JP2003069447A - Mobile body identification device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem of a conventional system that a radio wave emitted from an interrogator antenna cannot become a signal with such strength as to make a responder without a battery operable, owing to its phases in space, and that cannot confirm the result of communication between the interrogator and the responder when the communication is unsuccessful though the result can be confirmed when successful. SOLUTION: The interrogator antenna is mounted on a movement member that can be moved along a movement guide. Further, an optical reader is provided to the movement member. Thus, the communication between the responder and the interrogator can be surely conducted by suppressing the variation in strength of the radio wave received by the responder. Since the optical information reading function is provided to the responder and communication by a radio wave and existence of the responder can be simultaneously confirmed, the reading reliability of responder information can considerably be enhanced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure of an interrogator antenna of a mobile body identification device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The structure of an interrogator antenna of a conventional mobile body identification apparatus using radio waves such as microwave is as follows.
As described in Japanese Patent No. 32174, it was used in a fixed manner. The responder is brought close to the communicable area of the radio wave radiation area of the interrogator antenna, and reading and writing processes are performed by wireless communication.

In such a moving body identifying apparatus, the problem of spatial phase can be solved by moving the responder. In other words, due to the spatial phase, the distribution of the radiated electromagnetic field becomes non-uniform, the strength of the radio waves received by the transponder increases, and when the transponder is fixedly placed in the weak part of the radio wave, the gap between the interrogator and the transponder There will be a space where communication will not be possible.

If the responder can be moved, the problem can be dealt with by moving the responder, but if the responder cannot be moved, the interrogator antenna must be moved. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-240880 describes a mechanism that has a responding unit that responds when an antenna of an interrogator touches a moving responder, and moves according to the movement of the responder. In the invention described in JP-A-10-240880, the transponder needs to move.

[0005]

In the above prior art, the responder side is moved when the responder is too large to move the responder or when there are many articles stuck to the responder. If it is not possible, it is not considered to reduce the space where communication between the interrogator and the responder becomes impossible. In addition, it is generally well known that the accuracy of wireless communication is lower than that of wired communication, but no device has been devised to compensate for this uncertainty.

The present invention provides a system relating to a mobile body identification device which reads information of a plurality of fixed transponders by an antenna of a moving interrogator, and improves accuracy in wireless communication.
We will provide a highly reliable system by adding multiple reading methods.

[0007]

In order to solve the above problems, an image reading device and an interrogator antenna are arranged in the same movement, and the distance between the movement and the antennas of a plurality of transponders is kept at a predetermined distance. , Wireless communication and image sensor's outline recognition of the responder or information such as bar code and text written in the responder are fetched together, and a plurality of data fetched by these plural means are comprehensively judged, The method of determining the information with the transponder was adopted.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a responder, 2 is an article, 3 is a plurality of articles, 4 is an interrogator antenna, 5 is an article mounting frame, 6 is a control line, and 7 is a controller. The transponder 1 attached to the bottom of the article 2 or arranged at the bottom of the article is oriented to face the direction in which the interrogator antenna 4 easily receives the radio wave, and the article mounting frame 5 indicating the radio wave radiation area of the interrogator antenna 5 Are arranged inside. If the interrogator antenna 4 is an antenna that radiates a circular flat wave, the article 2 to which the transponder 1 is attached does not necessarily have to be aligned, and the bottom of the article 2 may face the interrogator antenna. Although the interrogator antenna 4 will be described later in another embodiment, the antenna and the image reading device are grounded on one movement inside, and the image information on the bottom of the article and the information by wireless communication with the responder 1 are provided. The light emission information of the responder 1 and the barcode or text printed on the surface can also be identified and used as the unique information of the article or the unique information of the responder. In particular, since the image reading device can detect the light emission state of a transponder having a function of emitting light by receiving radio wave radiation, an abnormal operation of the transponder can be detected.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment showing the structure of the interrogator antenna 4. In the figure, 8 is a thin plate of resin or glass that allows light or radio waves to pass therethrough with low loss, 910, 11,
Reference numeral 12 is a responder, 13 is a movement, 14 is a spacer, 15 is a light emitting element, 16 is a light receiving element, 17 is a linear antenna, 18 is a movement drive wire, and 19 is a movement guide. The movement 13 having the light emitting element 15, the light receiving element 16 and the linear antenna 71 mounted thereon can be moved along the movement guide 19 by obtaining a driving force from the driving wire 18. If the relative position between the drive wire 18 or the movement guide 19 and the movement 13 is determined, the positional information of the movement guide 19 can be obtained. The movement 13 moves along the surface of the resin or glass thin plate 8 at a substantially constant distance via the spacer 14 between the thin plate 8 of resin or glass. Responders 9, 10, 11, 12 are attached to the bottom surface of the article or the like on the surface of the thin plate 8 of resin or glass opposite to the movement 13 or are arranged at the bottom of the inside of the article to face the movement 13. Has been done. As a result, the transponders 9, 10, 11, and 12 face the linear antenna 17 such as a monopole antenna, and the transponder and the interrogator communicate with each other by radio waves emitted from the linear antenna 17. , 10, 11, 12 can be read or information can be written in the responders 9, 10, 11, 12. When the linear antenna 17 is configured by a coaxial excitation type monopole antenna, radio waves are radiated not only from the monopole antenna portion but also from the coaxial, so that information is exchanged with the responders scattered over a wider area. Is possible. In addition, if the transponder has a function of emitting light with the electric power obtained by the electric wave received, it is confirmed that the tag is operating normally and that the information obtained by communication is the information emitted by the tag. This will be helpful, and it will be possible to establish wireless communication as well as confirm the whereabouts of the tag.
At the same time, image information such as barcodes and text, information such as responder outlines and markers, which are arranged on the surface of the transponder, can be obtained as image information at the same time. It can be established by means. further,
It becomes possible to confirm the positional information of the transponder read from the relative positional relationship between the movement and the movement guide, and at the same time, it is possible to perform confirmation work such as moving the movement to the relevant positional information point and repeating wireless reading. In this embodiment, even if the light emitting element 15 and the light receiving element 16 are not provided as the image reading device, the reliability of information obtained by wireless communication by wireless communication and light emission information or relative position information of the movement guide is obtained by two or more confirmation means. You can increase the degree.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the structure of the interrogator antenna. In FIG. 3, the same operation as in FIG. 2 is denoted by the same reference numeral and the description thereof is omitted. In FIG. 3, 20 is an antenna, 21 night fairy tale ears, and 22 is a movement guide. The difference from FIG. 2 is that the antenna 20 is a patch antenna using a microstrip line. Figure 2
The radiated power is larger than that of the linear antenna 17 of the above example, and the communication can be efficiently performed even when the transponders 9, 10, 11, 12 are densely arranged. If the number of responding devices facing each other with respect to one antenna increases, the power distributed to the responding devices decreases, so that the radiated power of the antenna 20 to compensate for this is required.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a transponder. In FIG. 4, (a) is a rear view of the transponder, (b) is a side view, (c) is a front view, and (d) is another front view. In the figure, 23 is a conductor, 24 is a resin, 25 and 26 are antennas, 27 is a signal input / output terminal, 28 is an LED, 29 and 30 are ground conductors, 3
Reference numeral 1 is a film, 32 is a character, and 33 is a bar code.
In the figure, a conductor 23 and antennas 25 and 26 sandwich a dielectric of resin 24 to form a patch antenna using a microstrip line, and the antennas 25 and 26 are 1 with respect to the ground point of the ground conductors 29 and 30. It is an antenna equivalent to / 4 wavelength. The input / output lines match the antenna and the built-in IC chip at high frequencies. L
The ED 28 emits light when the transponder is irradiated with electric waves, and the LED 28 emits light with the electric power generated by the sub-cell of the IC chip.
When is connected to the power source and the installation hall, it has the function of keeping the operating voltage of the IC chip constant due to the action of low voltage at the same time as the light emission. Characters 32 and bar code 33 can be purchased on the film 31 and attached to the film 31, or written on the film attached to the transponder.
It is also possible to write directly on the surface of the transponder without. Figure 5
FIG. 6 is another explanatory diagram of a transponder. (A) is a plan view, (b)
Is a side view. The transponder of FIG. 5 is composed of a strip line, and the wavelength shortening effect of the resin 24 is less than that of the microstrip line of FIG.
The total length of the antenna becomes longer. In FIG. 5, 34 is an antenna conductor, 35 is an input / output line 36 is a bonding wire, 37 is an IC chip, 38 is potting resin, 39
Is a central part of the antenna, 40 is a bar code, and 41 is a character. Since radio waves are radiated over the entire circumference of the tag of FIG. 5 about the longitudinal direction of the antenna 34, the antenna gain is lower than that of the transponder of FIG. 4, and the wireless communication distance is generally short. Furthermore, when a plurality of transponders are installed, the degree of interference between the transponders is strong and the communication conditions become severe.
Since the structure is simple in making a transponder, it is generally offered at a low price. In the example of FIG. 4, since the conductor of the antenna 34 is exposed, the back and front may be covered with a thin film resin.

FIG. 6 shows a coaxial excitation type monopole antenna used for an interrogator antenna. In FIG. 6, 42 is a grounded outer conductor of the coaxial cable, 43 is an antenna conductor, 44
Is a signal input / output terminal. Although not shown in FIG. 6, it is general that a dielectric having a constant thickness is concentrically interposed between the grounded outer conductor 42 and the antenna conductor 43, and the characteristic impedance is determined together with the diameter of the center conductor. . An electromagnetic field is generated not only in the antenna conductor 43 but also in the grounded outer conductor, and the antenna of FIG. Therefore,
When used as the antenna 17 of FIG. 2, a region for radiating a radio wave is widened in the longitudinal direction of the movement, and there is an advantage that the radio wave can be supplied to a transponder in a wide region by moving together with the movement. .

FIG. 7 shows an example of an interrogator antenna using a microstrip line. (A) is a back view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a front view. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 45 is a ground conductor, 46 is a via hole, 47 is a dielectric, 48 is an antenna conductor, and 49 is a signal input / output terminal. FIG. 7 shows an interrogator antenna formed by using a dielectric substrate with double-sided conductors. The via hole 46 is provided at the center of the antenna conductor 48 and has a ground potential. The antenna conductor 48 has a structure in which two open-ended resonators each having a quarter wavelength are connected around the ground potential point. Compared to the monopole in FIG. 7, the area from which radio waves are radiated is limited to the antenna pattern portion,
Since radio waves are not emitted to the ground conductor side by the ground conductor 45, a relatively strong radiation characteristic can be obtained.

FIG. 8 shows a third embodiment of an interrogator antenna structure in which the structure of FIG. 2 or 3 is a movement having only a radiation antenna, and the movement guide is elongated in the longitudinal direction, in the case of managing books on a bookshelf. The interrogator antenna structure is suitable for reading or writing information from transponders densely arranged in the longitudinal direction. In FIG. 8, 50 is a thin plate made of resin or glass, 51 is a movement guide, 52 is a movement 53 is a microstrip patch antenna, 54 is a housing case, 55 is a drive part, 56 is a coaxial connector, and 57 is a coaxial cable. The drive unit 55 gives a rotational force to the movement guide 51, the male screw provided on the surface of the movement guide 51 is transmitted to the movement 52 as the movement guide 51 rotates, and the female screw portion of the movement 52 meshes with the male screw of the movement guide 51. Movement 5
The movement 52 can be moved along the movement guide 51 and the thin plate 50 by giving a force for moving the movement guide 2 in the longitudinal direction of the movement guide. The high frequency power supplied to the microstrip antenna 53 is transmitted via a coaxial connector 56 and a coaxial cable 57 which are provided substantially in the center in the longitudinal direction of the storage case. By arranging the coaxial connector 56 almost in the middle, the coaxial cable 57
It goes without saying that the length of can be minimized. As the microstrip antenna, the same effect can be obtained by introducing the coaxial excitation type monopole antenna described in FIG. Although omitted in FIG. 8, power supply or control signal supply to the drive unit 55 is of course necessary.

FIG. 9 shows an example in which the interrogator antenna configuration described in FIG. 8 is placed in a shelf board such as a bookcase. 58 is an interrogator antenna, 59 is a shelf board, 60 is an interrogator, and 61 is an article. 62
Is a responder, 63 is a first control signal line, 64 is a second control signal line, and 65 is a control signal connector. The interrogator 58 is made by adjusting the thickness of the shelf board 59 to be less than or equal to the thickness of the shelf board 5.
9 is installed inside, and the interrogator antenna section 58 is a shelf board 59.
Even if it is buried inside, if the shelf plate 59 is made of a material that transmits radio waves well, power can be applied to the transponder attached to or inside the book 61 to exchange information with the transponder. I can. Further, even if the shelf board is made of a material that does not transmit radio waves, the movement of the interrogator antenna 58 has the same structure as long as it is visible from the article mounting surface of the shelf board 59. For the interrogator 60, high-frequency waves emitted from the interrogator antenna 58 by exchanging information and control signals from a personal computer, which is a host controller, through the control signal connector 65 and the second control signal line 64. The signal and the received signal received from the transponder 62 can be processed, and further, a signal and a power source for controlling the driving circuit of the interrogator antenna 58 can be supplied through the control line 63. In the case of a bookshelf or an article shelf which is composed of a plurality of shelves, the control of a plurality of shelves via the control signal connector 65 provided on each shelf 59 and further the control of a plurality of bookcases or article shelves are performed in a single or a plurality of ways. It can be performed by a higher-level control device such as a personal computer.

[0016]

According to the interrogator antenna structure of the present invention, since the interrogator antenna moves together with the movement, the intensity of the radio wave emitted from the interrogator antenna to the responder due to the phase is reduced and the interrogator antenna is used. It is possible to reliably exchange information with the transponder. Also, by adding the function to optically read character information and bar code information to the movement, it is possible to check the character, bar code or transponder shape in addition to exchanging information with the transponder by radio waves. , It becomes possible to exchange information with the actual existence of the transponder by confirming multiple information. Therefore, the interrogator antenna configuration is optimal for the mobile identification system that requires high reliability.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system example of a mobile body identification device adopting an interrogator antenna configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a first example of an interrogator antenna configuration.

FIG. 3 is a second example of an interrogator antenna configuration.

FIG. 4 is an example of an interrogator antenna configured with a microstrip line.

FIG. 5 is an example of a transponder antenna configured by a strip line.

FIG. 6 is an example of an interrogator antenna configured by a coaxial excitation type monopole antenna.

FIG. 7 is an example of an interrogator antenna configured with a microstrip line.

FIG. 8 shows a third embodiment of the interrogator antenna configuration.

FIG. 9 is an application example of an interrogator antenna configuration.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Responder, 2 ... Article, 3 ... Article, 4 ... Interrogator antenna, 5 ... Frame, 6 ... Control line, 7 ... Control device, 8 ... Thin plate,
9, 10, 11, 12 ... Responder, 13 ... Movement,
14 ... Spacer, 15 ... Light emitting part, 16 ... Light receiving part, 17 ...
Coaxial excitation pole antenna, 18, 21 ... Drive wire, 19, 22 ... Movement guide, 20 ... Microstrip antenna, 23 ... Ground conductor, 24 ... Resin,
25, 26 ... Antenna, 27 ... Signal input / output terminal, 28 ...
LED, 29, 30 ... Ground conductor, 31 ... Film, 32
… Letters, 33… Bar code, 34… Antenna conductor, 35
... Signal input / output line, 36 ... Bonding wire, 37 ...
IC chip, 38 ... Potting resin, 39 ... Antenna central part, 40 ... Bar code, 41 ... Character, 42 ... Coaxial cable, 43 ... Antenna conductor, 44 ... Signal input / output terminal,
45 ... Ground conductor, 46 ... Via hole, 47 ... Dielectric material, 4
8 ... Antenna conductor, 49 ... Signal input / output terminal, 50 ... Thin plate, 51 ... Movement guide, 52 ... Movement,
53 ... Microstrip antenna, 54 ... Storage case, 55 ... Drive part, 56 ... Coaxial connector, 57 ... Coaxial cable, 58 ... Interrogator antenna, 59 ... Shelf board, 60 ... Interrogator, 61 ... Article, 62 ... Responder , 63 ... First control signal line, 64 ... Second control signal line, 65 ... Control signal connector.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A mobile body identification device, comprising: an interrogator, a movement that moves along a movement guide, and an antenna mounted on the movement and connected to the interrogator by a coaxial cable or a connector. Is characterized by. 2. The moving body identifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is composed of a microstrip line. 3. The moving body identification device according to claim 1, wherein: The antenna is a linear antenna. 4. The moving body identifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is a coaxial excitation type monopole antenna. 5. The moving body identifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movement is equipped with an image identifying apparatus capable of optically identifying a character, a bar code, or an outer shape of an article. To do. 6. The moving body identifying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for detecting position information of the movement on the movement guide.