Tag-information management apparatus and IC tag

• US 7,978,053 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nakai, Akira, Doi, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Brian A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Syed; Nabil H
• Application Number:
  US11/214,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20060255919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,142 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.51, 340/572.1, 340/568.4, 340/825, 340/10.42, 340/10.3, 235/449, 235/450, 235/451
• US Class Current: 340/10.51
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/18 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves

Abstract

An apparatus for managing information about an integrated circuit tag includes an acquiring unit and a storing unit. The acquiring unit acquires communication range information that is information about a range in which the integrated circuit tag communicates with an antenna of a reader/writer. The integrated circuit tag includes a transmitting device that transmits position identification information for identifying a position of the integrated circuit tag. The storing unit stores the communication range information in association with antenna identification information and integrated-circuit-tag identification information.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing information about an integrated circuit tag, comprising:

an acquiring unit that acquires three-dimensional position coordinates of the integrated circuit tag located at a plurality of critical points each corresponding to a range of electric-wave output by an antenna of a reader/writer, from a controller that measures a three-dimensional position coordinate of the integrated circuit tag;

a storing unit that stores the three-dimensional position coordinates acquired by the acquiring unit;

an electric-wave outputting-range determination unit that creates an approximation surface based on the three-dimensional position coordinates in the storing unit, and compares the approximation surface and a three-dimensional position coordinate of an integrated circuit tag for locating, and determines whether the three-dimensional position coordinate of the integrated circuit tag for locating is within the approximation surface or not;

a writing unit that writes the three-dimensional position coordinates in the storing unit into the integrated circuit tag; and

a display unit that

displays the integrated circuit tag for locating is within a tolerance range of electric-wave output by an antenna of a reader/writer when the three-dimensional position coordinate of the integrated circuit tag for locating is within the approximation surface, and

displays the integrated circuit tag for locating is not within the tolerance range when the three-dimensional position coordinate of the integrated circuit tag for locating is not within the approximation surface.

2. A method of managing information about an integrated circuit tag, comprising:

acquiring three-dimensional position coordinates of the integrated circuit tag located at a plurality of critical points each corresponding to a range of electric-wave output by an antenna of a reader/writer, from a controller that measures a three-dimensional position coordinate of the integrated circuit tag;

storing the three-dimensional position coordinates acquired by the acquiring in the storing unit;

creating an approximation surface based on the three-dimensional position coordinates in the storing unit;

comparing the approximation surface and a three-dimensional position coordinate of an integrated circuit tag for locating;

determining whether the three-dimensional position coordinate of the integrated circuit tag for locating is within the approximation surface or not;

writing the three-dimensional position coordinates in the storing unit into the integrated circuit tag;

displaying the integrated circuit to for locating is within a tolerance range of electric-wave output by an antenna of a reader/writer when the three-dimensional position coordinate of the integrated circuit tag for locating is within the approximation surface, and

displaying the integrated circuit tag for locating is not within the tolerance range when the three-dimensional position coordinate of the integrated circuit tag for locating is not within the approximation surface.