RFID system and RFID tag

• US 20080218349A1
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Sato, Kazuo, Maeda, Tomohiko, Fuchida, Hidehiko, Muraoka, Yoshitaka, Saito, Shuko
• Granted Patent: US 8,274,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31296 Identification, pallet object data and program code for station
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31322 Work still to be done on workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

In an RFID system comprising a detection unit for detecting an RFID tag and a control unit for exercising the control concerning the RFID tag, a determination unit determines whether to access a second area of an RFID tag comprising storage area, comprising of a first area for storing ID information and the second area for storing command information. An extraction unit extracts command information from the second area when it is determined to access the second area. An execution unit performs a process corresponding to the command information extracted by the extraction unit.

Claims

1. An RFID system comprising a detection unit for detecting an RFID tag and a control unit for exercising control concerning the RFID tag, wherein

the control unit comprises

determination unit determining whether to access a second area of an RFID tag comprising storage area, comprising of a first area for storing ID information and the second area for storing command information;

extraction unit extracting command information from the second area when it is determined to access the second area; and

execution unit performing a process corresponding to the command information extracted by the extraction unit.

2. The RFID system according to claim 1, wherein

the extraction unit refers to result information corresponded to the command information and identification information for distinguishing a process to be performed stored in the storage area and extracts command information corresponding to the identification information indicating a process that is not performed yet and should be performed in the control unit.

3. The RFID system according to claim 2, wherein

the control unit further comprises

writing unit writing a result of executing the extracted command into the storage area of the RFID tag as the result information corresponding to the command information.

4. The RFID system according to claim 3, wherein

the writing unit writes return values obtained by executing the command extracted by the extraction unit into the RFID tag.

5. The RFID system according to claim 2, wherein

the command information is comprised of a command indicating a process concerning a manufacturing process and a test process of a first article on a production line and parameter data used when executing the command.

6. The RFID system according to claim 5, further comprising

a database for storing the first article and version number information of the first article for each group of the first article corresponding to position information indicating a place where the first article is classified and stored, wherein

when an RFID tag attached to a second article classifying and storing the first article is detected, the control unit performs a process for reflecting the first article, the version number information and the position information of the first article stored in the RFID tag attached to the second article to the database,

when the RFID tag attached to the first article is detected, the extraction unit extracts command information indicating a process of reading the version number information from the database and writing the version number information into said RFID tag from the storage area of the RFID tag attached to the first article.

7. The RFID system according to claim 5, wherein

when the detection unit detects the RFID tag, the control unit sequentially performs processes to be subsequently performed using return values previously obtained by executing a command, according to commands of a computation process for obtaining data for test, a test and an analysis process of a test result.

8. The RFID system according to claim 5, wherein

when the detection unit detects the RFID tag, the control unit performs a process for issuing a production instruction to a later process by a just-in-time system.

9. The RFID system according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit refers to a flag held by the RFID system and determines whether to perform a process on the basis of command information described in the storage area of the RFID tag.

10. A control method in an RFID system comprising a detection unit for detecting an RFID tag and a control unit for exercising control concerning the RFID tag, wherein

the control unit

determines whether to access a second area of an RFID tag comprising storage area, comprising of a first area for storing ID information and the second area for storing command information;

extracts command information from the second area when it is determined to access the second area; and

performing a process corresponding to the extracted command information.

11. An RFID tag comprising a storage area, wherein

the storage area comprises

process identification information for identifying a process in an RFID system;

command information indicating a command to instruct the RFID system to perform the process; and

result information indicating a result of executing a command indicated by the command information in the RFID system, and

when the RFID system detects the RFID tag having the above-described information, the RFID system determines a process to be performed according to the process identification information, extracts the command information corresponding to the process, performs the process and stores an execution result in the result information.