Radio tag reading apparatus and control method

• US 10,275,622 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2017
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Murofushi, Nobuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Blouin, Mark S
• Application Number:
  US15/839,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20180173911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0772 Physical layout of the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners

Abstract

In one embodiment, a radio tag reading apparatus has an antenna device, a storage device, and a controller. The controller judges what frequency band is usable or not out of a plurality of frequency bands stored in the storage device. Further the controller makes the antenna device radiate a radio wave in the judged usable frequency band at a transmission rate in accordance with a width of the judged usable frequency band.

Claims

1. A radio tag reading apparatus which radiates a radio wave to a radio tag, to receive information of the radio tag, comprising:

an antenna device which radiates the radio wave toward the radio tag and receives a response radio wave from the radio tag;

a storage device which stores a plurality of frequency bands sorted into bands in which the radio wave can be radiated; and

a controller which has a processor and a memory, the processor being configured to operate in accordance with a program stored in the memory such that the controller;

judges what frequency band is usable or not out of the plurality of frequency bands stored in the storage device, and

makes the antenna device radiate the radio wave within a judged usable frequency band at a transmission rate in accordance with a width of the judged usable frequency band to execute communication with the radio tag, wherein

the storage device stores a first frequency band including all of the frequency bands in which the radio wave can be radiated and a plurality of second frequency bands obtained by sorting the first frequency band.

2. The radio tag reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the controller judges whether or not the first frequency band stored in the storage device is usable, and

when the first frequency band is not usable, the controller judges whether or not the second frequency band is usable.

3. The radio tag reading apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

when the first frequency band is judged usable, the controller makes the antenna device radiate the radio wave in the first frequency band at a high speed first transmission rate.

4. The radio tag reading apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

when the first frequency band is judged not usable and at least one second frequency band out of the plurality of second frequency bands is judged usable, the controller makes the antenna device radiate the radio wave in the judged usable second frequency band at a second transmission rate slower than the first transmission rate.

5. The radio tag reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the controller;

executes a first judgment to judge whether or not the plurality of second frequency bands are usable respectively,

executes a second judgment to judge whether or not all of the plurality of second frequency bands are usable based on a result of the first judgment, and

executes a third judgment to judge whether or not any of the second frequency bands out of the plurality of second frequency bands is usable, when not all of the plurality of second frequency bands are judged usable based on a result of the second judgment.

6. The radio tag reading apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

when all of the plurality of second frequency bands are judged usable based on the result of the second judgment, the controller makes the antenna device radiate the radio wave in the first frequency band at a high speed first transmission rate.

7. The radio tag reading apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

when at least one second frequency band out of the plurality of second frequency bands is judged usable, based on the result of the third judgment, the controller makes the antenna device radiate the radio wave in the judged usable at least one second frequency band at a second transmission rate slower than the first transmission rate.

8. The radio tag reading apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

when the at least one second frequency band out of the plurality of second frequency bands is judged usable, based on the result of the third judgment, the controller executes a fourth judgment to judge whether or not two or more consecutive second frequency bands out of the plurality of second frequency bands are usable.

9. The radio tag reading apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:

when two or more consecutive second frequency bands are not judged usable, based on a result of the fourth judgment, the controller makes the antenna device radiate the radio wave in only one judged usable second frequency band at a second transmission rate slower than the first transmission rate.

10. The radio tag reading apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

when two or more consecutive second frequency bands are judged usable, based on the result of the fourth judgment, the controller makes the antenna device radiate the radio wave in a frequency band including the two or more consecutive second frequency bands at a third transmission rate slower than the first transmission rate and faster than the second transmission rate.