RFID tag information system

• US 20090278663A1
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Ohashi, Tsuyoshi, Takeda, Michihiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,120,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0025 the arrangement consisting of a wireless interrogation device in combination with a device for optically marking the record carrier

Abstract

The disclosure discloses a RFID tag information system comprising a transmission/reception antenna configured to carry out information transmission/reception via radio communication with a RFID circuit element; an access information processing device configured to carry out predetermined processing relating to information for access that accesses the RFID circuit element or access acquisition information; and a selection processing portion for select and process one transmission path among a plurality of transmission paths that transmit the information for access from the access information processing device or that transmit the access acquisition information to the access information processing device.

Claims

1. A RFID tag information system comprising:

a transmission/reception antenna configured to carry out information transmission/reception via radio communication with a RFID circuit element provided with an IC circuit part storing information and a tag antenna that carries out information transmission/reception;

an access information processing device configured to carry out predetermined processing relating to information for access that accesses said RFID circuit element or access acquisition information gotten by an access to said RFID circuit element; and

a selection processing portion for select and process one transmission path among a plurality of transmission paths that transmit said information for access from said access information processing device or that transmit said access acquisition information to said access information processing device.

2. The RFID tag information system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an apparatus main body for producing RFID labels; and

an antenna unit that can be connected to said apparatus main body for producing RFID labels, wherein,

said antenna unit has a unit antenna as said transmission/reception antenna configured to carry out information transmission/reception with a first RFID circuit element via first radio communication;

said apparatus main body for producing RFID labels has;

a housing provided with a connection portion configured to connect said antenna unit;

a feeding device provided in said housing and configured to feed a tag medium in which a second RFID circuit element is arranged;

an apparatus antenna provided in said housing and configured to carry out information transmission/reception with said second RFID circuit element via second radio communication as said transmission/reception antenna;

an information creating device as said access information processing device configured to create said information for access to make an access to said first RFID circuit element or said second RFID circuit element; and

a mode switching portion as said selection processing portion configured to selectively switch between a first mode in which information transmission/reception processing with said first RFID circuit element via said first radio communication is carried out by transmitting said information for access created by said information creating device to said unit antenna or a second mode in which tag label production processing is carried out by transmitting said information for access created by said information creating device to said apparatus antenna and carrying out information transmission/reception with said second RFID circuit element provided at said tag medium via said second radio communication.

3. The RFID tag information system according to claim 2, wherein:

said mode switching portion of said apparatus main body for producing RFID labels gives priority to said second mode over said first mode and switches to said first mode when said tag label production processing is not carried out.

4. The RFID tag information system according to claim 2, wherein:

said antenna unit includes a magnetic body on one side of said unit antenna.

5. The RFID tag information system according to claim 4, wherein:

said antenna unit includes a metal body on said one side of said magnetic body.

6. The RFID tag information system according to claim 2, wherein:

said antenna units are provided in plural numbers;

said connection portion of said apparatus main body for producing RFID labels is configured so that the plurality of said antenna units can be connected thereto; and

a switching conducting device for selectively conducting any one of the plurality of antenna units connected to the connection portions to said information creating device is provided.

7. The RFID tag information system according to claim 6, wherein:

said information creating device of said apparatus main body for producing RFID labels outputs the corresponding information for access to each of said antenna units for each predetermined occupied period made by time division when information transmission/reception is carried out with said first RFID circuit element via said first radio communication using the plurality of antenna units at the same time.

8. The RFID tag information system according to claim 6, wherein:

said apparatus main body for producing RFID labels includes a matching circuit configured to match an impedance on the side of said information creating device to an impedance of each unit antenna corresponding to each of said plurality of antenna units provided with said unit antennas of different types from each other.

9. The RFID tag information system according to claim 8, wherein:

said apparatus main body for producing RFID labels includes signal output portion configured to output a matching signal corresponding to a value of a terminal voltage or a terminal current of a direct current resistor portion disposed in parallel connection with said unit antenna in said antenna unit; and

said matching circuit matches impedance according to said matching signal from said signal output portion.

10. The RFID tag information system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an apparatus main body for producing RFID labels; and

at least one antenna unit that can be connected to said apparatus main body for producing RFID labels, wherein, said antenna unit has a unit antenna as said transmission/reception antenna configured to carry out information transmission/reception with a first RFID circuit element via first radio communication;

said apparatus main body for producing RFID labels has;

a housing provided with a connection portion configured to connect said antenna unit;

a feeding device provided in said housing and configured to feed a tag medium in which a second RFID circuit element is arranged;

an apparatus antenna provided in said housing and configured to carry out information transmission/reception with said second RFID circuit element via second radio communication as said transmission/reception antenna;

an information creating device as said access information processing device configured to create said information for access to make an access to said first RFID circuit element or said second RFID circuit element; and

a coordination control portion configured to control said feeding device and said information creating device in coordination according to a label production instruction signal and transmit access information created by said information creating device to said second RFID circuit element through said apparatus antenna so as to produce a RFID label, wherein;

said coordination control portion includes a selection connecting portion as said selection processing portion configured to selectively connect said unit antenna or said apparatus antenna to said information creating device according to the processing status during production processing of said RFID label.

11. The RFID tag information system according to claim 10 wherein:

said selection connecting portion selectively connects said unit antenna or said apparatus antenna to said information creating device so that an occupied rate of an execution period of said second radio communication becomes larger than an occupied rate of an execution period of said first radio communication during production processing of said RFID label.

12. The RFID tag information system according to claim 11, wherein:

said selection connecting portion selectively connects said unit antenna or said apparatus antenna to said information creating device so that said first radio communication is not executed during the execution period of said second radio communication during production processing of said RFID label.

13. The RFID tag information system according to claim 11, wherein:

said selection connecting portion selectively connects said unit antenna or said apparatus antenna to said information creating device so that said first radio communication is executed with a lower frequency than that of said second radio communication during the execution period of said second radio communication during production processing of said RFID label.

14. The RFID tag information system according to claim 11, further comprising a printing device configured to make a desired print on said tag medium or a print-receiving medium to be bonded to the tag medium, wherein:

said coordination control portion controls said printing device, said feeding device, and said information creating device in coordination so as to produce said RFID label with print; and

said selection connecting portion selectively connects said unit antenna or said apparatus antenna to said information creating device so that said second radio communication is not executed but said first radio communication is executed during the execution period of the print by said printing device during the production processing of said RFID label.

15. The RFID tag information system according to claim 10, further comprising a lighting display device that is lighted during information transmission/reception with said first RFID circuit element via said first radio communication.

16. The RFID tag information system according to claim 10, further comprising a notifying device configured to make notification to an operator when information transmission/reception with said first RFID circuit element via said first radio communication is completed.

17. The RFID tag information system according to claim 10, further comprising a storage device configured to temporarily store information gotten from said first RFID circuit element by said unit antenna via said first radio communication.

18. The RFID tag information system according to claim 17, wherein:

said coordination control portion has first transmission control portion configured to transmit the information stored in said storage device according to a transmission instruction signal from an operation terminal provided outside the apparatus to said operation terminal.

19. The RFID tag information system according to claim 17, wherein:

said coordination control portion has second transmission control portion configured to automatically transmit the information stored in said storage device to an operation terminal provided outside the apparatus at predetermined timing.

20. The RFID tag information system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a management server for RFID tag information;

a plurality of readers for RFID tag information;

a plurality of operation terminals provided corresponding to said plurality of readers for RFID tag information; and

a delivery connection device configured to connect said management server for RFID tag information, said plurality of readers for RFID tag information, and said plurality of operation terminals through a network, capable of delivery to a signal output destination, wherein;

said reader for RFID tag information includes said antenna for reading as said transmission/reception antenna that carries out radio communication with said RFID circuit element; and

said management server for RFID tag information has;

a read-out information storage device as said access information processing device configured to store said access acquisition information gotten from said RFID circuit element for information reading through said reader for RFID tag information connected by said delivery connection device; and

an information sorting portion as said selection processing portion configured to sort and output said access acquisition information stored in said read-out information storage device or information corresponding to the access acquisition information to the corresponding operation terminal among said plurality of operation terminals connected by said delivery connection device on the basis of sorting-destination information.

21. The RFID tag information system according to claim 20, wherein:

said management server for RFID tag information has a sorting-destination information acquisition portion configured to get sorting-destination information from said RFID circuit element for information sorting-destination setting through said reader for RFID tag information; and

said information sorting portion sorts and outputs said access acquisition information stored in said read-out information storage device or the information corresponding to the access acquisition information to said corresponding operation terminal on the basis of the sorting-destination information gotten by said sorting-destination information acquisition portion.

22. The RFID tag information system according to claim 21, wherein:

said sorting-destination information acquisition portion of said management server for RFID tag information gets, from said RFID circuit element for information sorting-destination setting, said sorting-destination information that associates the information gotten through one of said readers for RFID tag information with one of said operation terminals corresponding to the one reader for RFID tag information; and

said information sorting portion sets said output destination so as to output said access acquisition information stored in said read-out information storage device or the information corresponding to the access acquisition information to said one operation terminal corresponding to said one reader for RFID tag information on the basis of the gotten sorting-destination information.

23. The RFID tag information system according to claim 22, wherein:

said information sorting portion of said management server for RFID tag information sets, when said output destination is to be set on the basis of said sorting-destination information that associates said one reader for RFID tag information with said one operation terminal, the output destination according to receiving signal strength at acquisition if the information to be output has been gotten from said RFID circuit element for information reading through the plurality of said readers for RFID tag information.

24. The RFID tag information system according to claim 22, wherein:

said plurality of readers for RFID tag information carries out information transmission/reception to said RFID circuit element for information reading with a plurality of types of transmission outputs and outputs a transmission/reception result for each output to said management server for RFID tag information; and

said information sorting portion of said management server for RFID tag information sets, when said output destination is to be set on the basis of said sorting-destination information that associates said one reader for RFID tag information with said one operation terminal, the output destination according to a transmission/reception result for said each output input from said reader for RFID tag information if the information to be output has been gotten from said RFID circuit element for information reading through the plurality of said readers for RFID tag information.