Read-write processing device for RFID tag

• US 20050159913A1
• Filed: 01/19/2005
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Ozaki, Koyo, Ariyoshi, Tomonori
• Application Number:
  US11/039,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20050159913A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/122
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2822 of microwave or radiofrequency circuits of attenuation, gain, e.g. using network analyzers G01R27/28
• 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 7/0095 Testing the sensing arrangement, e.g. testing if a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, RFID interrogator or smart card reader functions properly testing of electrical circuits G01R31/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10465 the interrogation device being capable of self-diagnosis, e.g. in addition to or as part of the actual interrogation process testing of electrical circuits in general G01R31/28

Abstract

A read-write processing device communicates with an RFID tag provided with a semiconductor memory to carry out read and write processes. A communication processing device executes communication processes with the RFID tag, exchanging commands and responses, and a data creating device creates safety data indicative of a margin of safety of communication based on communication results by the communication processing device. The created safety data are displayed or outputted to the outside by an output device.

Claims

1. A read-write processing device for communicating with an RFID tag provided with a semiconductor memory to carry out read and write processes with said semiconductor memory;

said read-write processing device comprising;

a communication processing device that executes communication processes with said RFID tag;

a data creating device that creates safety data indicative of a margin of safety of communication based on communication results by said communication processing device; and

an output device that displays or outputs to the outside said safety data created by said data creating device.

2. The read-write processing device of claim 1 wherein said data creating device counts the number of times of success or failure in communication while said communication processing device executes a plural number of times of the communication processes and obtains the margin of safety based on the counted number of times.

3. The read-write processing device of claim 1 further comprising:

a level adjusting device that adjusts the transmission level of transmission signal transmitted to said RFID tag;

a control device that controls operations of said communication processing device while adjusting said transmission level by means of said level adjusting device; and

a judging device that judges whether or not communication with said RFID tag can be carried out properly based upon results of processing by said communication processing device;

wherein said control device causes said communication processing device to start communication with said RFID tag under a condition where the level of said transmission signal is set at a certain value and thereafter changes the level of said transmission signal to a lower value than the current value while causing the communication to be repeatedly executed as said judging device judges that communication can be carried out properly; and

wherein said data creating device creates the safety data based on the level of the transmission signal at the point in time when said judging device judges that communication cannot be carried out properly or the number of times the level of the transmission signal has been changed until said point in time.

4. The read-write processing device of claim 1 further comprising:

a level adjusting device that adjusts the transmission level of transmission signal transmitted to said RFID tag; and

a control device that controls operations of said communication processing device while adjusting said transmission level by means of said level adjusting device;

wherein said control device causes said communication processing device to execute a specified plural number of cycles of communication process and changes the level of the transmission signal to a lower value than the current value every time one cycle of said communication process is finished; and

wherein said data creating device creates said safety data based on the cycle of said communication process until which communication was carried out properly or the smallest value of the level of the transmission signal when communication was carried out properly.

5. The read-write processing device of claim 1 further comprising:

a gain adjusting device that adjusts the amplification of a received signal from said RFID tag;

a control device that controls operations of said communication processing device while adjusting the amplification of said received signal by using said gain adjusting device; and

a judging device that judges whether or not communication with said RFID tag can be carried out properly based upon results of processing by said communication processing device;

wherein said control device causes said communication processing device to start communication with said RFID tag under a condition where said amplification is set at a certain value and thereafter changes said amplification to a lower value than the current value while causing the communication to be repeatedly executed as said judging device judges that communication can be carried out properly; and

wherein said data creating device creates the safety data based on the amplification of the received signal at the point in time when said judging device judges that communication cannot be carried out properly or the number of times the amplification has been changed until said point in time.

6. The read-write processing device of claim 1 further comprising:

a gain adjusting device that adjusts the amplification of a received signal from said RFID tag; and

a control device that controls operations of said communication processing device while adjusting the amplification of said received signal by using said gain adjusting device;

wherein said control device causes said communication processing device to execute a specified plural number of cycles of communication process and changes the amplification to a lower value than the current value every time one cycle of said communication process is finished; and

wherein said data creating device creates said safety data based on the cycle of said communication process until which communication was carried out properly or the smallest value of the amplification when communication was carried out properly.

7. The read-write processing device of claim 3 wherein every time said communication processing device carries out a communication process for a specified plural number of times, said judging device counts the number of success or failure in said specified plural number of times of the communication process and judges whether communication with said RFID tag can be carried out properly or not based on the counted number of success or failure.

8. The read-write processing device of claim 5 wherein every time said communication processing device carries out a communication process for a specified plural number of times, said judging device counts the number of success or failure in said specified plural number of times of the communication process and judges whether communication with said RFID tag can be carried out properly or not based on the counted number of success or failure.

9. The read-write processing device of claim 4 wherein the communication process carried out by said communication processing device includes per cycle a plurality of times of communication processes with said RFID tag and wherein said data creating device includes a counting device that counts the number of success or failure in each cycle of the communication process, and a judging device that judges whether the communication of each cycle has been carried out properly or not based on the number counted by said counting device and creates said safety data by using judgment result by said judging device.

10. The read-write processing device of claim 6 wherein the communication process carried out by said communication processing device includes per cycle a plurality of times of communication processes with said RFID tag and wherein said data creating device includes a counting device that counts the number of success or failure in each cycle of the communication process, and a judging device that judges whether the communication of each cycle has been carried out properly or not based on the number counted by said counting device and creates said safety data by using judgment result by said judging device.

11. The read-write processing device of claim 1 wherein the communication process carried out by said communication processing device includes a preliminary communication process with said RFID tag, said read-write processing device further comprising a control device that controls said communication processing device to repeatedly carry out said preliminary communication process, to shift to the communication process after a success in the preliminary communication process and to repeatedly carry out the communication process for specified number of cycles.

12. The read-write processing device of claim 1 further comprising an accumulating device for accumulating the safety data created by said data creating device;

wherein said output device displays or outputs at least either of the safety data immediately after created by said data creating device and the safety data accumulated by said accumulating device.

13. The read-write processing device of claim 2 further comprising an accumulating device for accumulating the safety data created by said data creating device;

wherein said output device displays or outputs at least either of the safety data immediately after created by said data creating device and the safety data accumulated by said accumulating device.

14. The read-write processing device of claim 3 further comprising an accumulating device for accumulating the safety data created by said data creating device;

wherein said output device displays or outputs at least either of the safety data immediately after created by said data creating device and the safety data accumulated by said accumulating device.

15. The read-write processing device of claim 4 further comprising an accumulating device for accumulating the safety data created by said data creating device;

wherein said output device displays or outputs at least either of the safety data immediately after created by said data creating device and the safety data accumulated by said accumulating device.

16. The read-write processing device of claim 5 further comprising an accumulating device for accumulating the safety data created by said data creating device;

wherein said output device displays or outputs at least either of the safety data immediately after created by said data creating device and the safety data accumulated by said accumulating device.

17. The read-write processing device of claim 6 further comprising an accumulating device for accumulating the safety data created by said data creating device;

wherein said output device displays or outputs at least either of the safety data immediately after created by said data creating device and the safety data accumulated by said accumulating device.

18. The read-write processing device of claim 7 further comprising an accumulating device for accumulating the safety data created by said data creating device;

wherein said output device displays or outputs at least either of the safety data immediately after created by said data creating device and the safety data accumulated by said accumulating device.

19. The read-write processing device of claim 8 further comprising an accumulating device for accumulating the safety data created by said data creating device;

wherein said output device displays or outputs at least either of the safety data immediately after created by said data creating device and the safety data accumulated by said accumulating device.

20. The read-write processing device of claim 9 further comprising an accumulating device for accumulating the safety data created by said data creating device;

wherein said output device displays or outputs at least either of the safety data immediately after created by said data creating device and the safety data accumulated by said accumulating device.