RF tag recycling system and RF tag collecting apparatus

• US 7,312,708 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2005
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Denso PS Corporation (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso PS Corporation (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Tano, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US11/137,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20050267806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.4, 340/572.1, 340/568.1, 340/569, 340/539.13, 340/5.66, 235/383, 235/385, 235/449, 235/493, D14/385, D14/430, D18/4.5, D18/4.6
• US Class Current: 340/572.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems

Abstract

The RF tag recycling system for recycling RF tags containing information on goods to which the RF tags are attached includes data storage mediums which are portable by consumers and issued by stores affiliated with the system, at least one RF tag collecting apparatus configured to calculate, when one of the data storage mediums is inserted into the RF collecting apparatus, a reward point value for RF tags put in the RF collecting apparatus, and to update the one of the data storage mediums on the basis of the calculated reward point value. The RF tag recycling system further includes a data processing apparatus configured to accumulate the calculated reward point value received from the RF tag collecting apparatus and to notify one of the stores which is an issuer of the one of the data storage mediums of information on an accumulated reward point value.

Claims

1. A system for recycling RF tags containing information items on goods to which said RF tags are attached comprising:

data storage mediums which are portable by consumers and issued by stores affiliated with said system;

at least one RF tag collecting apparatus configured to calculate, when one of said data storage mediums is inserted into said RF tag collecting apparatus, a reward point value for RF tags put in said RF tag collecting apparatus, and to update said one of said data storage mediums on the basis of said calculated reward point value; and

a data processing apparatus configured to accumulate said calculated reward point value received from said RF tag collecting apparatus, and to notify one of said stores which is an issuer of said one of said data storage mediums of information on an accumulated reward point value.

2. The system according to calm 1, wherein said data processing apparatus is configured to notify one of said stores which is an issuer of said one of said data storage mediums of information on an accumulated reward point value.

3. The system according to calm 1, wherein said RF tag collecting apparatus includes a counter for counting the number of said RF tags put in a receiver thereof, a reader/writer updating said data storage medium inserted into said RF tag collecting apparatus by reading a reward point balance from said inserted data storage medium, performing addition of said reward point balance and a reward point value which said RF tag collecting apparatus calculates on the basis of the number of said RF tags counted by said counter, and writing a result of said addition as a new reward point balance into said inserted data storage medium.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said RF tag collecting apparatus includes a check device for determining whether said RF tags received in said receiver are defective or not one by one, and is configured to lower said calculated reward point value depending on the number of said RF tags received in said receiver and determined to be defective by said check device.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said check device is a tag reader capable of reading said RF tags received in said receiver.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein each of said data storage mediums prestores one of enterprise IDs assigned to said stores, and said RF tag collecting apparatus is configured to store said calculated reward point value for each of said enterprise IDs.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said data processing apparatus includes a storage device forming a database for accumulating said calculated reward point value received from said RF tag collecting apparatus for each of said enterprise IDs.

8. An RF tag collecting apparatus for use in a system for recycling RF tags containing information items on goods to which said RF tags are attached, said RF tag collecting apparatus comprising:

a receiver receiving RF tags put in said RF tag collecting apparatus;

a counter for counting the number of said RF tags received in said receiver;

a calculating unit calculating a reward point value for said RF tags received in said receiver on the basis of said number counted by said counter;

a reader/writer updating a data storage medium inserted into said RF tag collecting apparatus by reading a reward point balance from said inserted data storage medium, performing addition of said reward point balance and said calculated reward point value, and writing a result of said addition as a new reward point balance into said inserted data storage medium.

9. The RF tag collecting apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a check device for determining whether said RF tags received in said receiver are defective or not one by one, said calculating unit being configured to lower said calculated reward point value depending on the number of said RF tags received in said receiver and determined to be defective by said check device.

10. The RF tag collecting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said check device is a tag reader capable of reading said RF tags received in said receiver.