TAG extracting device, TAG extracting method, and computer product

• US 20080030335A1
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Miki, Takeshi, Obana, Haruo, Ono, Ichirou, Nishida, Hirotake, Nakamura, Norihiro, Nakamura, Takao, Numata, Hideshi
• Application Number:
  US11/819,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20080030335A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0273 using multipath or indirect path propagation signals in position determination
• 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 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00

Abstract

A plurality of RFID tags that store therein position information and other information are arranged at different locations, and a tag extracting device extracts at least one RFID tag among the RFID tags. The tag extracting device includes a reading unit that reads position information from a plurality of information-read RFID tags from among the plurality of RFID tags; a determining unit that determines, based on read position information, an area where the information-read RFID tags are concentrated; and an extracting unit that extracts at least one RFID tag from among the information-read RFID tags as a target RFID tag whose the other information is to be used in subsequent processing.

Claims

1. A tag extracting device that extracts an RFID tag from among a plurality of RFID tags that store therein position information and other information, the tag extracting device comprising:

a reading unit that reads position information from a plurality of information-read RFID tags from among the plurality of RFID tags;

a determining unit that determines, based on read position information, a concentration area that is an area in which the information-read RFID tags are concentrated; and

an extracting unit that extracts at least one RFID tag from among the information-read RFID tags as a target RFID tag whose the other information is to be used in subsequent processing.

2. The tag extracting device according to claim 1, wherein the determining unit calculates a barycentric position from the position information read from the information-read RFID tags, and determines the concentration area based on the barycentric position.

3. The tag extracting device according to claim 2, wherein the determining unit calculates a weight value for each of the information-read RFID tags based on distances between other of the information-read RFID tags, and calculates the barycentric position based on the weight value and the position information of the information-read RFID tags.

4. The tag extracting device according to claim 3, wherein

the determining unit allocates a default weight value to a weight-value calculation target RFID tag from among the information-read RFID tags,

if n number of information-read RFID tags are adjacent to the weight-value calculation target RFID tag in a first direction, the determining unit calculates a first weight value by adding n-times a predetermined value to the default weight value,

if n number of information-read RFID tags are adjacent to the weight-value calculation target RFID tag in a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction, the determining unit calculates a second weight value by adding n-times the predetermined value to the default weight value,

if n number of information-read RFID tags are adjacent to the weight-value calculation target RFID tag in a third direction, which is opposite of the first direction and perpendicular to the second direction, the determining unit calculates a third weight value by adding n-times the predetermined value to the default weight value,

if n number of information-read RFID tags are adjacent to the weight-value calculation target RFID tag in a fourth direction, which is opposite of the second direction and perpendicular to the first direction, the determining unit calculates a fourth weight value by adding n-times the predetermined value to the default weight value, and

the determining unit calculates a weight value of the weight-value calculation target RFID tag as the minimum of the first to fourth weight values.

5. The tag extracting device according to claim 3, wherein the determining unit determines a weight value of a weight-value calculation target RFID tag from among the information-read RFID tags based on number of the information-read RFID tags adjacent to the weight-value calculation target RFID tag.

6. A tag extracting device that extracts an RFID tag from among a plurality of RFID tags that store therein position information and other information, the tag extracting device comprising:

a storing unit that stores therein default position information of each of the RFID tags;

a reading unit that reads position information from a plurality of information-read RFID tags from among the plurality of RFID tags; and

an extracting unit that extracts an RFID tag from among the RFID tags other than the information-read RFID tags as a defective RFID tag based on the default position information in the storing unit and the position information read from the information-read RFID tags.

7. A tag extracting device that extracts an RFID tag from among a plurality of RFID tags that store therein position information and other information, the tag extracting device comprising:

a plurality of antennas arranged at different positions and communicable with the RFID tags;

a reading unit configured to read position information from the plurality of RFID tags via the antennas;

a storing unit that stores therein information on each RFID tag about whether the reading unit has successfully read by position information from that RFID tag; and

an extracting unit that extracts at least one RFID tag from among the RFID tags as a target RFID tag whose the other information is to be used in subsequent processing based on the information in the storing unit.

8. The tag extracting device according to claim 7, further comprising a calculating unit that calculates a success rate of reading success of the reading unit, wherein

the extracting unit extracts the target RFID tag based on the success rate.

9. A method of extracting an RFID tag from among a plurality of RFID tags that store therein position information and other information, the method comprising:

reading position information from a plurality of information-read RFID tags from among the plurality of RFID tags;

determining, based on read position information, a concentration area that is an area in which the information-read RFID tags are concentrated; and

extracting at least one RFID tag from among the information-read RFID tags as a target RFID tag whose the other information is to be used in subsequent processing.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the determining includes calculating a barycentric position from the position information read from the information-read RFID tags, and determining the concentration area based on the barycentric position.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the determining includes calculating a weight value for each of the information-read RFID tags based on distances between other of the information-read RFID tags, and calculating the barycentric position based on the weight value and the position information of the information-read RFID tags.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the determining includes

allocating a default weight value to a weight-value calculation target RFID tag from among the information-read RFID tags,

if n number of information-read RFID tags are adjacent to the weight-value calculation target RFID tag in a first direction, calculating a first weight value by adding n-times a predetermined value to the default weight value,

if n number of information-read RFID tags are adjacent to the weight-value calculation target RFID tag in a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction, calculating a second weight value by adding n-times the predetermined value to the default weight value,

if n number of information-read RFID tags are adjacent to the weight-value calculation target RFID tag in a third direction, which is opposite of the first direction and perpendicular to the second direction, calculating a third weight value by adding n-times the predetermined value to the default weight value,

if n number of information-read RFID tags are adjacent to the weight-value calculation target RFID tag in a fourth direction, which is opposite of the second direction and perpendicular to the first direction, calculating a fourth weight value by adding n-times the predetermined value to the default weight value, and

calculating a weight value of the weight-value calculation target RFID tag as the minimum of the first to fourth weight values.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the determining includes determining a weight value of a weight-value calculation target RFID tag from among the information-read RFID tags based on number of the information-read RFID tags adjacent to the weight-value calculation target RFID tag.

14. A computer-readable recording medium that stores therein a computer program that causes a computer to implement a method of extracting an RFID tag from among a plurality of RFID tags that store therein position information and other information, the computer program causing the computer to execute:

reading position information from a plurality of information-read RFID tags from among the plurality of RFID tags;

determining, based on read position information, a concentration area that is an area in which the information-read RFID tags are concentrated; and

extracting at least one RFID tag from among the information-read RFID tags as a target RFID tag whose the other information is to be used in subsequent processing.

15. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 14, wherein the determining includes calculating a barycentric position from the position information read from the information-read RFID tags, and determining the concentration area based on the barycentric position.

16. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 15, wherein the determining includes calculating a weight value for each of the information-read RFID tags based on distances between other of the information-read RFID tags, and calculating the barycentric position based on the weight value and the position information of the information-read RFID tags.

17. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 16, wherein the determining includes

allocating a default weight value to a weight-value calculation target RFID tag from among the information-read RFID tags,

if n number of information-read RFID tags are adjacent to the weight-value calculation target RFID tag in a first direction, calculating a first weight value by adding n-times a predetermined value to the default weight value,

if n number of information-read RFID tags are adjacent to the weight-value calculation target RFID tag in a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction, calculating a second weight value by adding n-times the predetermined value to the default weight value,

if n number of information-read RFID tags are adjacent to the weight-value calculation target RFID tag in a third direction, which is opposite of the first direction and perpendicular to the second direction, calculating a third weight value by adding n-times the predetermined value to the default weight value,

if n number of information-read RFID tags are adjacent to the weight-value calculation target RFID tag in a fourth direction, which is opposite of the second direction and perpendicular to the first direction, calculating a fourth weight value by adding n-times the predetermined value to the default weight value, and

calculating a weight value of the weight-value calculation target RFID tag as the minimum of the first to fourth weight values.

18. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 16, wherein the determining includes determining a weight value of a weight-value calculation target RFID tag from among the information-read RFID tags based on number of the information-read RFID tags adjacent to the weight-value calculation target RFID tag.