Wireless tag position estimation device, wireless tag communication device, wireless tag position estimation system, wireless tag position estimation method, and wireless tag position estimation program

• US 20080211631A1
• Filed: 11/15/2007
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Masashi
• Application Number:
  US11/984,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20080211631A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/751 wherein the responder or reflector radiates a coded signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras

Abstract

There is provided a wireless tag position estimation system which includes a wireless tag communication device and a wireless tag position estimation device and estimates a position of an article on which a wireless tag is fitted regardless of an arrangement, an appearance, and a package of the article. The wireless tag communication device includes a unit which irradiates a radiowave from a predetermined position and direction to the wireless tag, and a unit which receives a response signal from the wireless tag with respect to radiowave irradiation. The wireless tag position estimation device includes a unit which estimates information about a specific position and direction which irradiates a radiowave when a response from the wireless tag can be received on the basis of the information received by the wireless tag communication device, and a unit which estimates the position of the wireless tag on the basis of estimated information.

Claims

1. A wireless tag communication device which transmits and receives information to/from a wireless tag with wireless communication and which provides information related to the wireless tag to a wireless tag position estimation device which estimates a position of the wireless tag, comprising:

radiowave irradiation means which irradiates a radiowave to transmit information to the wireless tag;

radiowave receiving means which receives a response radiowave from the wireless tag in response to radiowave irradiation by the radiowave irradiation means; and

wireless tag response information transmission means which transmits information related to a communication direction obtained by transmission/reception with the wireless tag to the wireless tag position estimation device, wherein

at least one of that the radiowave irradiation means irradiates a radiowave having a directivity in a predetermined direction at a predetermined position and that the radiowave receiving means receives only a response radiowave transmitted from the predetermined direction at the predetermined position is applied.

2. The wireless tag communication device according to claim 1, wherein the radiowave irradiation means changes a direction of directivity of radiowave irradiation.

3. The wireless tag communication device according to claim 1, wherein the radiowave irradiation means irradiates radiowaves each having a directivity from a plurality of positions to the wireless tag.

4. The wireless tag communication device according to claim 1, wherein the radiowave irradiation means irradiates a radiowave having a directivity on the position of the wireless tag estimated by the wireless tag position estimation device to transmit information when the radiowave irradiation means communicates with the wireless tag.

5. The wireless tag communication device according to claim 1, wherein the radiowave receiving means changes a direction of directivity in which a response radiowave can be received.

6. The wireless tag communication device according to claim 1, wherein the radiowave receiving means receives the response radiowave from the wireless tag at a plurality of positions at which a direction of directivity in which a response radiowave can be received is set.

7. The wireless tag communication device according to claim 1, wherein the radiowave receiving means controls a directivity such that a receiver sensitivity to a radiowave in a direction of the position of the wireless tag estimated by the wireless tag position estimation device is preferable when the radiowave receiving means communicates with the wireless tag.

11. The wireless tag position estimation system, comprising

the wireless tag communication device according to claim 1 and a wireless tag position estimation device which estimates a position of a wireless tag on the basis of information from a wireless tag communication device which transmits and receives information to/from the wireless tag, comprising:

wireless tag response direction estimation means which estimates information about a specific position at which a response radiowave from the wireless tag can be received in communication and a specific direction in which the response radiowave can be received in communication on the basis of the information from the wireless tag communication device; and

wireless tag position estimation means which estimates the position of the wireless tag on the basis of information of a plurality of response directions estimated by the wireless tag response direction estimation means.

8. A wireless tag position estimation device which estimates a position of a wireless tag on the basis of information from a wireless tag communication device which transmits and receives information to/from the wireless tag, comprising:

wireless tag response direction estimation means which estimates information about a specific position at which a response radiowave from the wireless tag can be received in communication and a specific direction in which the response radiowave can be received in communication on the basis of the information from the wireless tag communication device; and

wireless tag position estimation means which estimates the position of the wireless tag on the basis of information of a plurality of response directions estimated by the wireless tag response direction estimation means.

9. The wireless tag position estimation device according to claim 8, further comprising

wireless tag estimation position visualizing image generating means which generates image information obtained by adding information related to the position of the wireless tag estimated by the wireless tag position estimation means to radiowave irradiation range image information serving as image information of a range in which the wireless tag communication device irradiates a radiowave.

10. The wireless tag position estimation device according to claim 9, further comprising

radiowave irradiation range image photographing means which determines a range in which an image is photographed in the range in which the wireless tag communication device irradiates a radiowave, photographs the image, and acquires information of the radiowave irradiation range image information.

12. A wireless tag position estimation method which estimates a position of a wireless tag, comprising:

a wireless tag communication device which transmits and receives information to/from the wireless tag, and a wireless tag position estimation device which estimates a position of the wireless tag on the basis of information from the wireless tag communication device, wherein

the wireless tag communication device has a configuration in which a direction of communication with the wireless tag when viewed from a certain position, and, with this configuration, information related to the acquired communication direction to the wireless tag position estimation device, and

the wireless tag position estimation device obtains information of a plurality of response directions representing a specific position at which a response radiowave from the wireless tag can be received in communication and a specific direction in which the response radiowave can be received in communication on the basis of the information from the wireless tag communication device and then estimates the position of the wireless tag.

13. The wireless tag position estimation program mounted on a computer which constructs a wireless tag position estimation device which estimates a position of the wireless tag on the basis of information from a wireless tag communication device which transmits and receives information to/from the wireless tag, wherein

the computer is caused to function as

wireless tag response direction estimation means which estimates information about a specific position at which a response radiowave from the wireless tag can be received in communication and a specific direction in which the response radiowave can be received in communication on the basis of the information from the wireless tag communication device;

and

wireless tag position estimation means which estimates the position of the wireless tag on the basis of information of a plurality of response directions estimated by the wireless tag response direction estimation means.