Tag detecting system, moving object detecting method, and entrance/exit management system

• US 8,248,204 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2009
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Industry & Control Solutions, Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.), Matrix Incorporated (Vesuvius Plc)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Engineering & Services Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd., Matrix Incorporated (Vesuvius Plc)
• Inventors: Takeshima, Masahiro, Tamura, Kazuo, Kawahara, Takeshi, Kondou, Masayoshi, Kawarai, Dai
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adnan, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US12/404,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20090179742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/10.41, 340/12.1, 340/33, 340/572.7, 340 561- 63, 340/928
• US Class Current: 340/4.34
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00
• 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 7/10128 the step consisting of detection of the presence of one or more record carriers in the vicinity of the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22

Abstract

A tag detecting system for detecting a movement of a person or an object that mounts an RFID tag, a moving object detecting method, and an entrance/exit management system using the moving object detecting system are provided. The tag detecting system detects a specific person or object by restricting a detection area of the RFID tag to a narrow area. Since the moving object detecting method detects a piggyback, the entrance/exit system prevents the piggyback even if there are a number of persons passing through an entrance/exit gate almost at the same time.

Claims

1. A tag detecting system comprising:

a first generator emitting a pulse code modulated signal of a predetermined intensity through a first antenna;

a second generator emitting a pulse code modulated signal of a predetermined intensity through a second antenna;

an RFID tag detecting the pulse code modulated signal from the first antenna and the second antenna, and transmitting a discrimination signal by responding to the pulse code modulated signal; and

a receiver receiving the discrimination signal through a receiving antenna, wherein

the first antenna and the second antenna are adjacently arranged to produce a cross over area between high-frequency magnetic fields formed by both the first and second antennas,

each of the first generator and the second generator emits the pulse code modulated signal at such a timing that spaces included in a predetermined part of the pulse code modulated signal emitted by any one of the first and second generators is occupied by the pulse code modulated signal emitted by the other the first and second generators, and

the RFID tag is made not to detect the pulse code modulated signals due to the spaces being occupied, if the RFID tag is located in the cross over area or a part of the cross over area.

2. The tag detecting system according to claim 1, in which

the RFID tag transmits the discrimination signal including discrimination information contained in the pulse code modulated signal, and tag discrimination information on the RFID tag, on receiving the respective pulse code modulated signals, where the tag detecting system determines,

whether the discrimination signal corresponds to the pulse code modulated signal from the first antenna or the pulse code modulated signal from the second antenna, when the tag detecting system receives the discrimination signal through the receiving antenna transmitted from the RFID tag, and

whether the RFID tag moves from an area of a magnetic field formed by the first antenna to an area of a magnetic field formed by the second antenna or the RFID tag moves from the area of the magnetic field formed by the second antenna to the area of the magnetic field formed by the first antenna, by a receiving order, when the tag detecting system receives both discrimination signals which correspond to the pulse code modulated signals from the first antenna and the second antenna.

3. The tag detecting system according to claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is not capable of detecting the received pulse code modulated signals, when the RFID tag receives the pulse cord modulated signals from a plurality of the antennas, and spaces of the predetermined parts are occupied by making a ratio or a difference between field strengths of the plurality of the received pulse code modulated signals be in a par state.

4. A tag detecting system comprising:

a first generator emitting a pulse code modulated signal through a first antenna of a predetermined field strength;

a second generator emitting a pulse code modulated signal through a second antenna of a predetermined field strength;

a third generator emitting a pulse code modulated signal through a third antenna of a predetermined field strength;

an RFID tag detecting the pulse code modulated signal at least from the first antenna, the second antenna and the third antenna, and transmitting a discrimination signal by responding to the pulse code modulated signal; and

a receiver receiving the discrimination signal through a receiving antenna, wherein

the first antenna and the second antenna are adjacently arranged to produce a first cross over area where high-frequency magnetic fields formed by both antennas are overlaid each other;

the first antenna and the third antenna are adjacently arranged to produce a second cross over area where high-frequency magnetic fields formed by both antennas are overlaid each other;

each of the first generator and the second generator emits the pulse code modulated signal at such a timing that spaces included in a predetermined part of the pulse code modulated signal emitted by any one of the first and second generators is occupied by the pulse code modulated signal emitted by the other of the first and second generators;

each of the first generator and the third generator emits the pulse code modulated signal at such a timing that spaces included in a predetermined part of the pulse code modulated signal emitted by any one of the first and third generators is occupied by the pulse code modulated signal emitted by the other of the first and third generators; and

a detection area in which the RFID tag is capable of detecting the pulse code modulated signal from the first antenna, is made to be restricted so that the RFID tag is made not to detect the pulse code modulated signals due to the spaces being occupied, if the RFID tag is located in the first cross over area or the second cross over area, or a part of the first cross over area or the second cross over area.

5. The tag detecting system according to claim 4, in which the RFID tag transmits the discrimination signal including tag discrimination information of the RFID tag, further comprising:

a person number counting means for detecting or estimating the number of persons who exist in the restricted detection area;

a tag counting means for detecting or estimating the number of the RFID tags which exist in the detection area based on the tag discrimination information included in the discrimination signal received by the receiver; and

a piggybacking detection means for determining that there is a piggyback when the number of the RFID tags detected or estimated and the number of the persons detected or estimated are compared, and the number of the persons is larger than the number of the RFID tags.

6. The tag detecting system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a person number counting means for detecting or estimating the number of persons who exist in the restricted detection area, and

a piggybacking detection means for determining that there is a piggyback when the number of persons detected or estimated by the person number counting means is two or more.

7. The moving object detecting method according to claim 6, wherein the integrated circuit detects the cross over trigger signal in the cross over area based on a size of a ratio or a difference between voltage levels of the respective pulse code modulated signals.

8. The moving object detecting method according to claim 7, wherein

the integrated circuit receives and transmits the ID information by detecting the cross over trigger signal when the ratio or the difference between the voltage levels of the respective pulse code modulated signals is larger than a threshold level, and

the integrated circuit does not detect the cross over trigger signal when the ratio or the difference between the voltage levels of the respective trigger signals is smaller than the threshold level.

9. A moving object detecting method for detecting a movement of an object mounting an RFID tag comprised of:

a step that a plurality of trigger antennas respectively form high-frequency magnetic fields in which there is a cross over area where parts of the magnetic fields are adjacently overlaid;

a step that a plurality of generators emit pulse cord modulated signals corresponding to the respective high-frequency magnetic fields, and generate cross over trigger signals by overlaying the respective pulse code modulated signals in the cross over area;

a step that an integrated circuit mounted on the RFID tag receives and transmits ID information corresponding to the pulse code modulated signal in the respective high-frequency magnetic fields; and

a step that the integrated circuit receives and transmits ID information corresponding to the cross over trigger signal when the integrated circuit detects the cross over trigger signal in the cross over area.

10. An entrance/exit management system for monitoring a movement of a person having an RFID tag including:

a plurality of trigger antennas which form high-frequency magnetic fields respectively in which there is a cross over area where adjacent magnetic fields are partially overlaid; and

an integrated circuit which is mounted on the RFID tag, detects respective trigger signals included in the magnetic field of the respective high-frequency magnetic fields, and receives and transmits ID information corresponding to the respective trigger signals, wherein the integrated circuit does not receive and transmit the ID information in the cross over area, when the integrated circuit detects a cross over trigger signal formed by the respective trigger signals contained in the magnetic fields overlaid.

11. The entrance/exit management system according to claim 10, wherein each of the trigger signals is a pulse code modulated signal, and the cross over trigger signal is a signal in which the pulse code modulated signals are overlaid so that time spaces included in a predetermined part of one pulse code modulated signal are occupied by the other pulse code modulated signal.

12. The entrance/exit management system according to claim 11, wherein the integrated circuit determines whether or not the integrated circuit detects a cross over trigger signal in a preamble part and a header part which are located in a lead part of the pulse code modulated signal.

13. The entrance/exit management system according to claim 12, wherein the integrated circuit determines whether or not the integrated circuit detects the cross over trigger signal in the cross over area based on a ratio or a difference between voltage levels of the respective pulse code modulated signals.

14. The entrance/exit management system according to claim 13, wherein

the integrated circuit detects the cross over trigger signal, and receives and transmits the ID information, when the ratio or the difference between the voltage levels of the respective pulse code modulated signals is larger than a threshold level, and

the integrated circuit does not detect the cross over trigger signal, when the ratio or the differences between the voltage levels of the respective pulse code modulated signals is smaller than the threshold level.

15. An entrance/exit management system for monitoring a movement of a person having an RFID tag comprising:

three trigger antennas which respectively form high-frequency magnetic fields having cross over areas in which adjacent magnetic fields are partially overlaid;

the RFID tag which includes an integrated circuit; and

the integrated circuit which detects respective pulse code modulated signals included in magnetic fields of the respective high-frequency magnetic fields, receives and transmits ID information corresponding to the respective pulse code modulated signals, and does not detect a cross over trigger signal in which the pulse code modulated signals included in the magnetic fields are overlaid, at least in a partial area of the cross over area;

wherein

the integrated circuit detects a direction of movement of the RFID tag based on a process that ID information changes corresponding to the respective pulse code modulated signals, and

the integrated circuit discriminates the specific RFID tag in the high-frequency magnetic field located between the partial areas.

16. The entrance/exit management system according to claim 15, wherein the partial area is capable of being shifted based on the ratio of the difference between the voltage levels of the respective pulse code modulated signals.

17. The entrance/exit management system according to claim 16, wherein

the partial area is shifted to a wide area in the cross over area, when the ratio or the difference between the voltage levels of the respective pulse code modulated signals is larger than the threshold level, and

the partial areas is shifted to a narrow area in the cross over area when the ratio or the difference between the voltage levels of the respective pulse code modulated signals is larger than the threshold level.

18. A moving object detecting method for detecting a movement of an object mounting an RFID tag comprising:

a step of forming a first high-frequency magnetic field corresponding to a first pulse code modulated signal including first trigger ID information and a second high-frequency magnetic field corresponding to a second pulse code modulated signal including second trigger ID information, such that there is a first cross over area where a part of the magnetic fields is adjacently overlaid, wherein

the RFID tag includes a three-dimensional coil and an integrated circuit composing vector values of the three-dimensional high-frequency magnetic fields, received by the three- dimensional coil, thereby to output signal levels as scalar values, and

if a part of the first pulse code modulated signal and the second pulse code modulated signal is overlaid when the signal levels of the scalar values are the same, at least a part of spaces of the modulated signals is occupied, which makes the RFID tag incapable of detecting the modulated signals, and

a step of transmitting a signal including trigger ID information corresponding to the pulse code modulated signal at the larger signal level and tag ID information of the RFID itself by the RFID tag, if a ratio of the signal levels is smaller than a threshold value;

a larger signal level being defined as a denominator by comparing the first pulse code modulated signal thus received to the second pulse code modulated signal thus received, in the first cross over area using the scalar values of the signal levels, and

a step of transmitting no signal including the tag ID information of the RFID tag itself by the RFID tag, if the ratio of the signal levels is larger than the threshold value.

19. The moving object detecting method for detecting a movement of an object according to claim 18, wherein an area where the RFID tag transmits a signal including the first trigger ID information by detecting the first pulse code modulated signal, an area where the RFID tag transmits a signal including the second trigger ID information by detecting the second pulse code modulated signal, and an area where the RFID tag is incapable of detecting both first pulse code modulated signal and second pulse code modulated signal;

the area being placed between both aforementioned areas, are formed in the first cross over area.

20. The moving object detecting method for detecting a movement of an object according to claim 18, comprising:

a step of forming a third high-frequency magnetic field and the second high-frequency magnetic field, such that there is a second cross over area where a part of the magnetic fields is adjacently overlaid, wherein

if a part of the second pulse code modulated signal and the third pulse code modulated signal is overlaid when the signal levels of the scalar values are the same, at least a part of spaces of the modulated signals is occupied, which makes the RFID tag incapable of detecting the second pulse code modulated signal and the third pulse code modulated signal, and

a step of transmitting a signal including trigger ID information corresponding to the pulse code modulated signal at a larger signal level and tag ID information of the RFID itself by the RFID tag, if a ratio of the signal levels is smaller than a threshold value;

the larger signal level being defined as a denominator by comparing the second pulse code modulated signal thus received to the third pulse code modulated signal thus received, in the second cross over area using the scalar values of the signal levels, and

a step of transmitting no signal including the tag ID information of the RFID tag itself by the RFID tag, if the ratio of the signal levels is larger than the threshold value.

21. The moving object detecting method for detecting a movement of an object according to claim 20, wherein an area where the RFID tag transmits a signal including the second trigger ID information by detecting the second pulse code modulated signal, an area where the RFID tag transmits a signal including the third trigger ID information by detecting the third pulse code modulated signal, and an area where the RFID tag is incapable of detecting both second pulse code modulated signal and third pulse code modulated signal;

the area being placed between both aforementioned areas, are formed in the second cross over area.

22. The moving object detecting method for detecting a movement of an object according to claim 20, comprising:

a step of comparing the number of the RFID tags existing in an area where the RFID tag transmits a signal including the second trigger ID information to the number of persons existing in the area; and

a step of determining whether or not there is a piggyback when the number of the persons is large.

23. The moving object detecting method for detecting a movement of an object according to claim 18, wherein at least a part of the spaces of the modulated signals is a header part of the pulse code modulated signals.

24. A tag detecting system comprising:

a first generator emitting a first pulse code modulated signal including first trigger ID information to a first antenna, and forming a first high-frequency magnetic field corresponding to the first pulse code modulated signal through the first antenna;

a second generator emitting a second pulse code modulated signal including second trigger ID information to a second antenna, and forming a second high-frequency magnetic

field corresponding to the second pulse code modulated signal through the second antenna; and

an RFID tag including a three-dimensional coil and an integrated circuit composing vector values of the three-dimensional high-frequency magnetic fields, received by the three- dimensional coil, thereby to output signal levels as scalar values, wherein

the first and the second high-frequency magnetic fields are formed such that there is a first cross over area where a part of the first and the second high-frequency magnetic fields is adjacently overlaid;

if a part of the first pulse code modulated signal and the second pulse code modulated signal is overlaid when the signal levels of the scalar values are the same, at least a part of spaces of the modulated signals is occupied, which makes the RFID tag incapable of detecting the first pulse code modulated signal and the second pulse code modulated signal,

the RFID tag transmits a signal including trigger ID information corresponding to the pulse code modulated signal at a larger signal level and tag ID information of the RFID itself, if a ratio of the signal levels is smaller than a threshold value;

the larger signal level being defined as a denominator by comparing the first pulse code modulated signal thus received to the second pulse code modulated signal thus received, in the first cross over area using the scalar values of the signal levels, and

the RFID tag transmits no signal including the tag ID information of itself, if the ratio of the signal levels is larger than the threshold value.

25. The tag detecting system comprising according to claim 24, wherein an area where the RFID tag transmits a signal including the first trigger ID information by detecting the first pulse code modulated signal, an area where the RFID tag transmits a signal including the second trigger ID information by detecting the second pulse code modulated signal, and an area where the RFID tag is incapable of detecting both first pulse code modulated signal and second pulse code modulated signal;

the area being placed between both aforementioned areas, are formed in the first cross over area.

26. The tag detecting system according to claim 24, further comprising:

a third generator emitting a third pulse code modulated signal including third trigger ID information to a third antenna, and forming a third high-frequency magnetic field corresponding to the third pulse code modulated signal through the third antenna, wherein

the third and the second high-frequency magnetic fields are formed such that there is a second cross over area where a part of the third and the second high-frequency magnetic fields is adjacently overlaid;

if a part of the third pulse code modulated signal and the second pulse code modulated signal is overlaid when the signal levels of the scalar values are the same, at least a part of spaces of the modulated signals is occupied, which makes the RFID tag incapable of detecting the third pulse code modulated signal and the second pulse code modulated signal;

the RFID tag transmits a signal including trigger ID information corresponding to the pulse code modulated signal at a larger signal level and tag ID information of the RFID itself, if a ratio of the signal levels is smaller than a threshold value;

the larger signal level being defined as a denominator by comparing the second pulse code modulated signal thus received to the third pulse code modulated signal thus received, in the second cross over area using the scalar values of the signal levels, and

the RFID tag transmits no signal including the tag ID information of itself, if the ratio of the signal levels is larger than the threshold value.

27. The tag detecting system according to claim 26, wherein an area where the RFID tag transmits a signal including the second trigger ID information by detecting the second pulse code modulated signal, an area where the RFID tag transmits a signal including the third trigger ID information by detecting the third pulse code modulated signal, and an area where the RFID tag is incapable of detecting both second pulse code modulated signal and third pulse code modulated signal;

the area being placed between both aforementioned areas, are formed in the second cross over area.

28. The tag detecting system according to claim 26, further comprising:

a person number counting means for detecting or estimating the number of persons who exist in the area where the RFID tag transmits the signal including the second trigger ID information, and

a piggybacking detection means for detecting that there is a piggyback when the number of the persons is larger than the number of the RFID tags, when the piggybacking detection means compares the number of the RFID tags existing in the area where the RFID tag transmits the signal including the second trigger ID information to the number of the persons existing in the aforementioned RFID tag transmitting area;

the number of the persons being detected by the person number counting means.

29. The tag detecting system according to claim 24, wherein at least a part of the spaces of the modulated signals is a header part of the pulse code modulated signals.

30. An entrance / exit management system for monitoring a movement of a person having an RFID tag comprising:

a first generator emitting a first pulse code modulated signal including first trigger ID information to a first antenna, and forming a first high-frequency magnetic field corresponding to the first pulse code modulated signal through the first antenna;

a second generator emitting a second pulse code modulated signal including second trigger ID information to a second antenna, and forming a second high-frequency magnetic field corresponding to the second pulse code modulated signal through the second antenna, in which the first and the second high-frequency magnetic fields are formed such that there is a first cross over area where a part of the first and the second high-frequency magnetic fields is adjacently overlaid, wherein

the RFID tag includes a three-dimensional coil and an integrated circuit composing vector values of the three-dimensional high-frequency magnetic fields, received by the three- dimensional coil, thereby to output signal levels as scalar values;

if a part of the first pulse code modulated signal and the second pulse code modulated signal is overlaid when the signal levels of the scalar values are the same, at least a part of spaces of the modulated signals is occupied, which makes the RFID tag incapable of detecting the first pulse code modulated signal and the second pulse code modulated signal;

the RFID tag transmits a signal including trigger ID information corresponding to the pulse code modulated signal at a larger signal level and tag ID information of the RFID itself, if a ratio of the signal levels is smaller than a threshold value;

the larger signal level being defined as a denominator by comparing the first pulse code modulated signal thus received to the second pulse code modulated signal thus received, in the first cross over area using the scalar values of the signal levels, and

the RFID tag transmits no signal including the tag ID information of itself, if the ratio of the signal levels is larger than the threshold value.

31. The entrance / exit management system according to claim 30, wherein an area where the RFID tag transmits a signal including the first trigger ID information by detecting the first pulse code modulated signal, an area where the RFID tag transmits a signal including the second trigger ID information by detecting the second pulse code modulated signal, and an area where the RFID tag is incapable of detecting both first pulse code modulated signal and second pulse code modulated signal;

the area being placed between both aforementioned areas, are formed in the first cross over area.

32. The entrance / exit management system according to claim 30, further comprising:

a third generator emitting a third pulse code modulated signal including third trigger ID information to a third antenna, and forming a third high-frequency magnetic field corresponding to the third pulse code modulated signal through the third antenna, wherein the third and the second high-frequency magnetic fields are formed such that there is a second cross over area where a part of the third and the second high-frequency magnetic fields is adjacently overlaid;

if a part of the third pulse code modulated signal and the second pulse code modulated signal is overlaid when the signal levels of the scalar values are the same, at least a part of spaces of the modulated signals is occupied, which makes the RFID tag incapable of detecting the third pulse code modulated signal and the second pulse code modulated signal;

the RFID tag transmits a signal including trigger ID information corresponding to the pulse code modulated signal at a larger signal level and tag ID information of the RFID itself, if a ratio of the signal levels is smaller than a threshold value;

the larger signal level being defined as a denominator by comparing the second pulse code modulated signal thus received to the third pulse code modulated signal thus received, in the second cross over area using the scalar values of the signal levels, and

the RFID tag transmits no signal including the tag ID information of itself, if the ratio of the signal levels is larger than the threshold value.

33. The entrance / exit management system according to claim 32, wherein an area where the RFID tag transmits a signal including the second trigger ID information by detecting the second pulse code modulated signal, an area where the RFID tag transmits a signal including the third trigger ID information by detecting the third pulse code modulated signal, and an area where the RFID tag is incapable of detecting both second pulse code modulated signal and third pulse code modulated signal;

the area being placed between both aforementioned areas, are formed in the second cross over area.

34. The entrance / exit management system according to claim 32, further comprising:

a person number counting means for detecting or estimating the number of persons who exist in the area where the RFID tag transmits the signal including the second trigger ID information, and

a piggybacking detection means for detecting that there is a piggyback when the number of the persons is larger than the number of the RFID tags, when the piggybacking detection means compares the number of the RFID tags existing in the area where the RFID tag transmits the signal including the second trigger ID information to the number of the persons existing in the aforementioned RFID tag transmitting area;

the number of the persons being detected by the person number counting means.

35. The entrance / exit management system according to claim 30, wherein at least a part of the spaces of the modulated signals is a header part of the pulse code modulated signals.