Product management system

• US 9,013,303 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Arai, Yasuyuki, Akiba, Mai, Tachimura, Yuko, Kanno, Yohei
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Jack K
• Application Number:
  US13/555,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20120299705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.7
• US Class Current: 340/539.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10178 including auxiliary means for focusing, repeating or boosting the electromagnetic interrogation field comparable booster antennas integrated on the record carrier itself G06K19/07794
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

One feature of the present invention is a product management system that includes a package body for packing a product attached with an ID tag, and a reader/writer. The ID tag includes a thin film integrated circuit portion and an antenna, the package body includes a resonance circuit portion having an antenna coil and a capacitor, and the resonance circuit portion can communicate with the reader/writer and the ID tag. Accordingly, the stability of communication between an ID tag attached to a product and an R/W can be secured, and management of products can be conducted simply and efficiently, even if a product is packed by a package body.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a resonance circuit; and

means for outputting a signal,

wherein the resonance circuit comprises an antenna coil and a first capacitor,

wherein the resonance circuit is configured to receive a first signal from the means for outputting a signal, and configured to output a second signal in response to receipt of the first signal,

wherein the resonance circuit is attached to a packing material,

wherein a semiconductor device is configured to receive the second signal from the resonance circuit,

wherein a rectification circuit included in the semiconductor device generates a direct-current source voltage based on the second signal,

wherein the semiconductor device is provided inside of a product,

wherein the product is contained in the packing material, and

wherein the means for outputting a signal is disposed outside of the packing material.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein a communication method between the means for outputting a signal and the resonance circuit, and a communication method between the resonance circuit and the semiconductor device are identical to each other.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the communication method is an electromagnetic induction method.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein a communication method between the means for outputting a signal and the resonance circuit is different from a communication method between the resonance circuit and the semiconductor device.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein a communication method between the means for outputting a signal and the resonance circuit is any one of an electromagnetic induction method and a microwave method.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device is selected from the group of an ID tag, an ID chip, an ID label, an ID seal and an ID sticker.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the resonance circuit further comprises any one of a battery, a CPU and a memory.

8. The system according to claim 1,

wherein the rectification circuit comprises a thin film active element.

9. The system according to claim 1,

wherein the semiconductor device comprises a demodulation circuit and a modulation circuit.

10. A system comprising:

a first resonance circuit;

a second resonance circuit; and

means for outputting a signal,

wherein the first resonance circuit comprises a first antenna coil and a first capacitor,

wherein the first resonance circuit is attached to a first packing material,

wherein the second resonance circuit comprises a second antenna coil and a second capacitor,

wherein the second resonance circuit is attached to a second packing material,

wherein the second resonance circuit is configured to receive a first signal from the means for outputting a signal, and configured to output a second signal in response to receipt of the first signal,

wherein the first resonance circuit is configured to receive the second signal from the second resonance circuit, and configured to output a third signal in response to receipt of the second signal,

wherein a semiconductor device is configured to receive the third signal from the first resonance circuit,

wherein a rectification circuit included in the semiconductor device generates a direct-current source voltage based on the third signal, for driving the semiconductor device,

wherein the semiconductor device is contained in the first packing material,

wherein the first packing material is contained in the second packing material, and

wherein the means for outputting a signal is disposed outside of the second packing material.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein a communication method between the means for outputting a signal and the first resonance circuit, a communication method between the first resonance circuit and the second resonance circuit, and a communication method between the second resonance circuit and the semiconductor device are identical to each other.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the communication method is an electromagnetic induction method.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein a communication method between the means for outputting a signal and the second resonance circuit is different from a communication method between the first resonance circuit and the semiconductor device.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein a communication method between the means for outputting a signal and the second resonance circuit is any one of an electromagnetic induction method and a microwave method.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the semiconductor device is selected from the group of an ID tag, an ID chip, an ID label, an ID seal and an ID sticker.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the first resonance circuit and the second resonance circuit further comprises any one of a battery, a CPU and a memory.

17. The system according to claim 10,

wherein the rectification circuit comprises a thin film active element.

18. The system according to claim 10,

wherein the semiconductor device comprises a demodulation circuit and a modulation circuit.

19. A method comprising:

sending a first signal from means for outputting a signal to a first resonance circuit, wherein the first resonance circuit comprises a first antenna coil and a first capacitor;

sending a second signal from the first resonance circuit to a second resonance circuit in response to receipt of the first signal, wherein the second resonance circuit comprises a second antenna coil and a second capacitor;

sending a third signal from the second resonance circuit to a semiconductor device in response to receipt of the second signal, wherein the semiconductor device comprises a rectification circuit, and an antenna; and

generating a direct-current source voltage in the rectification circuit based on the third signal, for driving the semiconductor device,

wherein the first resonance circuit is attached to a first packing material,

wherein the second resonance circuit is attached to a second packing material,

wherein the second packing material is contained in the first packing material,

wherein the semiconductor device is contained in the second packing material, and

wherein the means for outputting a signal is disposed outside of the first packing material.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the semiconductor device is selected from the group of an ID tag, an ID chip, an ID label, an ID seal and an ID sticker.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the first resonance circuit and the second resonance circuit further comprises any one of a battery, a CPU and a memory.

22. The method according to claim 19,

wherein the rectification circuit comprises a thin film active element.

23. The method according to claim 19,

wherein the semiconductor device comprises a demodulation circuit and a modulation circuit.