RADIO TAG COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, RADIO TAG COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND RADIO TAG SEARCH PROGRAM

• US 20140139324A1
• Filed: 11/13/2013
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sano, Kouichi, Yaginuma, Jun, Tsuchida, Sunao
• Granted Patent: US 9,384,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.51
• 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: G06K 7/10198 setting parameters for the interrogator, e.g. programming parameters and operating modes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10237 the reader and the record carrier being capable of selectively switching between reader and record carrier appearance, e.g. in near field communication [NFC] devices where the NFC device may function as an RFID reader or as an RFID tag

Abstract

A radio tag communication apparatus that communicates with radio tags including storing units capable of storing identification information and state information of articles includes a search-condition setting unit for reading the state information, which is a search target, a radio tag communication unit configured to perform communication with the radio tag under a set search condition using a first reading function for reading the radio tag without designating the radio tag and a second reading function for designating the radio tag, setting a transmission output, and repeatedly reading the radio tag, a comparison determination unit configured to perform comparison determination of information read by the first reading function and the search condition, and communication control unit configured to control the radio tag communication unit according to result of the comparison determination to switch the reading operation by the first reading function to the reading operation by the second reading function.

Claims

1. A radio tag communication apparatus that communicates with radio tags provided in a plurality of articles and including storing units capable of storing identification information and state information of the articles, the radio tag communication apparatus comprising:

a search-condition setting unit configured to set a search condition for reading the state information, which is a search target, from the storing unit of the radio tag;

a radio tag communication unit configured to perform communication with the radio tag under the set search condition using a first reading function for performing a reading operation without designating the radio tag and a second reading function for designating the radio tag, setting a transmission output corresponding to a reading state of the designated radio tag, and repeatedly performing the reading operation;

a comparison determination unit configured to perform comparison determination of information read from the radio tag by the first reading function and the search condition; and

a communication control unit configured to control the radio tag communication unit according to a result of the comparison determination to switch, when the radio tag communication unit reads state information meeting the search condition from the radio tag using the first reading function, the reading operation by the first reading function to the reading operation by the second reading function.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation-information setting unit configured to set writing or reading of information concerning a search history of the radio tag, wherein

according to the setting of the operation-information setting unit, the communication control unit writes the information concerning the search history in a designated area of the storing unit of the radio tag after an end of the reading operation by the second reading function and controls the written information concerning the search history to be readable.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the radio tag communication unit has a designating and reading function for designating the radio tag and reading the information concerning the search history and, after the end of the reading operation by the second reading function, performs, with the designating and reading function, a reading operation for the information concerning the search history written in the radio tag.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, after the end of the reading operation by the second reading function of the radio tag communication unit and an end of the reading operation by the designating and reading function, the communication control unit switches the reading operation by the second reading function to the reading operation by the first reading function.

5. A radio tag communication apparatus system comprising:

a radio tag communication apparatus that communicates with radio tags provided in a plurality of articles and including storing units capable of storing identification information and state information of the articles; and

an apparatus capable of communicating with the radio tag communication apparatus, wherein

the radio tag communication apparatus includes a radio tag communication unit configured to perform communication with the radio tag under a search condition set by the apparatus using a first reading function for performing a reading operation without designating the radio tag and a second reading function for designating the radio tag, setting a transmission output corresponding to a reading state of the designated radio tag, and repeatedly performing the reading operation,

the apparatus includes;

a search-condition setting unit configured to set the search condition for reading the state information, which is a search target, from the storing unit of the radio tag; and

a comparison determination unit configured to perform comparison determination of information read from the radio tag by the first reading function and the search condition, and

the apparatus controls the radio tag communication unit according to a result of the comparison determination to switch, when the apparatus reads state information meeting the search condition from the radio tag using the first reading function, the reading operation by the first reading function to the reading operation by the second reading function.

6. A radio tag searching program for communicating with radio tags provided in a plurality of articles and including storing units capable of storing identification information and state information of the articles, the program searching for and processing information stored in the radio tags,

the program causing a computer to realize:

a search condition processing function for receiving search condition information for reading the state information, which is a search target, from the storing unit of the radio tag;

a communication function for performing communication with the radio tag under the search condition information using a first reading function for performing a reading operation without designating the radio tag and a second reading function for designating the radio tag, setting a transmission output corresponding to a reading state of the designated radio tag, and repeatedly performing the reading operation;

a comparison determination function for performing comparison determination of information read from the radio tag by the first reading function and the search condition information; and

a control function for switching the communication function according to a result of the comparison determination and controlling the communication function to switch, when the state information meeting the search condition is read from the radio tag by the first reading function, the reading operation by the first reading function to the reading operation by the second reading function.