Active radio tag, security management system, and security management method

• US 20070273521A1
• Filed: 05/17/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Yamanobe, Jin, Takemura, Kenji, Miyamoto, Takeshi, Sugiate, Yoshimsa
• Granted Patent: US 7,889,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

An active radio tag including a card holder. The card holder has built therein a memory having stored therein a tag ID and a transmission unit that transmits the tag ID by radio. In addition, the card holder includes a card placement section in which a card is to be placed and a card detection switch that detects the card. Only when the placement of the card in the card placement section is detected by the card detection switch, the radio tag is activated and the tag ID is transmitted.

Claims

1. An active radio tag comprising:

a storage unit having stored therein a tag ID;

a transmission unit that transmits, by radio, the tag ID in a predetermined signal form;

a card holder having the storage unit and the transmission unit built therein and including a card placement section in which a card is to be placed; and

a detection unit that detects a card placed in the card holder,

wherein when the detection unit detects a card, transmission of the tag ID is allowed and when the detection unit does not detect a card, transmission of the tag ID is prohibited.

3. An active radio tag according to claim 1, wherein

the card holder includes an operation section,

the transmission unit transmits the tag ID in different signal forms for different cases, a case in which the operation section is operated and a case in which the operation section is not operated,

when the operation section is operated, if the detection unit detects a card, then transmission of the tag ID in a first signal form is allowed, and if the detection unit does not detect a card, then transmission of the tag ID in the first signal form is prohibited, and

when the operation section is not operated, regardless of whether there is a card, transmission of the tag ID in a second signal form is allowed.

5. An active radio tag according to claim 3 or 4, wherein

the first signal form is a form of a signal in which the tag ID is encrypted and the second signal form is a form of a signal in which the tag ID is not encrypted.

6. An active radio tag according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein

a number of times the card is removed from the card holder is counted based on results of detection by the detection unit, and

when the number of removals has reached a predetermined value, some or all of functions of the radio tag are suspended.

7. An active radio tag according to claim 6, wherein function suspension can be cancelled based on a special command.

8. A security management system comprising:

an active radio tag according to any one of claims 1 to 4;

a receiving unit that receives a tag ID transmitted from the radio tag; and

an authentication unit that performs predetermined authentication based on the tag ID received by the receiving unit.

9. A security management system comprising:

an active radio tag according to any one of claims 3 to 4;

a receiving unit that receives a tag ID transmitted from the radio tag;

an access management unit that grants or denies access to a predetermined access target based on a tag ID in a first signal form received by the receiving unit; and

a presence management unit that manages presence of the radio tag based on a tag ID in a second signal form received by the receiving unit.

10. A security management method comprising:

transmitting a tag ID from an active radio tag according to any one of claims 1 to 4;

receiving, by a receiving unit, the tag ID transmitted from the radio tag; and

performing, by an authentication unit, predetermined authentication based on the tag ID received by the receiving unit.

11. A security management method comprising:

transmitting a tag ID from an active radio tag according to any one of claims 3 to 4;

receiving, by a receiving unit, the tag ID transmitted from the radio tag;

granting or denying, by an access management unit, access to a predetermined access target based on a tag ID in a first signal form received by the receiving unit; and

managing, by a presence management unit, presence of the radio tag based on a tag ID in a second signal form received by the receiving unit.

2. An active radio tag comprising:

a storage unit having stored therein a tag ID;

a transmission unit that transmits, by radio, the tag ID in a predetermined signal form;

a card holder having the storage unit and the transmission unit built therein and including a card placement section in which a card is to be placed;

a detection unit that detects a card placed in the card holder;

a reading unit that reads card information stored in the card detected by the detection unit; and

a determination unit that checks the card information read by the reading unit against the tag ID to determine whether the card is a right card,

wherein when the detection unit detects a card, if the determination unit determines that the card is right, then transmission of the tag ID is allowed, and if the determination unit determines that the card is not right, then transmission of the tag ID is prohibited, and

wherein when the detection unit does not detect a card, transmission of the tag ID is prohibited.

4. An active radio tag according to claim 2, wherein

the card holder includes an operation section,

the transmission unit transmits information on the tag ID in different signal forms for different cases, a case in which the operation section is operated and a case in which the operation section is not operated,

when the operation section is operated with a card being detected by the detection unit, if the determination unit determines that the card is right, then transmission of the tag ID in a first signal form is allowed, and if the determination unit determines that the card is not right, then transmission of the tag ID in the first signal form is prohibited, and

when the operation section is not operated, regardless of whether there is a card and whether the card is right, transmission of the tag ID in a second signal form is allowed.