JP2005165458A - Rfid reading method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an RFID reading method which reduces a time period for recognizing an RFID-provided article accommodated in a container. <P>SOLUTION: In the RFID reading method for reading the RFID provided in an article, the RFID 21 is recognized in a prescribed area of a postal bag 11 when the article is accommodated in the postal bag 11, and then the RFID 21 is recognized in an area adjacent to the prescribed area. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an RFID reading method for reading the content of an RFID attached to an article such as mail.

  Recently, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) has become widespread as an article identification technique that replaces barcodes. The RFID stores identification information in a semiconductor integrated circuit chip, and the stored identification information can be read without contact via a radio wave. Since an RFID semiconductor integrated circuit chip receives power from radio waves, a power source is unnecessary on the RFID side. RFID is small and can be easily attached to an article as if it were a tag. Therefore, RFID is called a wireless tag that can read identification information without contact.

  An ID tag identification system that identifies an object using such an RFID is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

By the way, mails posted by the sender are delivered to the recipient via the sender, relay station and delivery station. In order to smoothly pass the postal matter through each station in this way, a bar code recording delivery information is attached to the postal matter.
JP 10-21351 A

  Delivery information recorded in such a bar code has been read by a bar code reader.

Since there is only one mail piece that can be read by this bar code reader, it has to be taken out from the bag that stores the mail pieces together.

  That is, the delivery information of a large number of mail items cannot be read out at the same time.

Therefore, it is conceivable to attach an RFID to a mail and read delivery information recorded on the RFID with an RFID reader.

  In this way, the postal items to which the RFID is attached are stored in a mail bag as a container at the sending station.

  Usually, a mail bag is divided into a plurality of storage rooms, and each storage room is configured to transmit and receive to and from an antenna on a one-to-one basis.

  In the sending station, a process for recognizing the RFID attached to the mail stored in the mail bag is performed. If the mail is stored in one of the mail bags, the system side must recognize by searching whether the mail is stored in each storage room.

  In other words, if the time required for the recognition process per antenna is 1 second, it takes 4 seconds for four antennas and 10 seconds for 10 antennas, and the recognition process takes a lot of time. There was a problem.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an RFID reading method capable of shortening the recognition time of an article attached with an RFID housed in a container. .

  In the RFID reading method for reading an RFID attached to an article, when the article is stored in a container, the RFID is recognized in a limited area of the container, and then the limited area and It is characterized in that RFID is recognized in adjacent areas.

  According to the present invention, since the RFID is recognized in a limited area and then the RFID is recognized in an area adjacent to the limited area, the article attached with the RFID stored in the container. Recognition time can be shortened.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a view showing an RFID reader employing the RFID reading method of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes an RFID reader. A mail bag 11 is placed on the RFID reader 10. The mail bag 11 is divided into a plurality of storage chambers 11 a to 11 g by a partition plate 12. Non-standard-size mail items can be stored in the storage chambers 11a to 11f, and non-standard-size mail items can be stored in the storage chamber 11g. On the side surface of the mail bag 11, a nameplate tag 13 that stores information on how many mail items are stored in the mail bag 11 is attached. This nameplate tag 13 is also constituted by RFID. After the mail is stored in the mail bag 11, the upper opening is covered with a lid member (not shown).

  The RFID reader 10 incorporates a control unit and the like which will be described later with reference to FIG. Inside the upper surface 10a of the RFID reader 10, antennas 1 to 8 for transmitting and receiving radio waves are embedded as shown in FIG. The embedded positions of the antennas 1 to 8 are embedded at positions facing the storage portions 11 a to 11 g of the mail bag 11.

  A display device 20 is connected to the RFID reader 10.

  Note that an RFID 21 is attached to the mail stored in the mail bag 11 as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the RFID reader 10 includes a control unit 31 configured by a microprocessor, for example. The control unit 31 is connected to the antennas 1 to 8 and the display device 20 described above. Transmission / reception control of these antennas 1 to 8 is performed by the control unit 31.

  Each of the antennas 1 to 8 has directivity as shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 41 denotes an antenna that represents the antennas 1 to 8. The antenna 41 has a readable area as indicated by hatching A in FIG. 4 in the vertical direction with respect to the planar radiation surface of the antenna 41. In other words, it has an unreadable area as shown by hatching B in FIG.

  Therefore, if the RFID 21 enters the unreadable area B, the delivery information recorded on the RFID 21 cannot be read.

  Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described. First, the posted mail is stored in the mail bag 11 at the sending station. At that time, the postal clerk puts the mail items in the storage chambers 11a to 11g of the mail bag 11 in order.

  The RFID reader 10 performs the recognition process shown in the flowchart of FIG.

  First, recognition processing at the antenna 1 is performed (step S1). That is, the RFID 21 attached to the postal matter in the storage room by the radio wave transmitted from the antenna 1 obtains power and transmits delivery information and the like to the RFID reader 10. As a result, the RFID reader 10 recognizes the RFID 21.

  Then, it is determined whether or not the RFID 1 has been recognized to some extent by the recognition processing at the antenna 1 (step S2). This certain level means, for example, 80% of the number of mail items that can be stored in the storage room 11a.

  If “NO” is determined in the determination in step S2, the process returns to the process in step S1 described above.

  On the other hand, if “YES” is determined in the determination in step S2, recognition processing by the antenna 2 is performed (step S3). That is, transmission of radio waves from the antenna 2 is started.

  At this time, transmission radio waves are output from the antennas 1 and 2.

  Next, it is determined whether or not RFID recognition has been started by the antenna 2 (step S4). If “YES” is determined in the determination in step S4, the recognition in the antenna 1 ends (step S5).

  In other words, the RFID recognition by the antenna 2 is started because it is considered that the storage room 11a is full.

  Therefore, recognition processing is first performed with only antenna 1, and when the number of recognition processing reaches a certain number, recognition processing is performed in parallel with antennas 1 and 2, and when recognition processing with antenna 2 is started, recognition with antenna 1 is performed. The process is terminated and the recognition process is performed using only the antenna 2.

  Thereafter, the recognition process for the antennas 3 to 8 is performed in the same manner.

  In this way, if it is determined that mails are sequentially stored in the storage chambers 11a to 11g of the mail bag 11, the recognition time can be shortened.

  Thereafter, the mail bag 11 storing the mail is delivered to the recipient via the relay station and the delivery station.

  In the above-described embodiment, the way of partitioning the inside of the mail bag 11 into a plurality of storage rooms is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

  Furthermore, although the recognition process is first started only with the antenna 1, the recognition process may be performed with the antennas 1 and 2.

1 is an overall view showing an RFID reader to which an RFID reading method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The top view of the mail according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a layout diagram of antennas provided in the RFID reader according to the embodiment. The figure which shows the readable area | region of the RFID reader concerning the embodiment. The system block diagram of the RFID reader concerning the embodiment. The block diagram for demonstrating the operation | movement of the embodiment. The flowchart for demonstrating the operation | movement of the embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... RFID reader, 11 ... Mail bag, 12 ... Partition plate, 13 ... Nameplate tag, 20 ... Display apparatus.

Claims (1)

In an RFID reading method for reading an RFID attached to an article, when the article is stored in a container, the RFID is recognized in a limited area of the container, and then in an area adjacent to the limited area. An RFID reading method characterized in that RFID is recognized.

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