JP4473084B2 - Wireless tag reader - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless tag reading device that reads identification information from a wireless tag attached to an article stored in a storage box.

When managing an article to be managed with an RF tag that can generate its own identification number in response to radio waves in a non-contact manner, it emits radio waves for reading the identification information of the RF tag, and from the RF tag There is known a non-contact article management system in which an antenna for supplementing a radio wave including emitted identification information is configured to have substantially the same area as an article to be managed, and a reading unit is provided with a plurality of antennas. This non-contact article management system has a function of switching a plurality of antennas, so that a reading unit generates a radio wave for reading identification information of an RF tag attached to an article to be managed while switching a plurality of antennas. In addition, the identification information from the RF tag that responds to the radio wave is read, and the inventory of the articles to be managed is managed without contact at the position of each antenna. As a result, it is not necessary to use radio waves with strong output, and it is possible to quickly and accurately grasp the inventory position of managed items to be detected and managed in a narrow space, and it is not necessary to provide a separate antenna switch (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-356227 A

  The one described in Patent Document 1 is good when inventory management is performed in which the antenna and the management target have a one-to-one correspondence. However, the identification information is obtained from the RF tags of all the management targets on the reading unit. It is not suitable for reading without relation.

  For example, when a postal item with a wireless tag attached is stored in a storage box and delivered from an underwriting station that accepts the postal item to a relay station or a delivery station that delivers the postal item, the wireless item attached to the postal item Using identification information of a tag (RF tag or the like), the identification information of the wireless tag in the storage box is read for one storage box while switching a plurality of antennas, and the mail in the storage box is managed. Is the case. In such a case, the strength of the radio wave radiated from the antenna is set to an extent that the range of the radio wave radiated from the adjacent antenna overlaps in order to improve the reading accuracy of the identification information of the wireless tag between the antennas. The As a result, radio waves radiated from one antenna are radiated to many radio tags in the storage box, which contributes to an improvement in reading speed.

  However, when the identification information of a wireless tag that should not have entered from the inside of the storage box is read, it is necessary to check the mail with the wireless tag attached from among a large amount of mail in the storage box. There is. For this reason, it is necessary to accurately detect the position of the wireless tag and grasp the position of the postal item. However, since the radio wave is set strong as described above, the antenna that has read the identification information from the wireless tag. However, it is not always the antenna that is closest to the postal item with the wireless tag attached, and since the position of the postal item is unknown, it is necessary to check all the postal items in the storage box, which is a complicated task. And it takes a lot of time.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to be able to read identification information at high speed while switching an antenna from a wireless tag attached to an article stored in a storage box. If necessary, an object of the present invention is to provide a wireless tag reader capable of accurately checking the position in the storage box of an article to which a predetermined wireless tag is attached.

According to the present invention, a plurality of wireless tag antennas that read identification information from wireless tags attached to articles stored in a storage box placed on a storage box mounting table are arranged in the storage box mounting table, and a plurality of wireless tags are provided. while switching tag antenna, in adjacent non-linear tag reader that reads the identification information from the wireless tag emission range of radio waves by radiating radio wave strength overlapping radiated from the wireless tag antenna to a plurality of radio The first position that does not shield the radio waves radiated from the tag antennas and the height between the adjacent radio tag antennas to a height that can shield the radio waves radiated from the adjacent radio tag antennas. the radio wave shield movable in a second position is provided, when identifying the location of a wireless tag having a predetermined identification information from a wireless tag in storage box, the radio wave shield first position or al Moving to the position, the radio while switching the tag antenna radiates radio waves reads the identification information from the wireless tag in the storage box, when reading the predetermined identification information, wireless tag took reading the predetermined identification information The position in the storage box of the article to which the wireless tag having predetermined identification information is attached according to the position of the antenna is notified.

  According to the present invention, the identification information can be read at high speed while switching the antenna from the wireless tag attached to the article stored in the storage box, and if necessary, a predetermined wireless tag is attached. It is possible to provide a wireless tag reader that can accurately check the position of an attached article in a storage box.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that this embodiment is a process in which a postal matter with a wireless tag attached is stored in a storage box at an underwriting station that accepts mail, and then delivered to a delivery station that relays a relay station and delivers it. Of these, a case will be described where the present invention is applied when checking a mail in a storage box delivered at a relay station.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a wireless tag reader 100. The wireless tag reader 100 includes a wireless tag reader 2 and a host computer 3 disposed in the storage box mounting table 1. The storage box mounting table 1 is provided with an L-shaped guide 1a when viewed from above in order to guide the storage box 4 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The storage box 4 is arranged along the guide 1a. Placed. On the outer peripheral side surface of the storage box 4, a tag tag tag 6 that stores information related to the postal matter 5 stored in the storage box 4 is provided. The storage box 4 is placed on the storage box mounting table 1 such that the place where the tag tag 6 is provided is located at the L-shaped narrowed corner portion of the guide 1a. In the storage box 4, the postal matter 5 as an article provided with a postal tag 7 storing information about the stored postal matter 5 is arranged in two rows in the longitudinal direction of the storage box 4, for example, one row A total of 200 mails are stored in 100 mails (each row is divided into 20 mails by a partition plate). The tag tag tag 6 and the post tag 7 are wireless tags such as RFID tags, for example.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the RFID tag antennas A1 to A10 of the RFID tag reader 2 arranged in the storage box mounting table 1. As shown in FIG. In the storage box mounting table 1, ten wireless tag antennas, each of which has a row of wireless tag antennas A 1 to A 5 and A 6 to A 10, are fixed at predetermined positions in the storage box mounting table 1. It is disposed on the support member 8. The range of the radio waves radiated from each of the radio tag antennas A1 to A10 overlaps the radiation range of the radio waves radiated from the adjacent radio tag antennas. The wireless tag antennas A1 to A10 arranged in this manner are switched in this order so that information can be read from the tag tag tag 6 provided in the storage box 4 and the post tag 7 in the storage box 4. It has become. The size of the wireless tag antennas A1 to A10 is, for example, 10 cm × 10 cm.

  In addition, openings M <b> 1 to M <b> 9 having a predetermined width are provided between the RFID tag antennas of the support member 8. Openings M1 to M4 and M5 to M8 are provided between the wireless tag antennas A1 to A5 and the wireless tag antennas A6 to A10, respectively. These openings M <b> 1 to M <b> 8 are arranged so as to be positioned substantially corresponding to the partition plate in the storage box 4 when the storage box 4 is placed on the storage box mounting table 1. Also, an opening M9 is provided between each of the RFID tag antennas A1 to A5 and the RFID tag antennas A6 to A10. From these openings M1 to M9, for example, a radio wave shield 9 made of an iron material for shielding radio waves can protrude as shown in FIG. The radio wave shield 9 protrudes to a height sufficient to shield radio waves radiated from adjacent radio tag antennas. That is, a radio wave shield 9 that is movable in the vertical direction is disposed below the support member 8. This radio wave shield 9 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 under the control of a radio wave shield moving unit 17 described later. In this way, the first position (the position shown in FIG. 2) that does not shield the radio waves radiated from the respective radio tag antennas A1 to A10 and the radio waves radiated from the respective radio tag antennas A1 to A10 It is configured to be movable to a second position (position shown in FIG. 3) that shields radio waves so as not to overlap with the wireless tag. The radio wave shield 9 is located at the first position in the standby state.

  Next, the configuration of the main part of the wireless tag reader 2 will be described with reference to FIG. The wireless tag reader 2 modulates transmission data to an upper terminal, that is, an interface (I / F) 11 with a host computer 3, a control unit 12 including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a tag tag tag 6, and a postal tag 7. Modulation unit 13, transmission amplifier 14 that amplifies the modulated radio wave and radiates it from radio tag antennas A1 to A10, reception amplifier 15 that amplifies the radio wave received by radio tag antennas A1 to A10, and demodulates the amplified received radio wave It comprises a demodulator 16 and a radio wave shield moving unit 17 for moving the radio wave shield 9. The wireless tag antennas A1 to A10 are connected to the transmission amplifier 14 and the reception amplifier 15 through changeover switches S1 to S10, respectively. The changeover switches S1 to S10 are changed over according to a changeover signal from the control unit 12.

  The radio wave shield moving unit 17 drives, for example, a solenoid linked to the radio wave shield 9. The radio wave shield moving unit 17 operates the solenoid based on an instruction from the control unit 12 and can move the radio wave shield 9 to the first position and the second position described above (moving means).

  Next, an internal configuration common to the vote tag tag 6 and the post tag 7 will be described with reference to FIG. The tag tag tag 6 and the post tag 7 are independent parts in which a tag antenna 18 and an LSI chip 19 that can be transmitted and received are integrally formed on a substrate. The tag antenna 18 is formed of a loop coil or the like formed in a rectangular shape. The LSI chip 19 rectifies and stabilizes the modulated radio wave received by the tag antenna 18 to demodulate the modulated radio wave and transmit it to the control unit 21. The power generator 20 supplies power to each part of the LSI chip 19. The demodulator 22, the modulator 23 that modulates the data transmitted from the controller 21 and transmits the data to the tag antenna 18, the data demodulated by the demodulator 22 is written to the memory 24, and the transmission data is read from the memory 24 It comprises a control unit 21 and a memory 24 which are sent to the modulation unit 23. In the memory 24, a unique wireless ID area for storing a unique wireless ID (RFID) assigned and set by the manufacturer at the manufacturing stage of the tag tag tag 6 and the post tag 7 and arbitrary information can be written by the user. A user area is formed.

  The control units 21 of the tag tag tag 6 and the post tag 7 have different commands for outputting information stored in the memory 24 from the tag antenna 18. Further, in the user area of the memory 24 of the postal tag 7, information indicating a management number which is identification information provided for managing the postal matter 5 is stored. This management number is also written on the paper affixed to the postal matter 5. In the user area of the memory 24 of the tag tag tag 6, information indicating the number of mail items 5 stored in the storage box 4 and the management numbers of all the mail items 5 stored therein is stored.

  Next, the main configuration of the host computer 3 will be described with reference to FIG. The host computer 3 is configured around a CPU 25. A ROM 27, a RAM 28, an input unit 29, a display unit 30, and an interface (I / F) 31 are connected to the system bus 26 of the CPU 25. The interface 31 is connected to the interface 11 of the wireless tag reader 2 described above.

  Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described. When the storage box 4 storing the postal matter 5 is delivered from the underwriting station, a confirmation operation described below is performed at the relay station.

  First, the post office staff of the relay station places the storage box 4 on the storage box mounting table 1. At this time, the tag tag tag 6 is placed so as to be positioned at a predetermined position of the guide 1a (L-shaped corner, that is, a position corresponding to the RFID tag antenna A1).

  Then, the input unit 29 of the host computer 3 is operated to input information for starting reading of information from the tag tag tag 6 attached to the storage box 4 and the post tag 7 in the storage box 4. The host computer 3 transmits the instruction to the wireless tag reader 2. Then, the control unit 12 of the wireless tag reader 2 radiates a command for reading information stored in the memory 24 of the vote tag tag 6 from the wireless tag antenna A1 as a radio wave. Since the tag tag tag 6 is located at a position that reacts to the radio wave radiated from the RFID tag antenna A 1, the number of mail items 5 stored in the storage box 4 stored in the memory 24 is immediately stored. The information indicating the management numbers of all the mail items 5 is output. When this information is received from the RFID tag antenna A1, the control unit 12 of the RFID tag reader 2 transmits the information to the host computer 3.

  Subsequently, the control unit 12 of the wireless tag reader 2 sequentially switches the switch switching units S1 to S10 at predetermined time intervals, whereby the information stored in the memory 24 of the postal tag 7 is stored from the wireless tag antennas A1 to A10. A command for reading is emitted as a radio wave. The post tag 7 that has received the command from any one of the radio tag antennas A <b> 1 to A <b> 10 outputs information indicating the management number stored in the memory 24. When this information is received by the wireless tag antenna, the control unit 12 accumulates the information in the RAM in the control unit 12. The control unit 12 transmits the information stored in the RAM to the host computer 3 at a predetermined timing. At this time, the range of radio waves output from the RFID tag antennas A1 to A10 overlaps the radiation range of radio waves radiated from adjacent radio tag antennas. It is possible to prevent reading information of the tag 7 from being read out and to perform reading at high speed. When the control unit 12 of the wireless tag reader 2 finishes reading the information of the tag tag tag 6 and the postal tag 7 in the storage box 4 in this way, the control unit 12 transmits information indicating the end to the host computer 3.

  Based on the information transmitted from the wireless tag reader 2, the host computer 3 reads the number of mails read from the tag tag tag 6, the information indicating the management numbers of all mail items 5 stored in the storage box 4, and the read mail It is determined whether or not the number of tags 7 and the management number match. When the host computer 3 determines that they match, for example, the host computer 3 displays a message or the like indicating that “the mail 5 stored in the storage box 4 has been confirmed” on the display unit. For example, a message indicating that “the postal matter 5 that is not originally stored in the storage box 4 is mixed” and its management number are displayed on the display unit 30.

  When the post office staff visually recognizes on the display unit 30 the message “Postal matter 5 not originally stored in the storage box 4 is mixed”, the post office staff operates the input unit 29 to indicate the mixed management number. An instruction for specifying where in the storage box 4 the postal matter 5 with the postal tag 7 having information stored in the memory 24 is stored is input to the host computer 3. When the host computer 3 accepts this instruction (instruction accepting means), it transmits information indicating the management number determined to be mixed together with the instruction to the control unit 12 of the wireless tag reader 2.

  Upon receiving this instruction, the control unit 12 of the wireless tag reader 2 issues an instruction to the radio wave shield moving unit 17 and moves the radio wave shield 9 from the first position to the second position. In other words, the radio wave is shielded by the radio wave shield 9 so that the radio wave ranges radiated from the radio tag antennas A1 to A10 do not overlap each other.

  Then, the control unit 12 of the wireless tag reader 2 sequentially switches the selector switches S1 to S10 and reads information from the postal tag 7 in the storage box 4 by the wireless tag antennas A1 to A10. If the management number read from the post tag 7 matches the management number transmitted from the host computer 3, the RFID tag antenna and the management number read from the management number are associated with each other in the control unit 12. Store in RAM. In this way, the information indicating the management number is read again from all the post tags 7 in the storage box 4 (reading control means). When the association between the information indicating the management number transmitted from the host computer 3 and the RFID tag antenna is completed, the information stored in the RAM is transmitted to the host computer 3, and an instruction is given to the radio wave shield moving unit 17, The radio wave shield 9 is moved from the second position to the first position, and the process ends.

  When receiving information from the control unit 12 of the wireless tag reader 2, the host computer 3 displays the display shown in FIG. 7 on the display unit 30. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the number of passages read from the tag tags 6 and the number of post tags 7 read, the management number determined to be mixed, and the postal matter 5 corresponding to the management number are stored in the storage box. Position information indicating where it is mixed in 4 according to the storage shape of the postal matter 5 in the storage box 4 is displayed (notification means). In the figure, when there are two management numbers determined to be mixed, the postal matter 5 corresponding to the management number has been detected by the wireless tag antennas A2 and A9. A message “mixed” is displayed at a position corresponding to A9. With this display, when a mail item 5 that is not originally stored in the storage box 4 is stored, the position of the mail item 5 in the storage box 4 can be checked accurately.

  When the post office staff confirms the management number determined to be mixed and the position of the postal matter 5 corresponding to the management number on the display unit 30 of the host computer 3, the post office staff stores it in the displayed position of the storage box 4. The management number written on the paper affixed to the postal item 5 is checked. As a result, even when the postal matter 5 that is not originally stored in the storage box 4 is mixed into the storage box 4 in which a large amount of postal items 5 are stored, the postal matter 5 that has been mixed in is efficiently searched. Can do.

  In addition, although the said embodiment demonstrated the case where the management number of the mail 5 which was not originally accommodated in the storage box 4 was read by the wireless tag reader 100, this invention is not limited to this, With this configuration, the present invention can be applied even when the management number of the postal matter 5 originally stored in the storage box 4 cannot be read by the wireless tag reader 100. That is, the memory 24 of the tag tag tag 6 is configured to store in advance in which position in the storage box 4 the management number read from the tag tag 6 and the management number read from the post tag 7 are stored. When the management number cannot be read, the management number that has not been read and the position in the storage box 4 associated with the management number are displayed on the display unit 30. Thereby, it is possible to display the position of the postal matter for which the management number could not be read.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and can be embodied by modifying constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage.

1 schematically shows a wireless tag reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. Schematic which shows arrangement | positioning of the antenna for radio | wireless tags of the radio | wireless tag reader arrange | positioned in the storage box in the embodiment. The figure for demonstrating the electromagnetic wave shield in the embodiment. The figure which shows the principal part structure of the wireless tag reader in the same embodiment. The figure which shows the internal structure common to the vote tag tag and mail tag in the embodiment. The figure which shows the principal part structure of the host computer in the embodiment. The figure which shows the example of a display of the display part of the host computer in the embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Storage box mounting base, 1a ... Guide, 2 ... Wireless tag reader, 3 ... Host computer, 4 ... Storage box, 5 ... Mail thing, 6 ... Vote tag tag, 7 ... Postal tag, 8 ... Support member, 9 ... Radio wave Shield, 12 ... Control unit, 17 ... Radio wave shield moving unit, 30 ... Display unit, 100 ... Radio tag reader, A1-A10 ... Radio tag antenna, S1-S10 ... Switch, M1-M9 ... Opening

Claims (2)

A plurality of wireless tag antennas that read identification information from wireless tags attached to articles stored in a storage box placed on the storage box mounting table are disposed in the storage box mounting table, and while switching antennas, the adjacent radiation to read non-linear tag that reads the identification information from the wireless tag device the intensity radio wave radiation ranges overlap of radio waves emitted from the radio tag antenna to be,
A first position not shielding radio waves respectively radiated from said plurality of radio tag antenna, from between the adjacent radio tag antenna, high capable of shielding a radio wave radiated from the radio tag antenna for the adjacent A moving means for moving a radio wave shield movable to the second position protruding to the first position and the second position;
An instruction receiving means for receiving an instruction for specifying a position of the wireless tag having predetermined identification information from the wireless tag in the storage box;
When the instruction is received by the instruction receiving means, the radio wave shield is moved from the first position to the second position by the moving means, and the radio wave is radiated while switching the antenna for the radio tag, so that the storage box Reading control means for reading the predetermined identification information from the wireless tag;
And a notifying unit for notifying a position in the storage box of an article to which the wireless tag is attached in accordance with a position of an antenna for a wireless tag obtained by reading the predetermined identification information from the wireless tag. Tag reader. A plurality of wireless tag antennas that read identification information from wireless tags attached to articles stored in a storage box placed on the storage box mounting table are disposed in the storage box mounting table, and In the wireless tag reader that reads the identification information from the wireless tag by radiating a radio wave having a strength overlapping the radiation range of the radio wave radiated from the adjacent wireless tag antenna while switching the antenna,
The first position that does not shield the radio waves radiated from the plurality of radio tag antennas, and the gap between the adjacent radio tag antennas and the radio waves radiated from the adjacent radio tag antennas are high. A movable radio wave shield is provided at the second position protruding up to
When specifying the position of the wireless tag having predetermined identification information from the wireless tag in the storage box, the radio wave shield is moved from the first position to the second position, and the antenna for the wireless tag is switched. When the identification information is read from the wireless tag in the storage box by radiating the radio wave, and the predetermined identification information is read, the predetermined identification is performed according to the position of the antenna for the wireless tag that has read the predetermined identification information. An apparatus for reading a radio tag, characterized by notifying a position in the storage box of an article to which a radio tag having information is attached.

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