Object tagged with RFID tag and device and method for processing it

• US 7,474,212 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2005
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Teli Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Minoru, Nakagawa, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tai T
• Application Number:
  US11/176,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20050242953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 382/100, 382/135, 382/137, 235/380, 235/492, 235/280, 235/38
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 61/00 Use of pick-up or transfer devices or of manipulators for stacking or de-stacking articles not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/128 the workpiece itself serves as a record carrier, e.g. by its form, by marks or codes on it
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33199 Transponder
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45047 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/08 using markings of different kinds or more than one marking of the same kind in the same record carrier, e.g. one marking being sensed by optical and the other by magnetic means
• 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: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

The device will make it easy to recognize an individual object located at a specific location using radio frequency ID tags. The device includes an object having an object main body, a tag provided with the object main body, and a display section provided with the object main body to display the information corresponding to the ID information stored on the tag.

Claims

1. A device for processing an object with an RFID tag attached, comprising:

a robot control unit for controlling a sorting robot;

an object having an object main body, an RFID tag provided with the main body and a display unit provided with the main body to display an optical attribute information of the object, the RFID tag being configured to output a response only when stored ID information and received ID information are coincident, and not to output the response when the stored ID information and the received ID information are not coincident;

a video camera for recognizing the optical attribute information by reading the display unit when the object is located at a prescribed position; and

a controller and a radio communication unit connected to the video camera, the controller and radio communication unit for accessing a plurality of RFID tagged objects by using the optical attribute information corresponding to the received ID information when the video camera recognizes the optical attribute information, the controller and radio communication unit only communicating with one of the plurality of RFID tags which has responded,

wherein the controller has a function of analyzing a size, a color, and a shape of the object, obtaining article identification information, and transmitting the article identification information to the robot control unit.

2. The device for processing the object with a RFID tag attached according to claim 1, wherein the controller and the radio communication unit are incorporated in the video camera.

3. The device for processing the object with a RFID tag attached according to claim 1, wherein the radio communication unit or a part thereof is located at a place distant from the video camera.

4. The device for processing the object with a RFID tag attached according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is a number originally provided with the object.

5. A method for processing an object with a RFID tag attached composed of an object main body, a robot control unit for controlling a sorting robot, an RFID tag provided with the main body and a display unit provided with the main body to display optical attribute information of the object, the RFID tag being configured to output a response only when stored ID information and received ID information are coincident and not to output the response when the stored ID information and the received ID information are not coincident, a video camera for recognizing the optical attribute information by reading the display unit when the object is located at a prescribed position, and a controller and a radio communication unit connected to the video camera, for accessing a plurality of RFID tags by using the optical attribute information corresponding to the received ID information when the video camera recognizes the optical attribute information, the controller and the radio communication unit only communicating with one of the plurality of RFID tags which has responded, wherein the controller has a function of analyzing a size, a color, and a shape of the object to obtain article identification information, the method comprising:

reading the display unit and recognizing the optical attribute information;

accessing the plurality of RFID tags;

communicating with said one of the plurality of RFID tags which has responded obtaining the article identification information; and

transmitting the article identification information to the robot control unit.