RFID reading system, RFID reading method, RFID reader, RFID read controlling apparatus, RFID reader control program, computer-readable information recording medium having recorded the same, control program for RFID read control apparatus, and computer-readable information recording medium having recorded the same

• US 20060158313A1
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Satou, Tadashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,839,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.200
• 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

An RFID reading system includes at least two readers and at least one RF tag. Each reader includes a transmitter, a receiver, and a CPU section to control transmission of the transmitter and reception of the receiver. Both readers receive a reply signal sent from an RF tag in response to a query wave sent from either one of the readers to the RF tag. The readers obtain tag information from the RF tag based on the received signals. To prevent interference therebetween, when one of the readers sends a query wave, transmission of a query wave from the other one thereof is stopped for a predetermined period of time. The information can be read without causing interference between the readers. There are obtained an RFID reading system, an RFID reading method, and RFID reader and a control program thereof, an RFID read control device and a control program thereof, and a computer-readable information recording medium storing the control programs.

Claims

1-53. -53. (canceled)

54. An RFID reading method, comprising the steps of:

emitting from a first RFID reader to an RFID tag a query wave signal for requesting transmission of information in the RFID tag; and

receiving by a second RFID reader a reply wave signal including the information stored in the RFID tag in response to the query wave signal.

61. An RFID reading method for use an RFID reading system comprising one or more RFID readers and an RFID reading control module where the RFID readers comprise an emitting section for emitting a query wave signal for requesting information in an RFID tag and a receiving section for receiving a reply wave signal including the information emitted from the RFID tag, and the RFID reading control module establishes communication with the RFID readers via a network and controls the RFID readers, wherein

an RFID reader request the RFID reading control module to transmit query wave signal emitting timing information indicating timing at which the emitting section emits the query wave signal,

the RFID reading control module generates, in response to the request from the RFID reader, the query wave signal emitting timing information based on past requests and transmits the timing information to the RFID reader, and

the RFID reader emits a query wave signal at the timing based on the timing information obtained from the RFID reading control module.

62. A computer program product embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising code that, when executed, causes a computer controlling an RFID reader to transmit a query wave signal to a RFID tag to request information in the RFID tag.

63. A computer program product embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising code that, when executed, causes a computer controlling a first RFID reader to receive a reply wave signal including information stored in an RFID tag from the RFID tag in response to a query wave signal emitted from a second RFID reader.

64. The computer program product as claimed in claim 63, further causing the computer to emit a query wave signal to an RFID tag to request information stored in the RFID tag.

65. The computer program product as claimed in claim 64, further causing the computer to receive the query wave signal emitted from the second RFID reader and when the query wave signal was received, to cease emitting the query wave signal for a predetermined period of time.

66. The computer program product as claimed in claim 63, further causing the computer to receive the query wave signal emitted from the second RFID reader and when the query wave signal was received, to shift to a standby state to wait for reception of a reply wave.

67. The computer program product as claimed in claim 64, further causing the computer to receive the query wave signal emitted from the second RFID reader and when the query wave signal was received, to emit the query wave signal after a predetermined time passed.

68. The computer program product as claimed in claim 64, wherein the second RFID reader stores identifiers uniquely defined between RFID tags and RFID readers, and

the computer program product further causing the computer to cease emitting the query wave signal for a predetermined period of time when a reply wave signal including an identifier from the second RFID reader.

69. A computer program product embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising code that, when executed, causes a computer, which controls an RFID reader comprising an emitting section for emitting a query wave signal to an RFID tag to request information stored in the RFID tag and a receiving section for receiving a reply wave signal including the information stored in the RFID tag in response to the query wave signal, to execute the following:

requesting query wave signal emitting timing information, which indicates the timing to emit the query wave signal, from an RFID reading control module to which the first RFID reader provides the timing information; and

emitting a query wave signal to an RFID tag at the timing indicated in the timing information to request information stored in the RFID tag.

70. A RFID reader comprising a receiving section for receiving a reply wave signal including information stored in an RFID tag in response to a query wave signal emitted from another RFID reader.

71. The RFID reader as claimed in claim 70, further comprising:

an emitting section for emitting the query wave signal; and

a section for receiving the query wave signal emitted from another RFID reader, wherein

when the query wave signal was received from another RFID reader, the emitting section is ceased for a predetermined period of time.

72. The RFID reader as claimed in claim 70, further comprising a section for receiving the query wave signal from another RFID reader, wherein when the query wave signal was received from another RFID reader, a section for shifting to a standby state to wait for reception of the reply wave is activated.

73. The RFID reader as claimed in claim 70, further comprising:

a section for emitting the query wave signal; and

a section for receiving the query wave signal emitted from another RFID reader,

wherein when the query wave signal was received from another RFID reader, the query wave signal is emitted after a predetermined period of time passed.

74. The RFID reader as claimed in claim 70, further comprising:

a section for emitting the query wave signal;

a section for receiving the query wave signal emitted from another RFID reader;

a section for storing identifiers uniquely defined between RFID tags and RFID readers; and

a section for emitting a reply wave signal including identifiers in response to the query wave signal when the query wave signal from another RFID reader was received,

wherein when the reply wave signal includes the identifier of another RFID reader, the query wave signal is ceased for a predetermined period of time.

75. An RFID reading control device communicating via a network with an RFID reader comprising a section for emitting a query wave signal to an RFID tag to request information in the RFID tag, a section for receiving a reply wave signal including the information in response to the query wave signal, and a section for receiving the query wave signal emitted from another RFID reader, the device comprising

a section for storing timing information, which indicates the timing to emit the query wave signal,

wherein the RFID reading control device generates the timing information in response to a request from the RFID reader and emits the timing information to the RFID reader.

76. An RFID reading system comprising

one or more first RFID readers comprising a section for emitting a query wave signal to an RFID tag to request information stored in the RFID tag, and

one or more second RFID readers comprising a section for receiving a reply wave signal including the information from the RFID tag.

77. The RFID reading system as claimed in claim 76, wherein the first RFID readers receive the reply wave signal.

78. The RFID reading system as claimed in claim 76, wherein the second RFID readers comprises a section for emitting the query wave signal to the RFID tag.

79. The RFID reading system as claimed in claim 78, wherein the first and second readers comprises a section for receiving the query wave signal emitted from another RFID reader, and when the query wave signal from another RFID reader is received, emitting of the query wave signal is ceased for a predetermined period of time.

80. The RFID reading system as claimed in claim 76, wherein an RFID reader further comprise a section for receiving the query wave signal emitted from another RFID reader and when the query wave signal was received, the RFID reader shifts to a standby state to wait for reception of the reply wave signal.

81. The RFID reading system as claimed in claim 78, wherein an RFID reader further comprises a section for receiving the query wave signal emitted from another RFID reader and a section for emitting the query wave signal when a predetermined period of time passed after the query wave signal was received.

82. The RFID reading system as claimed in claim 78, wherein an RFID reader stores identifiers uniquely defined between RFID tags and RFID readers, and ceases emitting of the query wave signal for a predetermined period of time when the reply wave signal including an identifier from one of the RFID readers.

83. An RFID reading system comprising RFID readers and an RFID reading control device, which communicates with the RFID readers via a network and controls the RFID readers, wherein

the RFID reading control device comprises a storage section for storing timing information that indicates the timing for emitting a query wave signal, generates the timing information in response to a request from an RFID reader and emits the timing information to the RFID reader,

the RFID reader emits a query wave signal based on the timing information.