Article identifying system

• US 20020017992A1
• Filed: 06/04/2001
• Published: 02/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyuhoku Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kyuhoku Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Masao, Hidaka, Hitoshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,879,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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

Abstract

An article identifying system for allowing a user, especially a visually handicapped person to identify an article correctly. An article identifying system 1 comprises a communication tag 100, each of which is attached to an article, and an information output device 200. Each of the communication tags 100 comprises: a memory 140 for storing an identifier assigned to the article with each of the communication tags 100; and an antenna 110 and a transceiver 120 for transmitting the stored identifier wirelessly. The information output device 200 comprises: a memory 230 for storing the information data which is related to the article so that the information data is associated with the identifier assigned to that article; an antenna plate 210 and a transceiver 220 for receiving the identifier from the communication tag 100 when the article with the communication tag is placed in a communication area; an information data reading function 271 for reading out the information data from the memory 230; and an information output function 272 and a speaker 260 for outputting the read information data.

Claims

1. An article identifying system comprising:

communication tags, each of which is attached to an article; and

an information output device,

wherein each of the communication tags comprises;

first storage means for storing an identifier which is assigned to an article with to the communication tag; and

first transmission means for wirelessly transmitting the identifier stored in the first storage means, and

wherein the information output device comprises;

second storage means for storing information data which is related to the article so that the information data is associated with the identifier assigned to the article;

first receive means for receiving the identifier from the communication tags when the article with the communication tag is placed in its communication area;

information reading means for reading the information data associated with the identifier received by the first receive means from the second storage means; and

information output means for outputting the information data read out by the information reading means.

2. An article identifying system according to claim 1, wherein the information data are voice data for specifying the corresponded article.

3. An article identifying system according to claim 2, wherein the information output device further comprises:

voice record means for recording the voice data for specifying the corresponded article;

first write means for writing the voice data recorded by the voice recording means in the second storage means so that the identifier is associated with the article specified by said voice data; and

second transmission means for transmitting the identifier wirelessly, and

wherein each of the communication tags further comprises;

second receive means for receiving the identifier from the information output device; and

second write means for writing the identifier received by said second receive means in said first storage means.

4. An article identifying system according to claim 3, wherein the information output device further comprises a counter, which value is used as the identifier.

5. An article identifying system according to claim 1, wherein the information data are graphic data, which are associated with the article.

6. An article identifying system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a plurality of information output terminals connected in an information transmittable manner with the information output device through a network,

wherein said information output terminals further comprise at least the first receive means and the information output means of said information output device.

7. An article identifying system comprising:

communication tags, each of which is attached to an article; and

an information output device,

wherein each of the communication tags comprises;

first storage means for storing an identifier which is assigned to an article attached to the communication tag; and

first transmission means for wirelessly transmitting the identifier stored in the first storage means, and

wherein the information output device comprises;

second storage means for storing information data which is related to the article so that the information data is associated with the identifier assigned to the article;

first receive means for receiving one or more identifiers from each of the communication tags for a predetermined period when one or more articles with the communication tags are placed in its communication area;

third storage means for storing one or more identifier received by the first receive means;

difference detecting means for detecting a difference between the one or more identifiers and one or more identifiers stored in the third storage means and received just before;

information reading means for reading the information data associated with the identifier of the difference detected by the difference detecting means from the second storage means; and

information output means for outputting the information data read out by the information reading means.

8. An article identifying system according to claim 7,

wherein the information data are voice data for specifying the corresponded article.

9. An article identifying system according to claim 8,

wherein the information output device further comprises:

voice record means for recording the voice data for specifying the corresponded article;

first write means for writing the voice data recorded by the voice recording means in said second storage means so that the said identifier is associated with the article specified by said voice data; and

second transmission means for transmitting said identifier wirelessly, and

wherein each of the communication tags further comprises;

second receive means for receiving the identifier from the information output device; and

second write means for writing the identifier received by said second receive means in said first storage means.

10. An article identifying system according to claim 9,

wherein the information output device further comprises a counter, which value is used as said identifier.

11. An article identifying system according to claim 7,

wherein the information data are graphic data, which are associated with the article.

12. An article identifying system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a plurality of information output terminals connected in an information transmittable manner with the information output device through a network,

wherein the information output terminals further comprise at least the first receive means and the information output means of said information output device.

13. A method for identifying an article, comprising:

the step of preparing communication tags, each of which is attached to an article, at which each of the communication tags is stored with an identifier assigned to the article with the communication tag;

the step of preparing an information output device having a predetermined communication area with the communication tags, at which the information output device stores the information data which is related to the article so that the information data is associated with the identifier assigned to the article, and comprises information output means for outputting the information data;

the step of receiving the identifier from the communication tag attached to the article, when the article with the communication tag is placed in the communication area of the information output device;

the step of reading the information data associated with the received identifier; and

the step of outputting the read information data.

14. A method for identifying an article, comprising:

the step of preparing communication tags, each of which is attached to the article, at which each of the communication tag is stored with an identifier assigned to the article with the communication tag;

the step of preparing an information output device having a predetermined communication area with the communication tags, at which the information output device stores the information data which is related to the article so that the information data is associated with the identifier assigned to said article, and comprises information output means for outputting said information data;

the step of receiving one or more identifiers for a predetermined period from each of the communication tags, when one or more articles with the communication tags are placed in the communication area of the information output device;

the step of storing the one or more received identifiers;

the step of detecting the difference between the one or more identifiers and one or more identifiers stored and received just before;

the step of reading the information data associated with the identifiers of the detected difference; and

the step of outputting the read information data.