IC tag administration device, robot including the IC tag administration device, and IC tag administration method

• US 20060049944A1
• Filed: 09/01/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Funada, Junichi, Ishiguro, Shin
• Granted Patent: US 7,298,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

An IC tag administration device includes an information reader which reads original information from an IC tag added to a product, a transformation unit which transforms the original information read by the information reader to information, to which a predetermined local rule is applied, under the local rule, and an information writing unit which rewrites the original information of the IC tag by using the local rule applied information.

Claims

1. An IC tag administration device comprising:

a reader which reads original information from an IC tag added to an object;

a transformation unit which transforms the original information read by said reader to local rule applied information based on a predetermined local rule; and

a writing unit which rewrites the original information of the IC tag by the local rule applied information.

2. An IC tag administration device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a corresponding information memory unit which stores identification information of the IC tag and information indicating the local rule which is applied to the IC tag with corresponding information therebetween.

3. An IC tag administration device according to claim 2, further comprising:

an additional-information obtaining unit which obtains additional information that is written to the IC tag,

wherein said transformation unit transforms the additional information obtained by said additional-information obtaining unit under the local rule applied to the IC tag by referring to said corresponding information memory unit, and said writing unit writes the additional information transformed by said transformation unit to the IC tag.

4. An IC tag administration device according to claim 3, wherein said writing unit writes, to the IC tag, the additional information transformed by said transformation unit together with information indicating the addition of the additional information.

5. An IC tag administration device according to claim 4, further comprising:

an identification unit which identifies a user; and

an initialization receiving unit which receives an initialization indication for initializing the IC tag to which the local rule is applied from the user who is identified by said identification unit,

wherein said initialization receiving unit receives the initialization indication and, then, said transformation unit re-transforms the information to which the local rule is applied to the original information by referring to said corresponding information memory unit, and

said writing unit rewrites the information of the IC tag, to which the local rule is applied, by the original information re-transformed by said transformation unit, and erases the additional information.

6. An IC tag administration device according to claim 2, further comprising:

an identification unit which identifies a user,

wherein said transformation unit re-transforms information stored in the IC tag, to which the local rule is applied, under the local rule applied to the IC tag by referring to said corresponding information memory unit based on a user indication identified by said identification unit.

7. An IC tag administration device according to claim 6, further comprising:

an output processing unit which outputs the information re-transformed by said transformation unit.

8. An IC tag administration device according to claim 6, wherein said writing unit rewrites the IC tag by the information re-transformed by said transformation unit.

9. An IC tag administration device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an object information memory unit which stores the identification information of the IC tag and a keyword of a product having the IC tag with corresponding information therebetween;

an identification unit which identifies the user;

a keyword obtaining unit which obtains the keyword of the product serving as a sensing target from the user identified by said identification unit; and

a sensing unit which senses the object as the sensing target by referring to said object information memory unit based on the keyword obtained by said keyword obtaining unit.

10. An IC tag administration device according to claim 9, wherein said object information memory unit stores positional information of the product with corresponding information between the positional information and the identification information of the IC tag, and said sensing unit which senses the product as the sensing target in consideration of the positional information of the product.

11. An IC tag administration device according to claim 5, further comprising:

an image capturing unit; and

a user information memory unit which stores user face image data,

wherein said identification unit identifies the user based on image data captured by said image capturing unit and face image data stored in said user information memory unit.

12. An IC tag administration device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a condition memory unit which stores a product condition for rewriting the original information to the information to which the local rule is applied,

wherein said transformation unit determines whether or not the original information should rewrite with the information to which the local rule is applied based on the original information read by said reading unit and, upon determining that the original information is rewritten, rewrites the original information to the information to which the local rule is applied.

13. An IC tag administration device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a speech recognition unit which identifies user voice and receives a user indication as voice; and

a voice output unit which outputs the voice.

14. A robot, comprising:

an IC tag administration device according to claim 1;

a moving unit which moves said IC tag administration device; and

an operation control unit which controls said moving unit characterized in that said robot moves autonomously.

15. A robot according to claim 14, further comprising:

a positional information obtaining unit which obtains a position thereof, and

wherein said operation control unit controls said moving unit based on the position of said positional information obtaining unit obtained thereby.

16. A robot comprising an IC tag administration device according to claim 1.

17. A robot according to claim 14, further comprising:

a voice identification unit which identifies user voice and receives a user indication as voice;

an operation determining unit which determines an operation corresponding to the user voice; and

a voice output unit which outputs the voice based on the determination of said operation determining unit.

21. An IC tag administration device according to claim 1, wherein the local rule used by said transformation unit comprises a rule which shifts code information included in the original information by several bits.

22. An IC tag administration device according to claim 1, wherein the local rule used by said transformation unit comprises a rule which encrypts code information included in the original information.

23. An IC tag administration device according to claim 1, wherein the local rule used by said transformation unit masks a specific part including any of a product genre of code information included in the original information or product code.

24. An IC tag administration device according to claim 1, wherein the local rule used by said transformation unit newly rewrites code information included in the original information.

18. An IC tag administration method, comprising:

reading original information from an IC tag added to an object;

transforming the original information read in said reading step of the original information to information, to which a predetermined local rule is applied, under the local rule; and

rewriting the original information of the IC tag by the information to which the local rule is applied.

19. A computer for storing an IC tag administration program of a computer, said computer comprising:

reading means which reads original information from an IC tag added to a product;

transforming means which transforms the original information read by said reading means to information, to which a predetermined local rule is applied, under the local rule; and

rewriting means for rewriting the original information of the IC tag by the information to which the local rule is applied.

20. A computer included in a robot comprising moving means and storing a robot control program, said computer comprising:

reading means which reads original information from an IC tag added to a product;

transforming means which transforms the original information read by said reading means to information, to which a predetermined local rule is applied, under the local rule;

rewriting means the original information of the IC tag by the information to which the local rule is applied; and

operation control means which controls said moving means,

wherein said robot is autonomously moved.

25. An IC tag administration device comprising:

a reader means for reading original information from an IC tag added to an object;

a transformation means for transforming the original information read by said reader to local rule applied information based on a predetermined local rule; and

a writing means for rewriting the original information of the IC tag by the local rule applied information.