SYSTEM, DEVICE, METHOD, PROGRAM FOR CONTROLLING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION TAG AND NETWORK, AND MANUFACTURING METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS USING THE CONTROL METHOD
First Claim
1. A control system which controls communication between a management system for managing a work process of a product corresponding to a radio frequency identification tag using identification information stored in the radio frequency identification tag and a plurality of first radio communication units for reading/writing information from/into the radio frequency identification tag using radio communication, via a network, comprising:
- a network state monitor unit for monitoring a state of the network and outputting network state information indicating the state;
a determination unit for determining in which mode the network should be operated, a non-network mode or a network mode, according to the network state information;
a control unit for controlling to enable the first radio communication unit that reads the identification information from the radio frequency identification tag to write additional information corresponding to a stage corresponding to the first radio communication unit into the radio frequency identification tag when it is determined that the network should be operated in the non-network mode, and controlling to transmit the additional information to the management system when it is determined that the network should be operated in the network mode; and
an information collecting unit provided with a second radio communication unit for reading the identification information and the written additional information from the radio frequency identification tag by using radio communication, and a first storage unit for storing the read identification information and the additional information.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
This system controls communication between a management system for managing the work process of a product using ID of an RF-ID tag and plural radio communication units each for radio communicating with an RF-ID tag provided associated with one stage of the work process. The system comprises a network state monitor unit monitoring the state of a network, a determination unit determining, based on the monitored state, which of the non-network mode or the network mode should be adopted, a control unit controlling the radio communication unit having read the ID to write, into the RF-ID tag, additional information corresponding to a stage corresponding to the radio communication unit when the non-network mode is adopted and transmitting the additional information to the management system when the network mode is adopted and an information collecting unit reading ID and the additional information from the RF-ID tag.
14 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A control system which controls communication between a management system for managing a work process of a product corresponding to a radio frequency identification tag using identification information stored in the radio frequency identification tag and a plurality of first radio communication units for reading/writing information from/into the radio frequency identification tag using radio communication, via a network, comprising:
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a network state monitor unit for monitoring a state of the network and outputting network state information indicating the state; a determination unit for determining in which mode the network should be operated, a non-network mode or a network mode, according to the network state information; a control unit for controlling to enable the first radio communication unit that reads the identification information from the radio frequency identification tag to write additional information corresponding to a stage corresponding to the first radio communication unit into the radio frequency identification tag when it is determined that the network should be operated in the non-network mode, and controlling to transmit the additional information to the management system when it is determined that the network should be operated in the network mode; and an information collecting unit provided with a second radio communication unit for reading the identification information and the written additional information from the radio frequency identification tag by using radio communication, and a first storage unit for storing the read identification information and the additional information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A manufacturing method for manufacturing a product by a plurality of processes while managing the manufacturing process a product corresponding to a radio frequency identification tag using identification information stored in the radio frequency identification tag, comprising:
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an identification information receiving step of a computer receiving identification information read from the radio frequency identification tag by one of the plurality of radio communication units each provided in relation with one of the plurality of processes; a network state monitor step of a network state monitor unit monitoring a state of a network and outputting network state information indicating the state to the computer; a determination step of the computer determining in which mode the network should be operated, a non-network mode or a network mode, according to the network state information; a write instruction issuance step of the computer issuing an instruction to a first radio communication unit that reads the identification information in the identification information receiving step in order to enable the first radio communication unit to write additional information corresponding to a stage corresponding to the first radio communication unit into the radio frequency identification tag when in the determination step it is determined that the network should be operated in the non-network mode; and a write step of the first radio communication unit the additional information according to the instruction; a transmission step of the computer transmitting the additional information to a management system connected to the computer via the network, for managing the manufacturing process when in the determination step it is determined that the network should be operated in the network mode; a process moving step of moving both the product and the radio frequency identification tag to a subsequent process after of the determination step and the write instruction issuance step when in the determination step it is determined that the network should be operated in the non-network mode and after the determination step and the transmission step when the network should be operated in the network mode; and an information collecting step of information collecting unit provided with a second radio communication unit for radio communicating with the radio frequency identification tag reading the identification information and the written additional information from the radio frequency identification tag using the second radio communication unit and storing it in storage unit after the writing step when the writing step is performed.
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6. A control device which is connected to a management system for managing a work process of a product corresponding to a radio frequency identification tag using identification information stored in the radio frequency identification tag via a network and is also connected to a radio communication unit related to one of the work process, for reading/writing information from/into the radio frequency identification tag by using radio communication, comprising:
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a network communication unit for communicating via the network; a determination unit for determining in which mode the network should be operated, the network mode or the non-network mode, according to network state information indicating a state of the network; and a control unit for controlling to a radio communication unit to write additional information corresponding to the stage into the radio frequency identification tag when it is determined that the network should be operated in the non-network mode and controlling to transmit the additional information to the management system when it is determined that the network should be operated in the network mode. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for a computer controlling communication between a management system for managing a work process of a product corresponding to a radio frequency identification tag using identification information stored in the radio frequency identification tag and a plurality of radio communication units each provided in relation to one stage of the work process, for reading/writing information from/into the radio frequency identification tag via a network by using radio communication, comprising:
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an identification information receiving step of one of the plurality of radio communication units receiving the identification information read from the radio frequency identification tag from the radio communication unit; a determination step of determining in which mode the network should be operated, the non-network mode or the network mode, according to network state information indicating a state of the network; a write instruction issuance step of issuing an instruction to write additional information corresponding to a stage corresponding to the radio communication unit to the radio communication unit that reads the identification information in the identification information receiving step when in the determination step it is determined that the network should be operated in the non-network mode; and a transmitting control step of transmitting the additional information to the management system when in the determination step it is determined that the network should be operated in the network mode. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A computer-readable storage medium on which is recorded a control program for enabling a computer to control communication between a management system for managing a work process of a product corresponding to a radio frequency identification tag using identification information stored in the radio frequency identification tag and a plurality of radio communication units each provided in relation to one stage of the work process, to read/write information from/into the radio frequency identification tag via a network by using radio communication, the control program comprising:
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an identification information receiving step of one of the plurality of radio communication units receiving the identification information read from the radio frequency identification tag, from the radio communication unit; a determination step of determining in which mode the network should be operated, the non-network mode or the network mode, according to network state information indicating a state of the network; a write instruction issuance step of issuing an instruction to write additional information corresponding to a stage corresponding to the radio communication unit to the radio communication unit that reads the identification information in the identification information receiving step when in the determination step it is determined that the network should be operated in the non-network mode; and a transmitting control step of transmitting the additional information to the management system when in the determination step it is determined that the network should be operated in the network mode.
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19. A work management system, comprising:
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a management unit for managing information about a work process of a product corresponding to a radio frequency identification tag; a radio communication unit which is connected to the management system via a network and is related to the work process, for reading/writing information from/into the radio frequency identification tag by using radio communication; a network state monitor unit for monitoring the state of the network and outputting network state information indicating the state; and a control unit for switching between a network mode for transmitting the information about the work process to the management system via the network and a non-network mode for writing the information about the work process into the RF-ID tag, according to the network state information.
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20. A manufacturing method for manufacturing a product by a plurality of processes, comprising:
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reading information about the product from a radio frequency identification tag; generating progress information about progress of a process using a process monitor device corresponding to the process; transmitting the progress information to an higher-order device on the basis of monitor result of whether there is a failure when there is no failure in communication between the process monitor device and the higher-order device connected to the process monitor device and writing the progress information into the radio frequency identification tag when there is a failure in the communication; and transporting the product to a subsequent process.
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21. A control device connected to another device via a network, comprising:
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a network communication unit for communicating with the other device via the network; a radio unit for reading/writing information from/into a radio frequency identification tag; a storage unit for temporarily storing information about a performed processing state; and a control unit for selectively switching between a first mode for transmitting the process information to another device via the network and a second mode for writing the process information into the radio frequency identification tag, according to the state of the network. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification