Data processing method in recognition system

• US 4,941,181 A
• Filed: 05/02/1989
• Issued: 07/10/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omron Tateisi Electronics Co. (Omron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Tateisi Electronics Co. (Omron Corporation)
• Inventors: Igarashi, Kimio, Matsui, Kenji, Uchida, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COUSO, YON JUNG
• Application Number:
  US07/346,659
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 382/8, 382/1, 364/474.11, 364/478, 364/138, 364/132, 364/137, 340/505
• US Class Current: 382/100
• 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: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles

Abstract

A recognition system including a data carrier which is attached to a moving article and which has a memory storing identification data of the article and a control system communicating with the data carrier without any contact therebetween. The control system includes a higher-level controller, a plurality of lower-level controllers connected thereto, and read/write heads connected to the lower-level controllers. The higher-level controller sequentially sends an auto read/write command to the lower-level controllers. In response thereto, when the data carrier approaches one of the lower-level controllers, the lower-level controller communicates with the data carrier so as to access the memory thereof. The lower-level controller temporarily keeps a result of the memory access (the response from the data carrier) such that on receiving a command from the higher-level controller, the lower-level controller transmits the memory access result thus temporarily kept therein to the higher-level controller.

Claims

1. A data processing method in a recognition system including a data carrier having a memory integrated therewith to store identification data therein, said data carrier being mounted on a moving article, a higher-level controller, a plurality of lower-level controllers connected to the higher-level controller each for receiving a command from the higher-level controller so as to control data access to the memory of the data carrier, and at least a read/write head connected to each said lower-level controller for effecting data communication with the data carrier approaching the read/write head characterized in that:

the higher-level controller specifies the lower-level controllers in a predetermined order so as to sequentially send thereto an auto read/write command and thereafter specifies the lower-level controllers in a predetermined order so as to sequentially send a sub-command thereto;

that each said lower-level controller receiving the auto read/write command with a specification thereto repeatedly sends a command to confirm an approach of the data carrier until the approach of the data carrier is confirmed such that when the approach of the data carrier is confirmed, said lower-level controller sends the auto read/write command;

that the data carrier effects an access to a memory in response to the auto read/write command thus received so as to transmit an auto response related to the access to the memory to the lower-level controller; and

that the lower-level controller keeps the content of the auto response such that when the sub-command with a specification thereof from the higher-level controller is received, the lower-level controller sends the auto response including the content thus kept to the higher-level controller.

2. A recognition system comprising:

a data carrier which is attached to a moving article and which has a memory for storing therein data including identification data related to the article; and

a control system for effecting an operation to write data in the memory of the data carrier or to read data therein wherein

said control system includes a higher-level controller, a plurality of lower-level controllers communicable with the higher-level controller, and read/write heads at least one of which is connected to each of the lower-level controllers so as to effect data communication with a data carrier,

said data carrier effects, when a read/write command is received, an access to the memory so as to achieve read/write processing associated therewith in response to the command, thereby outputting a response including a result of the read/write processing.

said higher-level controller sequentially outputs auto read/write command with a specification of a lower-level controller to the plural lower-level controllers and thereafter sequentially transmits a sub-command with a specification of a lower-level controller specified by the auto read/write command,

each said lower-level controller repeatedly outputs, when the auto read/write command specifies the lower-level controller, a command to confirm an approach of a data carrier via a read/write head associated therewith such that when the arroach of the data carrier is confirmed, the lower-level controller sends a read/write command via the read/write head to the data carrier and when a response is returned from the data carrier in response to the read/write command, the lower-level controller temporarily keeps a content of the received response such that when a sub-command with a specification thereof from the higher-level controller is received, the lower-level controller sends to the higher-level controller an auto response which includes the content of the response from the data carrier and which is kept therein.

3. A recognition system according to claim 2 wherein

each said lower-level controller repeatedly outputs, when the auto read-write command specifies the lower-level controller, a status read command at a predetermined interval via a read/write head associated therewith such that on receiving a status read response returned from the data carrier in response to the command, the lower-level controller confirms the approach of the data carrier.