WIRELESS TAG DETECTION APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20090201166A1
• Filed: 09/15/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: ITAGAKI, Yuya, Suzuki, Shigeaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,956,745 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/686.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/751 wherein the responder or reflector radiates a coded signal
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• 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

Abstract

Query signals to one or more wireless tags are transmitted via radio communication, and a distance to a wireless tag to be retrieved is informed according to strength of a response signal from the wireless tag to be retrieved, which is included in the response signals transmitted from the one or more wireless tags via radio communication.

Claims

1. A wireless tag detection apparatus comprising:

a transmission means for transmitting query signals to one or more wireless tags via radio communication;

a reception means for receiving one or more response signals transmitted via radio communication from the one or more wireless tags based on query signals transmitted via radio communication from the transmission means; and

a control means for informing a distance to a wireless tag to be retrieved according to strength of a response signal from the wireless tag to be retrieved, the response signal from the wireless tag to be retrieved being included in the one or more response signals received by the reception means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means comprises:

a selection means for selecting a response signal from the wireless tag to be retrieved from the one or more response signals received by the reception means;

a detection means for detecting strength of the response signal selected by the selection means; and

an informing means for informing a distance to the wireless tag to be retrieved according to the strength detected by the detection means.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means comprises:

a selection means for selecting the response signal from the wireless tag to be retrieved from the one or more response signals received by the reception means;

a detection means for detecting strength of the response signal selected by the selection means; and

an informing means for informing a distance to the wireless tag to be retrieved and whether the distance becomes short or great according to the strength detected by the detection means and change of the distance.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a specification means for specifying the wireless tag to be retrieved; and

an extraction means for extracting tag identification information corresponding to the wireless tag specified by the specification means.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control means comprises:

a selection means for selecting a response signal containing tag identification information which is same as the tag identification information extracted by the extraction means from the one or more response signals received by the reception means;

a detection means for detecting strength of the response signal selected by the selection means; and

an informing moans for informing a distance to the wireless tag to be retrieved according to the strength detected by the detection means.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control means comprises:

a selection means for selecting a response signal containing tag identification information which is same as the tag identification information extracted by the extraction means from the one or more response signals received by the reception means;

a detection means for detecting strength of the response signal selected by the selection means; and

an informing means for informing distance to the wireless tag to be retrieved and whether the distance becomes short or great according to the strength detected by the detection means and change of the distance.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna configured to transmit the query signals via radio communication and receive the response signals; and

a handheld reader unit including the antenna and separated from an apparatus body.

12. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controller comprises:

a selection section which selects a response signal containing tag identification information which is same as the tag identification information extracted by the extraction section from the one or more response signals received by the reception section;

a detection section which detects strength of the response signal selected by the selection section; and

an informing section which informs a distance to the wireless tag to be retrieved according to the strength detected by the detection section.

13. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controller comprises;

a selection section which selects a response signal containing tag identification information which is same as the tag identification information extracted by the extraction section;

a detection section which detects strength of the response signal selected by the selection section; and

an informing section which informs distance to the wireless tag to be retrieved and whether the distance becomes short or great according to the strength detected by the detection means and change of the distance.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna configured to transmit the query signals via radio communication and receive the response signals; and

a handheld reader unit including the antenna and separated from an apparatus body.

8. A wireless tag detection apparatus comprising:

a transmission section which transmits query signals to one or more wireless tags via radio communication;

a reception section which receives one or more response signals transmitted from the one or more wireless tags via radio communication based on the query signals transmitted via radio communication from the transmission section; and

a controller which informs a distance to a wireless tag to be retrieved according to strength of a response signal from the wireless tag to be retrieved, the response signal being included in the one or more response signals received by the reception section.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the controller comprises:

a selection section which selects a response signal from the wireless tag to be retrieved from the one or more response signals received by the reception section;

a detection section which detects strength of the response signal selected by the selection section;

an informing section which informs a distance to the wireless tag to be retrieved according to the strength detected by the detection section.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the controller comprises:

a selection section which selects a response signal from the wireless tag to be retrieved from the one or more response signals received by the reception section;

a detection section which detects strength of the response signal selected by the selection section; and

an informing section which informs a distance to the wireless tag to be retrieved and whether the distance becomes short or great according to the strength detected by the detection section and change of the distance.

11. The apparatus according to claim A, further comprising:

a specification section which specifies the wireless tag to be retrieved; and

an extraction section which extracts tag identification information corresponding to the wireless tag specified by the specification section.

15. A method of controlling the wireless tag detection apparatus, comprising:

transmitting query signals to one or more wireless tags via radio communication;

receiving response signals transmitted via radio communication from the one or more wireless tags based on the query signals transmitted via radio communication; and

informing a distance to a wireless tag to be retrieved according to strength of a response signal from the wireless tag to be retrieved, the response signal being included in the received one or more response signals.