Mobile terminal device, program storage medium, and information displaying method for displaying information for user in display area part not covered with RFID tag

• US 8,570,155 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2011
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Tanioka, Keiichi, Murakami, Bungo, Fujimoto, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURGDORF, STEPHEN R
• Application Number:
  US13/027,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20110210825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235379-382, 235/439, 340 101- 1052, 340/505, 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 455 411- 412, 455273-275
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• 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 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22

Abstract

There is provided a mobile terminal device designed to perform wireless communication with an RFID tag being held over the device by using electromagnetic waves. The device includes a plurality of antennae arranged in or in vicinity to a display area of the mobile terminal device, and a control unit configured to detect a part of the display area, which is not covered with the RFID tag, from electromagnetic wave intensities acquired by the plurality of antennae and to display information for a user in the detected part of the display area.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal device designed to perform wireless communication with an RFID tag being held over the mobile terminal device by using electromagnetic waves, the mobile terminal device comprising:

a plurality of antennae arranged in or in vicinity to a display area of the mobile terminal device; and

a control unit configured to detect a part of the display area which is not covered with the RFID tag, from electromagnetic wave intensities acquired by the plurality of antennae and to display information for a user in the detected part of the display area which is not covered with the RFID tag,

wherein the control unit is further configured to;

determine whether or not the RFID tag is held over the mobile terminal device,

compare electromagnetic wave intensities acquired by the plurality of antennae when it is determined that the RFID tag is being held over the mobile terminal device,

specify the part of the display area which is not covered with the RFID tag, of an entire display area of the mobile terminal device, based on a comparison result,

calculate a ratio of the part of the display area which is not covered with the RFID tag to the display area,

display the information on a display position in the specified part of the display area which is not covered with the RFID tag when it is determined that the calculated ratio is greater than a predetermined value, and

notifies the user by sound, light, or vibration if the calculated ratio is less than or equal to the predetermined value.

2. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit detects, from electromagnetic wave intensities acquired by the plurality of antennae, a part of the display area which is in or in vicinity to an area of an antenna that has acquired the lowest electromagnetic wave intensity, as the part of the display area not covered with the RFID tag, and displays the information for the user in the detected part of the display area not covered by the RFID tag.

3. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit reads information written in the RFID tag, from the electromagnetic waves received by the plurality of antennae, through the antenna that has detected the highest electromagnetic wave intensity.

4. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the display area is divided into a plurality of parts, and the plurality of antennae are arranged, respectively surrounding the parts of the display area.

5. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the information for the user corresponds to a still picture or a moving picture indicating a read instruction, a read state message, or a read result message.

6. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit detects the part of the display area which is not covered with the RFID tag, on the basis of the electromagnetic wave intensities acquired by the plurality of antennae and a table in which electromagnetic wave intensities are associated with parts of the display area, and displays information for the user, in the detected part of the display area which is not covered by the RFID tag.

7. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennae are arranged outside the display area and along four sides of the display area, respectively.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable program storage medium which stores a program to be executed by a computer within a mobile terminal device having a plurality of antennae arranged in or in vicinity to a display area of the mobile terminal device and designed to perform wireless communication with an RFID tag being held over the mobile terminal device by using electromagnetic waves, the program comprising:

detecting a part of the display area which is not covered with the RFID tag, from electromagnetic wave intensities acquired by the plurality of antennae; and

displaying information for a user in the detected part of the display area which is not covered with the RFID tag,

wherein the program further comprises;

determining whether or not the RFID tag is held over the mobile terminal device,

comparing electromagnetic wave intensities acquired by the plurality of antennae when it is determined that the RFID tag is being held over the mobile terminal device,

specifying the part of the display area which is not covered with the RFID tag, of an entire display area of the mobile terminal device, based on a comparison result,

calculating a ratio of the part of the display area which is not covered with the RFID tag to the entire display area, and

displaying the information on a display position in the specified part of the display area which is not covered with the RFID tag when it is determined that the calculated ratio is greater than a predetermined value, and

notifying the user by sound, light, or vibration if the calculated ratio is less than or equal to the predetermined value.

9. An information displaying method for use in a mobile terminal device having a plurality of antennae arranged in or in vicinity to a display area of the mobile terminal device and designed to perform wireless communication with an RFID tag being held over the mobile terminal device by using electromagnetic waves, the method comprising:

detecting a part of the display area which is not covered with the RFID tag, from electromagnetic wave intensities acquired by the plurality of antennae; and

displaying information for a user in the detected part of the display area which is not covered with the RFID tag,

wherein the method further comprises;

determining whether or not the RFID tag is held over the mobile terminal device,

comparing electromagnetic wave intensities acquired by the plurality of antennae when it is determined that the RFID tag is being held over the mobile terminal device,

specifying the part of the display area which is not covered with the RFID tag, of an entire display area of the mobile terminal device, based on a comparison result,

calculating a ratio of the part of the display area which is not covered with the RFID tag to the entire display area, and

displaying the information on a display position in the specified part of the display area which is not covered with the RFID tag when it is determined that the calculated ratio is greater than a predetermined value, and

notifying the user by sound, light, or vibration if the calculated ratio is less than or equal to the predetermined value.