Abstract: Described herein is a technique capable of efficiently removing a foreign substance in a reaction tube. According to one aspect of the technique, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a reaction tube in which a substrate is processed; and a substrate retainer including a plurality of support columns configured to support the substrate, wherein at least one among the plurality of the support columns includes: a hollow portion through which an inert gas is supplied; and a gas supply port through which the inert gas is supplied toward an inner wall of the reaction tube.

Abstract: A reading system includes an evaluation value acquirer and a determining processor. The evaluation value acquirer is configured to acquire, with regard to a reading device configured to perform wireless communication with an electronic tag attached to each of one or more items by using a radio wave as a medium to read item information on each of one or more items, an evaluation value about at least one of: the number of times; a time interval; or a frequency, of reading the item information for each of at the one or more items. The determining processor is configured to determine, for each of the one or more items, whether or not each of the one or more items is an object to be read based on a change in the evaluation value over time.

Abstract: A reading system includes an evaluation value acquirer and a determining processor. The evaluation value acquirer is configured to acquire, with regard to a reading device configured to perform wireless communication with an electronic tag attached to each of one or more items by using a radio wave as a medium to read item information on each of one or more items, an evaluation value about at least one of: the number of times; a time interval; or a frequency, of reading the item information for each of at the one or more items. The determining processor is configured to determine, for each of the one or more items, whether or not each of the one or more items is an object to be read based on a change in the evaluation value over time.

Abstract: A shopping assistance system includes a moving device (bagging device) and an information acquisition device. The moving device includes a support portion and a guide portion. The support portion is provided with a placement surface on which a product with an RF tag is placed. The guide portion includes a shielding space for shielding radio waves therein, and is disposed around the support portion along outer circumferential edges of the placement surface. The information acquisition device reads product information from the RF tag by performing wireless communication with the RF tag using an antenna when a relative positional relationship between a communication area of the antenna and the RF tag changes in the shielding space, the communication area being an area which is set around the antenna and in which wireless communication with the RF tag is performed.