RFID SYSTEM, RFID CABLE SYSTEM, AND RFID CABLE LAYING METHOD

• US 20070102505A1
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Araki, Kenji, Matsumoto, Noritaka, Takada, Masatoshi, Shigemi, Ryosuke, Utaka, Kenji, Yokota, Toshimi, Ota, Chikara
• Granted Patent: US 8,159,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 Manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/30 Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing

Abstract

When an RFID is attached to an object to assist testing operations, the following problems are encountered; (1) the RFID of write type tends to cause a failure and is troublesome due to the necessity of rewrite each time the situation is changed, (2) the incorporation of the reader function in a terminal block increases the cost, and (3) the known techniques are targeted for only the connecting operation and are not adapted for a sequence test that takes the most expense in time and effort. The operations are aided by using an RFID reader and a terminal having the function for accessing a database of circuit information, RFID information, and test procedure information.

Claims

1. An RFID system comprising:

a reader for reading an ID stored for identification in an RFID and outputting the read ID;

a data storage for storing RFID information indicating correspondence between said ID and an ID of an object to which is attached said RFID, and circuit information made correspondent to the object ID; and

a computer for searching for circuit information corresponding to said ID outputted from said reader from said data storage, and outputting the searched circuit information.

2. An RFID system comprising:

an object including an RFID;

a reader for reading an ID for identification of said RFID and outputting the read ID of said RFID to a computer;

a data storage for storing RFID information indicating correspondence between said ID and said RFID, and storing work procedure information; and

said computer for searching for procedure information corresponding to the inputted ID of said RFID from among data stored in said data storage, and indicating a work procedure for said object.

3. The RFID system according to claim 2, wherein in the case of said computer indicating the work procedure for said object and then searching for and indicating a second object from among the work procedure information stored in said data storage, said computer further comprises means for issuing an alarm when an ID for identification of a third object, which is read by said reader thereafter and outputted to said computer, differs from an ID for identification of said indicated second object.

4. An RFID cable system comprising:

a cable including an RFID;

a reader for reading an ID for identification of said RFID and outputting the read ID of said RFID tag to a computer;

a data storage for storing RFID information indicating correspondence between said ID and said RFID, and storing work procedure information; and

said computer for searching for procedure information corresponding to the inputted ID of said RFID from among data stored in said data storage, and indicating a work procedure for said cable.

5. The RFID cable system according to claim 4, wherein said data storage stores circuit information corresponding to said ID, and said system further comprises an LED controller and a control board provided with an LED for each terminal, and

wherein the work procedure for said cable is performed by searching for a terminal ID corresponding to said ID from among the circuit information, outputting the terminal ID to said LED controller, whereupon said LED controller illuminates the LED attached to the terminal of said control board, which corresponds to the inputted terminal ID.

6. The RFID cable system according to claim 4, wherein in the case of said computer indicating the work procedure for said cable and then searching for and indicating a second cable from among the work procedure information stored in said data storage, said computer further comprises means for issuing an alarm when an ID for identification of a third cable, which is read by said reader thereafter and outputted to said computer, differs from an ID for identification of said indicated second cable.

7. The RFID cable system according to claim 4, wherein said data storage includes circuit information corresponding to said ID,

said computer updates the circuit information each time one step of the work procedure is completed, and

said system further comprises a display for displaying the circuit information.

8. The RFID cable system according to claim 4, wherein said data storage includes circuit information corresponding to said ID,

said computer updates partial circuit information corresponding to a part of the circuit information each time one step of the work procedure is completed, and

said system further comprises a display for displaying the partial circuit information.

9. The RFID cable system according to claim 4, wherein when the RFID information is created, a user designates one of said ID and said RFID and inputs the other, and thereafter the user is prompted to repeat similar designating and inputting operation in reversed order.

10. The RFID cable system according to claim 4, wherein the time when said reader reads said RFID is recorded.

11. An RFID cable laying method comprising the steps of:

reading, by a reader, an ID for identification of an RFID tag attached to a cable;

outputting, by said reader, the read ID of said RFID to a computer; and

searching for, by said computer, procedure information corresponding to the inputted ID of said RFID from a data storage, which stores RFID information indicating correspondence between said ID and said RFID and stores work procedure information, and indicating a work procedure for said cable.