Tape cartridge

• US 20050133583A1
• Filed: 11/09/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tada, Nobuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,240,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/037 Single reels or spools

Abstract

Disclosed is a tape cartridge which contributes to shorten the time for sensing an RFID tag in the tape cartridge itself, and which makes it possible to sense the condition of the RFID tag. The tape cartridge includes a tape-shaped recording medium, an RFID tag for storing management information about the tape-shaped recording medium, a cartridge case containing the tape-shaped recording medium and the RFID tag, and an RFID tag sensing means making it possible to sense present of the RFID tag, the RFID tag sensing means being set in the cartridge case. In addition, the RFID tag sensing means includes two light-transmitting components for passing light therethrough, which are placed on a top surface of an upper half case of the cartridge case and on a bottom surface of a lower half case of the cartridge case, respectively, in alignment with the RFID tag.

Claims

1. A tape cartridge comprising:

a tape-shaped recording medium;

an RFID tag for storing management information about the tape-shaped recording medium;

a cartridge case including upper and lower half cases and containing the tape-shaped recording medium and the RFID tag; and

an RFID tag sensing means making it possible to sense present of the RFID tag, said RFID tag sensing means being placed in the cartridge case.

2. The tape cartridge according to claim 1,

wherein the RFID tag sensing means comprises two light-transmitting components for passing light therethrough, which are placed on a top surface of the upper half case and on a bottom surface of the lower half case, respectively, in alignment with the RFID tag.

3. The tape cartridge according to claim 1,

wherein the RFID tag sensing means comprises two light-transmitting components for passing light therethrough, which are placed on a top surface of the upper half case or on a bottom surface of the lower half case, and on a side of the cartridge case, respectively, in alignment with the RFID tag.

4. The tape cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the RFID tag is made of a base material with a reflectance ratio of at least 0.7.

5. The tape cartridge according to claim 3,

wherein the RFID tag is set in the cartridge case to reflect light incident from one of the light-transmitting components to the other.

6. The tape cartridge according to claim 4,

wherein the RFID tag is set in the cartridge case to reflect light incident from one of the light-transmitting components to the other.

7. The tape cartridge according to claim 1,

wherein the RFID tag sensing means comprises a light-transmitting component placed on a top, bottom or side surface of the cartridge case, and

wherein the RFID tag is set parallel to the light-transmitting component.

8. The tape cartridge according to claim 7,

wherein the RFID tag is made of a base material with a low reflectance ratio, and

wherein the cartridge case comprises a support portion within for supporting the RFID tag, and said support portion is made of a base material with a high reflectance ratio.

9. The tape cartridge according to claim 7,

wherein the RFID tag is made of a base material with a reflectance ratio of at most 0.3, and

wherein the cartridge case comprises a support portion within for supporting the RFID tag, and said support portion is made of a base material with a reflectance ratio of at least 0.7.

10. The tape cartridge according to claim 1,

wherein the RFID tag sensing means comprises an opening provided on a predetermined location of the cartridge case.

11. The tape cartridge according to claim 1,

wherein the RFID tag sensing means comprises a recess provided on a predetermined location of the cartridge case.

12. The tape cartridge according to claim 1,

wherein the RFID tag sensing means comprises a protrusion provided on a predetermined location of the cartridge case.

13. The tape cartridge according to claim 1,

wherein the RFID tag sensing means comprises a predetermined portion which is positioned on a back label or on a surface of the cartridge case and which is colored in black or in a specific color.

14. The tape cartridge according to claim 1,

wherein the RFID tag sensing means comprises a reflective material placed on a back label or on a surface of the cartridge case.

15. The tape cartridge according to claim 14,

wherein the reflective material comprises a reflective seal.

16. The tape cartridge according to claim 14,

wherein the reflective material comprises a reflective seat.

17. The tape cartridge according to claim 1,

wherein the RFID tag sensing means comprises a conductive material placed on a back label or on a surface of the cartridge case.

18. The tape cartridge according to claim 17,

wherein the conductive material comprises a conductive seal.

19. The tape cartridge according to claim 17,

wherein the conductive material comprises a conductive seat.

20. A tape cartridge including a tape-shaped recording medium, an RFID tag for storing management information about the tape-shaped recording medium, a cartridge case containing the tape-shaped recording medium and the RFID tag, and an RFID tag sensing means making it possible to sense present of the RFID tag, the RFID tag sensing means being set in the cartridge case, a method for confirming condition of the RFID tag in the tape cartridge, said method comprising:

a first step for confirming whether the RFID tag is present, with the RFID tag sensing means;

a second step for confirming whether the RFID tag is present, with an RFID reader/writer;

a third step for comparing results of the first and second steps; and

a fourth step for determining, based on a result of the third step, whether the RFID tag is present, and whether the RFID tag fails or whether the RFID tag has specifications different from those of the RFID reader/writer.

21. A tape cartridge including a tape-shaped recording medium, an RFID tag for storing management information about the tape-shaped recording medium, a cartridge case containing the tape-shaped recording medium and the RFID tag, and an RFID tag sensing means making it possible to sense present of the RFID tag, the RFID tag sensing means being set in the cartridge case, a method for confirming condition of the RFID tag in the tape cartridge, said method comprising:

a first step for confirming whether the RFID tag is present, with the RFID tag sensing means;

a second step for confirming whether the RFID tag is present, with an RFID reader/writer; and

a third step for comparing results of the first and second steps and, when the results are different from each other, for determining that the RFID tag fails or has specifications different from those of the RFID reader/writer.