processor  120  will be described in detail later. 
         [0037]    The memory  130  includes, for example, a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), or the like and stores therein various kinds of information at the time of process performed by the processor  120 . 
         [0038]    The input I/F  140  includes, for example, a touch panel, a physical key, a microphone, or the like and accepts an operation input performed by a user. Then, the input I/F  140  notifies the processor  120  of the accepted operation input. 
         [0039]    The display  150  includes, for example, a liquid crystal panel, or the like and displays display information that is output from the processor  120 . The display  150  may also be arranged to be overlapped with a touch panel that is included in the input I/F  140 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating the function of the processor  120  according to the first embodiment. The processor  120  illustrated in  FIG. 3  includes a sensor signal acquiring unit  121 , a target list checking unit  122 , a similarity determination unit  123 , a display information creating unit  124 , and a group list creating unit  125 . 
         [0041]    The sensor signal acquiring unit  121  acquires a sensor signal received by the wireless communication unit  110 . The sensor signal acquired by the sensor signal acquiring unit  121  is a signal that is periodically sent from the wireless tag  30  that is mounted on each of the articles and that includes therein both the identification information on the corresponding article and the sensor values of the three-axis acceleration sensor. The sensor signal acquiring unit  121  acquires the sensor signals sent from all of the articles that are present in the communication zone of the communication with the mobile terminal device  100 . 
         [0042]    The target list checking unit  122  checks the identification information included in the sensor signal against the target list stored in the memory  130 . Namely, the target list checking unit  122  acquires, from the memory  130 , the target list indicating the list of the target articles that are managed by the mobile terminal device  100  and determines whether the article of the transmission source of the sensor signal corresponds to the management target. The target list acquired by the target list checking unit  122  from the memory  130  stores therein, for example, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , identification information on all of the articles targeted for the management. This target list may be created by a user registering, in the mobile terminal device  100 , for example, the identification information on the articles that are registered in the corresponding wireless tag  30 . In the target list illustrated in  FIG. 4 , as the identification information on the articles, the names of the articles, for example, a “bag A”, a “bag B”, a “wallet”, or the like are stored. 
         [0043]    If the result of checking the identification information included in the sensor signal against the identification information included in the target list indicates that the identification information included in the sensor signal is included in the target list, the target list checking unit  122  notifies the similarity determination unit  123  of the identification information and the sensor values. 
         [0044]    The similarity determination unit  123  compares the sensor values of the articles targeted for the management and determines whether the movement states of the articles are similar. Namely, the similarity determination unit  123  decides, on the basis of the sensor values notified from the target list checking unit  122 , the movement states each of which indicates whether the article is moving or standing still and determines whether the movement states of the articles are similar. At this time, the similarity determination unit  123  accumulates a predetermined number of sensor signals that are periodically sent from each of the articles and calculates the likelihood of the movement of each of the articles (hereinafter, referred to as the “movement likelihood”) from the sensor value for each article. Then, if a difference of the movement likelihood between the articles is less than a predetermined threshold, the similarity determination unit  123  determines that both of these articles are moving. In contrast, if a difference of the movement likelihood between the articles is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the similarity determination unit  123  determines that both of these articles are not moving. In this way, the similarity determination unit  123  determines that the articles whose movement states are similar are the articles in the same group and determines that the articles whose movement states are not similar are the articles that are not in the same group. Furthermore, the similarity determination unit  123  will be described in detail later. 
         [0045]    The display information creating unit  124  creates, on the basis of the determination result obtained by the similarity determination unit  123 , the display information to be displayed on the display  150 . Specifically, the display information creating unit  124  graphs the sensor values related to, for example, each of the articles and creates display information in which graphs of the articles whose movement states are similar are adjacently arranged. Namely, the display information creating unit  124  creates display information in which graphs of the sensor values related to both the articles that are determined to be moved are arranged together with the identification information. Then, the display information creating unit  124  outputs the created display information to the display  150  and displays the information on the display  150 . 
         [0046]    The group list creating unit  125  creates, on the basis of the determination result obtained by the similarity determination unit  123 , a group list that indicates the group of the articles. Specifically, the group list creating unit  125  creates, for each article, the group list that indicates the list of the articles whose movement state are similar to the subject article. Accordingly, the group list creating unit  125  creates, for example, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , regarding each of the articles, the group list that indicates the list of articles that were determined to have been moved together. In the example illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the group list of a “bag A” stores therein identification information, such as a “wallet”, a “folding umbrella”, a “commutation pass”, and the like and the group list of a “bag B” stores therein identification information, such as a “water bottle”, a “jersey”, a “soccer ball”, and the like. Because the group list is the list in which the articles in the same group are enumerated for each article, the identification information on the article belonging to the same group is included in the counterpart group list. For example, in the example illustrated in  FIG. 5 , because the “wallet” is included in the group list of the “bag A”, the “bag A” is included in the group list of the “wallet”. 
         [0047]    Furthermore, after the display information created by the display information creating unit  124  is displayed on the display  150 , the group list creating unit  125  may also change the group list in accordance with the operation input that is performed by a user and that is accepted by the input I/F  140 . Namely, because the display information that indicates the movement state of each of the articles is displayed on the display  150 , the user may also decide the articles in the same group from the movement state of or the identification information on each of the articles and performs the operation input that groups the articles. Then, the group list creating unit  125  creates a group list in accordance with the operation input performed by the user, in addition to the determination result obtained by the similarity determination unit  123 . 
         [0048]    Because the group lists created in this way are the lists of the articles that are simultaneously carried by the user, by managing the articles using the group lists, it is possible to output a carry item list of the user depending on the situation. Furthermore, for example, if the position of a single article is searched, it is possible to simultaneously search for the position of each of the articles that are in the same group as the searching article and it is possible to search the position of all of the articles that are simultaneously carried by the user. 
         [0049]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram illustrating the function of the similarity determination unit  123  according to the first embodiment. The similarity determination unit  123  illustrated in  FIG. 6  includes an average value calculating unit  161 , a movement likelihood calculating unit  162 , a difference calculating unit  163 , and a threshold comparing unit  164 . 
         [0050]    The average value calculating unit  161  calculates the average value of the sensor values obtained, within a predetermined time period, from the sensor signal for each article. At this time, if the sensor signal includes the sensor values of, for example, a three-axis acceleration sensor, the average value calculating unit  161  uses the sum of the square of the sensor values of the three-axis acceleration sensor as the sensor values and calculates, for each article, the average value of these sensor values. 
         [0051]    The movement likelihood calculating unit  162  calculates the movement likelihood for each article on the basis of both the instantaneous value of the sensor value for each article and the average value calculated by the average value calculating unit  161 . Specifically, the movement likelihood calculating unit  162  calculates, for each article, the total sum of the differences between each of the instantaneous values of the sensor values and the average value as the movement likelihood. If an article moves, because the sensor value of the wireless tag  30  mounted on the subject article varies, the movement likelihood that is the total sum of the differences between the instantaneous values of the sensor values and the average values becomes large. Accordingly, the value of the movement likelihood becomes greater as the article moves more frequently. 
         [0052]    The difference calculating unit  163  calculates a difference between the movement likelihood for each article. Because the movement likelihood is the value that designates the movement state indicating whether the article has been moved, the values of the movement likelihood of the articles that are simultaneously move and have similar movement states tend to be similar and the difference of the movement likelihood is decreased. 
         [0053]    The threshold comparing unit  164  compares the difference calculated by the difference calculating unit  163  with the predetermined threshold. Then, the threshold comparing unit  164  decides that the articles in which the difference of the movement likelihood is less than the predetermined threshold were moving together and determines that the movement states of these articles are similar. In contrast, the threshold comparing unit  164  decides that the articles in which the difference of the movement likelihood is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold were not moving together and determines that the movement states of these articles are not similar. The threshold comparing unit  164  outputs the determination result to the display information creating unit  124  and the group list creating unit  125 . 
         [0054]    In the following, an article management process performed by the mobile terminal device  100  configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart illustrated in  FIG. 7 . In this article management process, the articles that are mainly and simultaneously carried by a user are grouped and group lists are created. 
         [0055]    The sensor signal that includes therein both the identification information on the article and the accumulated sensor values of the three-axis acceleration sensor is periodically sent from the wireless tag  30  mounted on the article. Then, the sensor signal sent from the wireless tag  30  mounted on the article that is positioned within the communication zone of the mobile terminal device  100  is received by the wireless communication unit  110  (Step S 101 ). The received sensor signal is acquired by the sensor signal acquiring unit  121  in the processor  120 . Then, the identification information included in the sensor signal is checked against the identification information on the target list by the target list checking unit  122  (Step S 102 ). 
         [0056]    If the result of checking against the target list indicates that the identification information included in the sensor signal is not included in the target list (No at Step S 102 ), the article of the transmission source of this sensor signal is the article or the like that is not, for example, the personal belongings of the user; therefore, the article is ignored as the out of the management target. In contrast, if the identification information included in the sensor signal is included in the target list (Yes at Step S 102 ), the average value of the sensor values is calculated for each article by the average value calculating unit  161  in the similarity determination unit  123  (Step S 103 ). Namely, the average value is calculated for each article by the average value calculating unit  161  from the sensor values measured by the three-axis acceleration sensor of the wireless tag  30  within a predetermined time period. 
         [0057]    Then, the movement likelihood for each article is calculated by the movement likelihood calculating unit  162  (Step S 104 ). Specifically, the total sum of the difference between a plurality of the instantaneous values and the average values of the sensor values is calculated for each article. If an article is moving, because the difference between the instantaneous values and the average value of the sensor values tends to be great, the movement likelihood becomes greater as the article is moving. 
         [0058]    If the movement likelihood is calculated for each article, the difference between the movement likelihood is calculated for each article by the difference calculating unit  163  (Step S 105 ). If the movement states of the articles are similar, because the values of the movement likelihood are close to each other, the difference of the movement likelihood between both the articles that are moving together is decreased. Thus, the difference of the movement likelihood is compared with the predetermined threshold by the threshold comparing unit  164  (Step S 106 ). 
         [0059]    If the comparison result indicates that the difference of the movement likelihood is less than the predetermined threshold (Yes Step S 106 ), the threshold comparing unit  164  decides that both the articles having the movement likelihood are moving together and belong to the same group (Step S 107 ). Furthermore, if the difference of the movement likelihood is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold (No at Step S 106 ), the threshold comparing unit  164  decides that both the articles having the movement likelihood are not moving together and belong to different groups (Step S 108 ). The determination of the similarity of the movement states of the articles performed in this way is performed for each of the combinations of two articles and the determination result related to each of the combinations is output to the display information creating unit  124  and the group list creating unit  125 . 
         [0060]    Then, the display information on the basis of the determination result of the similarity is created by the display information creating unit  124  (Step S 109 ). Specifically, the sensor values of each of the articles are graphed by the display information creating unit  124  and the display information in which the graphs of articles that are in the same group and whose movement states are similar are adjacently arranged together with the identification information on the articles. Namely, for example, as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the display information in which the graphs of the sensor values for each article are arranged in accordance with the similarity of the movement states. In the example illustrated in  FIG. 8 , because the movement state of the “bag A” is similar to the movement state of the “wallet”, a graph  171  and a graph  172  of these articles are adjacently arranged together with the identification information on each of the articles. In contrast, because the movement state of the “water bottle” is not similar to the movement states of the “bag A” and the “wallet”, a graph  173  corresponding to the identification information on the “water bottle” is arranged at the position that is different from the graph  171  and the graph  172 . 
         [0061]    The display information illustrated in  FIG. 8  is an example and the graph does not always need to be included in the display information. For example, instead of the graphs, sensor values related to each of the articles may also be arranged in the tabular format or identification information on the articles may also be enumerated and arranged for each group in which the movement states are similar. 
         [0062]    A description will be given here by referring back to  FIG. 7 . The display information created by the display information creating unit  124  is output to the display  150  and displayed (Step S 110 ). Because the display information is displayed on the display  150 , a user can visually confirm the group of the articles that have the similar movement states. Consequently, the user can input, to the input I/F  140 , the combination or the like of the articles desired to be added to the same group regardless of, for example, the movement state. 
         [0063]    In contrast, if the determination result of the similarity of the movement states of the articles is output to the group list creating unit  125 , a group list is created by the group list creating unit  125  (Step S 111 ). Specifically, a group list in which the identification information on the articles that have the similar movement states is enumerated for each article. At this time, if an operation input to the input I/F  140  is performed by the user who visually confirms the display information, the group list is changed in accordance with the operation input performed by the user. Namely, in addition to the articles that have the similar movement states, a group list in which the article specified by the user belongs to the same group is created. 
         [0064]    Consequently, the group list in which the articles that are mainly and simultaneously carried by the user and that are in the same group is created for each article and the articles that are simultaneously carried by the user can be collectively managed. Consequently, for example, it is possible to output the list of the articles that are simultaneously carried by the user depending on the situation, such as commutation or a business trip, or it is also possible to simultaneously search the position of the articles that are simultaneously carried by the user when searching the position of a single article. 
         [0065]    As described above, according to the embodiment, the movement likelihood of each of the articles is obtained from the sensor values that are collected from the wireless tag mounted on each of the articles is obtained and the articles in which the difference of the movement likelihood is small and the movement states are similar are grouped in the same group. Consequently, the articles that are simultaneously carried by the user can be collectively managed in the same group and the articles on each of which the wireless tag is mounted can be efficiently managed. 
       [b] Second Embodiment 
       [0066]    The characteristic of a second embodiment is that a movement period in which, in transition of the sensor values, an article is assumed to be moving is detected and it is determined whether the movement states of the articles are similar on the basis of the frequency analysis of each of the waveforms of the sensor values in the movement period. 
         [0067]    The configuration of a mobile terminal device according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the mobile terminal device  100  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ) according to the first embodiment; therefore, descriptions thereof will be omitted. In the second embodiment, the function of the similarity determination unit  123  is different from that described in the first embodiment. 
         [0068]      FIG. 9  is a block diagram illustrating the function of the similarity determination unit  123  according to a second embodiment. The similarity determination unit  123  illustrated in  FIG. 9  includes a movement period detecting unit  201 , a frequency analyzing unit  202 , and a spectrum comparing unit  203 . 
         [0069]    The movement period detecting unit  201  detects, in transition of a plurality of the sensor values obtained from a plurality of the sensor signals for each article, a movement period in which the article is assumed to be moving. Specifically, the movement period detecting unit  201  detects, as the movement period, the section in which the sensor values are equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold. At this time, if the sensor signal includes the sensor values of, for example, the three-axis acceleration sensor, the movement period detecting unit  201  uses the sum of the square of the sensor values of the three-axis acceleration sensor as the sensor values and detects the movement period by comparing this sensor values with the predetermined threshold. 
         [0070]    The frequency analyzing unit  202  performs the frequency analysis on the waveform of the sensor value in the movement period detected by the movement period detecting unit  201 . Specifically, by performing Fourier transformation on the waveform of, for example, sensor value, the frequency analyzing unit  202  obtains, for each article, the spectrum of the waveform of the sensor value. 
         [0071]    The spectrum comparing unit  203  compares the spectrum for each article obtained by the frequency analyzing unit  202 . Then, if the spectrum distribution for each article satisfies a predetermined similarity criterion, the spectrum comparing unit  203  determines that the movement states of these articles are similar. In contrast, if the spectrum distribution for each article does not satisfy a predetermined similarity criterion, the spectrum comparing unit  203  determines that the movement states of these articles are not similar. The spectrum comparing unit  203  outputs the determination result to the display information creating unit  124  and the group list creating unit  125 . 
         [0072]    In the following, an article management process performed by the mobile terminal device  100  configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart illustrated in  FIG. 10 . In  FIG. 10 , components having the same configuration as those illustrated in  FIG. 7  are assigned the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof in detail will be omitted. 
         [0073]    The sensor signal sent from the wireless tag  30  mounted on the article that is positioned in the communication zone of the mobile terminal device  100  is received by the wireless communication unit  110  (Step S 101 ). Then, the identification information included in the sensor signal is checked against the identification information in the target list by the target list checking unit  122  in the processor  120  (Step S 102 ). 
         [0074]    If the result of checking against the target list indicates that the identification information included in the sensor signal is not included in the target list (No at Step S 102 ), the article of the transmission source of this sensor signal is the article or the like that is not, for example, the personal belongings of the user; therefore, the article is ignored as the out of the management target. In contrast, if the identification information included in the sensor signal is included in the target list (Yes at Step S 102 ), the movement period in transition of the sensor value for each article is detected by the movement period detecting unit  201  in the similarity determination unit  123  (Step S 201 ). Namely, the section in which the sensor value is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold is detected as the movement period by the movement period detecting unit  201 . 
         [0075]    Then, the frequency analysis is performed, by the frequency analyzing unit  202  for each article, on the waveform of the sensor value in the movement period (Step S 202 ). This frequency analysis is performed to obtain the spectrum of the waveform of the sensor value by using, for example, Fourier transformation; however, another method may also be used as long as an analysis method that can obtain the characteristic in the movement period for each article. 
         [0076]    If the spectrum is obtained for each article by the frequency analysis, the spectrum comparing unit  203  determines whether the spectrum of each of the articles satisfies the predetermined similarity criterion (Step S 203 ). If the determination result indicates that the spectrum for each article satisfies the predetermined similarity criterion (Yes at Step S 203 ), the spectrum comparing unit  203  decides that the articles associated with these spectra are moving together and belongs to the same group (Step S 107 ). Furthermore, if the spectrum for each article does not satisfy the predetermined similarity criterion (No at Step S 203 ), the spectrum comparing unit  203  decides that the articles associated with these corresponding spectra are not move together and belong to different groups (Step S 108 ). The determination of the similarity of the movement states of the articles performed in this way is performed for each of the combinations of two articles and the determination result related to each of the combinations is output to the display information creating unit  124  and the group list creating unit  125 . 
         [0077]    Then, the display information on the basis of the determination result of the similarity is created by the display information creating unit  124  (Step S 109 ). The display information created by the display information creating unit  124  is output to the display  150  and displayed (Step S 110 ). Because the display information is displayed on the display  150 , a user can visually confirm the group of the articles that have the similar movement states. Consequently, the user can input, to the input I/F  140 , the combination or the like of the articles desired to be added to the same group regardless of, for example, the movement state. 
         [0078]    In contrast, if the determination result of the group of the similarity of the movement states of the articles is output to the group list creating unit  125 , a group list is created by the group list creating unit  125  (Step S 111 ). At this time, if an operation input to the input I/F  140  is performed by the user who visually confirms the display information, the group list is changed in accordance with the operation input performed by the user. 
         [0079]    As described above, according to the embodiment, the movement period of each of the articles is detected from the sensor values that are collected from the wireless tag mounted on each of the articles and articles in which the spectra of the waveforms of the sensor values in the movement period are similar are grouped in the same group. Consequently, the articles that are simultaneously carried by the user can be collectively managed in the same group and the articles on each of which the wireless tag is mounted can be efficiently managed. Furthermore, it is possible to determine the similarity of the movement states of the articles with high accuracy by using the spectra of the waveforms of the sensors in the movement period. 
       [c] Third Embodiment 
       [0080]    The characteristic of a third embodiment is that a movement period in which, in transition of the sensor values, an article is assumed to be moving is detected and it is determined whether the movement states of the articles are similar to the articles in accordance with whether the starting point and the end point of the movement period of the articles are within a predetermined range. 
         [0081]    The configuration of a mobile terminal device according to the third embodiment is the same as that of the mobile terminal device  100  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ) according to the first and the second embodiments; therefore, descriptions thereof will be omitted. In the third embodiment, the function of the similarity determination unit  123  is different from that described in the first and the second embodiments. 
         [0082]      FIG. 11  is a block diagram illustrating the function of the similarity determination unit  123  according to a third embodiment. In  FIG. 11 , components having the same configuration as those illustrated in  FIG. 9  are assigned the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted. The similarity determination unit  123  illustrated in  FIG. 11  includes a starting point/end point comparing unit  301  instead of the frequency analyzing unit  202  and the spectrum comparing unit  203  in the similarity determination unit  123  illustrated in  FIG. 9 . 
         [0083]    The starting point/end point comparing unit  301  compares the starting point and the end point of the movement period for each article detected by the movement period detecting unit  201 . Specifically, the starting point/end point comparing unit  301  compares the positions of the starting point of the movement period for each article and compares the positions of the end point of the movement period for each article. Then, if the starting point of the movement period for each article is within the predetermined range from each of the point and the end point is within the predetermined range from each of the point, the starting point/end point comparing unit  301  determines that the movement states of these articles are similar. In contrast, if at least one of the starting point and the end point of the movement period for each article is not within the predetermined range regarding the articles, the starting point/end point comparing unit  301  determines that the movement states of these articles are not similar. The starting point/end point comparing unit  301  outputs the determination result to the display information creating unit  124  and the group list creating unit  125 . 
         [0084]    In the following, an article management process performed by the mobile terminal device  100  configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart illustrated in  FIG. 12 . In  FIG. 12 , components having the same configuration as those illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 10  are assigned the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof in detail will be omitted. 
         [0085]    The sensor signal sent from the wireless tag  30  mounted on the article that is positioned in the communication zone of the mobile terminal device  100  is received by the wireless communication unit  110  (Step S 101 ). Then, the identification information included in the sensor signal is checked against the identification information in the target list by the target list checking unit  122  in the processor  120  (Step S 102 ). 
         [0086]    If the result of checking against the target list indicates that the identification information included in the sensor signal is not included in the target list (No at Step S 102 ), the article of the transmission source of this sensor signal is the article or the like that is not, for example, the personal belongings of the user; therefore, the article is ignored as the out of the management target. In contrast, if the identification information included in the sensor signal is included in the target list (Yes at Step S 102 ), the movement period in transition of the sensor value for each article is detected by the movement period detecting unit  201  in the similarity determination unit  123  (Step S 201 ). 
         [0087]    Then, the positions of the starting point and the end point of the movement period for each article are compared by the starting point/end point comparing unit  301  (Step S 301 ). Specifically, the starting point/end point comparing unit  301  determines whether the starting points of the movement periods of the two articles are within the predetermined range and determines whether the end point of the movement periods of these articles are within the predetermined range. Furthermore, if a plurality of movement periods is detected for each of the articles, the starting points and the end points of all of the movement periods are compared by the starting point/end point comparing unit  301 . 
         [0088]    If the determination result described above indicates that the starting point and the end point of the movement period for each article are within the predetermined range from each of the points (Yes at Step S 301 ), the starting point/end point comparing unit  301  decides that the articles of this combination are moving together and belong in the same group (Step S 107 ). Furthermore, if at least one of the starting point and the end point of the movement period for each article is not within the predetermined range from each of the points (No at Step S 301 ), the starting point/end point comparing unit  301  decides that the articles of this combination are not moving together and belong to different groups (Step S 108 ). The determination of the similarity of the movement states of the articles performed in this way is performed for each of the combinations of two articles and the determination result related to each of the combinations is output to the display information creating unit  124  and the group list creating unit  125 . 
         [0089]    Then, display information is created on the basis of the determination result of the similarity by the display information creating unit  124  (Step S 109 ). The display information created by the display information creating unit  124  is output to the display  150  and is displayed (Step S 110 ). Because the display information is displayed on the display  150 , a user can visually confirm the group of the articles that have the similar movement states. Consequently, the user can input, to the input I/F  140 , the combination or the like of the articles desired to be added to the same group regardless of, for example, the movement state. 
         [0090]    In contrast, if the determination result of the group of the similarity of the movement states of the articles is output to the group list creating unit  125 , a group list is created by the group list creating unit  125  (Step S 111 ). At this time, if an operation input to the input I/F  140  is performed by the user who visually confirms the display information, the group list is changed in accordance with the operation input performed by the user. 
         [0091]    As described above, according to the embodiment, the movement period of each of the articles is detected from the sensor values that are collected from the wireless tag mounted on each of the articles and articles in each of which the starting point of the movement period of the article is within the predetermined range and the end point of the movement period of the article is within the predetermined range are grouped in the same group. Consequently, the articles that are simultaneously carried by the user can be collectively managed in the same group and the articles on each of which the wireless tag is mounted can be efficiently managed. Furthermore, the similarity of the movement state of each of the articles can be determined by using an easy process of comparing the position of the starting point and the end point of the movement period. 
       [d] Fourth Embodiment 
       [0092]    The characteristic of a fourth embodiment is that, after the group list has been created, whether or not a change is present in a group is monitored and an alert is notified if a change is present. 
         [0093]    The configuration of a mobile terminal device according to a fourth embodiment is the same as that of the mobile terminal device  100  ( FIG. 2 ) according to the first embodiment; therefore, descriptions thereof will be omitted. In the fourth embodiment, the function of the processor  120  is different from that described in the first embodiment. 
         [0094]      FIG. 13  is a block diagram illustrating the function of the processor  120  according to a fourth embodiment. In  FIG. 13 , components having the same configuration as those illustrated in  FIG. 3  are assigned the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted. The processor  120  illustrated in  FIG. 13  has the configuration in which a group monitoring unit  401  and an alert notification unit  402  are added to the processor  120  illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0095]    The group monitoring unit  401  refers to the group list that is created by the group list creating unit  125  and that is stored in the memory  130  and monitors whether the articles indicated in the group list is continuously grouped. Specifically, if a sensor signal of a single article is acquired by the sensor signal acquiring unit  121 , the group monitoring unit  401  monitors whether the sensor signals are received within predetermined time from all of the articles that belong to the same group to which the subject article belongs. Then, if the sensor signals from all of the articles in the same group are not received within the predetermined time, the group monitoring unit  401  notifies the alert notification unit  402  of this status. 
         [0096]    Furthermore, regarding a plurality of articles belonging to the same group, if the similarity determination of the movement state is performed by the similarity determination unit  123 , the group monitoring unit  401  monitors whether the movement states of these articles are similar. Then, if the movement states of the articles in the same group are not similar, the group monitoring unit  401  notifies the alert notification unit  402  of this status. 
         [0097]    In accordance with the notification from the group monitoring unit  401 , the alert notification unit  402  notifies of an alert that warns that a change is present in a group of the already created group list. Specifically, if sensor signals are received only from some articles belonging to the same group or the movement states of the articles belonging to the same group are not similar, the alert notification unit  402  allows, for example, the display  150  to display a warning message. Furthermore, in addition to allowing the display  150  to display the warning message, the alert notification unit  402  may also notify of an alert by allowing, for example, a speaker to output a warning tone or allowing a light emitting diode (LED) to be flashed in a predetermined pattern. 
         [0098]    In the following, an alert notification process performed by the mobile terminal device configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart illustrated in  FIG. 14 . The alert notification process described below is performed after, for example, the group lists have been created by the article management process in the first to the third embodiments described above. 
         [0099]    After having created the group lists, the sensor signal that includes therein the identification information on the article and the sensor values of the three-axis acceleration sensor is periodically sent from the wireless tag  30  mounted on each of the articles. Then, the sensor signal sent from the wireless tag  30  that is mounted on each of the articles and that is positioned in the communication zone of the mobile terminal device  100  is received by the wireless communication unit  110  (Step S 401 ). The received sensor signal is acquired by the sensor signal acquiring unit  121  in the processor  120 . 
         [0100]    At this time, if the article of the transmission source of the sensor signal is moving with the article belonging to the same group, the sensor signal in which the article belonging to the same group is the transmission source is expected to be received within the predetermined time. Thus, the group monitoring unit  401  determines whether the sensor signal from the article belonging to the same group as that to which the article of the transmission source of the sensor signal belongs is acquired by the sensor signal acquiring unit  121  within the predetermined time (Step S 402 ). 
         [0101]    Consequently, if the article whose sensor signal is not received within the predetermined time is present (Yes at Step S 402 ), it is conceivable that this article is outside the communication zone of the mobile terminal device and is positioned at the location that is different from the position of the article whose sensor signal is received. Thus, an alert indicating that the sensor signal output from the article belonging to the same group as the article of the reception source of the sensor signal is notified by the alert notification unit  402  (Step S 403 ). Namely, for example, a warning message indicating that a change is present in the group is displayed on the display  150  or a warning tone is output from a speaker. 
         [0102]    In contrast, if the sensor signals are received from all of the articles belonging to the same group within the predetermined time (No at Step S 402 ), similarly to the first to the third embodiments, the similarity of the movement state of each of the articles is determined by the similarity determination unit  123  (Step S 404 ). Then, the group monitoring unit  401  determines whether the movement states of all of the articles belonging to the same group are similar (Step S 405 ). 
         [0103]    If the result indicates that the article whose movement state is not similar is present in the same group (Yes at Step S 405 ), it is conceivable that this article is not moving with the other articles belonging to the same group. Consequently, an alert indicating that the article whose movement state is not similar is present in the group is notified by the alert notification unit  402  (Step S 406 ). Namely, for example, a warning message indicating that a change is present in the group is displayed on the display  150  or a warning tone is output from a speaker. 
         [0104]    In contrast, if the movement states of all of the articles belonging to the same group are similar (No at Step S 405 ), because no change is present in the already created group lists, the process is completed without notifying of an alert. 
         [0105]    In this way, when the sensor signal from the article is received after the group lists have been created, if the sensor signal from the article belonging to the same group as the subject article is not received or if the movement states of the articles belonging to the same group as the subject article are not similar, an alert is notified. Consequently, the user can be aware that the articles belonging to the same group are not moving together and can prevent the article, for example, that is to be simultaneously carried from being left behind. Furthermore, if an alert is notified, a group list may also be again created by the group list creating unit  125  or the group list may also be changed in accordance with the operation input of the user performed via the input I/F  140 . 
         [0106]    As described above, according to the embodiment, after the group lists have been created, whether or not the articles in each of the groups are moving together is monitored and, if there is the article that is not moving together, an alert is notified. Consequently, the user can be aware that the articles belonging to the same group are not moving together and can prevent the article, for example, that is to be simultaneously carried from being left behind. 
         [0107]    Furthermore, in the fourth embodiment, the levels that are used to associate the pieces of the identification information stored in the group list may also be stored and the presence or absence of the alert or the intensity may also be changed in accordance with the associated levels. Specifically, if the level that is used to associate the identification information on, for example, the article or information on the type is input by a user, a group list in which the pieces of the identification information on the articles are associated in accordance with the input information is created. 
         [0108]    Then, in this group list, for example, the levels that indicate strength and weakness of the association between the pieces of the identification information on the articles are stored. At this time, creating the group list is performed by the group list creating unit  125  and, if the information that indicates the level or the type of the association of the identification information is received by the input I/F  140 , this information may also additionally be stored in the group list. Then, whether or not the articles in each of the groups are continuously moving together is monitored, if there is the article that is not moving together, the intensity of the alert is changed in accordance with the associated level. Namely, for example, if the articles that are strongly associated with each other are not moving together, a strong alert may be notified by using a sound and a display and, if the articles that are weakly associated with each other are not moving together, a weak alert may also be notified by using only a display. 
       [e] Fifth Embodiment 
       [0109]    The characteristic of a second embodiment is that a group list is created by a category, such as the weather, the date, or the like. 
         [0110]    The configuration of a mobile terminal device according to the fifth embodiment is the same as that of the mobile terminal device  100  ( FIG. 2 ) according to the first embodiment; therefore, descriptions thereof will be omitted. In the fifth embodiment, the function of the processor  120  is different from that described in the first embodiment. 
         [0111]      FIG. 15  is a block diagram illustrating the function of the processor  120  according to a fifth embodiment. In  FIG. 15 , components having the same configuration as those illustrated in  FIG. 3  are assigned the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted. The processor  120  illustrated in  FIG. 15  has the configuration in which a weather information acquiring unit  501  is added to the processor  120  illustrated in  FIG. 3  and the group list creating unit  125  is changed to a group list creating unit  502 . 
         [0112]    The weather information acquiring unit  501  acquires, by connecting to a predetermined server via, for example, the Internet, the current weather information on the current location. Furthermore, the weather information acquiring unit  501  may also share the weather information acquired by another application stored in the mobile terminal device or may also acquire the weather information from, for example, a predetermined sensor. As the weather information, for example, information indicating the type of the weather, such as sunny, cloudy, rainy, or the like, is acquired. This weather information indicates the type of the weather at the time when the movement state of the article is in the movement state indicated by the sensor value that is included in the sensor signal. 
         [0113]    The group list creating unit  502  creates, on the basis of the determination result obtained by the similarity determination unit  123 , a group list that indicates a group of the articles for each category indicated by the weather information. Specifically, the group list creating unit  502  associates, for each article, with the type of the current weather, the group list that indicates the list of the articles that have the movement state similar to that of the subject article. Accordingly, if, for example, the type of the current weather is “sunny”, the group list creating unit  502  sets the group list that indicates the list of the articles that are determined to be moved together as the group list used for the category of “sunny”. 
         [0114]    Furthermore, after the display information created by the display information creating unit  124  is displayed on the display  150 , the group list creating unit  502  may also change the group list in accordance with the operation input that is performed by the user and that is received by the input I/F  140 . Furthermore, in addition to the weather information, the group list creating unit  502  may also classify the category by using, for example, the date, a day of the week, or the like and create a group list used for each category. Thus, the group list creating unit  502  may also create a group list for each category, such as, for example, a “weekday”, a “holiday”, or the like or may also create a group list for each complex category, such as, for example, a “sunny holiday” or the like. 
         [0115]    In the following, an article management process performed by the mobile terminal device configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart illustrated in  FIG. 16 . In  FIG. 16 , components having the same configuration as those illustrated in FIG.  7  are assigned the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof in detail will be omitted. 
         [0116]    In the embodiment, the current weather information on the current location is acquired by the weather information acquiring unit  501  (Step S 501 ). The weather information may also be acquired from a predetermined server via, for example, the Internet or may also be acquired from a predetermined sensor included in the mobile terminal device. 
         [0117]    In contrast, the sensor signal the sensor signal sent from the wireless tag  30  that is mounted on each of the articles and that is positioned in the communication zone of the mobile terminal device  100  is received by the wireless communication unit  110  (Step S 101 ). Then, the identification information included in the sensor signal is checked against the identification information in the target list by the target list checking unit  122  in the processor  120  (Step S 102 ). 
         [0118]    If the result of checking against the target list indicates that the identification information included in the sensor signal is not included in the target list (No at Step S 102 ), the article of the transmission source of this sensor signal is the article or the like that is not, for example, the personal belongings of the user; therefore, the article is ignored as the out of the management target. In contrast, if the identification information included in the sensor signal is included in the target list (Yes at Step S 102 ), similarly to the first to the third embodiments, it is determined, on the basis of the sensor value for each article, whether the movement states of the respective articles are similar (Step S 502 ). Namely, if a difference of the movement likelihood for each article is less than the predetermined threshold, it is determined that the movement states of these articles are similar or, if the spectra of the waveforms of the sensor values in the movement periods for each of the articles are similar, it is determined that the movement states of these articles are similar. 
         [0119]    Then, display information on the basis of the determination result of the similarity is created by the display information creating unit  124  (Step S 109 ). The display information created by the display information creating unit  124  is output to the display  150  and displayed (Step S 110 ). Because the display information is displayed on the display  150 , a user can visually confirm the group of the articles that have the similar movement states. Consequently, the user can input, to the input I/F  140 , the combination or the like of the articles desired to be added to the same group regardless of, for example, the movement state. 
         [0120]    In contrast, if the determination result of the similarity of the movement states of the articles is output to the group list creating unit  502 , a group list categorized by the weather is created by the group list creating unit  502  (Step S 503 ). Specifically, on the basis of the weather information acquired by the weather information acquiring unit  501 , the group list of the articles is associated with the current weather at the current location. Furthermore, the group list may also be associated with the category that is in accordance with, other than the weather, the date or a day of the week. Furthermore, for example, the category that is in accordance with the schedule of a user may also be associated with the group list. Namely, if schedule information on the user is acquired from a predetermined application or the like and if, for example, the current schedule of the user is a “business trip”, the group list may also be associated with the category of the “business trip”. 
         [0121]    When creating such a group list, if an operation input is input to the input I/F  140  by the user who visually confirms the display information, the group list is changed in accordance with the operation input performed by the user. Namely, due to the operation performed by the user, the article belonging to the group list is changed or the group list is associated with the category, such as the weather, or the like. 
         [0122]    As described above, according to the embodiment, the current weather information on the current location is acquired and the group list of the articles that have similar movement states is associated for each category, such as the weather, or the like. Consequently, the articles that are simultaneously carried by the user can be collectively managed, for each category, in the same group and the articles on each of which the wireless tag is mounted can be efficiently managed. 
         [0123]    Furthermore, the fourth and the fifth embodiments described above can be implemented in combination. Namely, it is monitored whether all of the articles belonging to the group list associated with the current weather at the current location are continuously moving together and, if there is the article that is not moving together, it is also possible to notify of, for example, an alert. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the article that is to be simultaneously carried for each category, such as the weather, the date, or the like, from being left behind. 
         [0124]    Furthermore, in each of the embodiments described above, the wireless tag  30  includes the three-axis acceleration sensor; however, the wireless tag  30  may also include another sensor as long as the sensor can detect the movement state indicating whether the article is moving or standing still. An example of such a sensor includes a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, or the like. Furthermore, the wireless tag  30  may also include, as a sensor that detects a movement of the article, a global positioning system (GPS) receiving apparatus, or the like. 
         [0125]    Similarly, the wireless tag  30  may also include a wireless interface that is different from the BLE. Namely, the wireless tag  30  may also include a wireless interface that can perform near field wireless communication, such as infrared communication, Wi-Fi Direct (registered trademark), or the like. 
         [0126]    Furthermore, the article management process and the alert notification process described in each of the embodiments described above may also be described as a program that can be executed by a computer. In this case, the program may also be stored in a computer readable recording medium and installed in the computer. Examples of the computer readable recording medium include a portable recording medium, such as a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a USB memory, and the like or a semiconductor memory, such as a flash memory and the like. 
         [0127]    According to an aspect of an embodiment of the article management program, the mobile terminal device, and the article management method, an advantage is provided in that it is efficiently manage articles on each of which a wireless tag is mounted. 
         [0128]    All examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical purposes of aiding the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to further the art, and are not to be construed as limitations to such specifically recited examples and conditions, nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention. Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it should be understood that the various changes, substitutions, and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6