Patent ID: 7768401

Claim:
A place-status management system that detects presence or absence of an object in a management area to manage a use status of the management area, the place-status management system comprising a plurality of radio tags, a plurality of radio tag readers, and a managing apparatus, wherein each of the radio tags being arranged in each of a plurality of radio tag areas obtained by dividing the management area, each of the radio tag readers being capable of performing radio communications with radio tags arranged in each of a plurality of communication areas obtained by grouping a specific number of the radio tag areas, each of the radio tag readers holding, for a corresponding communication area, radio-tag registration information indicative of a correspondence of each radio tag and a radio tag area in which the radio tag is arranged, and each of the radio tag readers performing radio communications with the radio tags arranged in the corresponding communication area based on the radio-tag registration information to thereby determine presence or absence of an object in each of the radio tag areas in the corresponding communication area, the managing apparatus generates place status information indicating the presence or absence of the object in each of the radio tag areas in the management area based on a result of determination made by each of the radio tag readers, and the radio tag reader transmits read request including identification information of a radio tag to each of the radio tags in the corresponding communication area, and determines the presence or absence of the object in a particular radio tag area based on whether there is a read response from the radio tag identified in the read request, wherein the place-status management system further includes a plurality of path radio tags arranged at a predetermined position on a path that connects to an entrance of a building and the managing apparatus includes a time calculating unit that calculates an approximate number of objects queuing on the path based on the place status information, to calculate waiting time until the objects reach the entrance by dividing the obtained approximate number of objects by the number of object that can enter the building at a time, and multiplying the divided number by the time required for the building.