JP2000285212A - Responder for mobile communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a responder for mobile communication system which realizes address management of a memory, where the latest data is stored, with a simple configuration and communicates data with an interrogator without hindrance. SOLUTION: In this responder 2, plural storage areas where data is stored and a management area where the address of the storage area which has a specific address N and has the latest data stored is stored are formed in a memory 24. Each time data is stored in the memory 24, an address management means 26 of the responder 2 stores the address of the storage area, where this data is stored, in the management area, and an address report means 27 transmits the address stored in the management area to an interrogator 1 in response to an address request signal from the interrogator 1, and a data transmission means 28 transmits data stored in the storage area of a designated address to the interrogator 1 in response to a data request signal from the interrogator 1 where the address is designated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mobile communication system represented by an IC card system and an ID tag system, and more particularly to a mobile communication system for wirelessly transmitting data stored in a built-in memory in response to a request from an interrogator. Transponder.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a non-contact type mobile communication system for wirelessly communicating data between an interrogator and a movable transponder, for example, an ID tag (response response) which is moved by being attached to luggage or the like. Non-contact type ID tag system consisting of a reader / writer (interrogator) that wirelessly communicates data between an ID tag and a fixed installation or carried by a user, or by being carried by a user 2. Description of the Related Art A non-contact type IC card system including a moving IC card (responder) and a reader / writer (interrogator) which is fixedly installed and wirelessly communicates data with the IC card is known.

[0003] For example, an ID tag system is used, for example, for sorting transported luggage. A label ID tag having a size of about 1 cm x 5 cm is attached to each luggage.
The worker uses a reader / writer to read the identification code (ID) stored in the ID tag and the processing data such as the product name and the destination, thereby performing authentication and delivery management of each package. Such an ID tag has a memory and a wireless communication function unit. When the ID tag enters a communicable area of the reader / writer, the reader / writer transmits a data request signal for requesting an ID or the like. When the ID tag returns the data stored in the memory such as its own ID, the reader / writer identifies the ID tag and manages the product name and the delivery destination.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of data storage areas each designated by an address (1 to N) are formed in a built-in memory of the transponder. The latest processing data is sequentially written in address order. For example, data A is written into the storage area at address 1 and new data B stored thereafter is written into the storage area at address 2, and in the state shown in FIG. D
Is written.

When the transponder enters the communicable area of the interrogator, as shown in FIG. 5, the interrogator transmits a request signal for requesting an ID (confirmation of the presence or absence of a card). Sends back its own ID data stored in the memory and causes the interrogator to confirm the presence of the card. Further, the interrogator specifies the address where the latest data is stored (address 4 in the example in the figure) and transmits a data request signal, and in response to this, the responder responds with the product name stored in the memory,
The processing data such as the delivery destination (data D in the example of FIG. 4) is returned, and the interrogator recognizes the processing data.

[0006]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional mobile communication system, a transponder (ID)
There is a problem that the interrogator (reader / writer) cannot recognize the latest processing data stored in the memory of the tag or the IC card. That is, in the mobile communication system as described above, one interrogator performs data communication with many transponders, but in order to obtain the latest data from any transponder, the same interrogator of each transponder is required. The latest data must be stored at the memory address. However, the same system may be used for another application. In this case, the state where the latest data is stored in the same memory address of each transponder cannot be maintained, and the transponder responds to a request from the interrogator. Cannot send the latest data.

Some transponders manufactured at low cost, such as ID tags and IC cards, use a fuse memory as storage means for processing data. This fuse memory has a structure in which each time the latest data is stored in a new address area, the fuse in the address area storing the old data is electrically cut off, so that only the latest data can be read from the memory. It is a simple and inexpensive storage means. In a transponder using such a fuse memory, if data writing fails, the transponder can no longer be used, and it is particularly difficult to maintain the above address consistency. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and realizes an address management in which the latest data is stored by a simple configuration, thereby enabling a data communication with an interrogator without any trouble. It is intended to provide a transponder.

[0009]

In a transponder of a mobile communication system according to the present invention, a plurality of storage areas for storing data and the latest data having a specific address are stored in a built-in memory. And a management area for storing the address of the storage area. In this transponder, every time data is stored in the memory, the address management means stores the address of the storage area in which the data is stored in the management area, and responds to the address request signal from the interrogator. The notifying means transmits the address stored in the management area to the interrogator, and the data transmitting means transmits the data stored in the storage area of the specified address to the interrogator in response to a data request signal from the interrogator specifying the address. Send.

As described above, in the transponder according to the present invention, the address of the storage area where the latest data is stored is managed by writing to the management area, and the latest address is sent to the interrogator in response to an address request from the interrogator. After notifying the address of the data, in response to a data request specifying the address from the interrogator, the storage device transmits the storage data (that is, the latest data) of the specified address to the interrogator. Therefore, even if there is a change in the application or a failure in data writing, etc., even in a transponder in which the latest data has been written in an address area different from that of the other transponders, the interrogator will be sent to the interrogator in the same way as other transponders The latest data can be responded.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a non-contact type IC card system will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of an IC card system according to the present embodiment. The system includes an interrogator (reader / writer) 1,
And a transponder (IC card) 2 which is movable by being carried by the user.

The interrogator 1 has a radio unit 13 for transmitting and receiving a radio signal using the antenna 12, and a control unit 14 for controlling data communication and controlling each functional unit of the interrogator.
The control unit 14 also includes an address requesting unit 15 for requesting the data stored in the specific address area to the transponder 2, and specifying the address returned from the transponder and transmitting the data to the transponder 2. A requesting data request unit 16 is configured. The address request signal generated by the address request unit 15 and the data request signal generated by the data request unit 16 are transmitted to the radio unit 1 by a procedure described later.
3 is wirelessly transmitted via the antenna 12.

The transponder 2 includes a radio unit 23 for transmitting and receiving radio signals using the antenna 22, a memory 24 for storing various data, data communication control, access to the memory 24, and various functional units of the transponder. And a control unit 25 that performs the above control. When writing data to the memory 24, the control unit 25 includes an address management unit 26 that writes the address of the storage area where the data is written to a storage area (management area) of a specific address of the memory 24. Address notification means 27 for transmitting data (address value) stored in a specific address area (management area) of the memory 24 in response to an address request signal from the interrogator 1, and in response to a data request signal from the interrogator 1. Data transmission means 28 for transmitting data stored in a designated address area (storage area) of the memory 24 is configured.

The address notification signal generated by the address notification unit 27 and the data signal generated by the data transmission unit 28 are wirelessly transmitted from the wireless unit 23 via the antenna 22 according to a procedure described later. Also, memory 2
The control unit 25 writes the data wirelessly transmitted from the interrogator 1 to the empty area in the order of addresses, and writes the data directly input from the outside to the responder 2 by the control unit 25. It is performed by writing in the free area in order, and every time this writing is performed, the address management unit 2
6 writes the address of the storage area where the data was written into the storage area (management area) of the specific address.

Here, the memory 24 of the present embodiment uses a fuse memory, and is configured as shown in FIG. That is, addresses (1 to N) are stored in the memory 24, respectively.
And a plurality of data storage areas specified by
The storage areas from address 1 to (N-1) are normal storage areas for storing processing data, and the storage area at address N is a management area for storing the address value of the normal storage area storing the latest data. It is managed by the control unit 25. Note that this management area is defined in the basic settings of the IC card system, and all the responders 2
, A common address (N) is set.

The latest processing data is sequentially written in the normal storage area of the memory 24 in the order of addresses. For example, data A is written in the storage area at address 1 and new data B is stored thereafter.
Is written to the storage area at address 2 and, in the state shown in FIG. 3, the latest data D is written to the storage area at address 4 and the latest data D is stored in the management area (address N).
Is written by the address management means 26. The memory 24 has an area for storing basic data such as ID data in addition to the area for storing the processing data.

In this example, wireless communication is performed between the interrogator 1 and the responder 2 in the procedure shown in FIG. First, when the transponder 2 enters the communicable area of the interrogator 1, the interrogator 1 transmits a request signal for requesting an ID (confirmation of the presence / absence of a card). In response, the transponder 2 is stored in the memory 24. It returns its own ID data (with card) and causes the interrogator 1 to confirm the presence of the card.

Next, the interrogator 1 transmits an address request signal for requesting the data of the specific address (N) indicating the management area. In response, the responder 2 responds to the data (address) stored in the management area of the address N. The value “04”) is returned to the interrogator 1. Next, the interrogator 1 returns the returned address value.
04 ", the transponder 2 returns the data (that is, the latest data D) stored in the storage area of the address 4 to the interrogator 1 in response to the data request signal. Recognize the latest processing data.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Because the address of the storage area of the latest data is stored and managed in the management area indicated by the specific address of the transponder, and in response to a request from the interrogator, the interrogator is notified of the storage area address of the latest data so that it can be grasped. Even if a difference occurs in the storage address of the latest data among a plurality of transponders, the latest data can always be provided to the interrogator. Therefore, it becomes possible to construct a mobile communication system with various applications, and even if there is a transponder for which data writing has failed, it is possible to use the transponder without causing any trouble in the system. It becomes possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a non-contact IC card system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an internal memory configuration of a transponder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a chart showing a communication processing procedure of the IC card system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the internal memory configuration of a conventional transponder.

FIG. 5 is a chart showing a communication processing procedure of a conventional IC card system.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Reader / writer (interrogator), 2 ... IC card (responder), 24 ... Memory, 25 ... Control part, 26 ... Address management means, 27 ... Address notification means , 28 ... data transmission means,

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Yoshichika Watanabe 3-14-20 Higashinakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo Kokusai Denki Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 5B035 BA01 BB09 BC01 CA23 5B058 CA15 KA01 KA04 KA37 YA01 5K067 AA33 BB33 BB34 DD17 DD23 DD24 EE02 EE12 GG01 GG11 HH22 HH23

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A mobile communication system in which a movable transponder including a memory transmits data stored in a memory in response to a request signal from an interrogator, wherein the data is stored in a memory of the transponder. A plurality of storage areas, and a management area having a specific address and storing an address of a storage area in which the latest data is stored. Further, the responder responds every time data is stored in the memory. Address management means for storing the address of the storage area in which the data is stored in the management area, address notification means for transmitting the address stored in the management area to the interrogator in response to an address request signal from the interrogator, Data transmission means for transmitting data stored in the storage area of the designated address to the interrogator in response to a data request signal from the interrogator having designated the address. Responder mobile communication system according to.