Tag information selecting method, electronic apparatus and computer-readable storage medium

• US 20080001714A1
• Filed: 06/01/2007
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu General Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation), Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu General Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation), Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Watanabe, Sumito, Nanjo, Aki, Kawamura, Yasuharu, Hisanabe, Yumi, Ito, Tetsuko, Ono, Shinichi
• Application Number:
  US11/806,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20080001714A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• 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 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 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0056 for use in interrogation, identification or read/write systems record carriers G06K7/00, G06K19/00; for railways B61L3/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0062 in RFID [Radio Frequency Identification] Systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/02 using transceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

A tag information selecting method variably sets a maximum distance for which a tag reader/writer is to make contactless communication with an electronic tag, and determines as a processing target each electronic tag that is separated by a distance shorter than or equal to the maximum distance from the tag reader/writer, of electronic tags located within a communicatable range of the tag reader/writer, and validates information read from and/or information to be written to each electronic tag that is determined as the processing target.

Claims

1. A tag information selecting method comprising:

a setting step variably setting a maximum distance for which a tag reader/writer is to make contactless communication with an electronic tag; and

a validating step determining as a processing target each electronic tag that is separated by a distance shorter than or equal to the maximum distance from the tag reader/writer, of electronic tags located within a communicatable range of the tag reader/writer, and validating information read from and/or information to be written to each electronic tag that is determined as the processing target.

2. The tag information selecting method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a measuring step measuring a distance from the tag reader/writer to each electronic tag within the communicatable range of the tag reader/writer.

3. The tag information selecting method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said validating step determines the electronic tag that is the processing target based on a comparison of information related to the electronic tag and/or information related to an external environment of the tag reader/writer and/or user information and corresponding limit values, in addition to the maximum distance.

4. The tag information selecting method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a step obtaining the information related to the electronic tag and/or the user information from information read from the electronic tag.

5. The tag information selecting method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a step obtaining the information related to the external environment of the tag reader/writer based on a sensor output.

6. The tag information selecting method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a step setting the limit values or limit ranges of the information related to the electronic tag and/or the information related to the external environment of the tag reader/writer and/or the user information.

7. The tag information selecting method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

an image pickup step picking up an image of a target object that is provided with the electronic tag; and

an output step outputting the image of the target object that is provided with the electronic tag that is the processing target, together with information read from said electronic tag that is the processing target, based on a measured result of the measuring step.

8. The tag information selecting method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said output step displays the image of the target object that is provided with the electronic tag that is the processing target, in correspondence with the information read from said electronic tag that is the processing target.

9. An electronic apparatus for reading information from and/or writing information to an electronic tag by a contactless communication, comprising:

a setting part configured to variably set a maximum distance for which a tag reader/writer is to make contactless communication with an electronic tag; and

a validating part configured to determine as a processing target each electronic tag that is separated by a distance shorter than or equal to the maximum distance from the tag reader/writer, of electronic tags located within a communicatable range of the tag reader/writer, and to validate information read from and/or information to be written to each electronic tag that is determined as the processing target.

10. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a measuring part configured to measure a distance from the tag reader/writer to each electronic tag within the communicatable range of the tag reader/writer.

11. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said validating part determines the electronic tag that is the processing target based on a comparison of information related to the electronic tag and/or information related to an external environment of the tag reader/writer and/or user information and corresponding limit values, in addition to the maximum distance.

12. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a part configured to obtain the information related to the electronic tag and/or the user information from information read from the electronic tag.

13. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a sensor part configured to detect the information related to the external environment of the tag reader/writer and to supply the information related to the external environment to the validating part.

14. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a part configured to set the limit values or limit ranges of the information related to the electronic tag and/or the information related to the external environment of the tag reader/writer and/or the user information.

15. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

an image pickup part configured to pick up an image of a target object that is provided with the electronic tag; and

an output part configured to output the image of the target object that is provided with the electronic tag that is the processing target, together with information read from said electronic tag that is the processing target, based on a measured result of the measuring part.

16. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said output part displays the image of the target object that is provided with the electronic tag that is the processing target, in correspondence with the information read from said electronic tag that is the processing target.

17. A computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for causing a computer to read information from and/or write information to an electronic tag by a contactless communication, said program comprising:

a setting procedure causing the computer to variably set a maximum distance for which a tag reader/writer is to make contactless communication with an electronic tag; and

a validating procedure causing the computer to determine as a processing target each electronic tag that is separated by a distance shorter than or equal to the maximum distance from the tag reader/writer, of electronic tags located within a communicatable range of the tag reader/writer, and to validate information read from and/or information to be written to each electronic tag that is determined as the processing target.

18. The computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 17, said program further comprising:

a measuring procedure causing the computer to measure a distance from the tag reader/writer to each electronic tag within the communicatable range of the tag reader/writer.

19. The computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 17, wherein said validating procedure causes the computer to determine the electronic tag that is the processing target based on a comparison of information related to the electronic tag and/or information related to an external environment of the tag reader/writer and/or user information and corresponding limit values, in addition to the maximum distance.

20. The computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 19, said program further comprising:

a procedure causing the computer to obtain the information related to the electronic tag and/or the user information from information read from the electronic tag.

21. The computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 19, said program further comprising:

a procedure causing the computer to obtain the information related to the external environment of the tag reader/writer based on a sensor output.

22. The computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 19, said program further comprising:

a procedure causing the computer to set the limit values or limit ranges of the information related to the electronic tag and/or the information related to the external environment of the tag reader/writer and/or the user information.

23. The computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 18, said program further comprising:

an image pickup procedure causing the computer to pick up an image of a target object that is provided with the electronic tag; and

an output procedure causing the computer to output the image of the target object that is provided with the electronic tag that is the processing target, together with information read from said electronic tag that is the processing target, based on a measured result of the measuring procedure.

24. The computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 23, wherein said output procedure causes the computer to display the image of the target object that is provided with the electronic tag that is the processing target, in correspondence with the information read from said electronic tag that is the processing target.