Radio wave control apparatus, radio wave control system, and radio wave control method

• US 8,803,664 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2010
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ninomiya, Teruhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adnan, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US12/782,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20100308977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 106, 340 125- 1255, 340 132- 1329
• US Class Current: 340/10.5
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10089 the interrogation device using at least one directional antenna or directional interrogation field to resolve the collision direction or location finding, such as triangulation techniques, G01S13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming

Abstract

A radio wave control apparatus includes a detecting unit that detects an object, other than a communication target device, in a radiation range to which a radio wave radiating unit radiates predetermined radio waves in each of a plurality of radiation directions; and a radiation range determining unit that determines a radiation range in each of the radiation directions such that the predetermined radio waves are radiated over a predetermined communication range, in which the communication target device is communicable using the predetermined radio waves, and no no-communication area that is caused when the predetermined radio waves reflected on the object is caused in the communication range.

Claims

1. A radio wave control apparatus comprising:

a detecting unit that detects an object, other than a communication target device, in a radiation range to which a radio wave radiating unit radiates predetermined radio waves in each of a plurality of radiation directions;

a radio wave output judging unit that reduces a radio wave output in one radiation direction of the radiation directions from a maximum value on a predetermined-value basis, and judges whether a radiation range covering the radiation direction using the reduced radio wave output does not cover the entire communication range in which the communication target device is communicable using the predetermined radio waves, or whether no-communication area is caused in the communication range;

a radio wave output determining unit that, when the radio wave output judging unit judges that the radiation range does not cover the entire communication range, or that the no-communication area that is caused when the predetermined radio waves reflected on the object is caused in the communication range, determines the radio wave output before the reduction as the radio wave output in the radiation direction and determines the radio wave output in each of the radiation directions; and

a radiation range determining unit that determines radiation direction in which the radio wave radiating unit radiates radio waves among a plurality of radiation directions such that the predetermined radio waves are radiated over entire communication range in which the communication target device is communicable using the predetermined radio waves, and no no-communication area that is caused when the predetermined radio waves reflected on the object is caused in the communication range.

2. The radio wave control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a radiation range determining unit that determines whether to employ radiation with respect to each of the radiation directions by removing at least one radiation direction from the radiation directions.

3. The radio wave control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the radiation range determining unit includes

a radiation direction judging unit that judges whether a radiation range in remaining radiation directions other than the radiation direction, which is removed from the radiation directions, covers the entire communication range, and whether no no-communication area is caused in the communication range;

and

a radiation direction determining unit that, when the radiation direction judging unit judges that the radiation range covers the entire communication range and that no no-communication area is caused in the communication range, determines the remaining radiation directions other than the radiation direction, which is removed from the radiation directions, as radiation directions in which the radio wave radiating unit radiates radio waves to communicate with the communication target device.

4. The radio wave control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication target device is an RFID tag.

5. A radio wave control apparatus comprising:

a detecting unit that detects an object, other than a communication target device, in a radiation range to which a radio wave radiating unit radiates predetermined radio waves in each of a plurality of radiation directions;

a radio wave output judging unit that increases a radio wave output in one radiation direction of the radiation directions from a minimum value on a predetermined-value basis, and judges whether, after the increase, a radiation range covering the radiation direction using the increased radio wave output is increased by a predetermined level or more from the radiation range before the increase;

a radio wave output determining unit that, when the radio wave output judging unit judges that the radiation range after the increase is not increased by the predetermined level or more from the radiation range before the increase, determines the radio wave output before the increase as the radio wave output in the radiation direction and determines the radio wave output in each of the radiation directions; and

a radiation range determining unit that determines radiation direction in which the radio wave radiating unit radiates radio waves among a plurality of radiation directions such that the predetermined radio waves are radiated over entire communication range in which the communication target device is communicable using the predetermined radio waves, and no no-communication area that is caused when the predetermined radio waves reflected on the object is caused in the communication range.

6. The radio wave control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, when the radio wave output before the increase is 0, the radio wave output determining unit determines not to radiate radio waves in the radiation direction.

7. The radio wave control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the radiation range determining unit determines whether to employ radiation with respect to each of the radiation directions by removing at least one radiation direction from the radiation directions.

8. The radio wave control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the radiation range determining unit includes

a radiation direction judging unit that judges whether a radiation range in remaining radiation directions other than the radiation direction, which is removed from the radiation directions, covers the entire communication range, and whether no no-communication area is caused in the communication range;

and

a radiation direction determining unit that, when the radiation direction judging unit judges that the radiation range covers the entire communication range and that no no-communication area is caused in the communication range, determines the remaining radiation directions other than the radiation direction, which is removed from the radiation directions, as radiation directions in which the radio wave radiating unit radiates radio waves to communicate with the communication target device.

9. A radio wave control system comprising:

an antenna that radiates predetermined radio waves in a plurality of radiation directions;

a radio wave control apparatus that is connected to the antenna; and

a measuring device that is connected to the radio wave control apparatus and measures a distance to an object, wherein

the radio wave control apparatus includes

a detecting unit that detects an object, other than a communication target device, in a radiation range to which the antenna radiates the predetermined radio waves in each of a the radiation directions;

a radio wave output judging unit that reduces a radio wave output in one radiation direction of the radiation directions from a maximum value on a predetermined-value basis, and judges whether a radiation range covering the radiation direction using the reduced radio wave output does not cover the entire communication range in which the communication target device is communicable using the predetermined radio waves, or whether no-communication area is caused in the communication range; and

a radio wave output determining unit that, when the radio wave output judging unit judges that the radiation range does not cover the entire communication range, or that the no-communication area that is caused when the predetermined radio waves reflected on the object is caused in the communication range, determines the radio wave output before the reduction as the radio wave output in the radiation direction and determines the radio wave output in each of the radiation directions.

10. A radio wave control method comprising:

detecting an object, other than a communication target device, in a radiation range to which a radio wave radiating unit radiates predetermined radio waves in each of a plurality of radiation directions;

determining radiation direction in which the radio wave radiating unit radiates radio waves among a plurality of radiation directions such that the predetermined radio waves are radiated over entire communication range in which the communication target device is communicable using the predetermined radio waves, and no no-communication area that is caused when the predetermined radio waves reflected on the object is caused in the communication range;

reducing a radio wave output in the radiation direction from a maximum value on a predetermined-value basis;

judging whether a radiation range covering the radiation direction using the reduced radio wave output does not cover the entire communication range in which the communication target device is communicable using the predetermined radio waves, or whether the no-communication area is caused in the communication range; and

when the judging judges that the radiation range does not cover the entire communication range, or that the no-communication area that is caused when the predetermined radio waves reflected on the object is caused in the communication range, determining the radio wave output before the reduction as the radio wave output in the radiation direction.

11. A radio wave control system comprising:

an antenna that radiates predetermined radio waves in a plurality of radiation directions;

a radio wave control apparatus that is connected to the antenna; and

a measuring device that is connected to the radio wave control apparatus and measures a distance to an object, wherein

the radio wave control apparatus includes

a detecting unit that detects an object, other than a communication target device, in a radiation range to which the antenna radiates the predetermined radio waves in each of a the radiation directions;

a radio wave output judging unit that increases a radio wave output in one radiation direction of the radiation directions from a minimum value on a predetermined-value basis, and judges whether, after the increase, a radiation range covering the radiation direction using the increased radio wave output is increased by a predetermined level or more from the radiation range before the increase;

a radio wave output determining unit that, when the radio wave output judging unit judges that the radiation range after the increase is not increased by the predetermined level or more from the radiation range before the increase, determines the radio wave output before the increase as the radio wave output in the radiation direction and determines the radio wave output in each of the radiation directions; and

a radiation range determining unit that determines radiation direction in which the radio wave radiating unit radiates radio waves among a plurality of radiation directions such that the predetermined radio waves are radiated over entire communication range in which the communication target device is communicable using the predetermined radio waves, and no no-communication area that is caused when the predetermined radio waves reflected on the object is caused in the communication range.

12. A radio wave control method comprising:

detecting an object, other than a communication target device, in a radiation range to which a radio wave radiating unit radiates predetermined radio waves in each of a plurality of radiation directions;

increasing a radio wave output in one radiation direction of the radiation directions from a minimum value on a predetermined-value basis;

judging whether, after the increase, a radiation range covering the radiation direction using the increased radio wave output is increased by a predetermined level or more from the radiation range before the increase;

when the judging judges that the radiation range after the increase is not increased by the predetermined level or more from the radiation range before the increase, determining the radio wave output before the increase as the radio wave output in the radiation direction and determining the radio wave output in each of the radiation directions; and

determining radiation direction in which the radio wave radiating unit radiates radio waves among a plurality of radiation directions such that the predetermined radio waves are radiated over entire communication range in which the communication target device is communicable using the predetermined radio waves, and no no-communication area that is caused when the predetermined radio waves reflected on the object is caused in the communication range.