RFID tag reader, RFID tag reading system, method for performing RFID tag reading process and computer-readable recording medium

• US 9,129,165 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Sugano, Hiroyasu, Shiotsu, Shinichi, Tanaka, Hideki, Yokota, Koichi, Itasaki, Akira, Yamashita, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Obiniyi, Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/714,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20130169417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 106, 3405721-5729, 235375-385
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/01 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10108 interrogating only those RFIDs that fulfill a predetermined requirement, e.g. selecting all RFIDs having the same speed and moving in a cloud like fashion, e.g. on the same train; interrogating only RFIDs having a certain predetermined temperature, e.g. in the same fridge, another possibility being the active ignoring of a group of tags that fulfill a predetermined requirement, equivalent to the Boolean NOT operation

Abstract

An RFID tag reader is disclosed that includes a signal intensity obtaining part configured to obtain signal intensities of a first RFID tag and a second RFID tag that are read at plural read processes, a read-number obtaining part configured to obtain a number of RFID tags, among the first and the second RFID tags, that are read at the same read process, a processing part configured to weight the signal intensity of the first RFID tag obtained by the signal intensity obtaining part based on the number obtained at the corresponding read process, and a selecting part configured to select a read result of the first RFID tag based on the signal intensity of the first RFID tag weighted by the processing part.

Claims

1. An RFID tag reader comprising:

a signal intensity obtaining part configured to obtain signal intensities of a plurality of RFID tags that are read at plural read processes;

a read-quantity obtaining part configured to obtain the quantity of the RFID tags read at each of the plural read processes;

a processing part configured to weight the signal intensities of the plurality of RFID tags in a manner that the greater the quantity of the RFID tags, the greater the signal intensity is weighted and that the smaller the quantity of the RFID tags, the less the signal intensity is weighted; and

a selecting part configured to select a target RFID tag from the plurality of RFID tags, the target RFID tag having a signal intensity weighted by the processing part, wherein the signal intensity of the target RFID tag is greater than a designated value.

2. The RFID tag reader as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing part weights the signal intensities based on a ratio of the quantity and a designated reference value.

3. The RFID tag reader as claimed in claim 2, wherein the designated reference value is the maximum value of the quantity of the of RFID tags.

4. The RFID tag reader as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing part calculates a sum of the signal intensities that are obtained at each of the plural read processes and are weighted based on the quantity of the of RFID tags, and

wherein the selecting part selects the target RFID tag of which the sum is greater than a designated reference value.

5. The RFID tag reader as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing part calculates a similarity of a read pattern data which represents time series of the signal intensities obtained at the plural read processes and a reference pattern data while weighting the signal intensities based on the quantity of the of RFID tags, and

wherein the selecting part selects the target RFID tag of which the similarity is greater than a designated reference value.

6. An RFID tag reading system comprising:

the RFID tag reader as claimed in claim 1;

an antenna configured to be connected to the signal intensity obtaining part, and to read the plurality of RFID tags; and

a processing unit configured to receive a result which indicates the target RFID tag selected by the selecting part.

7. A method for performing RFID tag reading process comprising:

first obtaining signal intensities of a plurality of RFID tags that are read at plural read processes;

second obtaining the quantity of the RFID tags read at each of the plural read processes;

weighting the signal intensities of the plurality of RFID tags in a manner that the greater the quantity of the RFID tags, the greater the signal intensity is weighted and that the smaller the quantity of the RFID tags, the less the signal intensity is weighted; and

selecting a target RFID tag from the plurality of RFID tags, the target RFID tag having a signal intensity weighted by the weighting, wherein the signal intensity of the target RFID tag is greater than a designated value.

8. A computer-readable, non-transitory medium storing a program which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a reading process, the reading process comprising:

first obtaining signal intensities of a plurality of RFID tags that are read at plural read processes;

second obtaining the quantity of the RFID tags read at each of the plural read processes;

weighting the signal intensities of the plurality of RFID tags in a manner that the greater the quantity of the RFID tags, the greater the signal intensity is weighted and that the smaller the quantity of the RFID tags, the less the signal intensity is weighted; and

selecting a target FID tag from the plurality of RFID tags, the target RFID tag having a signal intensity weighted by the weighting, wherein the signal intensity of the target RFID tag is greater than a designated value.