Article identifying system

• US 6,879,264 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2001
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyuhoku Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kyuhoku Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Masao, Hidaka, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/874,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20020017992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 340/686.6, 340/825.19, 340/825, 340/572.1, 340/825.54, 340/108, 340/522, 340/568.1, 340/5.63, 340/5.91, 340/10.1, 340/10.51, 340/10.52, 340/573.1, 340/825.25, 340/572.4, 381/51, 342/44, 235/383, 235/375, 235/426.46, 705/1, 128/898
• US Class Current: 340/4.14
• 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

An article identifying system for allowing a user, especially a visually handicapped person to identify an article correctly. The article identifying system 1 comprises a communication tag 100, each of which is attached to an article, and an information output device 200. Each of the communication tags 100 comprises: a memory 140 for storing an identifier assigned to the article with each of the communication tags 100; and an antenna 110 and a transceiver 120 for transmitting the stored identifier wirelessly. The information output device 200 comprises: a memory 230 for storing the information data associated with the identifier assigned to that article; an antenna plate 210 forming a planar surface on which one or more articles can be placed and a transceiver 220 for receiving the identifier from the communication tag 100 when the article with the communication tag is placed in a communication area on the planar surface; and a speaker 260 for outputting the information data from the memory 230.

Claims

1. An article identifying system comprising:

communication tags, each of which is attached to an article; and

an information output device stationarily positioned at a predetermined location during use,

wherein each of the communication tags comprises;

first storage means for storing an identifier which is assigned to an article with to the communication tag; and

first transmission means for wirelessly transmitting the identifier stored in the first storage means,

wherein the information output device comprises;

a planar surface having a sufficient area on which one more articles can be placed;

second storage means for storing information data which is related to the article so that the information data is associated with the identifier assigned to the article;

first receive means forming at least a part of the planar surface for receiving the identifier from the communication tags when the article with the communication tag is placed in its communication area;

information reading means for reading the information data associated with the identifier received by the first receive means from the second storage means; and

information output means for outputting the information data read out by the information reading means,

wherein the information data are voice data for specifying the article that is associated with the identifier,

wherein the information output device further comprises;

voice record means for recording the voice data for specifying the article associated with the identifier;

first write means for writing the voice data recorded by the voice recording means in the second storage means so that the identifier is associated with the article specified by said voice data; and

second transmission means for transmitting the identifier wirelessly,

wherein each of the communication tans further comprises;

second receive means for receiving the identifier from the information output device; and

second write means for writing the identifier received by said second receive means in said first storage means; and

wherein the information output device further comprises a button which is pressed by a user for recording the voice data, wherein the information output device records the voice data while the button is being pressed and stops recording when the user releases the button, and wherein when the button is pressed within a predetermined time after the voice data is reproduced, the information output device replaces the voice data with new voice data given by the user.

2. An article identifying system comprising:

communication tags, each of which is attached to an article; and

an information output device stationarily positioned at a predetermined location during use,

wherein each of the communication tags comprises;

first storage means for storing an identifier which is assigned to an article attached to the communication tag; and

first transmission means for wirelessly transmitting the identifier stored in the first storage means,

wherein the information output device comprises;

a planar surface having a sufficient area on which one or more articles can be placed;

second storage means for storing information data which is related to the article so that the information data is associated with the identifier assigned to the article;

first receive means forming at least a part of the planar surface for receiving one or more identifiers from each of the communication tans for a predetermined period when one or more articles with the communication tags are placed in its communication area;

third storage means for storing one or more identifier received by the first receive means;

difference detecting means for detecting a difference between the one or more identifiers and one or more identifiers stored in the third storage means and received lust before;

information reading means for reading the information data associated with the identifier of the difference detected by the difference detecting means from the second storage means; and

information output means for outputting the information data read out by the information reading means,

wherein the information data are voice data for specifying the article that is associated with the identifier,

wherein the information output device further comprises;

voice record means for recording the voice data for specifying the article that is associated with the identifier;

first write means for writing the voice data recorded by the voice recording means in said second storage means so that the said identifier is associated with the article specified by said voice data; and

second transmission means for transmitting said identifier wirelessly,

wherein each of the communication tags further comprises;

second receive means for receiving the identifier from the information output device; and

second write means for writing the identifier received by said second receive means in said first storage means, and

wherein the information output device further comprises a button which is pressed by a user for recording the voice data, wherein the information output device records the voice data while the button is being pressed and stops recording when the user releases the button, and wherein when the button is pressed within a predetermined time after the voice data is reproduced, the information output device replaces the voice data with new voice data given by the user.

3. A method for identifying an article, comprising the following steps of:

preparing communication tags, each of which is attached to an article, wherein each of the communication tags stores an identifier assigned to the article with the communication tag;

placing an information output device stationarily at a predetermined location throughout, wherein the information output device has a planar surface with a sufficient area upon which one or more articles with the communication tags are placed, and wherein the information output device stores the information data which is related to the article so that the information data is associated with the identifier assigned to the article;

receiving the identifier from the communication tag attached to the article, when the article with the communication tag is placed in a communication area created on the planar surface of the information output device;

reading the information data associated with the received identifier;

outputting the read information data;

pressing a button for recording the voice data and releasing the button for ending the recording of the voice data, and

pressing the button within a predetermined time after the voice data is reproduced for replacing the voice data with new voice data.

4. A method for identifying an article, comprising the following steps of:

preparing communication tags, each of which is attached to the article, wherein each of the communication tags stores an identifier assigned to the article with the communication tag;

placing an information output device stationarily at a predetermined location throughout, wherein the information output device has a planar surface with a sufficient space upon which one or more articles with the communication tags are placed, and wherein the information output device stores the information data which is related to the article so that the information data is associated with the identifier assigned to said article;

receiving one or more identifiers for a predetermined period from each of the communication tags, when one or more articles with the communication tags are placed in a communication area created on the planar surface of the information output device;

storing the one or more identifiers received from the communication tags;

detecting a difference between the one or more identifiers and one or more identifiers received and stored just before;

reading the information data associated with the identifiers of the detected difference;

outputting the read information data;

pressing a button for recording the voice data and releasing the button for ending the recording of the voice data, and

pressing the button within a predetermined time after the voice data is reproduced for replacing the voice data with new voice data.