Reader device and outing data carrier decision method

• US 8,567,683 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2006
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Morita, Kugo
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Thien T
• Application Number:
  US11/816,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20090206151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,804 Days
• Field of Search: 235/451, 235/383, 235/375, 235/385, 235/472.01, 235/492, 340/10.2, 340/572.1, 340/10.42
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

In order to decide an attribute of each data carrier without manual operation, an RFID reader (30) which is carried by a user includes an identification information acquisition unit (310) reading identification information for identifying an RFID from the RFID in the vicinity in a non-contact state, a reader position acquisition unit (315) obtaining reader position information indicating a position of the RFID reader (30) when the identification information is read, an RFID position decision unit (316) deciding representative position information indicating the position of the RFID based on the obtained reader position information, and a storage unit (32) correlating the decided representative position information with the read identification information and storing them.

Claims

1. A reader device for recognizing a data carrier capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves to and from the reader device from among a plurality of data carriers respectively installed in a plurality of objects, comprising:

an acquisition unit configured to recognize one or more of the plurality of data carriers;

a specifying unit that specifies a plurality of first data carriers installed in a predetermined area from among the plurality of data carriers;

an outing ID provisional storage unit that stores, when a second data carrier is recognized by the acquisition unit while at least one of the first data carriers is being recognized by the acquisition unit, data carrier identification information for the second data carrier together with a recognition time, which is the time at which the second data carrier is recognized;

an outing ID decision unit that identifies, when all of the first data carriers cease to be recognized and the second data carrier remains recognized, the second data carrier as a different type of carrier from the first data carriers, and stores outing data carrier identification information based on the recognition time of the second data carrier;

a time acquisition unit that obtains an outing time at which all of the first data carriers cease to be recognized; and

a storage unit that stores an outing judgment threshold value for each of the first data carriers, wherein

the outing ID decision unit identifies the outing data carrier identification information based on whether a difference between the outing time and the recognition time is equal to or less than the outing judgment threshold value of a most recently recognized first data carrier, and

the outing judgment threshold value is updated for each of the first data carriers.

2. An outing data carrier decision method for deciding a data carrier which is still recognized when a user has gone out of a predetermined area in which a reader device for recognizing a data carrier capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves to and from the reader device from among a plurality of data carriers respectively installed in a plurality of objects is used, comprising:

specifying a plurality of first data carriers installed in the predetermined area from among the plurality of data carriers;

storing, when a second data carrier is recognized while at least one of the first data carriers is being recognized, data carrier identification information of the second data carrier together with a recognition time, which is the time at which the second data carrier is recognized;

determining, when all of the first data carriers cease to be recognized and the second data remains recognized, that the second data carrier is a different type of carrier from the first data carriers, and storing outing data carrier identification information based on the recognition time of the second data carrier;

obtaining an outing time at which all of the first data carriers cease to be recognized;

storing an outing judgment threshold value for each of the first data carriers;

identifying the outing data carrier identification information based on whether a difference between the outing time and the recognition time is equal to or less than the outing judgment threshold value of a most recently recognized first data carrier; and

updating the outing judgment threshold value for each of the first data carriers.