JP2010122977A - Reader/writer terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact reader/writer terminal capable of radio LAN communication with reduced number of components. <P>SOLUTION: The reader/writer terminal 1 is provided with: a shared antenna 50, an RFID processing part 20 for communicating with a non-contact communication medium in a non-contact manner through the shared antenna 50, a radio LAN processing part 40 for performing radio LAN communication through the shared antenna 50, and a frequency separation circuit 10 for separating a signal of a first frequency band from a signal of a second frequency band from the shared antenna 50. The frequency separation circuit 10 is connected to the RFID processing part 20 and the radio LAN processing part 40, and is configured to transmit the signal of the first frequency band to the RFID processing part 20 and transmit the signal of the second frequency band to the radio LAN processing part 40. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a reader / writer terminal.

Conventionally, reader / writer terminals having an RFID tag reading function have been widely provided. In this type of reader / writer terminal, communication with an external device is often required, such as when the acquired RFID data is transmitted to the outside, and the wireless LAN communication method is used as a communication method for the convenience of the user. Often adopted.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-128423 JP 2006-101117 A

  When the wireless LAN communication function is installed in the reader / writer terminal as described above, since both the RFID communication function and the wireless LAN communication function can be realized with a single terminal, the convenience of the user can be greatly improved. On the other hand, there are problems such as an increase in the number of parts and an increase in size due to higher functions.

  That is, when a wireless LAN communication function is installed in a reader / writer terminal, in general, not only an antenna and communication control circuit for performing contactless communication, but also an antenna and communication control circuit for performing wireless LAN communication are required. Therefore, the number of parts is increased and the size is increased, and the arrangement space for the antenna is also a problem. Therefore, when a wireless LAN communication function is installed in a terminal to achieve high functionality, a configuration that can effectively solve such problems is desired.

  In addition, as a technique relevant to this invention, there exist a thing like patent document 1, 2, for example. However, none of these techniques can be directly applied to a reader / writer terminal equipped with a wireless LAN communication function, and does not have a description or suggestion that can solve the above problem.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to realize a reader / writer terminal capable of performing wireless LAN communication with a smaller configuration while reducing the number of components.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is directed to non-contact communication means for communicating with a non-contact communication medium in a first frequency band, and wireless LAN communication in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band. A wireless LAN communication means for performing a reader / writer terminal, a shared antenna used for both the non-contact communication means and the wireless LAN communication means, and the non-contact communication medium via the shared antenna A non-contact communication control circuit that performs non-contact communication with the wireless LAN communication control circuit that performs wireless LAN communication via the shared antenna, a signal of the first frequency band from the shared antenna, and a second frequency band The frequency separation means for separating a signal, and the frequency separation means is connected to the wireless LAN communication control circuit and the non-contact communication control circuit, and the first frequency Transmitting a band of signals to said non-contact communication control circuit, and wherein the transmitting a signal of said second frequency band to the wireless LAN communication control circuit.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the reader / writer terminal according to the first aspect, the shared antenna and the frequency separation circuit are connected by a single coaxial cable, and the shared antenna and the frequency separation circuit are connected to each other. The first frequency band signal and the second frequency band signal are both transmitted through the single coaxial cable.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the reader / writer terminal according to the first or second aspect, the reader / writer terminal is formed in a longitudinal shape, and the shared antenna is arranged on one end side in the longitudinal direction of the reader / writer terminal. It is characterized by being.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the reader / writer terminal according to the third aspect, a display device is provided near one end in the longitudinal direction of the reader / writer terminal, and a plurality of operation buttons are disposed near the other end. The shared antenna is arranged at one end in the longitudinal direction of the reader / writer terminal on the surface side where the display device is provided in the thickness direction of the reader / writer terminal. .

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the reader / writer terminal according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the frequency separation means includes a first band-pass filter that passes the signal of the first frequency band, A second band pass filter that passes the signal of the second frequency band, and the signal of the first frequency band is transmitted to the non-contact communication control circuit via the first band pass filter, A signal in a frequency band is transmitted to the wireless LAN communication control circuit via the second band pass filter.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the reader / writer terminal according to the fifth aspect, the impedance of the first bandpass filter is matched when a signal of the first frequency band is input from the shared antenna side, It is configured as a band rejection filter for the second frequency band so as to be in an open state when a signal of the second frequency band is input from the shared antenna side, and the second band pass filter is connected to the shared antenna side So that the impedance is matched when a signal of the second frequency band is input from the first frequency band and the open state when the signal of the first frequency band is input from the shared antenna side. It is configured as a band rejection filter.

  A seventh aspect of the present invention is the reader / writer terminal according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the frequency separation means is configured to provide a path for transmitting a high-frequency signal from the shared antenna side in the non-contact manner. A high-frequency switch that switches between a first transmission path that transmits to the communication control circuit, a second transmission path that transmits to the wireless LAN communication control circuit, and a high-frequency switch control unit that controls switching of the high-frequency switch. Features.

  The invention of claim 8 is the reader / writer terminal according to claim 7, wherein the non-contact communication means is configured to control a carrier output means for outputting a carrier and an output of the carrier by the carrier output means, When the carrier output exceeds a predetermined allowable time, the carrier output is forcibly turned off, and when the off state continues for a certain time, the carrier output can be continued again at the allowable time. On / off control means, wherein the high-frequency switch control means switches to the second transmission path when the output of the carrier is forcibly turned off by the on / off control means.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the reader / writer terminal according to the eighth aspect, the non-contact communication means includes a reception terminal connected to a signal transmission line between the shared antenna and the frequency separation means, and the reception Carrier sense means for performing carrier sense communication processing via a terminal and the shared antenna.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the reader / writer terminal according to the ninth aspect, when the signal of the first frequency band is input to the receiving terminal from the shared antenna side and the signal of the second frequency band is A high resistance means that enters a high impedance state when input is connected, and the carrier sense means performs the carrier sense communication process via the high resistance means.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, since the shared antenna that is also used for the non-contact communication means and the wireless LAN communication means is provided, the number of antennas can be reduced as compared with the configuration in which each dedicated antenna is provided. Space saving and device size reduction can be achieved. Further, a frequency separation means for separating the first frequency band signal and the second frequency band signal from the shared antenna is provided, and the first frequency band signal is transmitted to the non-contact communication control circuit. Is transmitted to the wireless LAN communication control circuit. In this way, it is possible to appropriately distribute signals in each frequency band transmitted through the shared antenna while reducing the size by using a single shared antenna for both functions. Therefore, communication in any frequency band can be performed appropriately, and as a result, both the non-contact communication function and the wireless LAN communication function can be realized satisfactorily.

  The invention of claim 2 is configured such that the first frequency band signal and the second frequency band signal are both transmitted via a single coaxial cable between the shared antenna and the frequency separation circuit. ing. If it does in this way, the signal transmission line between a shared antenna and a frequency separation circuit can be simplified more, and it will become easy to aim at reduction of a number of parts, weight reduction, etc.

In the invention of claim 3, the shared antenna is arranged on one end side in the longitudinal direction of the reader / writer terminal. If it does in this way, an antenna can be put together in a suitable place and it becomes easy to suppress influence of an electrical component, a metal object, etc. inside a terminal circuit.
In addition, when the antenna for non-contact communication and the antenna for wireless LAN communication are configured separately without using the configuration as in the present invention, there is a great positional restriction in arranging the antenna, and both antennas However, it is difficult to place any one of the antennas at the appropriate position (for example, when one of the antennas is arranged at the optimum position, the other antenna is restricted by the arrangement of the other antenna, However, when the shared antenna is used as in the present invention, it is difficult to receive such restrictions, and it is easy to perform any communication via an antenna arranged at a more appropriate position. .

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a display device is provided near one end in the longitudinal direction of the reader / writer terminal, and an operation area in which a plurality of operation buttons are arranged near the other end. The shared antenna is disposed at one end in the longitudinal direction of the reader / writer terminal on the surface side where the display device is provided in the thickness direction of the reader / writer terminal. In this way, when the display device side is the front end side and the vicinity of the operation area is gripped and used, the shared antenna is not easily affected by the user's hand. In addition, there is an advantage that it is easy to perform an operation of bringing the shared antenna closer to the communication target in such a usage mode.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the frequency separation means includes a first bandpass filter that passes a signal of the first frequency band and a second bandpass filter that passes a signal of the second frequency band, and the first frequency The band signal is transmitted to the non-contact communication control circuit via the first band pass filter, and the signal of the second frequency band is transmitted to the wireless LAN communication control circuit via the second band pass filter. . If it does in this way, the signal of the 1st frequency band and the signal of the 2nd frequency band can be distributed appropriately with simple circuit composition. Further, the anti-jamming wave characteristic outside the first frequency band can be improved for the non-contact communication control circuit, and the anti-jamming wave characteristic outside the second frequency band can be improved for the wireless LAN communication control circuit.

In the invention of claim 6, the impedance of the first band pass filter is matched when a signal in the first frequency band is input from the shared antenna side, and a signal in the second frequency band is input from the shared antenna side. It is configured as a band rejection filter for the second frequency band so that it is sometimes open.
As described above, when the first bandpass filter is configured so as to be matched when a signal in the first frequency band is input, loss due to impedance mismatch can be effectively reduced. In addition, when a signal in the second frequency band is input, the open state is entered, so that the influence of the second frequency band on the non-contact communication control circuit can be cut off. Similarly, for the second bandpass filter, the impedance is matched when a signal in the second frequency band is input, so that loss can be effectively suppressed, and a signal in the first frequency band is input. Sometimes, since it is in an open state, the influence of the signal of the first frequency band on the wireless LAN communication control circuit can be cut off.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wireless LAN that transmits a high-frequency signal from the shared antenna side, a first transmission path that transmits a signal in the first frequency band to the non-contact communication control circuit, and a signal in the second frequency band. A high-frequency switch that is switched by a second transmission path that transmits to the communication control circuit and a high-frequency switch control unit that controls switching of the high-frequency switch are provided. If it does in this way, the signal of each frequency band can be appropriately distributed to a 1st transmission path and a 2nd transmission path by control. In addition, since non-contact communication and wireless LAN communication are not performed simultaneously via the antenna, it is difficult for excessive power loss or abnormal heat generation in the antenna or cable, and intermodulation caused by the mixture of two frequencies. Can be reliably eliminated.

  In the invention of claim 8, when the carrier output exceeds a predetermined allowable time, the carrier output is forcibly turned off, and when the off state continues for a certain time, the carrier output can be continued again at the allowable time. On / off control means is provided. On the other hand, the high frequency switch control means is configured to switch to the second transmission path when the carrier output is forcibly turned off by the on / off control means. In this way, wireless LAN communication can be performed using the time during which non-contact communication is forcibly cut off, so that the efficiency of both communication can be improved and the completion of communication can be further accelerated.

  The invention of claim 9 is provided with a receiving terminal connected to a signal transmission line between the shared antenna and the frequency separating means, and carrier sensing means for performing carrier sense communication processing via the receiving terminal and the shared antenna. Yes. In this way, carrier sense communication processing can be performed even when switching to the second transmission path side (that is, during wireless LAN communication), and immediately after switching to the first transmission path side, non-transmission is performed. Contact communication can be performed.

  In the tenth aspect of the present invention, a high resistance means that enters a high impedance state when a signal in the first frequency band is input from the shared antenna side and a signal in the second frequency band is input to the receiving terminal is connected to the receiving terminal. ing. In this way, the antenna matching is not disturbed by the receiving terminal used for carrier sensing, and loss due to the carrier sensing receiving terminal can be effectively suppressed. On the other hand, since carrier sense can be processed even with weak power, carrier sense communication processing can be favorably performed by the carrier sense means even through high resistance means.

[First embodiment]
DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment in which a mobile terminal device of the invention is embodied will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a reader / writer terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a reader / writer terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an electrical configuration of the reader / writer terminal of FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the RFID control unit of FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the frequency separation circuit and the like of FIG. FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between frequency and attenuation.

(1. Overall configuration)
First, the overall configuration will be described with reference to FIGS.
The reader / writer terminal 1 according to the present embodiment is configured as a portable RFID tag reader / writer that performs non-contact communication with an IC card or other RFID tag, for example, and performs reading and writing on the RFID tag (non-contact communication medium). The structure to do is made. In the reader / writer terminal 1, various components are accommodated in a longitudinal case 2, and an antenna 50 is provided on one end side in the longitudinal direction of the case 2.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the reader / writer terminal 1 is provided with a CPU 5 that performs overall control, and further includes an RFID control unit 20, a wireless LAN control unit 40, an image recognition control unit 3, a liquid crystal display 4, and a memory 6. , A key input unit 7, an LED 8, a battery 9, and the like are provided.

  The RFID control unit 20 is a part that functions as a reader / writer together with the shared antenna 50. In the present embodiment, the RFID control unit 20 corresponds to an example of a “non-contact communication control circuit”. The RFID control unit 20, the shared antenna 50, and the CPU 5 correspond to an example of “non-contact communication means”. The specific configuration of the RFID control unit 20 will be described later.

The wireless LAN control unit 40 is configured as a control circuit that performs communication using a known wireless LAN communication method. In the present embodiment, the wireless LAN control unit 40 performs known wireless LAN communication via the shared antenna 50, and can access a wireless LAN interface provided at a wired LAN access point (not shown). The memory 6 stores the IP address of the reader / writer 1 in advance, and the wireless LAN control unit 40 uses other data processing terminal devices linked to the wired LAN using this IP address and data. Communication is now possible.
In the present embodiment, the wireless LAN control unit 40 corresponds to an example of a “wireless LAN communication control circuit”. The wireless LAN control unit 40, the shared antenna 50, and the CPU 5 correspond to an example of “wireless LAN communication unit”.

  The image recognition control unit 3 is a part that functions as a code reader in cooperation with the CPU 5, and is configured to image optical information such as a barcode and a two-dimensional code and to read the captured optical information. Yes. The liquid crystal display 4 corresponds to an example of a “display unit”, and is configured to display various information such as a reading result and notification information to the user under the control of the CPU 5.

  The memory 6 is configured by storage means such as a ROM and a RAM, and is configured to store various information. The key input unit 7 includes a plurality of operation keys exposed to the outside, and is configured to input information corresponding to the operation of the operation keys to the CPU 5. The LED 8 is configured to be lit in response to a command from the CPU 5 and has a function of performing various notifications to the user. The battery 9 is configured by a rechargeable secondary battery (for example, a lithium ion battery), and supplies power to various electric components in the reader / writer terminal 1.

Next, the RFID control unit 20 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, the RFID control unit 20 is provided with a carrier oscillator 21, an encoding unit 22, a modulation unit 23, a transmission unit filter 24, an amplifier 25, a circulator 26, and the like as circuits constituting the transmission side. . On the reception side, a reception unit filter 27, an amplifier 28, a demodulation unit 29, a binarization processing unit 30, and a decoding unit 31 are provided.

  The encoding unit 22 is configured to receive transmission data from the CPU 5, and is configured to encode the transmission data output from the CPU 5 and output it to the modulation unit 23. For example, the modulation unit 23 performs ASK on the carrier (carrier wave) having a frequency of 953 MHz output from the carrier oscillator 21 by the encoded transmission code (modulation signal) output from the encoding unit 22 when transmitting a command to the communication target. (Amplitude Shift Keying) A modulated modulated signal is generated and output to the transmitter filter 24. The operation / stop of the oscillation operation of the carrier oscillator 21 is controlled by the CPU 5.

  The transmitter filter 24 outputs the filtered transmission signal to the amplifier 25, and the amplifier 25 is configured to amplify the input signal (the transmission signal filtered by the transmitter filter 24) with a predetermined gain. The signal is output to the shared antenna 50 via the circulator 26 and the frequency separation circuit 10. When the transmission signal is output to the shared antenna 50 in this way, the transmission signal is radiated to the outside from the shared antenna 50 as an electromagnetic wave.

  On the other hand, a signal received via the shared antenna 50 is input to the reception unit filter 27 via the frequency separation circuit 10 and the circulator 26, filtered by the reception unit filter 27, amplified by the amplifier 28, and demodulated. The signal is supplied to the unit 29 and demodulated. The demodulated signal waveform is binarized by the binarization processing unit 30 and then decoded by the decoding unit 31. The decrypted received data is output to the CPU 5.

(2. Common antenna)
Next, the shared antenna 50 will be described.
The shared antenna 50 is an antenna used for both “non-contact communication means” and “wireless LAN communication means”. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the RFID control unit is connected via a frequency separation circuit 10 described later. 20 and the wireless LAN control unit 40.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the reader / writer terminal 1 is configured in a longitudinal shape as a whole, and the shared antenna 50 is arranged on one end side in the longitudinal direction of the reader / writer terminal 1. In FIG. 1, the longitudinal direction of the reader / writer terminal 1 is described as the X-axis direction, and the thickness direction of the reader / writer terminal 1 is described as the Y-axis direction.

  Specifically, the liquid crystal display 4 is provided near one end in the longitudinal direction of the reader / writer terminal 1, and an operation region in which a plurality of operation buttons constituting the operation keys 7 are provided is provided near the other end. ing. In FIG. 1, this operation region is conceptually indicated by a one-dot chain line 7 ′. The shared antenna 50 is arranged at one end in the longitudinal direction of the reader / writer terminal 1 configured as described above on the surface side where the liquid crystal display 4 is provided in the thickness direction of the reader / writer terminal 1. In this configuration, when the user uses the reader / writer terminal 1 in his / her hand, the liquid crystal display device 4 is used so as to grip the vicinity of the operation region 7 ′ from the viewpoint of ease of viewing and operation. The shared antenna 50 is used in a state separated from the hand held by the user. In the example of FIG. 1, the other end in the longitudinal direction of the reader / writer terminal 1 (that is, the operation region 7 ′ side) is configured such that the thickness of the case 2 is thinner than the one end in the longitudinal direction. The other end side (operation area 7 ′ side) is easier to grip than the part side (liquid crystal display 4 side).

  As shown in FIG. 1, a single coaxial cable 51 is connected to the shared antenna 50. The coaxial cable 51 has one end connected to the shared antenna 50 and the other end connected to the substrate 52. As shown in FIG. 4, the frequency separation circuit 10 provided on the substrate 52 and the shared antenna 50 are connected to each other. It is configured to be electrically connected.

(3. Frequency separation circuit)
Next, the frequency separation circuit 10 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 will be described.
In the present embodiment, non-contact communication by the RFID control unit 20 is performed in a first frequency band (for example, 953 MHz band), and wireless LAN communication by the wireless LAN control unit 40 is performed in a second frequency band (for example, 2.4 GHz band, or The frequency separation circuit 10 is provided for separating the first frequency band signal and the second frequency band signal.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the shared antenna 50 and the frequency separation circuit 10 are connected by the single coaxial cable 51, and the signal in the first frequency band is connected between the shared antenna 50 and the frequency separation circuit 10. The second frequency band signal is transmitted through a single coaxial cable 51.

  An RFID control unit 20 is connected to the frequency separation circuit 10 via a transmission path 13, and a wireless LAN control unit 40 is connected to the frequency separation circuit 10 via a transmission path 14. A signal in one frequency band is transmitted to the RFID control unit 20 (non-contact communication control circuit), and a signal in the second frequency band from the shared antenna 50 is transmitted to the wireless LAN control unit 40 (wireless LAN communication control circuit 9). The first frequency band signal and the second frequency band signal from the shared antenna 50 function to be separated.

  Specifically, the frequency separation circuit 10 includes a first band-pass filter 11 that passes a signal in the first frequency band and a second band-pass filter 12 that passes a signal in the second frequency band. A first band-pass filter 11 is provided between the branch point T1 branched from the common line from the shared antenna 50 and the RFID control unit 20, and a second band-pass filter between the branch point T1 and the wireless LAN control unit 40. 12 is provided. In this configuration, a signal in the first frequency band from the shared antenna 50 is transmitted to the RFID control unit 20 via the first band pass filter 11. A signal in the second frequency band from the shared antenna 50 is transmitted to the wireless LAN control unit 40 via the second band pass filter 12. Various known bandpass filters can be employed for both the first bandpass filter 11 and the second bandpass filter 12.

  FIG. 5A is a graph showing characteristics when the first bandpass filter 11 has a predetermined configuration (configuration example 1). In this example, the first band pass filter 11 is configured such that when a signal in the first frequency band (near the frequency f1) is input from the shared antenna 50 side, the impedance is matched when viewed from the shared antenna 50 side. It is configured so that it is difficult to attenuate when a signal in the first frequency band passes. On the other hand, when a signal other than the first frequency band is input, the attenuation is increased. Therefore, the signal in the first frequency band can be transmitted satisfactorily while suppressing loss, and the band other than the first frequency band can be cut appropriately.

  FIG. 5B is a graph showing characteristics when the second bandpass filter 12 has a predetermined configuration (configuration example 2). In this example, when the second band pass filter 12 receives a signal in the second frequency band (near frequency f2) from the shared antenna 50 side, the impedance is matched when viewed from the shared antenna 50 side. It is configured so that it is difficult to attenuate when a signal in the second frequency band passes. On the other hand, when a signal other than the second frequency band is input, the attenuation is increased. Therefore, the signal in the second frequency band can be transmitted satisfactorily while suppressing loss, and the band other than the second frequency band can be cut appropriately.

  Further, the first band pass filter 11 may have characteristics as shown in FIG. In the first band pass filter 11 of FIG. 5C, when a signal in the first frequency band (near the frequency f1) is input from the shared antenna 50 side, the impedance is matched when viewed from the shared antenna 50 side. It is configured as a band rejection filter for the second frequency band so as to be open when a signal for the second frequency band is input from the shared antenna 50 side. That is, transmission of the second frequency band signal to be given to the wireless LAN control unit 40 can be reliably cut, and the second frequency band signal can be reliably prevented from being input to the RFID control unit 20. It has become.

  Similarly, the second band pass filter 12 may have characteristics as shown in FIG. In the second bandpass filter 12 of FIG. 5D, when a signal in the second frequency band (near frequency f2) is input from the shared antenna 50 side, the impedance is matched when viewed from the shared antenna 50 side, It is configured as a band rejection filter for the first frequency band so as to be open when a signal for the first frequency band is input from the shared antenna 50 side. In other words, transmission of the first frequency band signal to be given to the RFID control unit 20 can be reliably cut, and input of the second frequency band signal to the RFID control unit 20 can be reliably prevented. It has become.

(4. Main effects of the first embodiment)
In the present embodiment, since the shared antenna 50 that is also used for the non-contact communication means and the wireless LAN communication means is provided, the number of antennas can be reduced as compared with the configuration in which each dedicated antenna is provided, and the antenna installation area can be saved. Space can be reduced and the device configuration can be reduced. Further, a frequency separation circuit 10 for separating the first frequency band signal and the second frequency band signal from the shared antenna 50 is provided, and the first frequency band signal is sent to the RFID control unit 20 (non-contact communication control circuit). And the second frequency band signal is transmitted to the wireless LAN control unit 40 (wireless LAN communication control circuit). In this way, the single shared antenna 50 can be used for both functions, and the signal in each frequency band transmitted through the shared antenna 50 can be appropriately distributed while reducing the size. Therefore, communication in any frequency band can be performed appropriately, and as a result, both the non-contact communication function and the wireless LAN communication function can be realized satisfactorily.

  In the present embodiment, the first frequency band signal and the second frequency band signal are both transmitted via the single coaxial cable 51 between the shared antenna 50 and the frequency separation circuit 10. It is configured. In this way, the signal transmission line between the shared antenna 50 and the frequency separation circuit 10 can be further simplified, and it becomes easy to reduce the number of parts and reduce the weight.

  In the present embodiment, the shared antenna 50 is arranged on one end side in the longitudinal direction of the reader / writer terminal 1. If it does in this way, an antenna can be put together in a suitable place and it becomes easy to suppress influence of an electrical component, a metal object, etc. inside a terminal circuit.

  In addition, when the antenna for non-contact communication and the antenna for wireless LAN communication are configured separately without using the configuration as in the present invention, there are significant positional restrictions on the arrangement of the antenna, and both antennas However, it is difficult to place any one of the antennas at the appropriate position (for example, when one of the antennas is arranged at the optimum position, the other antenna is restricted by the arrangement of the other antenna, However, when the shared antenna 50 is used as in the present embodiment, it is difficult to receive such restrictions, and any communication is performed via an antenna disposed at a more appropriate position. It becomes easier to do.

  In the present embodiment, the liquid crystal display 4 (display device) is provided near one end in the longitudinal direction of the reader / writer terminal 1, and the operation region 7 ′ is provided near the other end. ing. The shared antenna 50 is arranged at one end in the longitudinal direction of the reader / writer terminal 1 on the surface side where the liquid crystal display 4 (display device) is provided in the thickness direction of the reader / writer terminal 1. In this way, when the side on which the liquid crystal display 4 is provided is the front end side and the vicinity of the operation area is gripped and used, the shared antenna 50 is hardly affected by the user's hand. Further, in such a usage mode (that is, a usage mode in which the vicinity of the operation region 7 ′ is gripped and the shared antenna 50 side is the front end side), the merit of easily performing the operation of bringing the shared antenna 50 closer to the communication target. There is also.

  In the present embodiment, a first bandpass filter 11 that passes a signal in the first frequency band and a second bandpass filter 12 that passes a signal in the second frequency band are provided, and the signal in the first frequency band is provided. Is transmitted to the RFID control unit 20 (non-contact communication control circuit) via the first band pass filter 11, and the signal of the second frequency band is transmitted to the wireless LAN control unit 40 (wireless LAN communication) via the second band pass filter 12. Control circuit). If it does in this way, the signal of the 1st frequency band and the signal of the 2nd frequency band can be distributed appropriately with simple circuit composition. Further, the anti-jamming wave characteristic outside the first frequency band can be improved for the RFID control unit 20, and the anti-jamming wave characteristic outside the second frequency band can be improved for the wireless LAN control unit 40.

  In the configuration example 3 (FIG. 5C), the impedance of the first band-pass filter 11 is matched when a signal of the first frequency band is input from the shared antenna 50 side, and the first antenna is from the shared antenna 50 side. It is configured as a band rejection filter for the second frequency band so that it is open when a signal for the second frequency band is input. Thus, if the 1st band pass filter 11 is comprised so that it may be in a matching state when the signal of a 1st frequency band is input, the loss by impedance mismatching can be reduced effectively. In addition, when a signal in the second frequency band is input, the open state is entered, so that the influence of the second frequency band on the non-contact communication control circuit can be cut off. Similarly, when the second bandpass filter 12 is configured as shown in configuration example 4 (FIG. 5D), the impedance is matched when a signal in the second frequency band is input, so that the loss is effectively suppressed. When the signal of the first frequency band is input, the open state is entered, so that the influence of the signal of the first frequency band on the wireless LAN communication control circuit can be cut off.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a frequency separation circuit and the like used in the reader / writer terminal according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating communication processing performed in the reader / writer terminal according to the second embodiment. The hardware configuration of the reader / writer terminal of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the frequency separation circuit. Therefore, the hardware configuration other than the frequency separation circuit will be described with reference to FIGS.

  Also in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, an RFID control unit 20 similar to that in the first embodiment is provided, and this RFID control unit 20 corresponds to an example of a “non-contact communication control circuit”. Further, the RFID control unit 20, the shared antenna 50, and the CPU 5 correspond to an example of “non-contact communication means”. Further, the same wireless LAN control unit 40 as in the first embodiment is provided, and the wireless LAN control unit 40 corresponds to an example of a “wireless LAN communication control circuit”. The wireless LAN control unit 40, the shared antenna 50, and the CPU 5 correspond to an example of “wireless LAN communication unit”.

  Also in the present embodiment, a frequency separation circuit 210 that separates the first frequency band signal and the second frequency band signal from the shared antenna 50 is provided. The first frequency band signal is transmitted to the RFID control unit 20 (contactless communication control circuit), and the second frequency band signal from the shared antenna 50 is transmitted to the wireless LAN control unit 40 (wireless LAN communication control circuit). Is functioning.

  On the other hand, the frequency separation circuit 210 of the present embodiment is different in configuration from the frequency separation circuit 10 of the first embodiment, and includes a high frequency switch 211 that switches a transmission path of a high frequency signal from the shared antenna 50. The high-frequency switch 211 is configured as a known high-frequency switch (RF-SW) that switches a transmission path of a high-frequency signal in response to a command from the CPU 5, and specifically, transmits a high-frequency signal from the shared antenna 50 side. The path to be switched is switched between a first transmission path 213 that transmits to the RFID controller 20 and a second transmission path 214 that transmits to the wireless LAN controller 40. That is, when the CPU 5 gives an instruction to switch to the first transmission path 213, the transmission path is switched to the first transmission path 213 in the high-frequency switch 211, and the signal in the first frequency band used for non-contact communication at this time It is transmitted to the RFID controller 20. In addition, when the CPU 5 instructs to switch to the second transmission path 214, the transmission path is switched to the second transmission path 214 in the high frequency switch 211, and a signal in the second frequency band used for wireless LAN communication at this time is transmitted. The data is input to the wireless LAN control unit 40.

  In the present embodiment, the frequency separation circuit 210 and the CPU 5 correspond to an example of “frequency separation means”. The CPU 5 corresponds to an example of “high frequency switch control means” and functions to control switching of the high frequency switch 211.

  Next, communication processing performed in the reader / writer terminal of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 shows an example of communication processing performed in the reader / writer terminal of this embodiment. In this example, input processing of the number of tags to be read is first performed at the start of processing (S1). In this process, for example, an input operation from the user is accepted and the number N of sheets designated by the input operation is registered. After the reading tag number N is registered in S1, predetermined instruction processing for starting reading of the RFID tag is performed (S2).

  Thereafter, a selection process for selecting the RFID control unit 20 is performed (S3). In S <b> 3, a signal for switching to the first transmission path 213 is given from the CPU 5 to the high frequency switch 211, and the high frequency switch 211 accordingly sets the transmission path of the high frequency signal from the shared antenna 50 for the RFID controller 20. Switch to the first transmission path 213. Thereby, the signal of the 1st frequency band used for non-contact communication can be transmitted between the RFID control unit 20 and the shared antenna 50. After selecting the RFID control unit 20 in S3, energization processing is performed so that the shared antenna 50 functions as an antenna for RFID (S4).

  Then, after initializing a value (X in FIG. 7) indicating the current read number in S5, the value X is incremented (S6), and communication processing with the first tag is performed (S7). In S7, the RFID controller 20 and the shared antenna 50 perform reading and writing on the first tag.

  After the communication process in S7 is completed, it is determined whether or not the current read number X has reached the set number N set in S1, and if it has reached, the process proceeds to Yes in S8. If the current read number X does not reach the set number N, the process proceeds to No in S8, returns to S6, increments X, and repeats the processes after S6.

  When the process proceeds to Yes in S8, after selecting the wireless LAN connection mode in S9, a selection process for selecting the wireless LAN control unit 40 is performed (S10). In S10, a signal for switching to the second transmission path 214 is given from the CPU 5 to the high frequency switch 211, and the high frequency switch 211 accordingly uses the transmission path of the high frequency signal from the shared antenna 50 for the wireless LAN control unit 40. To the second transmission path 214. Thereafter, a process of communicating with the access point is performed by the wireless LAN processing unit 40 and the shared antenna 50 (S11), and a process of communicating with another information processing terminal via the access point (for example, transmitting the RFID information read in S7) (S12).

According to the configuration of the present embodiment, in addition to the same effects as those of the first embodiment, the following effects are further obtained.
In this embodiment, a first transmission path 213 for transmitting a path for transmitting a high-frequency signal from the shared antenna 50 side to the RFID control unit 20 (non-contact communication control circuit) and a wireless LAN control unit 40 (wireless LAN communication control). A high-frequency switch 211 that switches between the second transmission path 214 that transmits to the circuit) is provided, and the switching of the high-frequency switch 211 is controlled by the CPU 5. If it does in this way, the signal of each frequency band can be appropriately distributed to the 1st transmission path 213 and the 2nd transmission path 214 by control. In addition, since contactless communication and wireless LAN communication are not performed simultaneously via the shared antenna 50, it is difficult for the antenna or cable to exceed allowable loss or abnormal heat generation, and two frequencies are mixed. Intermodulation caused by this can also be reliably eliminated.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an RFID control unit, a frequency separation circuit, and the like used in the reader / writer terminal according to the third embodiment. Note that the hardware configuration of the reader / writer terminal of this embodiment is basically the same as that of the second embodiment, and the reception terminal P1 of the RFID controller 320 is connected between the shared antenna 50 and the high-frequency switch 211. The RFID control unit 320 is different from the second embodiment in that the carrier sense process is performed via the reception terminal P1.

  Also in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the same RFID controller 20 as in the first embodiment is provided, and this RFID controller 20 corresponds to an example of a “non-contact communication control circuit”. Further, the RFID control unit 20, the shared antenna 50, and the CPU 5 correspond to an example of “non-contact communication means”. Further, the same wireless LAN control unit 40 as in the first embodiment is provided, and the wireless LAN control unit 40 corresponds to an example of a “wireless LAN communication control circuit”. The wireless LAN control unit 40, the shared antenna 50, and the CPU 5 correspond to an example of “wireless LAN communication unit”.

  Also in the present embodiment, the same frequency separation circuit 210 as in the second embodiment is provided, and the frequency separation circuit 210 and the CPU 5 correspond to an example of “frequency separation means”. The CPU 5 corresponds to an example of “high frequency switch control means” and functions to control switching of the high frequency switch 211.

  In the present embodiment, in addition to the same configuration as that of the second embodiment, the RFID control unit 320 is provided with a receiving terminal P1. The reception terminal P1 is connected between the shared antenna 50 and the high frequency switch 211. In the example of FIG. 8, the carrier sense processing is performed via the reception terminal P1, not via the terminal P2 connected to the high frequency switch 211. Can be done. In the present embodiment, the RFID control unit 320 and the CPU 5 correspond to an example of “carrier sense means”, and a known carrier sense communication process for searching for an empty channel via the reception terminal P1 and the shared antenna 50 is performed. It is configured to be able to do.

  The receiving terminal P1 is connected to high resistance means that enters a high impedance state when a signal in the first frequency band is input from the shared antenna 50 side and when a signal in the second frequency band is input. The RFID control unit 320 and the CPU 5 functioning as “carrier sense means” are configured to perform carrier sense communication processing via this “high resistance means”. The “high resistance means” may be any means that can suppress the passage of the signal in the first frequency band and the signal in the second frequency band, and various known electrical components such as an attenuator can be employed.

  In the configuration of the present embodiment, a reception terminal P1 connected to a signal transmission line between the shared antenna 50 and the frequency separation circuit 210 is provided in the RFID control unit 320 (non-contact communication control circuit). “Carrier sense means” for performing carrier sense communication processing via P1 and the shared antenna 50 is provided. In this way, carrier sense communication processing can be performed even when the high-frequency switch 211 is switched to the second transmission path 214 side (that is, during wireless LAN communication), and the high-frequency switch 211 is connected to the first transmission path 214. It becomes possible to perform non-contact communication immediately after switching to the 213 side.

  In addition, a “high resistance means” that is in a high impedance state when a signal of the first frequency band is input from the shared antenna 50 side and when a signal of the second frequency band is input is connected to the reception terminal P1. Yes. In this way, the antenna matching is not disturbed by the receiving terminal P1 used for carrier sense, and the loss due to the carrier sensing receiving terminal P1 can be effectively suppressed. On the other hand, since carrier sense can be processed even with weak power due to its nature, carrier sense communication processing can be satisfactorily performed by the carrier sense means via the high resistance means.

[Other Embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  In the above embodiment, an example of the arrangement of the shared antenna is shown (see FIG. 1), but the position of the shared antenna is not limited to the example of FIG. 1, and can be arranged at various positions of the reader / writer terminal.

In the configurations of the second and third embodiments, the following control may be performed.
In the configurations of the second and third embodiments, the carrier oscillator 21 corresponds to an example of “carrier output means”, and the CPU 5 is configured to control on / off of the carrier from the carrier oscillator 21. This carrier on / off control may be restricted by the Radio Law or the like. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, when the carrier output exceeds a predetermined allowable time (for example, 1 s), the carrier output is forcibly limited. There is a case where control is performed such that the carrier output can be continued again for an allowable time (for example, 1 s) when it is in the off state and the off state continues for a certain time (for example, 0.1 s).
In the case of performing such control, when non-contact communication and wireless LAN communication compete with each other, the first transmission of the high-frequency switch 211 is performed when the carrier output is within a predetermined allowable time as shown in FIG. When switching to the path 213 side and performing non-contact communication, when the carrier output is forcibly turned off, a signal for switching to the second transmission path 214 is given to the high frequency switch 211, and wireless LAN communication is performed during this carrier off time. Processing may be performed. In this case, the contactless communication may be performed again by switching to the first transmission path 213 at the timing when the compulsory carrier off time ends. When the compulsory carrier off time ends, the wireless LAN communication is performed. If it is not completed, it may be switched to contactless communication after the wireless LAN communication is completed.
In this configuration, the CPU 5 corresponds to an example of “on / off control means” and “high frequency switch control means”.
In this way, wireless LAN communication can be performed using the time during which non-contact communication is forcibly cut off, so that the efficiency of both communication can be improved and the completion of communication can be further accelerated.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a reader / writer terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an electrical configuration of the reader / writer terminal of FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the RFID control unit of FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the frequency separation circuit and the like of FIG. FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between frequency and attenuation. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a frequency separation circuit and the like used in the reader / writer terminal of the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating communication processing performed by the reader / writer terminal according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an RFID control unit, a frequency separation circuit, and the like used in the reader / writer terminal according to the third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a timing chart illustrating an example of control when the configurations of the second and third embodiments are employed.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... Reader / writer terminal 4 ... Liquid crystal display (display device)
5 ... CPU (non-contact communication means, wireless LAN communication means, high frequency switch control means)
7 '... operation area 10,210 ... frequency separation circuit (frequency separation means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... 1st band pass filter 12 ... 2nd band pass filter 20,320 ... RFID control part (non-contact communication control circuit, non-contact communication means)
40 ... Wireless LAN control section (wireless LAN communication control circuit, wireless LAN communication means)
50. Shared antenna (non-contact communication means, wireless LAN communication means)
51 ... Coaxial cable 211 ... High frequency switch P1 ... Reception terminal

Claims (10)

A reader / writer terminal comprising: a non-contact communication unit that communicates with a non-contact communication medium in a first frequency band; and a wireless LAN communication unit that performs wireless LAN communication in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band. Because
A shared antenna used for both the non-contact communication means and the wireless LAN communication means;
A non-contact communication control circuit for performing non-contact communication with the non-contact communication medium via the shared antenna;
A wireless LAN communication control circuit for performing wireless LAN communication via the shared antenna;
The frequency separation means for separating the signal of the first frequency band and the signal of the second frequency band from the shared antenna;
Have
The frequency separation means is connected to the wireless LAN communication control circuit and the non-contact communication control circuit, and transmits the signal of the first frequency band to the non-contact communication control circuit, and the signal of the second frequency band Is transmitted to the wireless LAN communication control circuit. The shared antenna and the frequency separation circuit are connected by a single coaxial cable,
The signal of the first frequency band and the signal of the second frequency band are both transmitted via the single coaxial cable between the shared antenna and the frequency separation circuit. Item 2. The reader / writer terminal according to Item 1. The reader / writer terminal is configured in a longitudinal shape,
The reader / writer terminal according to claim 1, wherein the shared antenna is arranged on one end side in the longitudinal direction of the reader / writer terminal. A display device is provided near one end in the longitudinal direction of the reader / writer terminal, and an operation region in which a plurality of operation buttons are arranged near the other end is provided.
The said common antenna is arrange | positioned in the surface direction in which the said display apparatus was provided in the thickness direction of the said reader / writer terminal in the longitudinal direction one end part of the said reader / writer terminal. Reader / writer terminal. The frequency separation means includes a first bandpass filter that passes the signal of the first frequency band, and a second bandpass filter that passes the signal of the second frequency band,
The first frequency band signal is transmitted to the non-contact communication control circuit via the first band pass filter, and the second frequency band signal is transmitted to the wireless LAN communication control circuit via the second band pass filter. The reader / writer terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reader / writer terminal is transmitted to the reader / writer terminal. The first band pass filter has impedance matching when a signal of the first frequency band is input from the shared antenna side, and when a signal of the second frequency band is input from the shared antenna side. It is configured as a band rejection filter for the second frequency band so as to be in an open state, and the second band pass filter has an impedance matching state when a signal of the second frequency band is input from the shared antenna side. 6. The band stop filter of the first frequency band is configured to be in an open state when a signal of the first frequency band is input from the shared antenna side. Reader / writer terminal. The frequency separation means includes
A high-frequency switch for switching a path for transmitting a high-frequency signal from the shared antenna side between a first transmission path for transmitting to the non-contact communication control circuit and a second transmission path for transmitting to the wireless LAN communication control circuit;
High-frequency switch control means for controlling switching of the high-frequency switch;
The reader / writer terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reader / writer terminal is provided. The non-contact communication means includes
Carrier output means for outputting a carrier;
The carrier output means is configured to control the carrier output, and when the carrier output exceeds a predetermined allowable time, the carrier output is forcibly turned off, and the off state continues for a predetermined time. An on / off control means for allowing the output of the carrier to continue again in the allowable time in the case,
With
8. The reader / writer terminal according to claim 7, wherein the high-frequency switch control means switches to the second transmission path when the output of the carrier is forcibly turned off by the on / off control means. The non-contact communication means includes
A receiving terminal connected to a signal transmission line between the shared antenna and the frequency separating means;
9. The reader / writer terminal according to claim 8, further comprising carrier sense means for performing carrier sense communication processing via the reception terminal and the shared antenna. The receiving terminal is connected to high resistance means that enters a high impedance state when a signal of the first frequency band is input from the shared antenna side and when a signal of the second frequency band is input. ,
10. The reader / writer terminal according to claim 9, wherein the carrier sense means performs the carrier sense communication process via the high resistance means.

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