Wireless information storage device and method

• US 6,842,606 B1
• Filed: 03/02/2000
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Takemura, Hisao
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): LELE, TANMAY S
• Application Number:
  US09/517,186
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 455/73, 455/575, 455/90, 455/41.2, 455/41.1, 455/41.3, 455/90.1, 455/90.2, 455/90.3, 455/343.1, 455/344, 455/354, 455/128, 455/129, 455/351, 455/347, 235/492, 235/382, 235/384, 340/572.1, 340/572.2, 340/568.1, 340/825.3, 340/825.31, 340/825.33, 340/825.34, 340/825.54, 340/551, 340/568
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07779 the inductive antenna being a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07796 arrangements on the record carrier to allow stacking of a plurality of similar record carriers, e.g. to avoid interference between the non-contact communication of the plurality of record carriers
• 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 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil

Abstract

A wireless information storage device and method for putting the device on or into an item are disclosed. According to the disclosed device and method, even if a plurality of wireless information storage devices is perfectly stacked, it is possible to read information from or write information into those wireless information storage devices with certainty at a time, furthermore, it is possible to improve efficiency of communicating with the wireless information storage device or the item.

Claims

1. A wireless information storage device, comprising:

a coil antenna having a two-dimensional center for transmitting and/or receiving a signal via wireless communication and a space therein;

a memory arranged in the space of the coil antenna for storing information;

a control unit that generates information by demodulating a signal received via the coil antenna, and generates a signal to be transmitted via the coil antenna by modulating information stored in the memory, the control unit being arranged in the space of the coil antenna; and

a molded case having a two-dimensional center including the coil antenna, wherein each coil antenna is non-concentric with respect to coil antennas in other devices when a plurality of devices is stacked.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the position is a place where the two-dimensional center of the coil antenna is off from the two-dimensional center of the molded case.

3. A reader/writer system comprising:

a plurality of wireless information storage devices having substantially planar surfaces, the same outer shapes and sizes, and which are stacked, wherein each of the devices includes;

a coil antenna that transmits and/or receives a signal via wireless communication and has a two-dimensional center;

a memory arranged in the space of the coil antenna to store information;

a control unit that generates information by demodulating a signal received via the coil antenna, and generates a signal to be transmitted via the coil antenna by modulating information stored in the memory, the control unit being arranged in the space of the coil antenna; and

a molded case including the coil antenna, wherein the two-dimensional center of the coil antenna is off from the two-dimensional center of the molded case;

an antenna box that communicates with the plurality of wireless information storage devices to receive the signal from the plurality of the wireless information storage devices; and

a computer connected to the antenna box to process the signal received via the antenna box,

wherein each coil antenna is located at a position in the wireless information storage device relatively different from each other when the plurality of wireless information storage devices are stacked in a direction perpendicular to their planar surfaces.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each molded case has a round-and-board shape.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein each molded case has a rectangular shape.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein each memory is a nonvolatile memory.

7. A reader/writer system comprising:

a plurality of items with planar surfaces, wherein a wireless information storage device on or in each item is located off from a two-dimensional center of each item, each device comprising a loop-shaped coil antenna, a wireless transmitter/receiver, and a molded case containing the antenna and the wireless transmitter/receiver therein;

an antenna box that communicates with each of the wireless information storage devices to receive a signal from the wireless information storage devices; and

a computer connected with the antenna box to process the signal received via the antenna box,

wherein each device is located at a position on or in an item relatively different from each other when the plurality of items are stacked in a direction perpendicular to their planar surfaces.