Reader/writer and RFID system

• US 20060038659A1
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Yoshinori, Aoki, Nobuhisa, Nakanishi, Yuichi, Taniguchi, Tomohiko, Takano, Takeshi, Oishi, Yasuyuki, Ninomiya, Teruhisa
• Application Number:
  US11/130,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20060038659A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.510
• 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 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas

Abstract

A system establishes synchronicity of transmission and receiving for each reader/writer of an RF tag independently without obtaining synchronization of the reader/writers by means of an unspecified number of control terminals is desired as a reader/writer system. A reader/writer comprises a transmitter operable to transmit an interrogation signal to an RF tag, and a receiver operable to receive a response signal from an RF tag, wherein the transmitter is operable to transmit an interrogation signal based on a synchronization signal received from another reader/writer.

Claims

1. A reader/writer comprising:

a transmitter operable to transmit an interrogation signal to an RF tag; and

a receiver operable to receive a response signal from an RF tag;

wherein the transmitter is operable to transmit an interrogation signal based on a synchronization signal received from another reader/writer.

2. The reader/writer according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is further operable to open an interval to allow transmission of the synchronization signal.

3. The reader/writer according to claim 2, wherein the synchronization signal is divided into a plurality of transmissions and receptions.

4. The reader/writer according to claim 2, wherein the receiver is further operable to perform synchronization based on the a global synchronization signal or standard signal from a GPS, if the global synchronization signal or the standard signal from a GPS is received outside of the interval during which the synchronization signal can be transmitted.

5. The reader/writer according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is further operable to issue a synchronization signal in a timing delayed from the timing of the synchronization signal issued by another reader/writer during the interval in which a synchronization signal can be transmitted.

6. The reader/writer according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization signal is synchronized based on a global synchronization signal or a standard signal from a GPS.

7. The reader/writer according to claim 2, wherein a maximum number of synchronization signals that can be transmitted during the interval in which the synchronization signal can be transmitted is indicated in the synchronization signal.

8. The reader/writer according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization signal is includes a region which indicates a priority sequence.

9. The reader/writer according to claim 8, wherein a timing of transmission is synchronized based on a timing of a synchronization signal having a higher priority level among the synchronization signals.

10. A reader/writer for performing wireless communication with an RF tag, comprising:

a receiver operable to receive wireless signals;

a device operable to halt transmission of wireless signals and to confirm whether there is a synchronization signal from an other reader/writer; and

a transmitter operable to transmit a wireless signal synchronized to timing of the other reader/writer obtained based on the synchronization signal when the transmission of the synchronization signal is confirmed, and to transmit a wireless signal by its own timing when it is confirmed that the synchronization signal has not been transmitted.

11. The reader/writer of claim 10, wherein the synchronization signal is made a same signal intensity as the synchronization signal having the weakest signal intensity.

12. The reader/writer of claim 10, wherein a new synchronization signal is transmitted in the timing interval of the synchronization signal where the signal intensity is at or below a threshold value.

13. The reader/writer of claim 10, wherein a region is provided wherein a flag is set up indicating continuous data in a transmission data of the wireless signal.

14. The reader/writer of claim 13, wherein completion of continuous data is detected by receiving no signal.

15. The reader/writer of claim 10, wherein the synchronization signal is provided with a permissible amplitude level in the system in the received of signals below that amplitude level is restricted.

16. The reader/writer of claim 10, wherein transmission of the synchronization signal is temporarily halted, and the synchronization signal is transmitted after confirming that a synchronization signal from another reader/writer in the timing interval of the synchronization signal exists, and the signal intensity of that synchronization signal is smaller than a threshold value.

17. An RFID system having a plurality of reader/writers, the RFID system comprising:

a first reader/writer operable to broadcast a synchronization signal on a frequency other than a frequency for transmitting and receiving wireless signals; and

a second reader/writer operable to receive the synchronization signal and to transmit wireless signals in a transmission timing based on the synchronization signal.

18. A reader/writer for exchanging wireless signals with an RF tag, the reader/writer comprising:

a device operable to perform receiving and transmission of wireless signals by opening an interval in which a synchronization signal can be transmitted; and

a measuring device operable to measure signal intensity of the synchronization signals received by the device, and, if the synchronization signals that can be transmitted during the interval are full, to transmit synchronization signals in timing of a synchronization signal having a weakest signal intensity among those measured by the measuring device.

19. The reader/writer of claim 18, wherein the synchronization signal is made a same signal intensity as the synchronization signal having the weakest signal intensity.

20. The reader/writer of claim 18, wherein a new synchronization signal is transmitted in the timing interval of the synchronization signal where the signal intensity is at or below a threshold value.

21. The reader/writer of claim 18, wherein a region is provided wherein a flag is set up indicating continuous data in a transmission data of the wireless signal.

22. The reader/writer of claim 21, wherein completion of continuous data is detected by receiving no signal.

23. The reader/writer of claim 18, wherein the synchronization signal is provided with a permissible amplitude level in the system in the received of signals below that amplitude level is restricted.

24. The reader/writer of claim 18, wherein transmission of the synchronization signal is temporarily halted, and the synchronization signal is transmitted after confirming that a synchronization signal from another reader/writer in the timing interval of the synchronization signal exists, and the signal intensity of that synchronization signal is smaller than a threshold value.

25. A reader/writer for performing wireless communication with an RF tag, the reader/writer comprising:

a receiver operable to receive wireless signals;

a device operable to confirm whether a synchronization signal from another reader/writer exists while transmitting an unmodulated wave; and

a transmitter operable to transmit a wireless signal synchronized with transmission timing of another reader/writer obtained based on the synchronization signal when the synchronization signal is confirmed, and to transmit a wireless signal in its own transmission timing when absence of such synchronization signal is confirmed.

26. A reader/writer for performing wireless communication with an RF tag, the reader/writer comprising:

a measuring device operable to measure a reception level of synchronization signals received; and

a detecting device operable to detects synchronization signals in which the measured reception level is at or above a threshold value, to calculate an average transmission timing of that synchronization signal, and to correct the transmission timing of synchronization signals based on the average of the transmission timings obtained by the calculation.