JP2006099202A - Radio tag circuit element container and radio tag information communication equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate countermeasures to fluctuation in manufacturing a radio tag circuit element, and to realize optimal communication configurations for every radio tag circuit element, and to prevent the waste of energy or any adverse influence on communication. <P>SOLUTION: This cartridge 100 is provided with an IC circuit part 151 for storing tag information and an antenna 152 connected to the IC circuit part 151 for transmitting/receiving information, and configured to store a plurality of radio tag circuit elements To. This cartridge 100 is provided with the radio tag circuit element TA for recording tag characteristic value information related with each of the plurality of radio tag circuit elements To. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless tag circuit element container including a wireless tag circuit element capable of reading or writing wireless tag information from the outside through wireless communication, and a wireless tag information communication apparatus using the wireless tag circuit element housing.

  An RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system that reads / writes information in a non-contact manner between a small wireless tag and a reader (reading device) / writer (writing device) is known. For example, a wireless tag circuit element provided in a label-like wireless tag includes an IC circuit unit that stores predetermined wireless tag information and an antenna that is connected to the IC circuit unit and transmits and receives information. Even if the battery is dirty or placed in an invisible position, the reader / writer can access (read / write information) the RFID tag information in the IC circuit unit, and manage the product. Practical use is expected in various fields such as inspection processes.

  For example, as a writer (printer) for writing information to such a RFID circuit element, the one described in Patent Document 1 is known. In this prior art, when a strip-shaped tag tape (mounting paper) on which rectangular label pieces (RFID labels) are attached at predetermined intervals is fed out from a tag tape roll (supply shaft) and transported through a transport path, Predetermined RFID tag information generated on the device side is transmitted to the antenna of the RFID circuit element incorporated in each label piece, and sequentially written in an IC circuit unit (IC chip) connected to the antenna. The label piece is then transported downstream in the transport direction, and print information corresponding to the written RFID tag information is printed on the RFID label surface by a printing means (thermal head), thereby completing the RFID label. Yes.

JP 2003-159838 A (paragraph numbers 0011 to 0039, FIGS. 1 to 5)

  The prior art has the following problems.

  That is, at the time of manufacturing the RFID circuit element, the tag characteristic value data such as the access sensitivity such as the communication sensitivity for each RFID circuit element, the memory writing voltage of the IC circuit section, and the writing time is actually Some variation occurs before and after the design specification value. However, conventionally, communication is performed with uniform tag characteristic value data for all the RFID circuit elements regardless of such variations. For this reason, when sequentially communicating with a plurality of RFID tag circuit elements sequentially, for example, with respect to the communication sensitivity, in order to ensure sufficient communication quality even for RFID tag circuit elements with low sensitivity, the device side in advance The transmission output from the antenna had to be set large.

  As a result, if the sensitivity is not low and it is not necessary for a good RFID circuit element, the transmission output is larger than necessary and energy is wasted, or if the allowable output range of the RFID circuit element is exceeded The radio wave received by the RFID circuit element is distorted, communication interference occurs with other RFID circuit elements, the intensity of the carrier wave is increased, and it is difficult to identify the reflected wave component. There was a drowning that occurred. There are similar problems with other tag characteristic value data, such as access conditions such as memory write voltage and write time of the IC circuit section.

  An object of the present invention is to accommodate RFID tag circuit elements that can accommodate variations in manufacturing RFID tag circuit elements, realize an optimal communication mode for each RFID circuit element, and prevent waste of energy and adverse communication effects Body and RFID tag information communication apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, the first invention accommodates a plurality of RFID circuit elements each having an IC circuit section for storing tag information and a tag side antenna connected to the IC circuit section for transmitting and receiving information. The RFID tag circuit element container includes a recording unit that records tag characteristic value information related to each of the plurality of RFID tag circuit elements.

  In the first invention of the present application, the tag characteristic value information of each RFID circuit element is recorded in the recording means. Thereby, when transmitting / receiving information to / from each RFID circuit element, it is possible to read the tag characteristic value information of the recording means and perform communication in a manner matching the characteristic value information. Therefore, even when the tag characteristic value data varies during manufacturing of the RFID tag circuit element, it is possible to realize an optimum communication mode by controlling the communication mode for each RFID circuit element. As a result, it is possible to prevent the waste of energy and the adverse effects on communication as in the prior art in which communication is performed with uniform tag characteristic value data in all the RFID circuit elements.

  According to a second invention, in the first invention, the recording means includes at least one of sensitivity information of the tag-side antenna of each RFID circuit element and memory capacity information of the IC circuit unit as the tag characteristic value information. Is recorded.

  Each wireless tag using tag side antenna sensitivity information recorded in the recording means, memory capacity information of the IC circuit unit, and tag characteristic value information such as access conditions such as memory write voltage and write time of the IC circuit unit Optimal communication mode is realized for each circuit element, and it is possible to prevent the waste of energy and the occurrence of adverse communication effects as in the prior art in which communication is performed with uniform tag characteristic value data in all RFID circuit elements. .

  According to a third invention, in the first or second invention, a tag tape in which a plurality of the RFID circuit elements are continuously arranged in the longitudinal direction of the tape, and a reel member that winds the tag tape around the outer periphery thereof. The cartridge is configured as a substantially box-shaped cartridge including a tag-side housing including the tag tape and the reel member.

  With respect to the RFID tag circuit element of the tag tape wound around the reel member arranged in the housing of the substantially box-shaped cartridge, the optimum communication mode can be realized by controlling the communication mode for each RFID circuit element. .

  In a fourth aspect based on the third aspect, the recording means is a first RFID circuit element for storing tag characteristic value information provided in the cartridge side casing or the reel member. .

  The tag characteristic value information can be read from the first RFID circuit element provided on the cartridge-side casing or the reel member, and the optimum communication mode can be realized by controlling the communication mode for each RFID circuit element.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to a fifth invention, in the third invention, the recording means is a first bar code portion formed in the cartridge side housing.

  The tag characteristic value information can be read from the first barcode portion formed on the cartridge side casing, and the communication mode can be controlled for each RFID circuit element to realize the optimum communication mode.

  According to a sixth invention, in the first or second invention, a plurality of flat paper-like label materials each provided with the plurality of RFID tag circuit elements, and a plurality of flat paper-like label materials in a stacking direction. It is configured as a substantially tray-type cartridge including a tray member that is stacked and stored.

  For the RFID circuit elements of the flat paper-like label material stacked and accommodated in the tray member of the substantially tray type cartridge, the optimum communication aspect can be realized by controlling the communication aspect for each RFID circuit element. .

  A seventh invention is characterized in that, in the sixth invention, the recording means is a second RFID circuit element for storing tag characteristic value information provided in the tray member.

  The tag characteristic value information is read from the second RFID circuit element provided on the tray member, and the optimum communication mode can be realized by controlling the communication mode for each RFID circuit element.

  In an eighth aspect based on the sixth aspect, the recording means is a second barcode portion formed on the tray member.

  The tag characteristic value information is read from the second barcode portion formed on the tray member, and the communication mode can be controlled for each RFID circuit element to realize the optimum communication mode.

  According to a ninth invention, in the first or second invention, a tag tape in which a plurality of the RFID circuit elements are continuously arranged in the longitudinal direction of the tape, and a reel member that winds the tag tape around the outer periphery thereof. It is comprised as a tag tape roll provided with.

  With respect to the RFID tag circuit element of the tag tape wound around the reel member, the optimum communication mode can be realized by controlling the communication mode for each RFID tag circuit element that is sequentially drawn out.

  According to a tenth aspect, in the ninth aspect, the recording means is a third RFID circuit element for storing tag characteristic value information provided on the reel member.

  The tag characteristic value information is read from the third RFID circuit element provided on the reel member, and the optimum communication mode can be realized by controlling the communication mode for each RFID circuit element.

  In an eleventh aspect based on any one of the third, sixth, and ninth aspects, the recording means is a plurality of third barcode portions provided in association with each RFID circuit element. It is characterized by.

  It is possible to read tag characteristic value information from the third barcode portion associated with each RFID tag circuit element to be communicated, and to control the communication mode for each RFID circuit element to realize the optimum communication mode.

  In a twelfth aspect based on the eleventh aspect, the third barcode portion is formed in a release material layer that covers an adhesive material layer for attaching the RFID circuit element to an attachment target. And

  The tag characteristic value information is read from the third barcode portion formed in the release material layer of the RFID circuit element, and the optimum communication mode can be realized by controlling the communication mode for each RFID circuit element.

  In order to achieve the above object, a thirteenth aspect of the present invention is a device-side housing, an IC circuit unit that is provided in the device-side housing, stores tag information, and is connected to the IC circuit unit to transmit and receive information. A housing mounting portion capable of mounting a wireless tag circuit element housing body having a tag-side antenna and recording means for recording tag characteristic value information relating to each of the plurality of wireless tag circuit elements; and the plurality of wireless tag circuit elements Among them, a device-side antenna that transmits and receives by wireless communication with the tag-side antenna of a specific RFID circuit element, and an access information generating unit that generates access information for accessing the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit The access information generated by the access information generating means is transmitted to the tag antenna without contact via the device antenna, and the wireless tag of the IC circuit unit is transmitted. Information transmitting means for accessing information, reading means for reading the tag characteristic value information related to the corresponding RFID circuit element recorded in the recording means, and the tag characteristic value information read by the reading means Transmission control means for controlling the transmission mode from the information transmission means so as to match the above.

  In the thirteenth invention of this application, the access information generated by the access information generating means is transmitted by the information transmitting means to the tag side antenna of the RFID circuit element via the device side antenna, and further to the RFID tag information of the IC circuit section. Access (read or write) is performed. At this time, the tag characteristic value information of the recording means is read by the reading means, and the transmission control means controls the transmission mode from the information transmitting means to match the read characteristic value information. As a result, even when the tag characteristic value data varies at the time of manufacturing the RFID circuit element, it is possible to realize the optimum communication mode by controlling the communication mode for each RFID circuit element. As a result, it is possible to prevent the waste of energy and the adverse effects on communication as in the prior art in which communication is performed with uniform tag characteristic value data in all the RFID circuit elements.

  In a fourteenth aspect based on the thirteenth aspect, the transmission control means controls the magnitude of the transmission output from the information transmission means so as to match the tag characteristic value information.

  Thereby, the magnitude | size of a transmission output can be controlled and optimized for every RFID circuit element, and the optimal communication aspect can be implement | achieved.

  According to a fifteenth aspect, in the thirteenth or fourteenth aspect, the transmission control unit controls a length of a transmission time in the information transmission unit so as to match the tag characteristic value information. .

  Thereby, the length of the transmission time is controlled and optimized for each RFID circuit element, and an optimal communication mode can be realized.

  In a fourteenth aspect based on the fourteenth or fifteenth aspect, the magnitude of the transmission output or the length of the transmission time corresponding to the tag characteristic value information is within a predetermined allowable range. It has the determination means to determine, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  As a result, it is possible to take measures such as not performing transmission when the size of the transmission output and the length of the transmission time are outside the allowable range, and the soundness of the apparatus and the reliability of the wireless tag can be ensured.

  According to the present invention, since the tag characteristic value information of each RFID circuit element is recorded in the recording means, the optimum communication mode can be realized by controlling the communication mode for each RFID circuit element. In addition, it is possible to prevent waste of energy and adverse effects on communication.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing a wireless tag generation system to which the wireless tag information communication apparatus of this embodiment is applied.

  In the RFID tag generating system 1 shown in FIG. 1, the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment includes a route server 4, a terminal 5, a general-purpose computer 6, and a plurality of information servers via a wired or wireless communication line 3. 7 is connected.

  FIG. 2 is a conceptual configuration diagram showing a detailed structure of the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2.

  In FIG. 2, the apparatus main body (apparatus side housing) 8 of the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 is provided with a cartridge holder portion (not shown) as a recess, and a cartridge (RFID tag circuit element) is provided in the holder portion. A cartridge, RFID tag circuit element housing) 100 is detachably attached.

  The apparatus body 8 includes a print head (thermal head) 10 that performs predetermined printing (printing) on the cover film 103 that is fed from the second roll 104, and a ribbon winding that drives the ink ribbon 105 that has finished printing on the cover film 103. A take-off roller drive shaft 11, a pressure roller drive shaft 12 for feeding the cover tape 103 and a base tape (tag tape) 101 fed out from the first roll 102, as a printed tag label tape 110, from the cartridge 100. An antenna (device-side antenna) 14 that transmits and receives signals by radio communication using a radio frequency such as a UHF band with a RFID circuit element To (described later in detail) provided on the base tape 101, and a cartridge 100 RFID tag circuit element (recording means, first RFID tag circuit element) TA provided A cartridge antenna 19 that transmits and receives signals by wireless communication in the same manner as described above, and the printed tag label tape 110 is cut to a predetermined length at a predetermined timing, and a label-like wireless tag label T (details will be described later) A cutter 15 to be generated, a delivery roller 17 that conveys and sends the RFID label T to the carry-out port 16, a sensor 18 that detects the presence / absence of the RFID label T at the carry-out port 16, and an outer shell configured to accommodate them And the housing 9 provided with the cartridge holder part and the carry-out port 16 to which the cartridge 100 is detachably fitted.

  The antenna 14 is composed of a directional antenna (in this example, a so-called patch antenna) having directivity on one side (in this example, the front side of the paper in FIG. 2) and the axial direction of the first roll 102. It is arrange | positioned in the vicinity (back side toward the paper surface of FIG. 2), and is arrange | positioned so that it can communicate with the feeding part vicinity area | region X of the base tape 101 of the 1st roll 102. FIG.

  On the other hand, the apparatus main body 8 also has a high-frequency circuit 21 for accessing (writing or reading) the RFID circuit elements To and TA via the antenna 14 and the cartridge antenna 19, and reading from the RFID circuit elements To and TA. A signal processing circuit (access information generating means) 22 for processing the output signal, a cartridge motor 23 for driving the ribbon take-up roller driving shaft 11 and the pressure roller driving shaft 12 described above, and the cartridge motor 23 A cartridge driving circuit 24 for controlling the driving of the printing head, a printing driving circuit 25 for controlling the energization of the print head 10, a solenoid 26 for driving the cutter 15 to perform a cutting operation, and a solenoid for controlling the solenoid 26. A drive circuit 27, a delivery roller motor 28 for driving the delivery roller 17, and the high circumference A control circuit (for controlling the operation of the entire RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 via the wave circuit 21, the signal processing circuit 22, the cartridge drive circuit 24, the print drive circuit 25, the solenoid drive circuit 27, the delivery roller drive circuit 29, etc. Transmission control means) 30.

  The control circuit 30 is a so-called microcomputer, and although not shown in detail, is composed of a central processing unit such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM, and is stored in advance in the ROM while using a temporary storage function of the RAM. Signal processing is performed according to the program. The control circuit 30 is connected to, for example, a communication line via the input / output interface 31, and is connected to the route server 4, the other terminal 5, the general-purpose computer 6, the information server 7 and the like connected to the communication line. It is possible to exchange information.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the detailed structure of the cartridge 100.

  In FIG. 3, the cartridge 100 includes a casing 100 </ b> A, the first roll 102 around which the strip-shaped base tape 101 is wound and disposed in the casing 100 </ b> A, and substantially the same width as the base tape 101. The second roll 104 around which the transparent cover film 103 is wound, and the ribbon supply side roll 111 for feeding out the ink ribbon 105 (thermal transfer ribbon, but not required when the cover film is made of thermal tape); Then, the ribbon take-up roller 106 for winding the ribbon 105 after printing, the base tape 101 and the cover film 103 are pressed and bonded to each other, and the tape is fed in the direction indicated by the arrow A while making the printed tag label tape. Pressure roller (bonding means) 107 (which also functions as a tape feed roller) and the outer periphery of the casing 100A And an RFID circuit element TA provided in substantially opposite positions with the device main body 8 side of the cartridge antenna 19 in.

  The first roll 102 is wound around the reel member 102a with the base tape 101 in which a plurality of RFID tag circuit elements To are sequentially arranged at predetermined equal intervals in the longitudinal direction.

  In this example, the base tape 101 has a four-layer structure (see a partially enlarged view in FIG. 3), from the side wound inside (right side in FIG. 3) to the opposite side (left side in FIG. 3), An adhesive layer 101a made of an appropriate adhesive material, a colored base film 101b made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate), an adhesive layer 101c made of an appropriate adhesive material, and a release paper 101d are laminated in this order.

  An antenna (tag side antenna) 152 for transmitting and receiving information is integrally provided on the back side (left side in FIG. 3) of the base film 101b, and information can be updated so as to be connected thereto (rewritable rewritable). The IC circuit unit 151 to be stored is formed, and the RFID circuit element To is constituted by these (the same applies to the RFID circuit element TA).

  The adhesive layer 101a for later bonding the cover film 103 is formed on the front side (right side in FIG. 3) of the base film 101b, and the RFID circuit element is formed on the back side (left side in FIG. 3) of the base film 101b. The release paper 101d is bonded to the base film 101b by the adhesive layer 101c provided so as to enclose To. The release paper 101d is one that can be adhered to the product or the like by the adhesive layer 101c when the RFID label T finally completed in a label shape is attached to a predetermined product or the like by peeling it off. It is.

  The second roll 104 has the cover film 103 wound around a reel member 104a. The cover film 103 fed out from the second roll 104 is a ribbon driven by the ribbon supply side roll 111 and the ribbon take-up roller 106 arranged on the back side thereof (that is, the side to be bonded to the base tape 101). 105 is pressed against the print head 10 to be brought into contact with the back surface of the cover film 103.

  The ribbon winding roller 106 and the pressure roller 107 are driven by the driving force of the cartridge motor 23 (see FIG. 2 described above), for example, a pulse motor provided outside the cartridge 100. By being transmitted to the roller drive shaft 12, it is rotationally driven.

  In the RFID circuit element TA, characteristic value information (optimum access power (transmission output) value here) of each RFID circuit element To is stored for each of the plurality of RFID circuit elements To provided on the base tape 101. The control circuit 30 reads this characteristic value information and controls the high-frequency circuit 21 to access each RFID circuit element To in the optimum communication mode (optimum access power) (write or read). (Details will be described later).

  In the cartridge 100 configured as described above, the base tape 101 fed out from the first roll 102 is supplied to the pressure roller 107. On the other hand, the cover film 103 fed out from the second roll 104 is ink driven by a ribbon supply side roll 111 and a ribbon take-up roller 106 arranged on the back side thereof (that is, the side to be bonded to the base tape 101). The ribbon 105 is pressed against the print head 10 and brought into contact with the back surface of the cover film 103.

  When the cartridge 100 is mounted on the cartridge holder portion of the apparatus main body 8 and a roll holder (not shown) is moved from the separation position to the contact position, the cover film 103 and the ink ribbon 105 are moved to the print head 10 and the platen roller. The base tape 101 and the cover film 103 are sandwiched between the pressure roller 107 and the sub-roller 109. The ribbon take-up roller 106 and the pressure roller 107 are rotationally driven in synchronization with the directions indicated by the arrows B and D by the driving force of the cartridge motor 23, respectively. At this time, the pressure roller driving shaft 12 is connected to the sub roller 109 and the platen roller 108 by a gear (not shown), and the pressure roller 107, the sub roller 109, and the platen roller are driven by the driving of the pressure roller driving shaft 12. The roller 108 rotates, the base tape 101 is fed out from the first roll 102, and is supplied to the pressure roller 107 as described above. On the other hand, the cover film 103 is fed out from the second roll 104 and the plurality of heating elements of the print head 10 are energized by the print drive circuit 25. As a result, a print R (see FIG. 7 described later) is printed on the back surface of the cover film 103. The base tape 101 and the cover film 103 after the printing are bonded and integrated by the pressure roller 107 and the sub roller 109 to form a tag label tape with print, and are carried out of the cartridge 100. . The ink ribbon 105 that has finished printing on the cover film 103 is taken up by the ribbon take-up roller 106 by driving the ribbon take-up roller drive shaft 11. Further, a guide roller 120 is provided in the vicinity of the feeding of the first roll 102, and the positional relationship between the antenna 14 on the apparatus side and the RFID label T is predetermined even if the outer diameter changes depending on the remaining amount of the first roll 102. The communication condition with the RFID circuit element To is kept constant by regulating the range.

  FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing detailed functions of the high-frequency circuit 21. In FIG. 4, the high frequency circuit 21 transmits an antenna switch (switching) circuit 341 switched by the control circuit 30, and signals to the RFID circuit elements To and TA via the antenna switch circuit 341 and the antennas 14 and 19. The transmitting section (information transmitting means) 32 for transmitting, the receiving section 33 for inputting the reflected wave from the RFID circuit elements To and TA received by the antennas 14 and 19, and the transmission / reception separator 34 are configured.

  The antenna switch circuit 341 is a switch circuit using a well-known high-frequency FET or diode, and connects one of the antennas 14 and 19 to the transmission / reception separator 34 by a selection signal from the control circuit 30.

The transmission unit 32 includes a crystal resonator 35, a PLL (Phase) that generates a carrier wave for accessing (writing or reading) the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit 151 of the RFID circuit elements To and TA.
The generated carrier wave is modulated based on a signal supplied from the signal processing circuit 22 (Locked Loop) 36, a VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator) 37 (in this example, a “TX_ASK” signal from the signal processing circuit 22) A transmission multiplication circuit 38 (amplitude modulation based on the above) (however, in the case of amplitude modulation, an amplification factor variable amplifier or the like may be used) and a modulated wave (wireless tag information) modulated by the transmission multiplication circuit 38 And a variable transmission amplifier 39 that determines and amplifies the amplification factor according to the “TX_PWR” signal from 30. The generated carrier wave preferably uses a UHF band frequency, and the output of the transmission amplifier 39 passes through the antenna switch circuit 341 via the transmission / reception separator 34 to either the antenna 14 or 19. The signal is transmitted and supplied to the IC circuit 151 of the RFID circuit elements To and TA. Note that the RFID tag information is not limited to the signal modulated as described above, but may be only a carrier wave.

  The reception unit 33 includes a reception first multiplication circuit 40 that multiplies the reflected wave from the RFID circuit elements To and TA received by the antennas 14 and 19 and the generated carrier wave, and the reception first multiplication circuit 40. A first band pass filter 41 for extracting only a signal of a necessary band from the output of the first output, a reception first amplifier 43 that amplifies the output of the first band pass filter 41 and supplies the amplified signal to the first limiter 42, and the antenna 14 and 19, a reception second multiplication circuit 44 for multiplying the reflected wave from the RFID circuit elements To and TA received by the signals 19 and 19 and the carrier wave having a phase delayed by 90 ° after being generated, and the reception second multiplication circuit 44 A second band-pass filter 45 for extracting only a signal of a necessary band from the output of the second band-pass, and the output of the second band-pass filter 45 is input and amplified to be a second And a reception second amplifier 47 supplies the emitter 46. The signal “RXS-I” output from the first limiter 42 and the signal “RXS-Q” output from the second limiter 46 are input to the signal processing circuit 22 and processed.

  The outputs of the reception first amplifier 43 and the reception second amplifier 47 are also input to an RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) circuit 48, and a signal “RSSI” indicating the strength of these signals is input to the signal processing circuit 22. It has become so. In this way, in the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, the reflected wave from the RFID tag circuit element To is demodulated by IQ orthogonal demodulation.

  Although not specifically described above, in the present embodiment, communication when the antenna switch circuit 341 is switched to the cartridge antenna 19 side (communication between the cartridge antenna 19 and the RFID circuit element TA), and the antenna In order to prevent communication when the switch circuit 341 is switched to the antenna 14 side (communication between the antenna 14 and the RFID tag circuit element To) from interfering with each other, a communication protocol according to the switching position of the antenna switch circuit 341 To be changed. As a result, a desired RFID tag circuit element can be accessed without interference. In addition, you may make it change the access frequency (for example, 13 MHz and 950 MHz etc.) with respect to a radio | wireless tag circuit element according to the switching position of the antenna switch circuit 341, without changing a protocol.

  FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the RFID circuit element To. In FIG. 5, the RFID circuit element To is connected to the antenna 152 on the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 side and the antenna 152 that transmits and receives signals in a non-contact manner using a high frequency such as a UHF band, and the antenna 152. And the IC circuit portion 151.

  The IC circuit unit 151 includes a rectification unit 153 that rectifies the carrier wave received by the antenna 152, a power supply unit 154 that accumulates the energy of the carrier wave rectified by the rectification unit 153 and serves as a drive power source, and the antenna 152. A clock extraction unit 156 that extracts a clock signal from the received carrier wave and supplies the clock signal to the control unit 155, a memory unit 157 that can store a predetermined information signal, a modem unit 158 connected to the antenna 152, and the rectifier And a control unit 155 for controlling the operation of the RFID circuit element To via the unit 153, the clock extraction unit 156, the modulation / demodulation unit 158, and the like.

  The modem unit 158 demodulates the communication signal received from the antenna 152 of the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 received by the antenna 152, and the carrier wave received from the antenna 152 based on the response signal from the control unit 155. Modulated reflection.

  The control unit 155 interprets the received signal demodulated by the modulation / demodulation unit 158, generates a return signal based on the information signal stored in the memory unit 157, and performs basic control such as returning by the modulation / demodulation unit 158. Execute proper control.

  Although not shown in detail, the RFID circuit element TA provided in the cartridge 100 also has the same structure as the RFID circuit element To, and has an IC circuit portion 151 (not shown) and an antenna 152. (Not shown) etc. are provided.

  FIGS. 6A and 6B show an example of the appearance of the RFID label T formed by completing the information writing of the RFID circuit element To and the cutting of the printed tag label tape 110 as described above. 6A is a top view, and FIG. 6B is a bottom view. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along section VII-VII ′ in FIG.

  6 (a), 6 (b), and 7, the RFID label T has a five-layer structure in which the cover film 103 is added to the four-layer structure shown in FIG. From the (upper side in FIG. 7) to the opposite side (lower side in FIG. 7), the cover film 103, the adhesive layer 101a, the base film 101b, the adhesive layer 101c, and the release paper 101d constitute five layers. As described above, the RFID circuit element To including the antenna 152 provided on the back side of the base film 101b is provided in the adhesive layer 101c and printed on the back surface of the cover film 103 (in this example, the RFID label T). "RF-ID" indicating the type) is printed.

  FIG. 8 is displayed on the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6 when the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 as described above accesses (writes or reads) the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit 151 of the RFID circuit element To. It is a figure showing an example of a screen.

  In FIG. 8, in this example, the print character R printed corresponding to the RFID circuit element To, the access (write or read) ID that is an ID unique to the RFID circuit element To, and the information server 7 store them. The address of the received article information and the storage destination address of the corresponding information in the route server 4 can be displayed on the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6. Then, the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 is operated by the operation of the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6 so that the print character R is printed on the cover film 103 and the write ID and the write ID and the IC circuit unit 151 as described later. Information such as article information is written (or wireless tag information such as article information stored in advance in the IC circuit unit 151 is read).

  At the time of writing (or reading) as described above, the ID of the generated RFID label T and the information read from the IC circuit unit 151 of the RFID label T (or information written to the IC circuit unit 151) The correspondence relationship is stored in the route server 4 and can be referred to as necessary.

  Here, the greatest feature of the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 of the present embodiment is that the control circuit 30 reads characteristic value information (optimum access power value) of each RFID circuit element To stored in the RFID circuit element TA. By controlling the high frequency circuit 21, each RFID circuit element To can be accessed in an optimum communication mode (optimum access power). The details will be described below with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 9 shows access to each RFID circuit element To according to the optimum communication mode described above, that is, reads characteristic value information (optimum access power value) of each RFID circuit element To stored in the RFID circuit element TA, 6 is a flowchart showing a control procedure executed by the control circuit 30 when accessing the RFID circuit element To after controlling the high-frequency circuit 21 so as to achieve an optimum communication mode.

  In FIG. 9, this flow is started when a write (or read) operation of the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 is performed. First, in step S110, tag access is switched to the cartridge side. Specifically, a selection signal is output to the antenna switch circuit 341, and the antenna switch circuit 341 is switched so that the cartridge antenna 19 is connected to the transmission / reception separator 34.

  In the next step S120, the remaining number R stored at the address 0 in the memory unit 157 (not shown) of the RFID circuit element TA is read and stored in a memory (not shown). The remaining number R stored at the address 0 is a value indicating the remaining number of RFID circuit elements To that have not been written (or read) on the base tape 101 (details will be described later). The memory may be an internal memory included in the control circuit 30 or an external memory provided outside the control circuit 30.

  In the next step S130, the access power value P stored at the address (100−R + 1) in the memory unit 157 (not shown) of the RFID circuit element TA is read and stored in the memory (not shown). . The access power value P stored at the address (100−R + 1) is output by the transmitter 32 of the high-frequency circuit 21 according to the communication sensitivity of the antenna 152 of each RFID circuit element To in the base tape 101. This is a value indicating the optimum output power amount to be performed (details will be described later). The address where the access power value P is stored is expressed as (100−R + 1) because the RFID circuit element To initially accommodated in the cartridge 100 is 100 pieces. The number is appropriately changed according to the number of RFID tag circuit elements To accommodated.

  In the next step S140, the tag access is switched to the tape side. Specifically, a selection signal is output to the antenna switch circuit 341, and the antenna switch circuit 341 is switched so that the antenna 14 is connected to the transmission / reception separator 34.

  In the next step S150, it is determined whether or not the access power value P read in the previous step S130 is greater than or equal to the maximum allowable value Pmax. The maximum permissible value Pmax is such that the output power (output energy amount per unit time) from the transmitter 32 to the RFID circuit element To when writing at a normal writing speed is the device body 8 side (for example, Control circuit 30, high frequency circuit 21, antenna 14, and the like) is a maximum access power (output power amount) value within a range not exceeding the maximum (rated) output power. It is a value stored in advance. If the access power value P is less than the maximum allowable value Pmax, the determination is not satisfied and the routine goes to the next step S160.

  In step S160, the writing speed for the RFID circuit element To is set to the normal speed. Specifically, the operation clocks of the control circuit 30 and the signal processing circuit 22 are set to a frequency corresponding to the normal writing speed. More specifically, the frequency is set by setting the frequency division ratio of the system clock. Thereafter, the process proceeds to the next step S180.

  In step S180, the “TX_PWR” signal is output to the variable transmission amplifier 39 provided in the transmission unit 32 of the high frequency circuit 21, and the access power (output power amount) value for the RFID circuit element To of the transmission unit 32 is determined in step S130. The read access power value P is set. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S190.

  On the other hand, if the access power value P is greater than or equal to the maximum allowable value Pmax in the previous step S150, the determination is satisfied, and the routine goes to step S170. In this step S170, the writing speed for the RFID circuit element To is set to a low speed (a speed slower than the normal speed). Specifically, as in step S160, the operation clocks of the control circuit 30 and the signal processing circuit 22 are set to a frequency corresponding to the low speed writing speed. More specifically, a lower frequency is set by largely changing the frequency division ratio of the system clock. By reducing the writing speed in this way, the total energy output from the transmitter 32 of the high-frequency circuit 21 to the RFID circuit element To can be increased, and is determined by the specifications of the apparatus body 8 described above. Since the power can be kept within the maximum output power, in the next step S180A, the “TX_PWR” signal is output to the variable transmission amplifier 39 provided in the transmission unit 32 of the high-frequency circuit 21, and the RFID circuit of the transmission unit 32 The access power (output power amount) value for the element To is set to the maximum output power value Pmax. When step S180A ends, the process proceeds to step S190.

  In step S190, the wireless tag information is written in the wireless tag circuit element To and predetermined printing is performed on the cover film 103. The wireless tag label T is generated by cutting the printed tag label tape 110 for each wireless tag circuit element To. A tag label creation process is performed (refer to FIG. 12 described later for details).

  In the next step S200, 1 is subtracted from the remaining number R read in the previous step S120, and the reduced value is stored in the address 0 again. Thus, the remaining number R can accurately indicate the remaining number of RFID circuit elements To that have not been written (or read) on the base tape 101. This flowchart is complete | finished above.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the contents stored in the memory unit 157 (not shown) of the RFID circuit element TA. As described above, the base tape 101 includes 100 RFID circuit elements To. Shows the case.

  In FIG. 10, the numerical value stored at address 0 corresponds to the remaining number R read in step S120 of FIG. 9, and writing (or reading) on the base tape 101 has been completed as described above. This is a value indicating the remaining number of RFID tag circuit elements To. The remaining number R stored at the address 0 is decremented by one every time the creation of the RFID label T is completed, and is updated and stored, as described in step S200 of FIG. Thus, the remaining number of RFID circuit elements To that have not been written (or read) can be accurately indicated. In FIG. 10, the remaining number R is 100, and the RFID label T has not yet been created.

  The numerical values stored in the addresses from address 1 to address 100 correspond to the access power value P read in step S130 of FIG. 9, and as described above, the antenna 152 of each RFID circuit element To in the base tape 101. This is a value indicating the optimum output power amount that the transmission unit 32 of the high-frequency circuit 21 should output in accordance with the communication sensitivity. As described in step S130 above, the control circuit 30 reads the access power value P stored at the address (100-R + 1). For example, when the remaining number R is 100, the control circuit 30 reads the address 1 at the address 1. Since 50 is stored, and the remaining number R is 99 after that, it is read in order from the first address, such as 65 stored in the second address. That is, the optimum access power values for the RFID circuit elements To in the order corresponding to the addresses are stored in addresses 1 to 100. In FIG. 10, the unit of the access power value P is, for example, mW (milliwatt). For example, since the access power P of the RFID tag circuit element To created first is 50 from the address 1, the output power is set to 50 mW, and to the second tag created, it is set to 65 mW. .

  FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B are explanatory diagrams showing differences in output signals from the transmission unit 32 to the RFID circuit element To, respectively. In the figure, the vertical axis represents output power and the horizontal axis represents time, and the area of the hatched portion corresponding to the product of these corresponds to the output energy.

  FIG. 11A shows an example in which the determination in step S150 is not satisfied and the access power is set to the access power value P read in step S130 through step S160. In the upper stage, the output power is set to 50 mW. When set, the lower row shows a case where 65 mW is set.

  FIG. 11B shows the case where the determination in step S150 is not satisfied and the access power is set to the access power value P read in step S130 through step S160 (upper stage, the writing speed is the normal speed). When the determination in step S150 is satisfied, the access power is set to the maximum value Pmax in step S180A through step S170 regardless of the read result in step S130 (lower stage, writing speed is low).

  As shown in FIG. 11B, by lowering the writing speed, the output energy can be increased under the condition that the access power P is the same (because the hatched area is larger) than the normal speed. Therefore, when the access power value P exceeds the maximum permissible value Pmax in step S150 of FIG. 9, writing (or reading) is impossible due to the limitation of the specification on the apparatus body 8 side if the normal writing speed. However, by reducing the writing speed, the output power from the transmitter 32 to the RFID circuit element To is kept within the maximum output power Pmax determined by the specifications of the apparatus body 8 and writing to the RFID circuit element To ( Or reading).

  In the example of this embodiment, for example, if the maximum allowable value Pmax is 75, the access power of the third tag created as shown in FIG. 10 is 85, which exceeds the maximum allowable value Pmax. As shown in FIG. 11B, the output power is set to Pmax and tag access is performed at a low speed.

  In the above description, writing (or reading) is enabled even when the access power value P exceeds the maximum allowable value Pmax by reducing the writing speed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. May be increased. The precharge time is a modulation that is first output when a signal of RFID tag access information is output to the RFID circuit element To so that the RFID circuit element To can store energy and serve as a driving power source. This is the output time of a carrier wave that has not been performed (see FIG. 11). By increasing the precharge time, it is possible to obtain the same output power reduction effect as when the writing speed is lowered, and as a result, writing (or reading) to the RFID circuit element To can be performed. It becomes possible.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of the RFID label production process in step S190 of FIG.

  First, in step S10, the RFID tag information to be written from the antenna 14 to the IC circuit unit 151 of the RFID circuit element To and input via the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6 is printed on the RFID label T by the print head 10. The print information to be read is read through the communication line 3 and the input / output interface 31.

  Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S15, and a variable N for counting the number of times of retry (retry) without a response from the RFID circuit element To and a flag F indicating whether communication is good or bad are initialized to zero.

  Next, in step S <b> 20, a control signal is output to the cartridge driving circuit 24, and the ribbon take-up roller 106 and the pressure roller 107 are driven to rotate by the driving force of the cartridge motor 23. Thereby, the base tape 101 is fed out from the first roll 102 and supplied to the pressure roller 107, and the cover film 103 is fed out from the second roll 104. Further, a control signal is output to the delivery roller motor 28 via the delivery roller drive circuit 29 to drive the delivery roller 17 to rotate. As a result, as described above, the base tape 101 and the cover film 103 (which has been printed as will be described later) are bonded and integrated by the pressure roller 107 and the sub-roller 109 to form a tag label tape 110 with print. The tapes 101, 103, and 110 are started to be driven so as to be conveyed outward from the cartridge body 100.

  Thereafter, in step S30, a write process is performed to transmit and write the RFID tag information to the RFID circuit element To (see FIG. 13 described later for details).

  Then, the process proceeds to step S35A, a control signal is output to the print drive circuit 25, the print head 10 is energized, and a predetermined region of the cover film 103 (for example, the base tape 101 is disposed at equal intervals at a predetermined pitch). A print R of characters, symbols, barcodes, etc. read in step S10 is printed on the area to be attached to the back surface of the RFID circuit element To. When step S35A ends, the process proceeds to step S39.

  In step S39, it is determined whether or not the flag F = 0. If the writing process has been completed normally, F = 0 remains (see step S38 in the flow shown in FIG. 13 described later), so this determination is satisfied, and the routine goes to step S40. On the other hand, if the writing process is not normally completed for some reason, F = 1 is set (see step S38 in the flow shown in FIG. 13 to be described later), so this determination is not satisfied, and the process proceeds to step S45, where print drive is performed. A control signal is output to the circuit 25 to stop energization of the print head 10 and stop printing. As described above, the fact that the RFID circuit element To is not a normal product is clearly displayed by stopping the printing, and then the process proceeds to step S60 described later.

  In step S 40, the combination of the RFID tag information written to the RFID circuit element To in the above step S 30 and the print information printed by the print head 10 corresponding thereto is sent via the input / output interface 31 and the communication line 3. The data is output via the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6 and stored in the information server 7 or the route server 4. The stored data is stored and held in, for example, a database so that it can be referred to from the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6 as necessary.

  Thereafter, in step S50, after confirming whether or not all the printing on the area corresponding to the RFID circuit element To which is the processing target at this time in the cover film 103 is completed, the process proceeds to step S60.

  In step S60, it is determined whether the printed tag label tape 110 has been transported to a predetermined position to be cut by the cutter 15. Specifically, for example, whether the target RFID circuit element To and the print area of the cover film 103 corresponding to the target RFID circuit element To all exceed the cutter 15 by a predetermined length (margin amount) An appropriate identification mark provided corresponding to each RFID circuit element To on 101 (specifically, for example, release sheet 101d or cover film 103) may be provided outside cartridge 100 (for example, further downstream of cutter 15 in the transport direction). It is sufficient to perform detection by using a known tape sensor provided on the side). In addition, without such detection, it is determined based on the print information whether the length of the print character length of the print R plus a predetermined blank area exceeds the total length of the RFID circuit element To (is exceeded). For example, it is possible to avoid cutting the RFID circuit element To to be bonded by cutting the margin area outside with the cutter 15 at least when the printing of the cover film 103 is completed). Also good.

  If the determination in step S60 is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S70. In step S70, control signals are output to the cartridge drive circuit 24 and the delivery roller drive circuit 29, the drive of the cartridge motor 23 and the delivery roller motor 28 is stopped, and the ribbon take-up roller 106, the pressure roller 107, and the delivery roller. The rotation of 17 is stopped. Thereby, the feeding of the base tape 101 from the first roll 102, the feeding of the cover film 103 from the second roll 104, and the conveyance of the tag label tape 110 with print by the feed roller 17 are stopped.

  In the next step S80, a control signal is output to the solenoid drive circuit 27 to drive the solenoid 26, and the printed tag label tape 110 is cut by the cutter 15. As described above, at this time, for example, the RFID tag circuit element To to be processed and the print area of the cover film 103 corresponding thereto all sufficiently exceed the cutter 15, and by cutting the cutter 15, the RFID tag A label-like RFID label T on which the RFID tag information of the circuit element To is read and predetermined printing corresponding to the RFID tag information is performed is generated.

  Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S90, where a control signal is output to the delivery roller drive circuit 29, the drive of the delivery roller motor 28 is resumed, and the delivery roller 17 is rotated. As a result, the conveyance by the delivery roller 17 is resumed, and the RFID label T generated in the label shape in step S150 is conveyed toward the carry-out port 16 and is discharged from the carry-out port 16 to the outside of the apparatus 2.

  Finally, in step S100, the entire RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit 151 provided in the RFID label circuit element To remaining in the communication range (the above-described region X) in the cartridge 100 is erased (initialized). Specifically, an “Erase” command for initializing information stored in the memory unit 157 of the RFID circuit element To is output to the signal processing circuit 22. Based on this, an “Erase” signal as RFID tag information is generated by the signal processing circuit 22 and transmitted to all RFID circuit elements To in the communication range (the region X) via the transmitter 32 and the antenna 14 of the high frequency circuit 21. Then, the memory unit 157 is initialized.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of step S30.

  In FIG. 13, when the above-described step S20 in FIG. Based on this, a “Program” signal as RFID tag information including ID information originally intended to be written is generated by the signal processing circuit 22 and is communicated within the communicable area via the transmitter 32 and the antenna 14 of the high frequency circuit 21 (the above-mentioned region X And the information is written in the memory unit 157.

  Thereafter, in step S 32, a “Verify” command for confirming the contents of the memory unit 157 is output to the signal processing circuit 22. Based on this, a “Verify” signal as RFID tag information is generated in the signal processing circuit 22 and transmitted to all RFID circuit elements To in the communicable area via the transmitter 32 and the antenna 14 of the high frequency circuit 21. Prompt for a reply.

  Then, the process proceeds to step S33, and a reply (response) signal transmitted (returned) from all the RFID circuit elements To in the communicable area corresponding to the “Verify” signal is received via the antenna 14, and the high frequency signal is received. The data is taken in via the receiving unit 33 and the signal processing circuit 22 of the circuit 21.

  Next, in step S34, based on the reception result of step S33, at least one of all the RFID circuit elements To in the communication area, any valid reply signal (that has been normally stored in the memory unit 157). It is determined whether or not a signal indicating

  If the determination is satisfied, the data is correctly written in at least one RFID circuit element To in the area X, and the writing failure to all the RFID circuit elements To in the area X is avoided. End the routine. If the determination is not satisfied, the process moves to step S35, 1 is added to N, and it is further determined in step S36 whether N = 5. If N ≦ 4, the determination is not satisfied and the routine returns to step S31 and the same procedure is repeated. If N = 5, the process proceeds to step S37 described above. In step S37, an error display signal is output to the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6 via the input / output interface 31 and the communication line 3 to display a corresponding writing failure (error), and then in step S38, the flag F = 1. This routine is finished as follows. As described above, even if information writing is not successful, the retry is performed up to five times, so that it is possible to make sure of the writing reliability.

  In the above, the case has been described in which the RFID tag information is transmitted to the RFID circuit element To after the optimum access power has been set and the IC circuit unit 151 is written. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the optimum access power is set. Later, while reading the RFID tag information from the read-only RFID circuit element To in which predetermined RFID tag information (tag identification information, etc.) is stored and retained in a non-rewritable manner, the RFID tag label T is printed by performing printing corresponding thereto. May be created.

  In this case, only the print information is read in step S10 in FIG. 12, and the RFID tag information is read in step S30 (refer to FIG. 14 described later for details). Thereafter, in step S40, the combination of the print information and the read RFID tag information is stored.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a detailed procedure of the wireless tag reading process.

In FIG. 14, when the RFID circuit element To to be read is transported to the vicinity of the antenna 14, in step S <b> 101, the information stored in the RFID circuit element To is read “Scroll”.
The “All ID” command is output to the signal processing circuit 22. Based on this, a “Scroll All ID” signal as RFID tag information is generated by the signal processing circuit 22 and transmitted to the RFID tag circuit element To to be read via the high frequency circuit 21 to prompt a reply.

  Next, in step S102, a reply signal (RFID tag information including tag ID information) transmitted from the RFID tag circuit element To to be read in response to the “Scroll All ID” signal is received via the antenna 14. Then, the high-frequency circuit 21 and the signal processing circuit 22 are used.

  Next, in step S103, it is determined using a known error detection code (CRC code; Cyclic Redundancy Check, etc.) whether or not there is an error in the reply signal received in step S102.

  If the determination is not satisfied, the process moves to step S104, 1 is added to N, and it is further determined in step S105 whether N = 5. If N ≦ 4, the determination is not satisfied and the routine returns to step S101 and the same procedure is repeated. If N = 5, the process proceeds to step S106, and an error display signal is output to the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6 via the input / output interface 31 and the communication line 3, and a corresponding reading failure (error) display is performed. In step S107, the flag F is set to 1, and this routine is terminated. Thus, even if information reading is unsuccessful, retrying is performed up to five times, so that the reading reliability can be ensured to ensure completeness.

  If the determination in step S103 is satisfied, reading of the RFID tag information from the RFID circuit element To to be read is completed, and this routine ends.

  In the above, step S150 in FIG. 9 constitutes determination means for determining whether or not the magnitude of the transmission output that matches the tag characteristic value information described in claim 16 is within a predetermined allowable range.

  In the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 of the present embodiment described above, when the RFID tag information is written to the RFID circuit element To, the signal processing circuit 22 and the high frequency circuit transmitter 32 correspond to the RFID circuit element To. After the generated RFID tag information is generated, the RFID tag information is transmitted by radio communication from the antenna 14 to the antenna 152 of the RFID tag circuit element To on the base tape 101, and further connected to the antenna 152. Data is written to the circuit unit 151. On the other hand, when reading the RFID tag information from the RFID circuit element To, the RFID tag information stored in advance in the RFID circuit element To is received via the antenna 14 and controlled via the high frequency circuit 21 and the signal processing circuit 22. Capture to circuit 30.

  Here, in general, at the time of manufacturing the RFID circuit element To, actually, tag characteristic value data such as communication sensitivity of the antenna 152 for each RFID circuit element To varies to some extent before and after the original design specification value. Occurs. Here, if access (writing or reading) is performed with uniform tag characteristic value data to all the RFID circuit elements To regardless of such variations, the plurality of RFID circuit elements To are successively and sequentially accessed. When performing access, for example, with regard to antenna communication sensitivity, the access power from the antenna 14 must be set large in advance so that sufficient communication can be secured even for the RFID circuit element To having low sensitivity. .

  As a result, the other RFID circuit element To whose sensitivity is not low (good), the access power is larger than necessary, and energy is wasted. Further, the allowable output of the RFID circuit element To When the range is exceeded, the radio wave received by the RFID circuit element To is distorted, communication interference to other RFID circuit elements To occurs, the intensity of the carrier wave increases, and it becomes difficult to identify the reflected wave component, etc. There is a possibility that an unfavorable influence on communication may occur. Similar problems also occur with other tag characteristic value data such as access conditions such as memory write voltage and write time of the memory 157 of the IC circuit section.

  Therefore, in the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, the optimum access power value for each RFID circuit element To is stored in the RFID circuit element TA provided in the casing 100A of the cartridge 100 as described above. Has been. When transmitting / receiving RFID tag information to / from each RFID circuit element To, the access power value stored in the RFID circuit element TA is read and the transmission unit 32 of the high-frequency circuit 21 is set to obtain the access power. Is set, and access is performed with a communication mode (access power) that matches the RFID circuit element To. As a result, even when the tag characteristic value data varies when the RFID circuit element To is manufactured, the optimum communication mode can be realized by controlling the access power for each RFID circuit element To. . As a result, as described above, it is possible to prevent waste of energy and occurrence of adverse communication effects as in the case where communication is performed with uniform tag characteristic value data in all the RFID circuit elements To.

  In the above, the communication mode optimum for each RFID circuit element To is realized by using the access power value as the characteristic value information of the RFID circuit element To. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a precharge time may be used. In this case, by preliminarily storing the optimum precharge time for each RFID circuit element To in the RFID circuit element TA, and setting the transmission unit 32 of the high frequency circuit 21 so as to be the read precharge time, Similarly to the case where the access power value is used, access can be performed in a communication mode that matches each RFID circuit element To.

  In addition to the above, the above embodiment can be further modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the gist and technical idea. Hereinafter, such modifications will be sequentially described.

(1) When no cartridge is used FIG. 15 is a conceptual configuration diagram showing a detailed structure of an RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 ′ according to a modified example not using a cartridge, and corresponds to FIG. 2 of the above embodiment. . Components equivalent to those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. In FIG. 15, in this modified example, the apparatus main body 8 is provided with a casing 9 provided with the carry-out port 16, and the casing 9 is provided with the antennas 14 and 19 'similar to those in the above embodiment. Yes.

  The antenna 14 is configured by a directional antenna (patch antenna) having directivity on one side (in this example, on the front side in FIG. 15) as in the above-described embodiment and the first roll 102. It arrange | positions in the axial direction (back side toward the paper surface of FIG. 15), and is arrange | positioned so that it can communicate with the feeding part vicinity area | region X of the base tape 101 of the 1st roll 102. FIG. As a result, the antenna 14 is configured such that the RFID circuit element To discharged to the outside of the housing 9 through the carry-out port 16 is outside the communicable range. As a result, the RFID tag information of the RFID circuit element To that has once exited from the carry-out port 16 to the outside of the housing 9 is initialized, and other information is further prevented from being written from the antenna 14. It has become. For this purpose, an appropriate shield means is provided around the carry-out port 16.

  Unlike the above-described embodiment in which the cartridge antenna 19 ′ is disposed so as to face the RFID circuit element TA provided in the housing 100 </ b> A of the cartridge 100, one side (in this example, the front side toward the paper surface of FIG. 15). Are arranged in the vicinity of the axial direction of the reel member 102a of the first roll 102 (the back side as viewed in FIG. 15). It is arranged so as to be able to communicate with the RFID circuit element TA provided on the member 102a (for example, one side of the reel member 102a (in this example, the front side in FIG. 15)).

  Further, as described above, the cartridge 100 is omitted and each member provided in the cartridge 100 is directly provided in the housing 9. In this example, the pressure roller driving shaft 12 and the ribbon take-up roller drive are driven. The shaft 11 is driven by a pressure roller motor 23 ′ driven and controlled by a pressure roller drive circuit 24 ′ corresponding to the cartridge motor 23 controlled by the cartridge drive circuit 24 of the above embodiment. .

  Also in this modification, the access power value (or precharge time) stored in the RFID circuit element TA is read out via the cartridge antenna 19 ', and the high frequency circuit 21 is set so as to obtain the access power (or precharge time). Thus, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be obtained, in which the transmitter 32 is set and access can be performed in a communication mode that matches the RFID circuit element To.

  In the above-described embodiment using the cartridge 100, the RFID circuit element TA is provided in the housing 100A of the cartridge 100. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the RFID circuit element TA is mounted in the cartridge 100 as in this modification. You may make it provide in the reel member 102a in an inside. In this case, it is sufficient that the cartridge antenna 19 is constituted by a directional antenna (patch antenna) having directivity on one side (front side in FIG. 2) like the cartridge antenna 19 ′ in this modification. .

(2) In the case where a tray type cartridge is used In the above embodiment, a cartridge provided with a first roll 102 around which a strip-shaped base tape 101 in which a plurality of RFID circuit elements To are sequentially formed in the longitudinal direction is wound as a cartridge. Although the case where 100 is provided has been described as an example, the present invention is not limited thereto, and other cartridge modes may be used.

  FIG. 16 is a conceptual perspective view showing such a modification.

  In FIG. 16, in this modified example, a substantially flat box-shaped tray member 91 is provided as a cartridge. In this tray member 91, a plurality of flat paper-like label materials 92 each formed with one RFID circuit element To are stacked and stored in the stacking direction. A plurality of RFID tag circuit elements To can be sequentially taken out by pulling out the flat paper-like label material 92 one by one from the takeout port 91A provided on one side surface (in this example, the rear side in the figure) of the tray member 91. ing. The RFID circuit element To taken out from the tray member 91 is set at a position facing the antenna 14 provided in the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 and is read out.

  A RFID tag circuit element (second RFID tag circuit element) TA is provided on one side surface (left side in the figure in this example) of the tray member 91. The RFID circuit element TA is disposed so as to be substantially opposed to the cartridge antenna 19 provided in the apparatus body 8 when the tray member 91 is attached to the apparatus body 8 of the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2. ing.

  Also in this modification, the access power value (or precharge time) stored in the RFID circuit element TA is read through the cartridge antenna 19 and the high frequency circuit 21 is set so as to obtain the access power (or precharge time). An effect similar to that of the above embodiment in which the transmitter 32 is set and access can be performed in a communication mode that matches the RFID circuit element To is obtained.

(3) Case where bonding is not performed That is, although not specifically described with reference to the drawings, printing is performed on the cover film 103 different from the base tape 101 provided with the RFID circuit element To as in the above embodiment. Instead of pasting them together, the present invention may be applied to a so-called non-laminate type cartridge that performs printing on a cover film provided on a tag tape. In this case, a plurality of RFID circuit elements To may be provided on the thermal tape, and printing may be performed on the surface of the thermal tape by a print head having a plurality of heating elements, or an ink ribbon as in the above embodiment may be used. The printing used may be used.

  Also in this modification, an effect similar to that of the above embodiment in which access can be performed in a communication mode that matches the RFID circuit element To is obtained.

  In the above description, the RFID circuit element is used as the recording means for recording the characteristic value information of each RFID circuit element To. However, for example, a barcode (not shown) may be used. That is, the storage destination address and the like of the characteristic value information of all the RFID circuit elements To in the route server 4 recorded in the barcode is read by a barcode scanner (reading means) not shown, and the control circuit 30 determines from the storage destination address. The characteristic value information (access power value or precharge time) of the RFID circuit element To is read through the communication line 3 and the input / output interface 31, and the transmission unit 32 of the high frequency circuit 21 is set so as to be in the communication mode. Thereby, it is possible to access in a communication mode that matches the RFID circuit element To. It is sufficient that the barcode is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the housing 100A of the cartridge 100 in the above-described embodiment and on one side surface of the tray member 91 in the modified example of (2). The tag circuit elements To may be provided in association with each other. In this case, for example, in the base tape 101, it is sufficient to form a barcode for each RFID circuit element To on the release paper 101d that covers the adhesive layer 101c for attaching the RFID label T to a predetermined product or the like.

  In the above, the characteristic value information (access power value or precharge time) of the RFID circuit element To is stored in the RFID circuit element TA. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the characteristic value information is described above. You may make it memorize | store access conditions, such as memory write voltage of the memory part 157 of the IC circuit part 151, and write time. Also in this case, the access condition information stored in the RFID circuit element TA is read, and the transmission unit 32 of the high-frequency circuit 21 is set so as to correspond to the access conditions such as the memory write voltage and write time. Thus, access can be performed in a communication mode that matches the RFID circuit element To.

  Furthermore, since the required energy changes depending on the size of the memory capacity of the memory unit 157, the writing power required for writing changes according to the memory capacity. In this sense, the “memory capacity” is also included in the characteristic value information in order to perform control so as to obtain the optimum required power, and this may be stored in the RFID circuit element TA.

  Furthermore, in the above, an example in which communication (writing or reading) is performed with respect to the base tape 101 (or the thermal tape) moving inside the cartridge 100 or the like in accordance with the printing operation is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The communication may be performed by stopping the base tape 101 or the like at a predetermined position (further held by a predetermined conveyance guide).

  Furthermore, it is assumed that the “Scroll All ID” signal, “Erase” signal, “Verify” signal, and “Program” signal used in the above are compliant with the Auto-ID specification established by EPC global. EPC global is a non-profit corporation established jointly by the International EAN Association, which is an international organization of distribution codes, and the United Code Code Council (UCC), which is an American distribution code organization. Note that signals conforming to other standards may be used as long as they perform the same function.

  In addition, although not illustrated one by one, the present invention is implemented with various modifications within a range not departing from the gist thereof.

1 is a system configuration diagram illustrating a wireless tag generation system to which a wireless tag information communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. It is a notional block diagram showing the detailed structure of the RFID tag information communication apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a detailed structure of the cartridge shown in FIG. 2. It is a functional block diagram showing the detailed function of the high frequency circuit shown in FIG. It is a functional block diagram showing the functional structure of the RFID circuit element To. 2A and 2B are a top view and a bottom view illustrating an example of the appearance of a wireless tag label T. FIG. It is a cross-sectional view by the VII-VII 'cross section in FIG. It is a figure showing an example of the screen displayed on a terminal or a general purpose computer in accessing wireless tag information. It is a flowchart showing the control procedure performed by the control circuit. It is a figure showing the memory content of the memory part of a radio | wireless tag circuit element. It is a figure showing the difference in the output signal with respect to a radio | wireless tag circuit element when changing writing power or changing writing speed. It is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of step S190 of FIG. It is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of step S30 of FIG. It is a flowchart showing the RFID tag information reading procedure performed by the control circuit. It is a conceptual block diagram showing the detailed structure of the RFID tag information communication apparatus by the modification which does not use a cartridge. It is a conceptual block diagram showing the whole structure of the tray member by the modification using the substantially flat box-shaped tray member as a cartridge.

Explanation of symbols

2 RFID tag information communication device 2 'RFID tag information communication device 8 Device body (device side casing)
14 Antenna (device side antenna)
22 Signal processing circuit (access information generating means)
30 Control circuit (transmission control means)
32 Transmitter (information transmission means)
91 tray member 100 cartridge (wireless tag circuit element housing)
100A case (cartridge side case)
101 Base tape (tag tape)
102a Reel member 151 IC circuit portion 152 Antenna (tag side antenna)
T wireless tag label TA wireless tag circuit element (recording means, first wireless tag circuit element, second wireless tag circuit element)
To RFID tag circuit element

Claims (16)

A wireless tag circuit element housing body that houses a plurality of wireless tag circuit elements including an IC circuit section that stores tag information and a tag-side antenna that is connected to the IC circuit section and transmits and receives information.
An RFID tag circuit element container comprising recording means for recording tag characteristic value information relating to each of the plurality of RFID tag circuit elements. The RFID tag circuit element container according to claim 1,
The recording unit records at least one of sensitivity information of the tag-side antenna of each RFID circuit element and memory capacity information of the IC circuit unit as the tag characteristic value information. Circuit element container. The RFID tag circuit element housing according to claim 1 or 2,
A tag tape in which a plurality of the RFID circuit elements are continuously arranged in the longitudinal direction of the tape; a reel member that winds the tag tape around the outer periphery; a cartridge-side housing that contains the tag tape and the reel member; An RFID tag circuit element container comprising: a cartridge having a substantially box shape. The RFID tag circuit element container according to claim 3,
The RFID tag circuit element container, wherein the recording means is a first RFID tag circuit element for storing tag characteristic value information provided in the cartridge-side casing or the reel member. The RFID tag circuit element container according to claim 3,
The RFID tag circuit element container, wherein the recording means is a first barcode portion formed in the cartridge-side casing. The RFID tag circuit element housing according to claim 1 or 2,
A substantially tray type comprising a plurality of flat paper-like label materials each provided with the plurality of RFID circuit elements, and a tray member that stores the plurality of flat paper-like label materials in a stacking direction. The RFID tag circuit element container is characterized by being configured as a cartridge. The RFID tag circuit element container according to claim 6,
The RFID tag circuit element container, wherein the recording means is a second RFID circuit element for storing tag characteristic value information provided on the tray member. The RFID tag circuit element container according to claim 6,
The RFID circuit element container, wherein the recording means is a second barcode portion formed on the tray member. The RFID tag circuit element housing according to claim 1 or 2,
A tag tape roll comprising a tag tape in which a plurality of the RFID circuit elements are continuously arranged in the longitudinal direction of the tape and a reel member for winding the tag tape around the outer periphery thereof, RFID tag circuit element housing. The RFID tag circuit element container according to claim 9,
The RFID tag circuit element container, wherein the recording means is a third RFID tag circuit element for storing tag characteristic value information provided on the reel member. The RFID tag circuit element housing according to any one of claims 3, 6, and 9,
The RFID tag circuit element container is characterized in that the recording means is a plurality of third barcode portions provided in association with each RFID circuit element. The RFID tag circuit element housing according to claim 11,
The RFID circuit element container, wherein the third barcode portion is formed on a release material layer that covers an adhesive material layer for attaching the RFID circuit element to an application object. A device-side housing;
Tag characteristic value information relating to each of the plurality of RFID tag circuit elements and an IC circuit unit that is provided in the device-side casing, stores tag information, is connected to the IC circuit unit and transmits / receives information. A container mounting portion to which a RFID circuit element container having a recording means recorded can be mounted;
Among the plurality of RFID tag circuit elements, a device-side antenna that transmits and receives by radio communication with the tag-side antenna of a specific RFID tag circuit element;
Access information generating means for generating access information for accessing the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit;
The access information generated by the access information generating means is transmitted to the tag-side antenna through the device-side antenna in a contactless manner, and information transmitting means for accessing the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit;
Reading means for reading the tag characteristic value information related to the corresponding RFID circuit element recorded in the recording means;
A wireless tag information communication apparatus comprising: a transmission control unit that controls a transmission mode from the information transmission unit so as to match the tag characteristic value information read by the reading unit. The wireless tag information communication device according to claim 13,
The wireless tag information communication apparatus, wherein the transmission control means controls the magnitude of the transmission output from the information transmission means so as to match the tag characteristic value information. The wireless tag information communication device according to claim 13 or 14,
The wireless tag information communication apparatus, wherein the transmission control means controls a length of transmission time in the information transmission means so as to match the tag characteristic value information. The wireless tag information communication device according to claim 14 or 15,
RFID tag information communication, comprising: determination means for determining whether the size of the transmission output or the length of the transmission time corresponding to the tag characteristic value information is within a predetermined allowable range apparatus.

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