RFID system, RFID cable system, and RFID cable laying method

• US 8,159,346 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yokota, Toshimi, Araki, Kenji, Utaka, Kenji, Matsumoto, Noritaka, Takada, Masatoshi, Shigemi, Ryosuke, Ota, Chikara
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/553,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20070102505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,999 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5729, 340/568.1, 340/539.1
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 Manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/30 Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing

Abstract

When an RFID is attached to an object to assist testing operations, the following problems are encountered; (1) the RFID of write type tends to cause a failure and is troublesome due to the necessity of rewrite each time the situation is changed, (2) the incorporation of the reader function in a terminal block increases the cost, and (3) the known techniques are targeted for only the connecting operation and are not adapted for a sequence test that takes the most expense in time and effort. The operations are aided by using an RFID reader and a terminal having the function for accessing a database of circuit information, RFID information, and test procedure information.

Claims

1. An RFID system comprising:

an RFID tag attached to a cable;

an RFID tag attached to a board terminal that is to be connected to said cable;

a data storage for storing RFID information indicating correspondence between a plurality of said RFID tags and a plurality of IDs, and connection information indicating connection relationships between said cable to be connected with said board terminal, each of said cable and board terminal being indicated with an ID;

a reader for reading an RFID tag attached to an object including said cable and said board terminal, said reader being disposed separately from said board terminal and said cable; and

a computer for searching IDs stored in said data storage when a first RFID tag attached to said cable and a second RFID tag attached to said board terminal are read by said reader, said computer searching a first ID corresponding to said first RFID tag and a second ID corresponding to said second RFID tag with reference to said RFID information stored in said data storage, said computer judging whether or not said cable designated by said first ID and said board terminal designated by said second ID are to be connected with each other with reference to said connection information stored in said data storage.

2. An RFID system according to claim 1, wherein said RFID information is prepared by designating a name of said cable and said board terminal, being prepared by reading an RFID tag of said cable or said board terminal writing said name of said cable, and said corresponding RFID tag, said RFID system further comprising a card attached to said cable, said name of said cable, said cable and said RFID tag of said board terminal being recorded on said card to be referred by a user.

3. An RFID system comprising:

an RFID tag attached to a cable;

an RFID tag attached to a board terminal that is to be connected to said cable;

a data storage for storing RFID information indicating correspondences between a plurality of said RFID tags and a plurality of IDs, and connection information indicating connection relationships between said cable to be connected with said board terminal, each of said cable and board terminal being indicated with an ID;

a reader for reading an RFID tag attached to an object including said cable and said board terminal, said reader being disposed separately from said board terminal and said cable; and

a controller for searching IDs stored in said data storage when an RFID tag attached to said cable is read by said reader, said controller searching a first ID corresponding to said RFID tag attached to said cable and a second ID of said board terminal corresponding to said first ID with reference to said RFID information stored in said data storage, and said controller operating a display means to display portions relating to said cable and said board terminal designated by said first ID and said second ID with reference to said connection information stored in said data storage.

4. The RFID system according to claim 3, wherein said controller searches said second ID of a board terminal to be connected to a cable designated by said first ID with reference to said connection information, and said controller operates said display means to display said connection information including said second ID and to display said first ID with highlighted display.

5. An RFID system according to claim 3, wherein said display means includes a LED controller and a control panel having a plurality of terminals and LEDs each of which is attached to each of said terminals, said LED controller searching IDs stored in said data storage when said RFID tag attached to said cable is read by said reader, said LED controller searching said first ID corresponding to said first RFID tag attached to said cable and said second ID corresponding to said first ID with reference to said information stored in said data storage, said LED controller lighting at least one LED relating to said board terminal designated by said second ID with reference to said connection information stored in said data storage.

6. An RFID cable system comprising:

an RFID tag attached to a cable;

an RFID tag attached to a board terminal that is to be connected to said cable;

a data storage for storing RFID information indicating correspondence between said board terminal RFID tag attached to said board terminal and a board terminal ID, said RFID information indicating said cable RFID tag attached to said cable and a cable ID, said data storage storing circuit information for setting connection pairs of cables designated by said cable IDs and board terminals designated by said board terminal IDs;

a reader for reading the RFID tag attached said cable or said board terminal, said reader being disposed separately from said board terminal and said cable; and

a computer for referring to said RFID information and said circuit information when a cable RFID tag of a cable and an RFID tag of a board terminal are read by said reader, said computer judging whether said RFIDs read by said reader are said board terminal RFID tag and said cable RFID tag or not, said computer judging whether said RFID tags read by said reader are a connection pair set in said circuit information or not when said read RFID tags are said board terminal RFID tag and said cable RFID tag, said computer storing information as work record information concerning a result of said judgment for judging said connection pair set in said circuit information or said computer storing information concerning whether said judgment is executed or not,

wherein said computer transmits said work record information to a server machine.

7. An RFID system according to claim 6, wherein said computer corrects said connection information at each judging operation, and operates a display means to display said circuit information.

8. An RFID system according to claim 6, wherein said computer stores a time information representing an RFID tag reading time of said reader.

9. An RFID system comprising:

an RFID tag attached to a cable;

an RFID tag attached to a board terminal that is to be connected to said cable;

a data storage for storing RFID information indicating correspondence between said board terminal RFID tag attached to said board terminal and a board terminal ID, said RFID information including correspondence information indicating said cable RFID tag attached to said cable and a cable ID, said data storage storing circuit information for setting connection pairs of a plurality of cables designated by said IDs and a plurality of board terminals designated by said IDs;

a reader for reading an RFID tag attached to said cable or said board terminal, said reader being disposed separately from said board terminal and said cable; and

a computer for receiving said RFID information or circuit information from a server machine, said computer referring to said RFID information and said circuit information when said cable RFID tag of said cable and said RFID tag of said board terminal are read by said reader, said computer judging whether said RFID tags read by said reader are said board terminal RFID tag and said cable RFID tag or not, said computer judging whether said RFID tags read by said reader are a connection pair set in said circuit information or not when said RFID tags are said board terminal RFID tag and said cable RFID tag, said computer storing information as work record information concerning a result of said judgment for judging said connection pair set in said circuit information or said computer storing information concerning whether said judgment is executed or not.

10. An RFID computer comprising:

a data storage for storing RFID information indicating correspondence between a plurality of said RFID tags and a plurality of IDs, and connection information indicating connection relationships between a cable to be connected with a board terminal, each said cable and said board terminal being indicated with an ID;

wherein said computer searches IDs stored in said data storage when a first RFID tag attached to said cable and a second RFID tag attached to said board terminal are input to said computer via a reader disposed separately from said board terminal and said cable, said computer searches a first ID corresponding to said first RFID tag and a second ID corresponding to said second RFID tag with reference to said RFID information stored in said data storage, and said computer judges whether board terminal ID, said RFID information indicating a cable RFID tag stored in a tag attached to a cable and a cable ID, said data storage storing circuit information for setting connection pairs of cables designated by said cable IDs and board terminals designated by said board terminal IDs,

wherein said computer refers to said RFID information and said circuit information when a cable RFID tag of a cable and an RFID tag of a board terminal are input to said computer via a reader disposed separately from said board terminal and said cable, said computer judges whether said RFID tags that are input are said board terminal RFID tag and said cable RFID tag or not, said computer judges whether said RFID tags input to said computer are a connection pair set in said circuit information or not when said RFID tags are said board terminal RFID tag and said RFID tag, said computer stores information as work record information concerning a result of said judgment for that judges said connection pair set in said circuit information or said computer storing information concerning whether said judgment is executed or not, and

wherein said computer transmits said work record information to a server machine.

11. An RFID computer comprising:

a data storage for storing RFID information indicating correspondences between a plurality of RFID tags and a plurality of IDs, and connection information indicating connection relationships between a cable to be connected with a board terminal, each said cable and board terminal being indicated with an ID;

wherein a controller searches IDs stored in said data storage when an RFID tag attached to said cable is input to said computer via a reader disposed separately from said board terminal and said cable, said controller searches a first ID corresponding to said RFID tag attached to said cable and a second ID of said board terminal corresponding to said first ID with reference to said RFID information stored in said data storage, and said controller operates a display means to display portions relating to said cable and said board terminal designated by said first ID and said second ID with reference to said connection information stored in said data storage.

12. An RFID computer, comprising,

a data storage for storing RFID information indicating correspondence between a board terminal RFID tag attached to a board terminal and a terminal ID, said RFID information including correspondence information indicating a cable RFID tag attached to a cable and a cable ID, said data storage storing circuit information for setting connection pairs of said cable designated by said IDs and said board terminals designated by said IDs,

wherein said computer receives said RFID information or circuit information from a server machine, said computer refers to said RFID information and said circuit information when said cable RFID tag of said cable and said RFID tag of said board terminal are input to said computer via a reader disposed separately from said board terminal and said cable, said computer judges whether said RFID tags input to said computer are said board terminal RFID tag and said cable RFID tag or not, said computer judges whether said input RFID tags are a connection pair set in said circuit information or not when said RFID tags are said board terminal RFID tag and said cable RFID tag, and said computer stores information as work record information concerning a result of said judgment that judges said connection pair set in said circuit information or said computer storing information concerning whether said judgment is executed or not.

13. An RFID computer comprising:

a data storage for storing RFID information indicating correspondence between a board terminal RFID tag attached to a board terminal and a board or not said cable designated by said first ID and said board terminal designated by said second ID are to be connected with each other with reference to said connection information stored in said data storage.