RFID reader and communications apparatus, and delivery article sorting method and system using RFID reader and communications apparatus

• US 20010052544A1
• Filed: 02/22/2001
• Published: 12/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ito, Shuji, Kon, Toshinori, Nishitani, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,523,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.44
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 7/005 Computer assisted manual sorting, e.g. for mail
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil

Abstract

Information such as the delivery request registration number and the address and the name of a receiver registered to the RFID label affixed on a delivery article is read via RFID reader/radio communications apparatus (400) attached to an arm of a sorting worker (31). The information is sent via radio communications apparatus, and a guidance instruction on the carrying palette for sorting where the delivery article is to be put away is given on radio incoming information display apparatus (500) attached to a carrying palette for sorting (700) via blinking of a guidance lamp (600).

Claims

1. RFID reader/communications apparatus comprising:

a power feeding section attached to a waist belt for feeding power;

a flexible antenna provided on an arm belt;

a power supply section provided on the arm belt for receiving power from the power feeding section; and

a control circuit provided on the armbelt for controlling the RFID reader/communications apparatus.

2. RFID reader/communications apparatus according to

claim 1

,

wherein the flexible antenna includes a flexible substrate and an antenna circuit pattern printed on the flexible substrate,

wherein the flexible substrate is glued to an arm belt via flexible adhesive.

3. RFID reader/communications apparatus according to

claim 2

further comprising a connection cable connecting the control circuit with the antenna circuit pattern.

4. A delivery article handling method comprising steps of:

reading information registered to the RFID label affixed on a delivery article;

determining a carrying palette in which the delivery article is to be put away based on the information registered to the RFID label;

sending the determination result to radio incoming information display apparatus attached to the carrying palette via radio communications apparatus; and

notifying the carrying palette where the delivery article is to be put away to a worker.

5. A delivery article handling system comprising:

RFID reader/radio communications apparatus including an RFID communication antenna in a flexible belt that can be attached to an arm of a delivery article sorting worker, an RFID label affixed on a delivery article where information is registered, carrying palettes that accommodate the delivery articles by sorting and carry the delivery articles, and radio incoming information display apparatus attached to the carrying palette having a guidance lamp,

wherein the RFID reader/radio communications apparatus reads information registered to the RFID label, determines carrying palette in which the delivery article is to be put away based on the information registered to the RFID label, and sends the determination result to the radio incoming information display apparatus attached to the carrying palette via the radio communications apparatus,

wherein the radio incoming information display apparatus receives the determination result, causes the guidance lamp to blink, and notifies the carrying palette where the delivery article is to be put away to the worker.

6. RFID reader/communications apparatus comprising:

a power feeding section attached to a waist belt for feeding power;

a flexible antenna whose flexible substrate having a printed antenna circuit pattern thereon is glued to a first arm belt via flexible adhesive;

a control circuit provided on a second arm belt for controlling the RFID reader/communications apparatus main unit;

a connection cable for connecting the control circuit with the flexible antenna, and;

a power supply section provided on at least one of the first and second arm belt for receiving power from the power feeding section.

7. A delivery article handling method comprising steps of:

reading information registered to the RFID label affixed on a delivery article;

determining carrying palette in which the delivery article is to be put away based on the information registered to the RFID label; and

giving a sorting guidance via voice on the carrying palette where the delivery article is to be put away.

8. A delivery article handling system comprising:

RFID reader/voice communications apparatus including an RFID communication antenna in a flexible belt that can be attached to an arm of a delivery article sorting worker, an RFID label affixed on a delivery article where information is registered, and carrying palettes that accommodate the delivery articles by sorting and carry the delivery articles,

wherein the RFID reader/voice communications apparatus reads information registered to the RFID label, determines carrying palette in which the delivery article is to be put away by using this information, and giving a sorting guidance via voice on the carrying palette for sorting where the delivery article is to be put away.

9. A delivery article handling method comprising steps of:

reading information registered to the RFID label affixed on a delivery article;

determining carrying palette in which the delivery article is to be put away by using this information;

giving a sorting guidance via voice communications apparatus on the carrying palette where the delivery article is to be put away;

a step for sending the determination result to radio incoming information display apparatus attached to the carrying palette via radio communications apparatus; and

giving a guidance via blinking of the guidance lamp on the radio incoming information display apparatus.

10. A delivery article handling system comprising

RFID reader/communications apparatus including an RFID communication antenna in a flexible belt that can be attached to an arm of a delivery article sorting worker, an RFID label affixed on a delivery article where information is registered, carrying palettes that accommodate the delivery articles by sorting and carry the delivery articles, and radio incoming information display apparatus attached to the carrying palette having a guidance lamp,

wherein the RFID reader/communications apparatus has a reader/radio communications function and a reader/voice communications function and reads various information registered to the RFID label, determines in which carrying palette the delivery article is to be put away by using this information, and gives a sorting guidance via voice communications apparatus on the carrying palette where the delivery article is to be put away, and sends the determination result to radio incoming information display apparatus attached to the carrying palette via radio communications apparatus,

wherein the radio incoming information display apparatus receives the determination result to cause the guidance lamp to blink,

wherein the worker puts away a delivery article in the carrying palette according to the sorting guidance via voice and the sorting guidance via a lamp.