IC MEMORY, INFORMATION COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20080224833A1
• Filed: 02/15/2008
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Higaki, Hiroyuki, Kobayashi, Yuichi, Fukushima, Shinichiro, Honzawa, Atsushi, Moritani, Masumi, Aikawa, Makoto, Kishida, Akira
• Application Number:
  US12/031,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20080224833A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.51
• 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

Abstract

An information management system comprises information processing unit 51 which reads out self ID number data and reference ID number data from each RFID tag, and additionally writes all the self ID number data and reference ID number data into an ID table. The data in each row of the ID table is the self ID number data and reference ID number data that are stored in each RFID tag. “0” is set to all rows of a link flag setting region, and it is checked whether a value in the M-th row of the reference ID number data is equal to a value in the N-th row of the self ID number data. If both are equal, then “1” is set to the N-th row in the link flag setting region. These processing operations are repeated for all rows of the ID table.

Claims

1. An IC memory that has an information transmission/reception capability and an information processing capability, and transmits and receives information to and from an external information communication apparatus,

wherein said IC memory stores first identification data for identifying that IC memory, said first identification data being required by a plurality of IC memories to form links between said IC memories themselves on data, and second identification data for identifying an IC memory different from said IC memory, in a memory portion thereof.

2. The IC memory according to claim 1, wherein said first and second identification data are written into said memory portion by said external information communication apparatus.

3. The IC memory according to claim 1, wherein said IC memory stores at least two or more pieces of said second identification data in the memory portion.

4. An information communication apparatus that has an information processing capability, and transmits and receives information to and from the IC memory having an information transmission/reception capability and an information processing capability,

wherein said information communication apparatus stores comprehensive IC memory identifying data that includes at least first identification data for identifying a certain IC memory, said first identification data being required by a plurality of IC memories to form links between said IC memories themselves on data, and second identification data for identifying an IC memory other than said certain IC memory, in a storage unit thereof.

5. The information communication apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein said comprehensive IC memory identifying data is generated based on said first and second identification data that are transmitted from said IC memory.

6. The information communication apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein at least two or more pieces of said second identification data are included in one piece of said comprehensive IC memory identifying data.

7. The information communication apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising

flag data that indicates whether said comprehensive IC memory identifying data is actually forming a link on the data.

8. The information communication apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein said flag data is set to a value indicating that said link is not formed during the generation of said comprehensive IC memory identifying data.

9. An information management system, comprising:

an IC memory that has an information transmission/reception capability and an information processing capability; and

one or a plurality of information communication apparatuses that have an information processing capability, and transmit and receive information to and from said IC memory,

wherein said IC memory stores first identification data for identifying that IC memory, said first identification data being required by a plurality of IC memories to form links between said IC memories themselves on data, and second identification data for identifying an IC memory different from said IC memory, in a memory portion thereof, and

wherein said information communication apparatuses stores comprehensive IC memory identifying data that includes at least first identification data for identifying a certain IC memory, said first identification data being required by a plurality of IC memories to form links between said IC memories themselves on data, and second identification data for identifying an IC memory different from said certain IC memory, in a storage unit thereof.

10. The information management system according to claim 9, comprising:

a placement stage for placing articles thereon,

wherein said information management system is applied to an operation device for performing operations necessary when sending the articles in a distribution process.

11. The information management system according to claim 10,

wherein said information communication apparatus is disposed such that the transmission/reception unit thereof faces said placement stage, and said IC memories are each mounted at an appropriate place of each of the articles loaded on said placement stage.

12. The information management system according to claim 11, wherein the IC memory mounted on said placement stage stores:

first identification data for identifying that IC memory, which is required by said plurality of IC memories to form links between said IC memories themselves on data;

second identification data for identifying an IC memory that is different from said IC memory and is mounted on any of the articles loaded on said placement stage;

data indicating whether said links, in their entirety, form a circulation structure;

multiplicity data indicating how many of said links are formed between said IC memory and a plurality of memories that are different from said IC memory and are mounted on the plurality of articles loaded on said placement stage;

data indicating a total number of the IC memories that are mounted on said each article;

at least said first identification data and second identification data, within update link information, that indicate a change in said links; and

data indicating whether said links, in their entirety, form a circulation structure.

13. The information management system according to claim 12,

wherein each of the comprehensive IC memory identifying data stored by said information communication apparatus includes at least two or more pieces of said second identification data.

14. The information management system according to claim 13, wherein when a communication is established between said information communication apparatus and a new IC memory attached to a new article due to the additional loading of the new article on said placement stage, said information communication apparatus

causes said new IC memory to store data for identifying the IC memory mounted on said placement stage;

and

causes the IC memory mounted on said placement stage to store data for identifying said new IC memory.

15. The information management system according to claim 13, wherein when any of a plurality of articles loaded on said placement stage is removed, resulting in a loss of communication between said communication apparatus and an IC memory of said removed article, said communication apparatus

causes the IC memory of said placement stage to store first identification data for identifying the IC memory of said removed article, and second identifying data, which is stored in said IC memory, for identifying another IC memory with which the said IC memory has formed a link on data;

causes an IC memory of another article that stores said first identifying data to store the second identifying data; and

causes subsequently said stored first and second identification data to be erased from the IC memory of said placement stage.

16. The information management system according to claim 15, wherein when communication is lost between said information communication apparatus and the IC memory of the article that was removed from said placement stage, data related to said circulation structure, which is stored in the IC memory of the said stage, is changed to unsuccessful circulation, and after said processing of the IC memory of said placement stage and IC memory of another article loaded on said placement stage is terminated, the data related to said circulation structure is changed to successful circulation.