INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20090207002A1
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Onoe, Kentaro, Maruo, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 8,217,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.510
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/20 Simultaneous marking of record carrier and printing-out of data, e.g. printing-punch
• 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

In an information processing apparatus in which a sheet having an RFID tag is transported, the transport speed is changed or the sheet is stopped to enable data to be communicated to or from the RFID tag without the need for setting a fixed speed in advance. Common communication standards are identified between the RFID tag and an RFID reader/writer, and common communication speeds are identified. Among the common communication speeds, the maximum common communication speed is identified. Based on the size of the data that needs to be communicated and the maximum common communication speed, a read/write required time is calculated. Based on the access range of the RFID reader/writer and the read/write required time, the maximum transport speed is calculated. When the maximum transport speed is lower than the minimum transport speed at which the sheet can be transported stably, the sheet is stopped.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising an RFID reader/writer configured to read or write data from or into an RFID portion of an RFID-attached sheet, and a control unit configured to control the speed at which the RFID-attached sheet is transported, wherein the sheet transport speed is changed depending on a read/write communication time required for reading or writing the data from or into the RFID portion of the RFID-attached sheet.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the read/write communication time required for reading or writing the data is calculated from the size of the data and a communication speed at which the data is communicated between the RFID reader/writer and the RFID portion.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the communication speed at which the data is communicated between the RFID reader/writer and the RFID portion is determined by comparing one or more communication speeds at which the RFID portion can operate and one or more communication speeds at which the RFID reader/writer can operate, and by selecting a common communication speed between the RFID portion and the RFID reader/writer.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the highest one of plural common communication speeds is selected as the communication speed at which the data is communicated between the RFID portion and the RFID reader/writer.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the maximum transport speed at which the data can be read or written from or into the RFID portion is calculated based on the size of a communication-enabled region that exists along the path of sheet transport, in which region the data can be communicated between the RFID portion and the RFID reader/writer, and based on the read/write communication time, wherein the sheet transport speed is changed to the calculated maximum transport speed.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet transport speed has a lower limit that is the minimum transport speed at which the sheet can be transported stably.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a transport-stop period in which the sheet is stopped is provided when the sheet transport speed needs to be reduced to a speed lower than the minimum transport speed at which the sheet can be stably transported.

8. An information processing method of controlling the speed at which an RFID-attached sheet is transported in an image processing apparatus in which an RFID portion of the RFID-attached sheet is accessed by an RFID reader/writer, the method comprising:

a first step of comparing one or more communication speeds at which the RFID portion can operate with one or more communication speeds at which the RFID reader/writer can operate, and selecting the maximum communication speed from among common communication speeds between the RFID portion and the RFID reader/writer;

a second step of calculating a read/write communication time required for reading or writing the data from or into the RFID portion from the size of the data and the maximum communication speed selected in the first step;

a third step of calculating the maximum transport speed at which the data can be communicated between the RFID portion and the RFID reader/writer, based on a communication-enabled region that exists along the path of sheet transport, in which region the data can be communicated between the RFID portion and the RFID reader/writer, and based on the read/write communication time calculated in the second step, and transporting the sheet at the maximum transport speed; and

a fourth step of providing a transport-stop period in which the sheet is stopped when the maximum transport speed calculated in the third step is lower than the minimum transport speed at which the sheet can be transported stably.

9. A computer-readable program for causing a computer to carry out an information processing method of controlling the speed at which an RFID-attached sheet is transported in an image processing apparatus in which an RFID portion of the RFID-attached sheet is accessed by an RFID reader/writer, the method comprising:

a first step of comparing one or more communication speeds at which the RFID portion can operate with one or more communication speeds at which the RFID reader/writer can operate, and selecting the maximum communication speed from among common communication speeds between the RFID portion and the RFID reader/writer;

a second step of calculating a read/write communication time required for reading or writing the data from or into the RFID portion, based on the size of the data and the maximum communication speed selected in the first step;

a third step of calculating the maximum transport speed at which the data can be communicated between the RFID portion and the RFID reader/writer, based on a communication-enabled region that exists along the path of sheet transport, in which region the data can be communicated between the RFID portion and the RFID reader/writer, and based on the read/write communication time calculated in the second step, and transporting the sheet at the maximum transport speed; and

a fourth step of providing a transport-stop period in which the sheet is stopped when the maximum transport speed calculated in the third step is lower than the minimum transport speed at which the sheet can be transported stably.