RFID tag information communicating device

• US 7,969,283 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ohashi, Tsuyoshi, Ushiyama, Kentaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown; Vernal U
• Application Number:
  US11/420,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20060202800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.2, 340/10.4, 340/10.5, 340/539.23, 340/539.16, 340/5.61, 235/435, 235/375
• US Class Current: 340/10.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0025 the arrangement consisting of a wireless interrogation device in combination with a device for optically marking the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0715 the arrangement including means to regulate power transfer to the integrated circuit
• 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 7/10217 parameter settings controlling the transmission power of the interrogator

Abstract

The RFID tag information communicating device is provided with a cartridge constructed in such a manner that a plurality of RFID circuit elements are stored and can be sequentially taken out therefrom, and an antenna for performing transmitting/receiving operations in a radio communicating operation between the own antenna and an antenna of a sequentially derived RFID circuit element, first access information for accessing RFID tag information of an IC circuit part is produced by a signal processing circuit; and the produced first access information is transmitted by a transmitting portion so as to access the RFID tag information of the IC circuit part. After the access operation is carried out, a control circuit judges as to whether or not the access operation can succeed, and controls a magnitude of transmission power from the transmitting portion in response to this judgment result.

Claims

1. An RFID tag information communicating device comprising:

a device antenna for performing a transmitting/receiving operation in a radio communicating operation between a tag antenna of a specific RFID circuit element and the one antenna among a plurality of RFID circuit elements each having an IC circuit part for storing a predetermined information and said tag antenna connected to said IC circuit part and for transmitting/receiving information;

a first information transmitting device for transmitting first access information which accesses RFID tag information of said IC circuit part via said device antenna to said tag antenna in a non-contact manner so as to access said RFID tag information of said IC circuit part;

a first power control portion for setting a magnitude of transmission power from said first information transmitting device in response to said access operation;

an access information producing device for producing said first access information; and

a first judging portion for judging as to whether or not an access operation to said IC circuit part can succeed after said access operation has been executed; and

wherein;

said first information transmitting device transmits said first access information produced by said access information producing device via said device antenna to said tag antenna in the non-contact manner so as to access said RFID tag information of said IC circuit part; and

said first power control portion controls the magnitude of the transmission power from said first information transmitting device in response to the access success/failure judging result obtained in said first judging portion, and

the RFID tag information communication device further comprises;

a first information receiving device operated in such a manner that after said first access information has been transmitted by said first information transmitting device, a first reply signal transmitted from said IC circuit part in response to said transmitted first access information is received via said tag antenna by said device antenna in the non-contact manner and the received first response signal is read; and

an access confirmation instruction transmitting device for transmitting a confirmation instruction signal for confirming as to whether or not an access operation can access via said device antenna to said tag antenna in a non-contact manner after said first access information has been transmitted by said first information transmitting device; and

wherein;

said first information receiving device receives information read from said IC circuit part in response to said confirmation instruction signal via said tag antenna by said device antenna in the non-contact manner, and reads the received information; and

said first judging portion inputs both the information which is produced by said access information producing device and transmitted by said first information transmitting device, and the information which is read from said IC circuit part and read by said first information receiving device, and judges as to whether or not said access operation can succeed by checking as to whether or not said transmitted information is coincident with said read information; and

the RFID tag information communicating device further comprises;

an instruction transmission power control portion for controlling the transmission power from said access confirmation instruction transmitting device.

2. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 1 wherein:

said instruction transmission power control portion continuously makes the magnitude of the transmission power from said access confirm instruction transmitting device irrespective of the magnitude of the transmission power from said first information transmitting device.

3. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 1 wherein:

said instruction transmission power control portion makes the magnitude of the transmission power from said access confirmation instruction transmitting device substantially equal to the magnitude of the transmission power from said first information transmitting device.

4. An RFID tag information communicating device comprising:

a device antenna for performing a transmitting/receiving operation in a radio communicating operation between a tag antenna of a specific RFID circuit element and the one antenna among a plurality of RFID circuit elements each having an IC circuit part for storing a predetermined information and said tag antenna connected to said IC circuit part and for transmitting/receiving information;

a first information transmitting device for transmitting first access information which accesses RFID tag information of said IC circuit part via said device antenna to said tag antenna in a non-contact manner so as to access said RFID tag information of said IC circuit part;

a first power control portion for setting a magnitude of transmission power from said first information transmitting device in response to said access operation;

an access information producing device for producing said first access information; and

a first judging portion for judging as to whether or not an access operation to said IC circuit part can succeed after said access operation has been executed; and

wherein;

said first information transmitting device transmits said first access information produced by said access information producing device via said device antenna to said tag antenna in the non-contact manner so as to access said RFID tag information of said IC circuit part; and

said first power control portion controls the magnitude of the transmission power from said first information transmitting device in response to the access success/failure judging result obtained in said first judging portion, and

the RFID tag information communicating device further comprises;

a first information receiving device operated in such a manner that after said first access information has been transmitted by said first information transmitting device, a first reply signal transmitted from said IC circuit part in response to said transmitted first access information is received via said tag antenna by said device antenna in the non-contact manner and the received first response signal is read; and

an access confirmation instruction transmitting device for transmitting a confirmation instruction signal for confirming as to whether or not an access operation can access via said device antenna to said tag antenna in a non-contact manner after said first access information has been transmitted by said first information transmitting device; and

wherein;

said first information receiving device receives information read from said IC circuit part in response to said confirmation instruction signal via said tag antenna by said device antenna in the non-contact manner, and reads the received information; and

said first judging portion inputs both the information which is produced by said access information producing device and transmitted by said first information transmitting device, and the information which is read from said IC circuit part and read by said first information receiving device, and judges as to whether or not said access operation can succeed by checking as to whether or not said transmitted information is coincident with said read information; and

the RFID tag information communicating device further comprises;

a second information transmitting device for transmitting second access information via said device antenna to said tag antenna in the non-contact manner, said second access information confirming as to whether or not an accessible RFID circuit element is present in a communication range;

a second information receiving device for receiving a second reply signal transmitted from said IC circuit part in response to said second access information via said tag antenna by said device antenna in a non-contact manner, and for reading said received second reply signal;

a second judging portion for judging a total number of accessible RFID circuit elements located in the communication range by checking as to whether or not there is such a response signal read by said second information receiving device; and

a second power control portion for controlling the magnitude of the transmission power from said second information transmitting device in response to the judgment result by said second judging portion.

5. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 4 wherein:

said second power control portion stepwisely increases the transmission power from said second information transmitting device in response to the judgment result made by said second judging portion in the case that said second judging portion judges that a total number of accessible RFID circuit elements is equal to 0 piece, until said second judging portion judges that the total number of the accessible RFID circuit elements is equal to at least 1 piece.

6. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 5 wherein:

said second power control portion stepwisely decreases the transmission power from said second information transmitting device in the case that said second judging portion judges that a total number of accessible RFID circuit elements is larger than, or equal to 2 pieces, until said second judging portion judges that the total number of the accessible RFID circuit elements is equal to 1 piece.

7. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 5 wherein:

in the case that said second judging portion judges that a total number of accessible RFID circuit elements is equal to 1 piece, said first information transmitting device specifies said tag antenna of the accessible RFID circuit element, and transmits said first access information.

8. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 5 wherein:

said first power control portion stepwisely increases transmission power from said first information transmitting device to said tag antenna of said specified one RFID circuit element from such a value which corresponds to the magnitude of the transmission power of said second access information when said second judging portion previously specifies that said RFID circuit element is accessible.

9. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 8 wherein:

said first power control portion stepwisely increases transmission power from said first information transmitting device to said tag antenna of said specified one RFID circuit element from such a value which is equal to the magnitude of the transmission power of said second access information when said second judging portion previously specifies that said RFID circuit element is accessible.

10. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 8 wherein:

said first power control portion stepwisely increases transmission power from said first information transmitting device to said tag antenna of said specified one RFID circuit element from such a value which is larger than the magnitude of the transmission power of said second access information when said second judging portion previously specifies that said RFID circuit element is accessible.

11. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 5 wherein:

said second power control portion stores/learns a magnitude of transmission power of said second information transmitting device in the case that said second judging portion judges that a total number of accessible RFID circuit elements is equal to 1 piece, and further, stepwisely increases the transmission power from said second information transmitting device from such a value which corresponds to said stored/learned transmission power value with respect to an RFID circuit element which is newly derived from an RFID circuit element storage device after said RFID circuit element being judged as the accessible circuit element.

12. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 11 wherein:

said second power control portion stepwisely increases the transmission power from said second information transmitting device from said stored/learned transmission power value with respect to said newly derived RFID circuit element.

13. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 11 wherein:

said second power control portion stepwisely increases the transmission power from said second information transmitting device from such a value which is smaller than said stored/learned transmission power value by a predetermined value with respect to said newly derived RFID circuit element.

14. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 11 wherein:

said second power control portion initializes said stored/learned transmission power value in the case that said RFID circuit element storage device is replaced.

15. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 7 wherein:

in the case that said second judging portion judges that a total number of accessible RFID circuit elements is larger than, or equal to 2 pieces, said first information transmitting device specifies said tag antenna of such an RFID circuit element that a signal strength of a reply signal received by said second information receiving device becomes maximum, and transmits thereto said first access information.

16. An RFID tag information communicating device comprising:

a device antenna for performing a transmitting/receiving operation in a radio communicating operation between a tag antenna of a specific RFID circuit element and the one antenna among a plurality of RFID circuit elements each having an IC circuit part for storing a predetermined information and said tag antenna connected to said IC circuit part and for transmitting/receiving information;

a first information transmitting device for transmitting first access information which accesses RFID tag information of said IC circuit part via said device antenna to said tag antenna in a non-contact manner so as to access said RFID tag information of said IC circuit part;

a first power control portion for setting a magnitude of transmission power from a writing information transmitting device of said first information transmitting device in response to said access operation;

a reply signal receiving device for receiving a reply signal from said RFID circuit element in accordance with said first access information sent from said first information transmitting device via said tag antenna by said device antenna in the non-contact manner; and

a third control portion for controlling a time duration defined as after said reply signal has been received by said reply signal receiving device and until said RFID tag information is transmitted by said writing information transmitting device in a variable manner, wherein

said first information transmitting device includes;

a position detecting signal transmitting device for transmitting a position detecting signal for detecting a position of said RFID circuit element as said first access information via said device antenna to said tag antenna in the non-contact manner; and

said writing information transmitting device for transmitting RFID tag information to be written into said IC circuit part as said first access information via said device antenna to said tag antenna in the non-contact manner; and

said first power control portion sets a magnitude of transmission power of said writing information transmitting device based upon said reply signal which is returned from said IC circuit part in response to said position detecting signal by said position detecting signal transmitting device.

17. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 16, further comprising:

a second control portion for controlling the transmission power by said position detecting signal transmitting device in a variable manner.

18. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 16, further comprising:

a fourth control portion for controlling the transmission power by said writing information transmitting device in a variable manner.

19. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 16, wherein the RFID tag information communicating device further comprises:

a feeding device configured to feed said RFID circuit element such that said RFID circuit element approaches proximate to said device antenna.

20. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 19, further comprising:

a first control portion for controlling a feeding speed of said RFID circuit element by said feeding device.

21. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 20 wherein:

said first control portion changes the feeding speed of said feeding device when said RFID circuit element fed by said feeding device reaches a predetermined range proximate to said device antenna.

22. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 21 wherein:

said first control portion reduces the feeding speed of said feeding device when said RFID circuit element fed by said feeding device reaches a predetermined range proximate to said device antenna.

23. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 20, further comprising:

a judging portion for judging whether or not the writing operation to said IC circuit part is successful after the transmitting operation by said writing information transmitting device has been executed; and

wherein;

said first control portion controls in a variable manner any one of said corresponding feeding speed, the transmission power of said position detecting signal, and the transmission power of said writing information, in response to the result of the writing success/failure judgment made by said judging portion.

24. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 20, further comprising:

a housing;

a cartridge holder unit provided on said housing, for detachably holding a cartridge equipped with said plurality of RFID circuit elements; and

an information detecting device for detecting parameter information which is formed in said cartridge in correspondence with a tag attribute parameter and a communication parameter of said corresponding RFID circuit elements; and

wherein;

said first control portion controls in a variable manner any one of said corresponding feeding speed, the transmission power of said position detecting signal, and the transmission power of said writing information, in response to a detection signal of said information detecting device.

25. An RFID tag information communicating device comprising:

a device antenna for performing a transmitting/receiving operation in a radio communicating operation between a tag antenna of a specific RFID circuit element and the antennae among a plurality of RFID circuit elements each having an IC circuit part for storing a predetermined information and said tag antenna connected to said IC circuit part and for transmitting/receiving information;

a first information transmitting device for transmitting first access information which accesses RFID tag information of said IC circuit part via said device antenna to said tag antenna in a non-contact manner to access said RFID tag information of said IC circuit part;

a first power control portion for setting a magnitude of transmission power from a writing information transmitting device of said first information transmitting device in response to said access operation;

a reply signal receiving device for receiving a reply signal from said RFID circuit element in accordance with said first access information sent from said first information transmitting device via said tag antenna by said device antenna in the non-contact manner; and

a feeding device configured to feed a plurality of said RFID circuit elements sequentially such that said RFID circuit element approaches proximate to said device antenna, wherein

said first information transmitting device includes;

a position detecting signal transmitting device for transmitting a position detecting signal for detecting a position of said RFID circuit element as said first access information via said device antenna to said tag antenna in the non-contact manner; and

said writing information transmitting device for transmitting RFID tag information to be written into said IC circuit part as said first access information via said device antenna to said tag antenna in the non-contact manner; and

said first power control portion sets a magnitude of transmission power of said writing information transmitting device based upon said reply signal which is returned from said IC circuit part in response to said position detecting signal by said position detecting signal transmitting device, and wherein

said RFID tag information communication device further comprises;

a judging portion for judging whether or not the writing operation to said IC circuit part is successful after the transmitting operation by said writing information transmitting device has been executed; and

a parameter readjust processing portion configured to readjust at least one parameter value set with respect to said first RFID circuit element when said judging portion determines that the writing operation to said IC circuit part of a first RFID circuit element approached close to said device antenna by said feeding device is not successfully executed, such that the readjusted parameter is suitable for a second RFID circuit element fed next to said first RFID circuit element by said feeding device.

26. The RFID tag information communicating device according to claim 25, wherein:

said parameter value comprises at least one of a waiting time duration defined after said reply signal has been received by said reply signal receiving device until said RFID tag information is transmitted by said writing information transmitting device, a retry time during which the writing information is transmitted continuously by said writing information transmitting device, a transmission power of said position detecting signal, and a transmission power of said writing information.