Radio IC tag reader writer, radio IC tag system, and radio IC tag data writing method

• US 20060006987A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Frontech Limited (Fujitsu Limited), Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Frontech Limited (Fujitsu Limited), Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Shigeru, Ibi, Toshiaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,301,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.510
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• 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 7/10019 resolving collision on the communication channels between simultaneously or concurrently interrogated record carriers. collision between the communication channels used by wireless communication devices, where the solution is not particularly adapted for RFIDs or the like, H04W74/08

Abstract

An RFID tag reader writer receives temperature data from a temperature sensor and writes the temperature data in a RFID tag. The temperature sensor may be attached to a commodity or arranged near the commodity.

Claims

1. A radio IC tag reader writer that reads out data from a radio IC tag and writes data in the radio IC tag using radio, comprising:

a receiving unit that receives from a sensor a value of a parameter measured by the sensor; and

a writing unit that writes the value in the radio IC tag.

2. The radio IC tag reader writer according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is incorporated in the radio IC tag reader writer.

3. The radio IC tag reader writer according to claim 1, wherein

the receiving unit receives the value for a plurality of times at a predetermined first time interval, and

the writing unit writes the value in the radio IC tag for a plurality of times at a predetermined second time interval.

4. The radio IC tag reader writer according to claim 1, wherein

the receiving unit receives time of measurement of the parameter is measured by the sensor, and

the writing unit writes the time and the value in the radio IC tag in a corresponding manner.

5. The radio IC tag reader writer according to claim 1, further comprising a judging unit that judges whether the value received by the receiving unit exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein

the writing unit writes the value in the radio IC tag if the judging unit judges that the value exceeds the predetermined threshold.

6. The radio IC tag reader writer according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined threshold is stored in the radio IC tag and the judging unit reads the predetermined threshold from the radio IC tag.

7. The radio IC tag reader writer according to claim 6, wherein a threshold check condition is stored in the radio IC tag and the judging unit reads the threshold check condition and based on the threshold check condition judges whether the value exceeds the predetermined threshold.

8. The radio IC tag reader writer according to claim 7, wherein the threshold check condition relates to time.

9. The radio IC tag reader writer according to claim 1, further comprising a transmitting unit that transmits the value received by the receiving unit to a computer, wherein

the writing unit writes the value in the radio IC tag based on an instruction from the computer.

10. The radio IC tag reader writer according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.

11. The radio IC tag reader writer according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a GPS sensor and a vibration sensor.

12. A radio IC tag system constituted by connecting at least one first radio IC tag reader writer with a plurality of second radio IC tag reader writers via a network, each of the first radio IC tag reader writer and the second radio IC tag reader writers having a corresponding radio IC tag, wherein

the first radio IC tag reader writer includes

a receiving unit that receives from a sensor a value of a parameter measured by a sensor;

a first writing unit that writes the value in the corresponding radio IC tag; and

a transmitting unit that transmits the value received by the receiving unit to the second radio IC tag reader writers via the network; and

each of the second radio IC tag reader writers includes

a receiving unit that receives the value transmitted by the transmitting unit; and

a second writing unit that writes the value received by the receiving unit in the corresponding radio IC tag.

13. The radio IC tag system according to claim 12, wherein

the transmitting unit transmits the value received by the receiving unit to a computer connected to the network, and

the receiving unit receives the value from the computer.

14. A radio IC tag system constituted by connecting at least one first radio IC tag reader writer with a plurality of second radio IC tag reader writers via a network, each of the first radio IC tag reader writer and the second radio IC tag reader writers having a corresponding radio IC tag, wherein each of the first radio IC tag reader writer and the second radio IC tag reader writers includes

a receiving unit that receives from a corresponding sensor a value of a parameter measured by the corresponding sensor;

and

a writing unit that writes the value in the corresponding radio IC tag, wherein

the sensor corresponding to the first radio IC tag reader writer has relatively higher sensitivity than the sensors corresponding to the second radio IC tag reader writers,

the first radio IC tag reader writer transmits the value to the second radio IC tag reader writers, and

the second radio IC tag reader writers calibrate the value they posses based on the value received from the first radio IC tag reader writer, and write the value after calibration in the corresponding radio IC tag.

15. A radio IC system that includes a plurality of radio IC tag reader writers connected to a computer via a network, each of the radio IC tag reader writers having a corresponding radio IC tag, wherein each of the radio IC tag reader writers includes a receiving unit that receives from a sensor a value of a parameter measured by the sensor;

a transmitting unit that transmits the value received to the computer via the network;

a receiving unit that receives from the computer an average of values received by the computer from other radio IC tag reader writers; and

a writing unit that writes the average in the corresponding radio IC tag.

16. The radio IC tag system according to claim 15, further comprising a correcting unit that corrects the value received by the receiving unit using the average received by the receiving unit, wherein

the writing unit writes in the corresponding radio IC tag the value corrected by the correcting unit.

17. A method of writing data in a radio IC tag, comprising:

receiving a value of a parameter measured by a sensor; and

writing the value in the radio IC tag.

18. A temperature monitoring system that monitors temperature of a commodity, comprising:

a radio IC tag reader writer, a radio IC tag attached to the commodity, and a temperature sensor that measures a temperature of the commodity or around the commodity, wherein the radio IC tag reader writer includes

a receiving unit that receives from the temperature sensor a value that represents the temperature of the commodity; and

a writing unit that writes the value in the radio IC tag.

19. A vibration monitoring system that monitors vibrations of a commodity while the commodity is being transported, comprising:

a radio IC tag reader writer, a radio IC tag attached to the commodity, and a vibration sensor that measures vibrations of the commodity or around the commodity, wherein the radio IC tag reader writer includes

a receiving unit that receives from the vibration sensor a value that represents vibrations measured by the vibration sensor;

a judging unit that judges whether the value received by the receiving unit exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

a writing unit that writes the value in the radio IC tag if the judging unit judges that the value exceeds the predetermined threshold.