Wireless tag, wireless tag communication system, wireless tag access device, method of detecting corresponding wireless tags and computer readable medium

• US 8,334,752 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OKI Consulting Solutions Company LT, OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Consulting Solutions Company LT, OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Kukita, Shigezou, Kawakami, Takahide, Sakanashi, Koichi, Deguchi, Fujio, Muratani, Masayuki, Nishijima, Masaru, Yoshikawa, Motoatsu, Nagata, Shirou
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): KING, CURTIS J
• Application Number:
  US12/155,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20090002174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisions for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs

Abstract

A wireless tag includes at least one of a signal radiation unit that radiates a first linking signal based on an instruction from a wireless tag access device, and a signal detection unit that detects a second linking signal that has been radiated and provides the second linking signal to the wireless tag access device.

Claims

1. A wireless tag communication system, comprising:

first and second wireless tags of a plurality of wireless tags, and

a wireless tag access device capable of accessing the first and second wireless tags when the first and second wireless tags are present in the vicinity of the wireless tag access device, wherein

each one of the first and second wireless tags includes

a first wireless transmission and reception device for communication with the wireless tag accessing device, a signal for the communication including identification data of the one of the first and second wireless tags, and

a second wireless transmission and reception device for communicating with the other of the first and second wireless tags, the second wireless transmission and reception device being separate from the first wireless transmission and reception device, and including

a signal radiation unit configured to radiate a first linking signal based on an instruction from the wireless tag access device, and

a signal detection unit configured to detect a second linking signal radiated by the other wireless tag, and to provide the second linking signal to the wireless tag access device; and

the wireless tag access device comprises;

a radiation operation initiation unit that initiates radiation of a linking signal, from the signal radiation unit of the first wireless tag that is waiting for correspondence, for pairing the first and second wireless tags, the linking signal being independent from the signal for communication;

a signal detection tag search unit that searches for the second wireless tag of which the signal detection unit that has detected said linking signal radiated from the first wireless tag;

a correspondence detection unit that detects a correspondence between the first wireless tag that has radiated the linking signal and is waiting for correspondence, and the second wireless tag, based on a search result of the signal detection tag search unit; and

a vicinity tag managing unit that manages, when the first and second wireless tags are present in the vicinity of the wireless tag access device and are paired via the linking signal, a pair of identification data including the identification data of the paired first and second wireless tags;

wherein the signal radiation unit is a light emitter, the signal detection unit is a light receiver, and the first and second linking signals are light signals.

2. A wireless tag access device capable of accessing first and second wireless tags, among a plurality of wireless tags, present in the vicinity of the wireless tag access device, each one of the first and second wireless tags having

a first wireless transmission and reception device for communication with the wireless tag accessing device, a signal for the communication including identification data of the one of the first and second wireless tags, and

a second wireless transmission and reception device for communicating with the other of the first and second wireless tags, the second wireless transmission an reception device being separate from the first wireless transmission and reception device, and including

a signal radiation unit configured to radiate a first linking signal based on an instruction form the wireless tag access device, and

a signal detection unit configured to detect a second linking signal to the wireless tag access device,

the wireless tag access device comprising:

a radiation operation initiation unit that initiates radiation of a linking signal, from the signal radiation unit of the first wireless tags that is waiting for correspondence, for pairing the first and second wireless tags, the linking signal being independent from the signal for communication;

a signal detection tag search unit that searches for the second wireless tag of which the signal detection unit has detected said linking signal radiated from the first wireless tag;

a correspondence detection unit that detects a correspondence between the first wireless tag that has radiated the linking signal and is waiting for correspondence, and the second wireless tag, based on a search result of the signal detection tag search unit; and

a vicinity tag managing unit that manages, when the first and second wireless tags are present in the vicinity of the wireless tag access device and are paired via the linking signal, a pair of identification data including the identification data of the paired first and second wireless tags;

wherein the signal radiation unit is a light emitter, the signal detection unit is a light receiver, and the first and second linking signals are light signals.

3. A method of detecting corresponding first and second wireless tags, among a plurality of wireless tags, present in the vicinity of a wireless tag access device, each one of the first and second wireless tags having

a first wireless transmission and reception device for communicating with the wireless tag accessing device, a signal for the communication including identification data of the one of the first and second wireless tags, and

a second wireless transmission and reception device for communicating with the other of the first and second wireless tags, the second wireless transmission and reception device being separate from the first wireless transmission and reception device, and including

a signal radiation unit configured to radiate a first linking signal based on an instruction from the wireless tag access device, and

a signal detection unit configured to detect a second linking signal radiated by the other wireless tag, and to provide the second linking signal to the wireless tag access device, and

the wireless tag access device comprises a vicinity tag managing unit, a radiation operation initiation unit, a signal detection tag search unit and a correspondence detection unit, the method comprising

initiating, by the radiation operation initiation unit, radiation of a linking signal from the signal radiation unit of the first wireless tag that is waiting for correspondence for pairing the first and second wireless tags, the linking signal being independent from the signal for communication;

searching, by the signal detection tag search unit, for the second wireless tag of which the signal detection unit has detected said linking signal radiated from the first wireless tag;

detecting, by the correspondence detection unit, the correspondence between the first wireless tag that has radiated the linking signal and that is waiting for correspondence, and the second wireless tag, based on a search result of the signal detection tag search unit; and

managing, by the vicinity tag managing unit when the first and second wireless tags are present in the vicinity of the wireless tag access device and are paired via the linking signal, a pair of identification data including the identification data of the paired first and second wireless tags;

wherein the signal radiation unit is a light emitter, the signal detection unit is a light receiver, and the first and second linking signals are light signals.

4. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for detecting corresponding first and second wireless tags, among a plurality of wireless tags, present in the vicinity of a wireless tag access device, each one of the first and second wireless tags having

a first wireless transmission and reception device for communicating with the wireless tag accessing device, a signal for the communication including identification data of the one of the first and second wireless tags, and

a second wireless transmission and reception device for communicating with the other of the first and second wireless tag, the second wireless transmission and reception device being separate from the first wireless transmission and reception device, and including

a signal radiation unit configured to radiate a first linking signal based on an instruction from the wireless tag access device, and

a signal detection unit configured to detect a second linking signal radiated by the other wireless tag, and to provide the second linking signal to the wireless tag access device,

the process comprising

radiating a linking signal, from the signal radiation unit of the first wireless tag that is waiting for correspondence, for pairing the first and second wireless tags, the linking signal being independent from the signal for communication;

searching a linking signal, for pairing the first and second wireless tags, the linking signal being independent from the signal for communication;

searching for the second wireless tag of which of the signal detection unit has detected said linking signal radiated from the first wireless tag;

detecting the correspondence between the first wireless tag that has radiated the linking signal and that is waiting for correspondence, and the second wireless tag, based on a search result of the signal detection tag search unit; and

managing, by the vicinity tag managing unit when the first and second wireless tags are present in the vicinity of the wireless tag access device and are paired via the linking signal, a pair of identification data including the identification data of the paired first and second wireless tags;

wherein the signal radiation unit is a light emitter, the signal detection unit is a light receiver, and the first and second linking signals are light signals.