Apparatus for reading RFID tag information and RFID tag information reading system

• US 8,427,281 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2009
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Nagai, Takuya, Tsujimoto, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHERWIN, RYAN W
• Application Number:
  US12/635,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20100090807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 106, 3405721-5729, 235/385
• US Class Current: 340/10.2
• 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 7/10039 interrogator driven, i.e. synchronous

Abstract

This disclosure discloses an apparatus for reading radio frequency identification (RFID) tag information configured to perform information transmission and reception with a plurality of RFID tag circuit elements having an IC circuit part storing information and a tag antenna connected to the IC circuit part, comprising: a first movement detecting portion configured to detect a moving state of the apparatus for reading RFID tag information; a transmitting portion configured to generate a reading command to acquire the information stored in the IC circuit part and to transmit the command to the RFID tag circuit element; and a first reading control portion configured to control the number of reading trial times per unit time using the reading command by the transmitting portion according to a detection result of the first movement detecting portion.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reading radio frequency identification (RFID) tag information configured to perform information transmission and reception with a plurality of RFID tag circuit elements having an IC circuit part storing information and a tag antenna connected to said IC circuit part, comprising:

a first movement detecting portion configured to detect a moving state of said apparatus for reading RFID tag information;

a transmitting portion configured to generate a reading command to acquire the information stored in said IC circuit part and to transmit the command to said RFID tag circuit element; and

a first reading control portion configured to control the number of reading trial times per unit time using said reading command by said transmitting portion according to a detection result of said first movement detecting portion,

said first movement detecting portion including a moving amount detecting portion configured to detect a moving amount of said apparatus for reading RFID tag information or a moving direction detecting portion configured to detect a moving direction of said apparatus for reading RFID tag information, wherein

the apparatus for reading RFID tag information further comprises a correlation storage device configured to store and maintain a correlation between said moving amount or said moving direction and said number of reading trial times per unit time corresponding to the moving amount or the moving direction, and wherein

on the basis of the correlation of said correlation store device, control is executed so that said number of reading trial times per unit time is realized corresponding to the moving amount detected by said moving amount detecting portion or the moving direction detected by said moving direction detecting portion by means of said first reading control portion.

2. The apparatus for reading RFID tag information according to claim 1, further comprising:

a moving component extracting portion configured to extract a component in a predetermined direction in the moving amount detected by said moving amount detecting portion or the moving direction detected by said moving direction detecting portion, wherein

said first reading control portion controls the number of reading trial times per unit time using said reading command by said transmitting portion according to an extraction result of said moving component extracting portion.

3. The apparatus for reading RFID tag information according to claim 1, wherein:

said moving component extracting portion extracts only a horizontal direction component among the moving amount detected by said moving amount detecting portion or the moving direction detected by said moving direction detecting portion.

4. The apparatus for reading RFID tag information according to claim 1, further comprising:

a receiving portion capable of receiving a response signal and sorting said response signal into any one of a plurality of identification slots, said response signal transmitted from said plurality of RFID tag circuit elements according to said reading command being created and transmitted by said transmitting portion.

5. The apparatus for reading RFID tag information according to claim 4, wherein:

said first reading control portion includes a slot control portion configured to control to increase and decrease said number of identification slots used by said receiving portion according to the moving amount detected by said moving amount detecting portion or the moving direction detected by said moving direction detecting portion.

6. The apparatus for reading RFID tag information according to claim 4, wherein:

said first reading control portion includes a transfer speed control portion configured to control to increase and decrease a transfer speed of said reading command by said transmitting portion according to the moving amount detected by said moving amount detecting portion or the moving direction detected by said moving direction detecting portion.

7. The apparatus for reading RFID tag information according to claim 5, further comprising:

a collision determining portion configured to determine if the number of said identification slots in which a collision of said response signals occurred among said plurality of identification slots is a predetermined proportion or more at reception by said receiving portion.

8. The apparatus for reading RFID tag information according to claim 7, further comprising:

an alarming portion configured to give a predetermined alarm for readjustment of the control of said number of identification slots by said slot control portion or the control of the transfer speed of said reading command by said transfer speed control portion if determination of said collision determining portion is satisfied.

9. The apparatus for reading RFID tag information according to claim 7, further comprising:

a correlation updating portion configured to perform an update process to said correlation stored and maintained in said correlation storage device after readjustment of the control of said number of identification slots by said slot control portion or of the control of the transfer speed of said reading command by said transfer speed control portion if determination of said collision determining portion is satisfied.

10. An RFID tag information reading system comprising:

an apparatus for reading RFID tag information having a transmitting portion configured to generate a reading command to acquire information stored in an IC circuit part of a plurality of RFID tag circuit elements including the IC circuit part storing the information and a tag antenna connected to the IC circuit part and transmitting the reading command to said RFID tag circuit elements;

a feeding device configured to feed said apparatus for reading RFID tag information;

a movement detecting portion configured to detect a moving state of said apparatus for reading RFID tag information by said feeding device; and

a reading control portion configured to control the number of reading trial times per unit time using said reading command by said transmitting portion according to a detection result of said movement detecting portion,

said movement detecting portion including a moving amount detecting portion configured to detect a moving amount of said apparatus for reading RFID tag information or a moving direction detecting portion configured to detect a moving direction of said apparatus for reading RFID tag information, wherein

the RFID tag information reading system further comprises a correlation storage device configured to store and maintain a correlation between said moving amount or said moving direction and said number of reading trial times per unit time corresponding to the moving amount or the moving direction, and wherein

said reading control portion executes control on the basis of the correlation of said correlation storage device so that said number of reading trial times per unit time is realized corresponding to the moving amount detected by said moving amount detecting portion or the moving direction detected by said moving direction detecting portion.

11. The RFID tag information reading system according to claim 10, wherein:

said reading control portion includes a speed control portion configured to control to increase and decrease a moving speed of said apparatus for reading RFID tag information by said feeding device according to the moving amount detected by said moving amount detecting portion or the moving direction detected by said moving direction detecting portion.