MEDIA PROCESSING DEVICE, PRINTING DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD OF A MEDIA PROCESSING DEVICE

• US 20140062674A1
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Koike, Toshiaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,984,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.51
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/021 Adaptations for printing on specific media
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32138 in an electronic device attached to the sheet, e.g. in an RFID tag

Abstract

When writing information to the IC tag of a medium, the control unit 54 of a printer 1 determines if a specific area in the storage space of the IC tag is in an initialized state, and writes to the IC tag if the IC tag is in the specific state.

Claims

1. A media processing device comprising:

a data read/write unit configured to write information to an IC tag of media, and to read information from the IC tag, by radio signal; and

a control unit configured to control writing and reading the IC tag by the data read/write unit, wherein

the control unit is configured to determine if a specific area in the storage space of the IC tag is in a specific state and to control the data read/write unit to write information to the IC tag if the specific area is in the specific state.

2. The media processing device described in claim 1, wherein

the control unit does not write information to the IC tag if the control unit determines the specific area in the storage space of the IC tag is not in the specific state.

3. The media processing device described in claim 1, wherein

the data read/write unit broadcasts a radio signal and detects an IC tag that can communicate;

and

the control unit determines the number of detected IC tags when the data read/write unit detects an IC tag that can communicate.

4. The media processing device described in claim 3, wherein

when the number of detected IC tags is 2 or more, the control unit determines if a specific area in each detected IC tag is in the specific state, and if the number of IC tags in which the specific area is in the specific state is 1, writes to the IC tag having the specific area in the specific state.

5. The media processing device described in claim 3, wherein

when the number of detected IC tags is 2 or more, the control unit does not write to the detected IC tags.

6. The media processing device described in claim 1, wherein

the media includes a plurality of IC tags disposed with an interval therebetween;

a conveyance unit is configured to convey the media; and

the data read/write unit is configured to write to the IC tag conveyed to a data read/write position by the conveyance unit.

7. A printing device comprising:

a conveyance unit configured to convey media having an IC tag;

a data read/write unit configured to write information to an IC tag of media, and to read information from the IC tag, by radio signal;

a control unit configured to control writing and reading the IC tag by the data read/write unit, and when writing information to the IC tag of the media, determines if a specific area in the storage space of the IC tag is in a specific state, and writes information to the IC tag if the specific area is in the specific state; and

a print unit configured to print on the media wherein

the control unit is configured to determine if a specific area in the storage space of the IC tag is in a specific state and to control the data read/write unit to write information to the IC tag if the specific area is in the specific state.

8. The printing device described in claim 7, wherein

the control unit does not write information to the IC tag if the control unit determines the specific area in the storage space of the IC tag is not in the specific state when writing information to the IC tag by the data read/write unit.

9. The printing device described in claim 7, wherein

the data read/write unit broadcasts a radio signal and detects an IC tag that can communicate;

and

the control unit determines the number of detected IC tags when the data read/write unit detects an IC tag that can communicate.

10. The printing device described in claim 9, wherein

when the number of detected IC tags is 2 or more, the control unit determines if a specific area in each detected IC tag is in the specific state, and if the number of IC tags in which the specific area is in the specific state is 1, writes to the IC tag having the specific area in the specific state.

11. The printing device described in claim 9, wherein

when the number of detected IC tags is 2 or more, the control unit does not write to the detected IC tags.

12. The printing device described in claim 7, wherein

the media includes a plurality of IC tags disposed with an interval therebetween;

and

the data read/write unit is configured to write to the IC tag conveyed to a data read/write position by the conveyance unit.

13. A control method of a media processing device, comprising:

conveying an IC tag disposed to media to a data read/write position;

determining if a specific area in the storage space of the IC tag is in a specific state after the IC tag is conveyed to the data read/write position; and

if the specific area is in the specific state, writing to the IC tag.

14. The control method of a media processing device described in claim 13, further comprising:

detecting the number of IC tags after the IC tag is conveyed to the data read/write position;

determining the number of detected IC tags; and

determining that a specific area in the storage space of the IC tag is in the specific state if the number of IC tags is 1.

15. The control method of a media processing device described in claim 13, further comprising:

detecting the number of IC tags after the IC tag is conveyed to the data read/write position;

determining the number of detected IC tags; and

not writing to the IC tag by the data read/write unit if the number of IC tags is not 1.