IC-tag read-write apparatus

• US 7,259,677 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Fujii, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan; Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US11/020,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20050156742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/573.7, 340/572.8, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/41.7
• US Class Current: 340/572.7
• 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

A radio data communication apparatus includes a circuit unit and at least one antenna unit. The circuit unit performs data read and write operations relative to an IC tag. Each antenna unit has an antenna and conducts a predetermined signal modulation to a first signal to be transmitted through the antenna by radio transmission to a specific IC tag in the data write operation. Also, each antenna unit conducts a predetermined signal demodulation to a second signal received through the antenna from the specific IC tag in accordance with the data read operation. The antenna unit is arranged at a position separated from the circuit unit.

Claims

1. A radio data communication apparatus, comprising;

a circuit unit configured to perform data read and write operations relative to an IC tag; and

at least one antenna unit each configured to have an antenna and to conduct a predetermined signal modulation to a first signal to be transmitted through the antenna by radio transmission to a specific IC tag in the data write operation and a predetermined signal demodulation to a second signal received through the antenna from the specific IC tag in accordance with the data read operation, each one of the at least one antenna unit being arranged at a position separated from the circuit unit,

wherein the circuit unit comprises

an oscillating circuit configured to generate a carrier wave having a specific frequency, and

a control circuit configured to synchronize the carrier wave and a data signal and output the carrier wave and the data signal in synchronism with each other,

wherein the antenna unit comprises

a signal modulation circuit configured to modulate the carrier wave and the data signal with the predetermined signal modulation to generate the first signal to be transmitted through the antenna in the data write operation and to demodulate the second signal received through the antenna in the data read operation.

2. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna unit comprises:

a signal transmitter configured to transmit signals from the antenna unit to the circuit unit,

wherein the circuit unit outputs a data signal and a carrier wave together included in the first signal to the antenna unit in the data write operation and retrieves data from the second signal after the predetermined signal demodulation performed by the antenna unit in the data read operation.

3. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein the carrier wave has a specific frequency.

4. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the oscillating circuit generates a plurality of carrier waves having specific frequencies different from each other,

wherein the circuit unit further comprises a switch circuit configured to exclusively select a specific carrier wave from among the plurality of carrier waves output from the oscillating circuit,

wherein the control circuit synchronizes the specific carrier wave output from the switch circuit and the data signal and outputs the carrier wave and the data signal in synchronism with each other to the signal modulation circuit of the antenna unit, and

wherein the specific carrier wave has a frequency previously set in accordance with a kind of a particular IC tag with which the radio data communication apparatus starts communicating, and the control circuit instructs the switch circuit to exclusively select the specific carrier wave from among the plurality of carrier waves to communicate with the particular IC card.

10. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein the antenna unit comprises:

an antenna configured to transmit the first signal and receive the second signal;

an oscillating circuit configured to generate the carrier wave having a specific frequency; and

a signal modulation circuit configured to modulate the carrier wave output from the oscillating circuit and the data signal with the predetermined signal modulation to generate the first signal to be transmitted through the antenna in the data write operation and to demodulate the second signal received through the antenna in the data read operation.

11. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 10, wherein the antenna unit further comprises:

a signal generating circuit configured to divide the frequency of the signal output from the oscillating circuit and to transmit the signal having the divided frequency to the control circuit of the circuit unit through the signal transmitter,

wherein the control circuit is configured to synchronize the data signal and the signal from the signal generating circuit and to output the synchronized signals to the signal modulation circuit of the antenna unit.

12. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 11, wherein the signal generating circuit is configured to divide the frequency of the signal output from the oscillating circuit at a predetermined frequency division ratio.

13. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein the signal transmitter includes a signal transmission path for transmitting a signal.

14. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the antenna unit and the circuit unit includes a communication interface circuit for interfacing signal communications between the antenna unit and the circuit unit through the signal transmitter.

15. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein the IC tag includes a memory storing identification information of the IC tag, and

wherein the circuit unit is further configured to obtain the identification information of the IC tag in a predetermined manner and to conduct signal communications with the IC tag using a communication mode corresponding to the identification information of the IC tag.

16. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 15, wherein the identification information is located at a leading position before data in a data package sent from the IC tag.

17. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 15, wherein the circuit unit is further configured to detect the identification information from the signal received through the antenna unit.

18. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 15, wherein the antenna unit is further configured to detect the identification information from the signal received through the antenna and to transmit the detected identification information to the circuit unit through the signal transmitter.

19. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 15, wherein the circuit unit is further configured to have a plurality of communication modes different from each other, to communicate with the IC tag by in turn selecting a communication mode from among the plurality of communication modes, and to start data communication with the IC tag using a communication mode through which the circuit unit successfully obtains the identification information from the IC tag.

20. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 15, wherein the circuit unit is further configured to have a plurality of communication modes different from each other and to start data communication with the IC tag using a communication mode externally selected.

21. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the IC tag includes a memory storing identification information of the IC tag, and

wherein the control circuit is further configured to obtain the identification information of the IC tag in a predetermined manner and to conduct signal communications with the IC tag using a communication mode corresponding to the identification information of the IC tag.

22. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 21, wherein the identification information is transmitted immediately before data from the IC tag.

23. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 21, wherein the control circuit is further configured to detect the identification information from the signal received through the antenna unit.

24. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 21, wherein the antenna unit is further configured to detect the identification information from the signal received through the antenna and to transmit the detected identification information to the control-circuit through the signal transmitter.

25. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 21, wherein the control circuit is further configured to have a plurality of communication modes different from each other, to communicate with the IC tag by in turn selecting a communication mode from among the plurality of communication modes, and to start data communication through the IC tag using a communication mode with which the control circuit successfully obtains the identification information from the IC tag.

26. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 21, wherein the control circuit is further configured to have a plurality of communication modes different from each other and to start data communication with the IC tag using a communication mode externally selected.

27. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 15, wherein the communication mode includes a coding method and communication protocols.

28. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 15, wherein selective operations in the communication mode are operated by software programs.

29. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal modulation circuit is integrated in a single integrated circuit chip.

31. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 10, wherein the oscillating circuit and the signal modulation circuit are integrated in a single integrated circuit chip.

32. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 15, wherein the signal transmitter includes a signal transmission path for transmitting a signal.

33. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 15, wherein each of the antenna unit and the circuit unit includes a communication interface circuit for interfacing signal communications between the antenna unit and the circuit unit through the signal transmitter.

5. A radio data communication apparatus comprising:

a circuit unit configured to perform data read and write operations relative to an IC tag; and

at least one antenna unit each configured to have an antenna and to conduct a predetermined signal modulation to a first signal to be transmitted through the antenna by radio transmission to a specific IC tag in the data write operation and a predetermined signal demodulation to a second signal received through the antenna from the specific IC tag in accordance with the data read operation, each one of the at least one antenna unit being arranged at a position separated from the circuit unit,

wherein the circuit unit outputs a data signal and a carrier wave together included in the first signal to the antenna unit in the data write operation and retrieves data from the second signal after the predetermined signal demodulation performed by the antenna unit in the data read operation,

wherein the antenna unit comprises;

a signal transmitter configured to transmit signals from the antenna unit to the circuit unit;

an antenna configured to transmit the first signal and receive the second signal;

a frequency multiplication circuit configured to multiply at a predetermined multiplication ratio a frequency of the carrier wave transmitted together with the data signal from the circuit unit; and

a signal modulation circuit configured to modulate the carrier wave output from the frequency multiplication circuit and the data signal with the predetermined signal modulation to generate the first signal to be transmitted through the antenna in the data write operation and to demodulate the second signal received through the antenna in the data read operation.

6. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 5, wherein the frequency multiplication circuit comprises:

an oscillating circuit configured to multiply at the predetermined multiplication ratio the frequency of the carrier wave input from the circuit unit and to output a signal having the multiplied frequency;

a frequency division circuit configured to divide the frequency of the signal output from the oscillating circuit of the antenna unit; and

a phase comparison circuit configured to compare a phase of a signal output from the frequency division circuit with a phase of the carrier wave input from the circuit unit and to output a phase comparison signal representing a result of phase comparison,

wherein the oscillating circuit is configured to adjust the multiplied frequency of the signal output therefrom based on the phase comparison signal such that the phase of the carrier wave output from the circuit unit matches the phase of the frequency division circuit.

7. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 5, wherein the frequency multiplication circuit includes a phase locked loop circuit configured to multiply at a predetermined multiplication ratio the frequency of the carrier wave input from the circuit unit.

8. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 5, wherein the circuit unit is configured to transmit the carrier wave having a predetermined frequency to the frequency multiplication circuit and the data signal to the signal modulation circuit in the data write operation, and to retrieve data from a signal demodulated by the signal modulation circuit of the antenna unit in the data read operation.

9. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 8, wherein the circuit unit comprises:

an oscillating circuit configured to generate the carrier wave having a specific frequency; and

a control circuit configured to synchronize the carrier wave output from the oscillating circuit and the data signal, and to transmit the carrier wave to the frequency multiplication circuit and the data signal to the signal modulation circuit.

30. A radio data communication apparatus of claim 5, wherein the frequency multiplication circuit and the signal modulation circuit are integrated in a single integrated circuit chip.

34. An apparatus comprising:

a function component configured to perform a predetermined function and provided with an IC tag; and

a radio data communication unit comprising;

a circuit unit configured to perform data read and write operations relative to the IC tag; and

an antenna unit configured to have an antenna and to conduct a predetermined signal modulation to a first signal to be transmitted through the antenna by radio transmission to a specific IC tag in the data write operation and a predetermined signal demodulation to a second signal received through the antenna from the specific IC tag in accordance with the data read operation, the antenna unit being arranged at a position separated from the control circuit,

wherein the circuit unit comprises

an oscillating circuit configured to generate a carrier wave having a specific frequency, and

a control circuit configured to synchronize the carrier wave and a data signal and output the carrier wave and the data signal in synchronism with each other,

wherein the antenna unit comprises

a signal modulation circuit configured to modulate the carrier wave and the data signal with the predetermined signal modulation to generate the first signal to be transmitted through the antenna in the data write operation and to demodulate the second signal received through the antenna in the data read operation.

35. An apparatus of claim 34, wherein the radio data communication unit further comprises:

a signal transmitter configured to transmit signals between the circuit unit and the antenna unit,

wherein the circuit unit outputs a data signal and a carrier wave together included in the first signal to the antenna unit in the data write operation and retrieves data from the second signal after the predetermined signal demodulation performed by the antenna unit in the data read operation.

36. An apparatus of claim 35, wherein the antenna unit of the radio data communication unit is mounted to the function component.