Contactless identification tag, data communication system and contactless identification tag control program

• US 7,243,855 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2004
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Kenji, Aso, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIK, STEVEN SANGYUL
• Application Number:
  US10/996,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20050127180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/451, 235/487, 340/572.01, 340/10.2
• US Class Current: 235/492
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10039 interrogator driven, i.e. synchronous

Abstract

A data communication system includes a host device, a reader/writer device and a plurality of contactless identification tags. The contactless identification tag includes a data reception section, a data transmission section, a data control section, a data storage section, a driving electric current generation section and a coil antenna. In response to a command from the reader/writer device, the data control section generates a random number, and sets a time slot number based on the random number and a unique identification number stored in advance in the data storage section.

Claims

1. A contactless identification tag that sets a time slot number concerning a sequence of communications with a reader/writer device at the time of data communications with the reader/writer device by a time-division multiplex method using a plurality of time slots, and is capable of radio communications in a contactless manner with the reader/writer device according to a sequence of communications that is decided based on the time slot number that has been set, the contactless identification tag comprising:

identification number storage means for storing a unique identification number;

random number generator means for generating a random number; and

time slot number setting means for setting the time slot number based on the identification number and the random number,

wherein the random number and a bit position in a bit string indicating the identification number are correlated with each other in advance, and

wherein the time slot number setting means extracts a numerical value at the bit position corresponding to the random number from the bit string indicating the identification number, and sets the time slot number based on the extracted numerical value.

2. A contactless identification tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the bit string indicating the identification number is divided into a plurality of blocks in units of a predetermined number of bits, and a different number is appended to each of the blocks; and

the time slot number setting means selects one of the blocks corresponding to a random number generated by the random number generator means, and sets the time slot number based on a numerical value composed of a bit string included in the selected block.

3. A contactless identification tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the time slot number setting means selects a specified bit from the bit string indicating the identification number based on a random number generated by the random number generator means, and sets the time slot number based on a numerical value composed of a bit string of a predetermined number of upper or lower bits with the selected bit as a reference position.

4. A data communication system equipped with a plurality of contactless identification tags as claimed in claim 1, a reader/writer device, and a host device, wherein:

the reader/writer device, in response to an instruction from the host device, makes the plurality of contactless identification tags to set the time slot numbers so as not to duplicate one another, and

radio data communications are performed in a contactless manner between the plurality of contactless identification tags and the reader/writer device based on the time slot numbers that have been set.

5. A contactless identification tag control program executable by a computer for controlling a contactless identification tag in a data communication system as claimed in claim 4, the program comprising a slot number resetting step of performing a processing to reset the time slot number in response to the instruction to reset time slot numbers from the reader/writer device.

6. A contactless identification tag control program as claimed in claim 5, comprising a second tag information transmission step of transmitting tag information to the reader/writer device.

7. A contactless identification tag control program as claimed in claim 5, comprising a step of stopping an operation in response to an operation suspension instruction from the reader/writer device, and a step of restarting the operation in response to an operation restart instruction from the reader/writer device.

8. A data communication system equipped with a plurality of contactless identification tags as claimed in claim 1, a reader/writer device, and a host device, wherein

the host device comprises:

first slot number setting instruction means for instructing the reader/writer device to have the plurality of contactless identification tags set the time slot numbers;

first tag information obtaining means for obtaining tag information including the identification numbers of the contactless identification tags from the reader/writer device;

duplication information obtaining means for obtaining, when duplication information of the time slot numbers is sent from the reader/writer device, the duplication information; and

first reset instruction means for giving, when the duplication information is obtained by the duplication information obtaining means, an instruction to reset time slot numbers to the contactless identification tags with the time slot numbers being duplicate;

the reader/writer device comprises;

second slot number setting instruction means for giving, in response to the instruction to set time slot numbers from the host device, an instruction to set time slot numbers to the plurality of contactless identification tags;

second reset instruction means for giving, in response to the instruction to reset time slot numbers from the host device, an instruction to reset time slot numbers to the contactless identification tags with the duplication information detected;

second tag information obtaining means for obtaining tag information including the identification numbers of the contactless identification tags from the contactless identification tags;

first tag information transmission means for transmitting to the host device the tag information obtained by the second tag information obtaining means;

duplicate tag detection means for detecting, based on the tag information obtained by the second tag information obtaining means, whether any of the plurality of contactless identification tags have the time slot numbers being duplicate; and

duplication information transmission means for transmitting to the host device the duplication information when the duplicate tag detection means detects that some of the contactless identification tags have the time slot numbers being duplicate; and

each of the contactless identification tags comprises;

slot number resetting means for performing, in response to the instruction to set time slot numbers from the reader/writer device, a processing to set the time slot number, and performing, in response to the instruction to reset time slot numbers from the reader/writer device, a processing to reset the time slot number; and

second tag information transmission means for transmitting the tag information to the reader/writer device.

9. A data communication system as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

the host device is equipped with first operation suspension instruction means for giving an instruction to the contactless identification tags to suspend an operation thereof, and first operation restart instruction means for giving an instruction to the contactless identification tags whose operation is suspended by the first operation suspension instruction means to restart the operation; and

the reader/writer device is equipped with second operation suspension instruction means for giving, in response to the instruction to suspend operations from the host device, an instruction to the contactless identification tags to suspend an operation thereof, and second operation restart instruction means for giving, in response to the instruction to restart operations from the host device, an instruction to the contactless identification tags whose operation is suspended to restart the operation thereof; and

wherein

each of the contactless identification tags suspends an operation thereof in response to the instruction to suspend operations from the reader/writer device, and restarts the operation that is suspended in response to the instruction to restart operations from the reader/writer device.

10. A data communication system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the host device is equipped with tag information display means for displaying the tag information obtained from the reader/writer device.

11. A reader/writer device control program executable by a computer for controlling a reader/writer device in a data communication system as claimed in claim 8, the program comprising:

a step of giving, in response to the instruction to set time slot numbers from the host device, an instruction to set time slot numbers to the plurality of contactless identification tags;

a step of giving, in response to an instruction to reset the time slot numbers from the host device, an instruction to reset time slot numbers to the plurality of contactless identification tags with the duplication detected;

a step of obtaining tag information including the identification numbers of the contactless identification tags from the contactless identification tags;

a step of transmitting to the host device the tag information obtained by the second tag information obtaining means;

a step of detecting, based on the tag information obtained by the second tag information obtaining means, whether any of the plurality of contactless identification tags have the time slot numbers that are duplicate; and

a step of transmitting to the host device the duplication information when the duplicate tag detection means detects that some of the contactless identification tags have the time slot numbers that are duplicate.

12. A data communication system equipped with a plurality of contactless identification tags as claimed in claim 1, a reader/writer device, and a host device, wherein

the host device comprises:

first slot number setting instruction means for instructing the reader/writer device to have the plurality of contactless identification tags set the time slot numbers; and

first tag information obtaining means for obtaining tag information including the identification numbers of the contactless identification tags from the reader/writer device;

the reader/writer device comprises;

second slot number setting instruction means for giving, in response to the instruction from the host device, an instruction to set time slot numbers to the plurality of contactless identification tags;

second tag information obtaining means for obtaining tag information including the identification numbers of the contactless identification tags from the contactless identification tags;

duplicate tag detection means for detecting, based on the tag information obtained by the second tag information obtaining means, whether any of the plurality of contactless identification tags have the time slot numbers being duplicate;

reset instruction means for giving, when the duplicate tag detection means detects that some of the contactless identification tags have the time slot numbers being duplicate, an instruction to reset time slot numbers to the contactless identification tags; and

first tag information transmission means for transmitting to the host device the tag information obtained by the second tag information obtaining means; and

each of the contactless identification tags comprises;

slot number resetting means for performing, in response to the instruction to set time slot numbers from the reader/writer device, a processing to set the time slot number, and performing, in response to the instruction to reset time slot numbers from the reader/writer device, a processing to reset the time slot number; and

second tag information transmission means for transmitting the tag information to the reader/writer device.

13. A data communication system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the tag information includes information indicating that the time slot numbers are duplicate.

14. A data communication system as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

the reader/writer device is equipped with operation suspension instruction means for giving an instruction to the contactless identification tags to suspend operations thereof, and operation restart instruction means for giving an instruction to the contactless identification tags whose operation is suspended by the operation suspension instruction means to restart the operation thereof;

each of the contactless identification tags suspends an operation thereof in response to the instruction to suspend operations from the reader/writer device, and restarts the operation that is suspended in response to the instruction to restart operations from the reader/writer device; and

the reader/writer device gives, when the duplicate tag detection means detects that some of the contactless identification tags have the time slot numbers being duplicate, an instruction to the contactless identification tags having the time slot numbers that are not duplicate to have the operation suspension instruction means suspend the operation thereof, and gives, when duplication of the time slot numbers is cancelled by the resetting instruction means, an instruction to the contactless identification tags whose operation is suspended, to have the operation restart instruction means restart the operation.

15. A reader/writer device control program executable by a computer for controlling a reader/writer device in a data communication system as claimed in claim 12, the program comprising:

a step of giving, in response to the instruction from the host device, an instruction to set time slot numbers to the plurality of contactless identification tags;

a step of obtaining tag information including the identification numbers of the contactless identification tags from the contactless identification tags;

a step of detecting, based on the tag information obtained by the second tag information obtaining means, whether any of the plurality of contactless identification tags have the time slot numbers that are duplicate;

a step of giving, when the duplicate tag detection means detects that some of the contactless identification tags have the time slot numbers that are duplicate, an instruction to reset time slot numbers to the contactless identification tags, and

a step of transmitting to the host device the tag information obtained by the second tag information obtaining means.

16. A contactless identification tag control program executable by a computer for controlling a contactless identification as claimed in claim 1, the program comprising:

a random number generating step of generating a random number; and

a slot number setting step of setting the time slot number based on the identification number stored in the identification number storage means and the random number generated in the random number generating step,

wherein the random number and a bit position in a bit string indicating the identification number are correlated with each other in advance, and

wherein the time slot number setting step includes extracting a numerical value at the bit position corresponding to the random number from the bit string indicating the identification number, and setting the time slot number based on the extracted numerical value.

17. A contactless identification tag program as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

the bit string indicating the identification number is divided into a plurality of blocks in units of a predetermined number of bits, and a different number is appended to each of the blocks; and

the time slot number setting step includes selecting one of the blocks corresponding to a random number generated by the random number generating step, and setting the time slot number based on a numerical value composed of a bit string included in the selected block.

18. A contactless identification tag program as claimed in claim 16, wherein the time slot number setting step includes selecting a specified bit from the bit string indicating the identification number based on a random number generated by the random number generating step, and setting the time slot number based on a numerical value composed of a bit string of a predetermined number of upper or lower bits with the selected bit as a reference position.