READER/WRITER AND ARTICLE SORTING SYSTEM

• US 20100182133A1
• Filed: 06/25/2008
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Signal Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nippon Signal Company Limited
• Inventors: Ando, Masahiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,581,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.510
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/588 deriving the velocity value from the range measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/62 Sense-of-movement determination G01S13/589 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/751 wherein the responder or reflector radiates a coded signal
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• 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

Abstract

A system that reads and writes information from and onto a non-contact information recording medium using an electric wave includes a reader/writer and a measuring unit. The reader/writer includes an antenna configured to transmit an electric wave onto the non-contact information recording medium, a demodulator configured to demodulate a reflected wave obtained by the non-contact information recording medium modulating a part of the electric wave, and a calculator configured to obtain a delay time of the reflected wave. The measuring unit measures a difference in delay times calculated by the calculator, and obtains a change in a distance between the antenna mediating transmission/reception of the electric wave and the non-contact information recording medium.

Claims

1. A system which reads and writes information from and onto a non-contact information recording medium using an electric wave, the system comprising:

a reader/writer comprising;

an antenna configured to transmit an electric wave onto said non-contact information recording medium;

a demodulator configured to demodulate a reflected wave obtained by said non-contact information recording medium modulating a part of the electric wave; and

a calculator configured to obtain a delay time of said reflected wave;

a measuring unit configured to measure a difference in delay times calculated by the calculator, thereby obtaining a change in a distance between the antenna mediating transmission/reception of the electric wave and said non-contact information recording medium.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the demodulator is a quadratic demodulator;

and

the calculator calculates a signal demodulated by the demodulator so as to obtain a delay time of the reflected wave.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the measuring unit measures a difference in delay times calculated by the calculator so as to obtain a change in a distance between said antenna and said non-contact information recording medium, thereby identifying an arrangement order of said non-contact information recording medium and a movement direction with respect to said antenna.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the measuring unit measures a difference in delay times calculated by the calculator so as to obtain a change in a distance between said antenna and said non-contact information recording medium, thereby identifying a timing at which said non-contact information recording medium has approached most closely to the antenna.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the measuring unit includes a relative speed calculation unit which calculates a relative speed of said antenna and said non-contact information recording medium, and determines whether said non-contact information recording medium has passed in front of said antenna under a condition that said non-contact information recording medium is moved, when the relative speed calculation unit has calculated that said relative speed of said antenna and said non-contact information recording medium is 0.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the reader/writer further comprises a plurality of antennas that are arranged in perpendicular relation to a movement vector of said non-contact information recording medium, and wherein

the measuring unit determines whether the relative speed calculation unit has calculated that relative speeds of antennas and said non-contact information recording medium are 0, or determines that the non-contact information recording medium has passed in front of said antenna, when calculated that the relative speeds have same sign.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system is configured to sort an article having a non-contact information recording media that stores information about the article, the system further comprising:

an antenna which mediates transmission/reception of an electric wave;

a carrier for carrying the article;

a detector for detecting passage of the article carried by the carrier; and

a sorter for sorting the article carried by said carrier,

and wherein

the measuring unit measures a difference in delay times calculated by the calculator thereby obtaining a change in a distance between said antenna and said article, identifies a carry order of the article and a movement direction with respect to said antenna, and determines that a lead article has passed so as to perform sorting of the article, when the detector detects the passage of the article.

8. The system according to claim 2, wherein

the measuring unit measures a difference in delay times calculated by the calculator so as to obtain a change in a distance between said antenna and said non-contact information recording medium, thereby identifying an arrangement order of said non-contact information recording medium and a movement direction with respect to said antenna.

9. The system according to claim 2, wherein

the measuring unit measures a difference in delay times calculated by the calculator so as to obtain a change in a distance between said antenna and said non-contact information recording medium, thereby identifying a timing at which said non-contact information recording medium has approached most closely to the antenna.

10. The system according to claim 2, wherein

the measuring unit includes a relative speed calculation unit which calculates a relative speed of said antenna and said non-contact information recording medium, and determines whether said non-contact information recording medium has passed in front of said antenna under a condition that said non-contact information recording medium is moved, when the relative speed calculation unit has calculated that said relative speed of said antenna and said non-contact information recording medium is 0.

11. The system according to claim 2, wherein the reader/writer further comprises:

a plurality of antennas that are arranged in perpendicular relation to a movement vector of said non-contact information recording medium, and wherein

the measuring unit determines whether the relative speed calculation unit has calculated that relative speeds of antennas and said non-contact information recording medium are 0, or determines that the non-contact information recording medium has passed in front of said antenna, when calculated that the relative speeds have same sign.

12. The system according to claim 2, wherein the system is configured to sort an article having a non-contact information recording media that stores information about the article, the system further comprising:

an antenna which mediates transmission/reception of an electric wave;

a carrier for carrying the article;

a detector for detecting passage of the article carried by the carrier; and

a sorter for sorting the article carried by said carrier, and wherein

the measuring unit measures a difference in delay times calculated by the calculator thereby obtaining a change in a distance between said antenna and said article, identifies a carry order of the article and a movement direction with respect to said antenna, and determines that a lead article has passed so as to perform sorting of the article, when the detector detects the passage of the article.

13. The system according to claim 3, wherein

the measuring unit includes a relative speed calculation unit which calculates a relative speed of said antenna and said non-contact information recording medium, and determines whether said non-contact information recording medium has passed in front of said antenna under a condition that said non-contact information recording medium is moved, when the relative speed calculation unit has calculated that said relative speed of said antenna and said non-contact information recording medium is 0.

14. The system according to claim 3, wherein the reader/writer further comprises:

a plurality of antennas that are arranged in perpendicular relation to a movement vector of said non-contact information recording medium, and wherein

the measuring unit determines whether the relative speed calculation unit has calculated that relative speeds of antennas and said non-contact information recording medium are 0, or determines that the non-contact information recording medium has passed in front of said antenna, when calculated that the relative speeds have same sign.

15. The system according to claim 3, wherein the system is configured to sort an article having a non-contact information recording media that stores information about the article, the system further comprising:

an antenna which mediates transmission/reception of an electric wave;

a carrier for carrying the article;

a detector for detecting passage of the article carried by the carrier;

a sorter for sorting the article carried by said carrier, and wherein

the measuring unit measures a difference in delay times calculated by the calculator thereby obtaining a change in a distance between said antenna and said article, identifies a carry order of the article and a movement direction with respect to said antenna, and determines that a lead article has passed so as to perform sorting of the article, when the detector detects the passage of the article.

16. The system according to claim 4, wherein

the measuring unit includes a relative speed calculation unit which calculates a relative speed of said antenna and said non-contact information recording medium, and determines whether said non-contact information recording medium has passed in front of said antenna under a condition that said non-contact information recording medium is moved, when the relative speed calculation unit has calculated that said relative speed of said antenna and said non-contact information recording medium is 0.

17. The system according to claim 4, wherein the reader/writer further comprises:

a plurality of antennas that are arranged in perpendicular relation to a movement vector of said non-contact information recording medium, and wherein

the measuring unit determines whether the relative speed calculation unit has calculated that relative speeds of antennas and said non-contact information recording medium are 0, or determines that the non-contact information recording medium has passed in front of said antenna, when calculated that the relative speeds have same sign.

18. The system according to claim 4, wherein the system is configured to sort an article having a non-contact information recording media that stores information about the article, the system further comprising:

an antenna which mediates transmission/reception of an electric wave;

a carrier for carrying the article;

a detector for detecting passage of the article carried by the carrier;

a sorter for sorting the article carried by said carrier, and wherein

the measuring unit measures a difference in delay times calculated by the calculator thereby obtaining a change in a distance between said antenna and said article, identifies a carry order of the article and a movement direction with respect to said antenna, and determines that a lead article has passed so as to perform sorting of the article, when the detector detects the passage of the article.

19. The system according to claim 5, wherein the system is configured to sort an article having a non-contact information recording media that stores information about the article, the system further comprising:

an antenna which mediates transmission/reception of an electric wave;

a carrier for carrying the article;

a detector for detecting passage of the article carried by the carrier;

a sorter for sorting the article carried by said carrier, and wherein

the measuring unit measures a difference in delay times calculated by the calculator thereby obtaining a change in a distance between said antenna and said article, identifies a carry order of the article and a movement direction with respect to said antenna, and determines that a lead article has passed so as to perform sorting of the article, when the detector detects the passage of the article.

20. A method for reading and writing information from and onto a non-contact information recording medium using an electric wave, the method comprising:

transmitting an electric wave onto said non-contact information recording medium;

demodulating a reflected wave obtained by said non-contact information recording medium modulating a part of the electric wave;

obtaining a delay time of said reflected wave; and

measuring a difference in the calculated delay times, thereby obtaining a change in a distance between an antenna mediating transmission/reception of the electric wave and said non-contact information recording medium.