JP2006293450A - Ic tag processing apparatus and processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a high speed and highly reliable IC tag processing apparatus for transmitting electronic information under a stable radio communication environment for an IC tag equipped with a storage device and radio communication equipment. <P>SOLUTION: An IC tag processing apparatus 10 equipped with an R/W device 14 for reading/writing information to an IC tag 11 and an antenna 15 is arranged at the mounting side of the IC tag 11 arranged on a conveyance medium 12. Electronic information inputted from a computer or a control panel or the like to the IC tag processing apparatus so as to be recorded is inputted to an R/W device 14, and written in the IC tag 11 by radio communication. The R/W device 14a mounted on a mobile device 20 moves following the IC tag 11 moving in an arrow (a) direction, and the electronic information is written in the IC tag under the stable radio communication environment. The electronic information is read from the IC tag to the R/W device 14 by radio communication in the same way. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an IC tag processing apparatus and a processing method, and more particularly to an IC tag processing apparatus and a processing method for reading and / or writing electronic information on an IC tag mounted on a transport medium and transported.

  A wireless communication element including a storage device, a communication device, and an antenna is a semiconductor element that can write / read electronic information without contact, and is called an RF-ID element, and various ICs such as a credit card. Recently, it is used in cards, but recently, the above wireless communication elements are attached to labels attached to various products, and various information about the products is recorded electronically and recorded as necessary. It has been proposed to read out information and use it for product management.

  In order to record electronic information on a wireless communication element (hereinafter referred to as an IC tag), an IC tag is mounted on a transport medium such as a recording paper to be transported by bonding or other means, and the transport medium is attached to the electronic information. An IC tag processing device having a reading / writing device (hereinafter referred to as an R / W device) that performs reading and writing is passed, and electronic information is transmitted and received via the antenna of the R / W device and the antenna of the IC tag. It is known that electronic information is read from and / or written to an IC tag in a non-contact state.

  In this case, when reading and / or writing electronic information with a single R / W device, the reading and / or writing time of electronic information is limited. The reading and / or writing of information may not be completed and the operation may be interrupted. For this reason, a plurality of R / W devices are arranged in a recording device, electronic information to be recorded is divided into a plurality of pieces in advance and assigned to a plurality of R / W devices, and an IC tag communicates with each R / W device. There is one configured to read and / or write electronic information assigned to the R / W device when passing through a possible area (see Patent Document 1).

  In addition, in an R / W device that reads and writes electronic information on an IC tag in a non-contact manner, it is necessary to manually adjust the position of the antenna of the R / W device according to the position of the IC tag on the carrier medium. However, an antenna is provided in a carriage that prints on a carrier medium, the antenna is scanned in a direction orthogonal to the direction of conveyance of the recording medium, and electronic information is read and / or written in accordance with the position of the IC tag. Has been proposed (see Patent Document 2).

Furthermore, a wireless device having a wireless communication function and a sensor function is provided in a rotating part of a device having a rotating mechanism, and an induced electromotive force is generated by electromagnetic induction between the rotating part and the non-rotating part to power the wireless apparatus. Has been proposed, and a rotary wireless device that activates a communication function and a sensor function has been proposed (see Patent Document 3).
JP 2004-082432 A. JP2003-300366A. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-135154.

  In the above-described conventional IC tag having a wireless communication function, when communication is performed with respect to the IC tag mounted on the transported transport medium, the IC tag and the R / W device for reading and writing electronic information are used. Since communication is performed in a state where the relative position is constantly changing, the communication state is not stable and a communication error may occur.

  In addition, since the data capacity of electronic information that can be transmitted and received is determined by the communicable range of the R / W device and the conveyance speed of the recording medium, IC tags that record electronic information with a large data capacity cannot be handled. There were inconveniences such as.

  Although the above-mentioned patent document 1 discloses that electronic information having a large data capacity can be handled by dividing and handling electronic information having a large data capacity, the disclosed means does not provide an IC tag. Since the relative position between the R / W device and the R / W device changes every moment, the inconvenience that the communication state may not be stable and a communication error may occur has not been solved.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems, and at least between the IC tag and the R / W device under a stable wireless communication environment in which the relative position between the IC tag and the R / W device does not change during communication. It is an object of the present invention to provide an IC tag processing apparatus and a processing method capable of reading and / or writing electronic information through communication.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and the invention of claim 1 is an IC tag processing device for reading and writing electronic information to and from an IC tag having a storage device and a wireless communication device. A transport device that transports the IC tag mounted on a medium; a read / write device that reads and writes electronic information to and from the IC tag; and a control device, wherein the control device is transported An IC tag processing device that reads and / or writes electronic information to and from an IC tag under a stable communication environment while moving the reading / writing device with respect to the IC tag. .

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an IC tag processing device for reading and writing electronic information to and from an IC tag having a storage device and a wireless communication device, and transporting the IC tag mounted on a transport medium. A transport device; a position detection device that detects a position of the IC tag being transported; a read / write device that reads and writes electronic information on the IC tag; and the read / write device as an IC tag. And a control device, and when the IC tag is detected by the position detection device, the control device operates the mobile device to read / read the IC tag being conveyed. An IC tag process characterized by communicating with an IC tag while following and moving so that the writing device is always in a communicable area, and reading and / or writing electronic information to the IC tag. It is a device.

  Then, the control device moves the reading / writing device following the communicable position to the moving IC tag based on the mounting pitch of the IC tag mounted on the transport medium and the transport speed of the IC tag. The moving speed of the moving device shall be controlled.

  The reading / writing device is attached to a moving device that moves in a non-contact manner on a carrier medium on which the IC tag is carried, and the control device moves when the IC tag is detected by the position detecting device. The electronic information is read and / or written to the IC tag while the device is operated and the reading / writing device follows the IC tag, and when the reading and / or writing of the electronic information to the IC tag is completed, the reading is performed. / The writing device is returned to the initial position.

  In addition, when the reading / writing device has finished reading and / or writing electronic information to the IC tag, the control device returns the reading / writing device to the initial position. The moving speed of the moving device may be controlled so that the returning speed to the initial position is higher than the moving speed at the time of reading and / or writing electronic information to the IC tag.

  Further, when performing communication between the IC tag being conveyed and the reading / writing device, the control device reads / writes so that the signal strength received by the IC tag is always within a predetermined strength range. The moving speed of the device shall be controlled.

  Then, when it is confirmed from the signal intensity received by the IC tag that the IC tag has entered the communicable area with the reading / writing device, the control device moves the IC tag while following the reading / writing device. And the reading / writing device to perform reading and / or writing of electronic information with respect to the IC tag.

  Further, the reading / writing device is attached to a moving device that circulates in a non-contact manner with respect to a transport medium on which the IC tag is transported, and the control device is configured so that the reading / writing device determines the moving speed of the IC tag. It shall be controlled to move following.

  Further, the reading / writing device includes a plurality of antennas, and when communication is performed between the IC tag and the reading / writing device, the antenna is switched according to the target IC tag.

  The invention of claim 10 is an IC tag processing method for reading and / or writing electronic information to an IC tag having a storage device and a wireless communication device, wherein the IC tag mounted on a carrier medium A step of conveying in a predetermined direction, and a step of reading and / or writing electronic information to and from the IC tag under a stable communication environment while moving the reading / writing device following the IC tag being conveyed. An IC tag processing method characterized by comprising:

  As described above in detail, the invention of claim 1 is an IC tag processing device characterized in that electronic information is read from and written to an IC tag having a storage device and a wireless communication device. Communication is performed in a stable communication environment while moving the reading / writing device following the IC tag to be read, and electronic information is read from and / or written to the IC tag.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an IC tag processing device for reading and writing electronic information to and from an IC tag having a storage device and a wireless communication device, wherein the IC tag is detected by a position detection device. When this is done, the IC tag carried by the moving device communicates with the IC tag while following and moving so that the reading / writing device is always in the communicable area, and the electronic information is sent to the IC tag. Are read and / or written.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an IC tag processing method for reading and / or writing electronic information on an IC tag having a storage device and a wireless communication device, wherein the IC is mounted on a carrier medium. A device for reading and / or writing electronic information to / from an IC tag in a stable communication environment while carrying the tag in a predetermined direction and moving the reading / writing device following the IC tag being carried. It is.

  With the above-described configuration, the relative position between the IC tag and the R / W device does not change at least during communication, and a stable wireless communication environment can be ensured. High-quality electronic information can be read and / or written.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a front view of a transport medium having an IC tag attached thereto. Radio communication elements (hereinafter referred to as IC tags) 11 to be described later are mounted at a constant pitch p1 along the direction of arrow a, which is the moving direction of the carrier medium 12. The conveyance medium 12 is, for example, continuous paper or other recording paper used for a label printer or the like, and prints visible information such as desired characters on the conveyance medium 12, and the IC tag processing device described later performs IC. After recording the desired electronic information on the tag 11, it is cut to a predetermined length, for example, at the position of the chain line 12a in FIG. 1, thereby completing the label A on which the IC tag 11 to be attached to a product or the like is mounted. Although the label is used here, it goes without saying that similar items such as a card, a tag, and a tag are included.

  Further, the transport medium 12 is not limited to the example of the present embodiment, and any medium can be used as long as the IC tag 11 can be attached. For example, it may be a cut sheet instead of a continuous sheet.

  In FIG. 1, the outline of the IC tag 11 indicates the IC tag and its antenna area, and the electric field strength of the antenna of the IC tag is a reading / writing device (hereinafter referred to as R / W device) 14 described later. A region (hereinafter referred to as an effective region) having a predetermined signal level or higher that can normally communicate with the antenna 15 is shown. In the following description, the term “IC tag” includes the antenna, and the outline of the IC tag 11 indicates the IC tag and its antenna area.

  FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating the configuration of the IC tag processing apparatus 10 that reads and writes electronic information from and to the IC tag 11. The conveyance medium 12 is configured to move at a constant speed in the direction of the arrow a by a pair of conveyance rollers 18 and 19 driven by a conveyance motor 17, and approaches the conveyance path of the conveyance medium 12 to position the tip position of the IC tag 11. A position detection sensor 24 for detection is arranged.

  When the transport medium 12 moves at a constant speed in the direction of arrow a, the IC tag 11 mounted thereon at a constant pitch p1 also moves at a constant speed in the direction of arrow a, and the tip position of the IC tag 11 is the position of the transport medium. It is detected by a position detection sensor 24 arranged close to the conveyance path.

  The IC tag processing device 10 is disposed at a position away from the transport medium 12 on the side of the transport medium 12 where the IC tag 11 is mounted. Inside the IC tag processing device 10, the IC tag 11 is electronically connected. An R / W device 14 and an antenna 15 for reading / writing information are attached to a mobile device 20 described later.

  The IC tag 11 is a semiconductor element that can read and write electronic information in a non-contact manner, and includes a wireless communication element including a wireless communication device and an antenna in addition to a storage device that stores electronic information. Electronic information is read from and written to the R / W device 14 by wireless communication.

  The R / W device 14 is input from an input unit of a control device 30 of the IC tag processing device 10 described later, for example, a computer (PC) 28 connected to the IC tag processing device 10 or an operation panel 29 (see FIG. 4). Electronic information to be written from the device is input, the input electronic information is written to the IC tag 11 by wireless communication, and the electronic information is read from the IC tag 11, and the input electronic information is subjected to required signal processing. The electronic information output from the IC tag 11 is received by the antenna 15 and output to the computer (PC) 28 or the like. ing.

  Further, the R / W device 14 is a moving device that moves by a certain distance following the moving IC tag 11 so that communication with the IC tag 11 that moves by the movement of the carrier medium 12 in the direction of arrow a is performed normally. It is attached to 20 arms 22.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of the moving device 20. The moving device 20 includes a pulse motor 23 disposed away from the carrier medium 12 and an arm 22 having a rotating shaft 21, and an R / W device 14 is attached to the arm 22. The arm 22 is fixed to a rotating shaft 21 of a pulse motor 23 controlled by a control device described later. The arm 22 rotates on the conveying medium 12 in a non-contact manner by a certain angle (rotation from the initial position indicated by the solid line to the position indicated by the chain line) by the rotation of the rotating shaft 21. The / W device 14 reads / writes electronic information from / to the IC tag 11 by wireless communication with the IC tag 11, and the arm 22 is controlled to return to the initial position after the communication is completed.

  When the position detection sensor 24 detects the tip position of the IC tag 11, the control device 30 to be described later detects the detection time of the IC tag 11, the moving speed (known speed) of the carrier medium 12 in the direction of arrow a, R Based on information (known information) between the effective area of the antenna 15 of the / W device 14 and the effective area of the antenna of the IC tag 11, the effective area of both antennas overlaps to calculate the timing at which normal communication can be performed, The timing for starting the rotation of the arm 22 by the pulse motor 23 is determined by calculation.

  When the previously determined time has elapsed from the time when the tip position of the IC tag 11 has been detected and the arm 22 has started rotating, the movement of the carrier medium 12 in the direction of arrow a, that is, the direction of the IC tag 11 in the direction of arrow a The R / W device 14 controls the pulse motor 23 so that the R / W device 14 follows the rotation of the arm 22 and rotates the arm 22 to perform wireless communication between the R / W device 14 and the IC tag 11. Read and / or write electronic information.

  The maximum rotation angle θ of the arm 22 is an angle of an area where the effective area of the antenna 15 of the R / W device 14 overlaps the effective area of the antenna of the IC tag 11 and normal wireless communication is possible. When the rotation of the arm 22 is completed, or when the wireless communication between the R / W device 14 and the IC tag 11 is completed, the pulse motor 23 is reversely rotated to return the arm 22 to the initial position.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the control device 30 that controls the IC tag processing device 10. The control device 30 is mainly composed of a CPU 31, and a ROM 25, a RAM 26, an EEPROM 27, a position detection sensor 24, and a computer (PC) to which electronic information to be written is output at an input / output port of the CPU 31. 28, the operation panel 29 is connected. In addition, the R / W device 14, the conveyance motor 17, and the pulse motor 23 which are devices to be controlled are connected.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining a control operation executed by the control device 30. The control operation described here shows the control operation when electronic information is written to the IC tag as an example. However, the control operation when reading electronic information from the IC tag is also different between writing and reading electronic information. Since the control operation is substantially the same, description thereof is omitted.

  When the control operation is started, the transfer motor 17 is turned on based on the control operation start signal to drive the transfer medium 12 and start the transfer of the IC tag 11 (step P11). The detection of the tip position of the IC tag 11 by the position detection sensor 24 is awaited (step P12), and when it is detected, position information is output.

  On the other hand, based on electronic information input from an external computer (PC) (not shown) or electronic information input to the control device 30 from the operation panel 28 or the like, editing of information to be written on the IC tag 11 and information capacity, etc. Is set (step P13).

  Based on the set electronic information, the position information of the IC tag 11 output from the position detection sensor 24, and the information related to the preset moving speed of the IC tag 11 (same as the transport speed of the transport medium), R The communication start timing and communication time between the / W device 14 and the IC tag 11 are calculated (step P14).

  Further, the pulse motor 23 is operated based on the information related to the communication start timing, the arm 22 is rotated so that the R / W device 14 follows the movement of the IC tag 11 (step P15), and the R / W device. 14 and the IC tag 11 are started, and writing of the electronic information set in advance to the IC tag 11 is started (step P16).

  Wait for the arrival of a signal indicating the end of the scheduled communication time or the end of writing of the electronic information (step P17). 11, the pulse motor 23 is reversely rotated to drive the arm 22 to return the R / W device 14 to the initial position (step P18).

  It is determined whether or not the writing of the electronic information to the preset number of IC tags set in advance is completed (step P19). If the writing is not completed, the process returns to step P12, and the IC tag to be transported next Start processing. If the writing of electronic information to the predetermined number of IC tags is completed in the determination of step P19, predetermined end processing (stopping the transport motor, returning the arm to the initial position, stopping the pulse motor, etc.) is executed. (Step P20), the electronic information writing process to the IC tag 11 is terminated.

  Here, the time when the electronic information can be written by the R / W device 14 will be considered. First, the writable range of electronic information is limited to a range in which the effective areas where the signal levels of the electric field strength of the antenna 15 of the R / W device 14 and the electric field strength of the antenna of the IC tag 11 are both equal to or higher than a predetermined level overlap. . Specifically, in FIG. 3, the range in which the IC tag 11 is transported by the distance L from the position R1 to the position R2 and the end of the rotation indicated by the chain line from the initial position indicated by the solid line after the arm 22 moves following the IC tag 11 If the effective areas of both antennas overlap in the range up to the position, this range becomes a writable range of electronic information.

  Therefore, the time during which the IC tag 11 is transported from the position R1 to the position R2 by the distance L is the time T when the R / W device 14 can write electronic information. Assuming that the conveyance speed of the conveyance medium 12 is Vf, the writeable time T of the electronic information is expressed by the following formula (1).

T = L / Vf (1)
In the design of the IC tag processing device, the approximate amount of electronic information is determined to determine the transport speed Vf of the transport medium 12, the dimensions of the arm 22 to which the R / W device 14 is attached, the position of the rotation axis, the R / W on the arm. Determine the mounting position of the device and secure the time for writing information that is commensurate with the amount of electronic information. However, when the amount of electronic information becomes larger than expected and you want to increase the time T for writing electronic information. The distance L may be increased or the transport speed Vf may be decreased. However, since the distance L is determined from the configuration of the IC tag processing apparatus and is difficult to change, in such a case, if the transport speed Vf is set small. Good.

  The electronic information writing time by the R / W device 14 has been described above, but the reading time of the electronic information by the R / W device 14 can also be estimated based on substantially the same concept.

  The readable range of the electronic information is limited to a range in which the effective areas where the signal levels of the electric field strength of the antenna 15 of the R / W device 14 and the electric field strength of the antenna of the IC tag 11 are both equal to or higher than a predetermined level overlap. Specifically, in FIG. 3, the range in which the IC tag 11 is transported by the distance L from the position R1 to the position R2 and the end of the rotation indicated by the chain line from the initial position indicated by the solid line after the arm 22 moves following the IC tag 11 If the effective areas of both antennas overlap in the range up to the position, this range becomes the readable range of the electronic information.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 6 is a front view illustrating the configuration of the IC tag processing device 40 according to the second embodiment. The same members as those of the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed. The description will be omitted, and differences will be described.

  Similar to the first embodiment, the IC tag 11 that is a wireless communication element is mounted on the carrier medium 12 at a constant pitch p1, and the IC tag 11 is moved by the arrow a as the carrier medium 12 moves. The tip position of the IC tag 11 to be conveyed is configured to be detected by a position detection sensor 24.

  A plurality of R / W devices 14 and antennas 15 (six in the configuration shown in FIG. 6) are mounted on a conveyor belt 34 installed between the driving roller 32 and the driven roller 33 at a constant pitch p2. The R / W device 14 and the antenna 15 are configured to move in the direction of arrow b by the conveyor belt 34 driven by the pulse motor 35.

  As means for inputting electronic information to be written to the R / W device 14 and means for outputting electronic information read from the R / W device 14, the R / W device 14 is contacted at a position facing the drive roller 32. When the R / W device 14 passes through this portion, electronic information to be written is input from a control device (not shown) via the contact 39, and the R / W device 14 Stored in the internal storage device. In the R / W device 14 in which the electronic information to be written is stored in the internal storage device, the effective area of the antenna 15 of the transported R / W device 14 overlaps the effective area of the antenna of the IC tag 11 to be transported. At this time, wireless communication is performed with the IC tag 11, and electronic information is written to the IC tag 11.

  The R / W device 14 performs wireless communication with the IC tag 11 when the effective area of the antenna 15 of the transported R / W device 14 overlaps the effective area of the antenna of the IC tag 11 to be transported. The electronic information stored in the IC tag 11 is read and stored in a storage device inside the R / W device 14. When the R / W device 14 passes through the contact 39, the electronic information stored in the internal storage device is output to a control device (not shown) via the contact 39.

  When the mounting pitch p1 of the IC tag 11 on the transport medium 12 matches the mounting pitch p2 of the antenna 15 of the R / W device 14 on the transport belt 34, the moving speed of the transport belt 34 in the direction of arrow b is as follows. By adjusting the rotational speed of the pulse motor 35 so as to be the same as the moving speed in the direction of arrow a of the carrier medium with the IC tag 11 attached, the IC tag 11 can be continuously moved without any particular trouble. Electronic information can be read and / or written.

  However, when the mounting pitch p1 of the IC tag 11 and the pitch p2 of the R / W device 14 do not match, the effective range of the antenna 15 of the R / W device 14 is outside the effective range of the antenna of the IC tag 11. IC tags that cannot be read and / or written normally and that electronic information can be written again to the preceding IC tag on which electronic information has already been written, or electronic information cannot be written May occur. In the case of reading electronic information, there is a possibility that once read electronic information is read again, or an IC tag that cannot be read is generated.

  As a countermeasure, only when the IC tag 11 is transported in parallel with the R / W device 14, the direction of the antenna 15 of the R / W device 14 is adjusted so that normal communication can be performed between the two. Can be solved.

  It can also be solved by adjusting the moving speed of the R / W device 14 in the direction of arrow b. In other words, when the position detection sensor 24 detects the tip position of the IC tag 11 that is transported by the movement of the transport medium in the direction of arrow a, the IC tag (hereinafter referred to as 11a for explanation) is approaching R. The / W device 14 is selected as an information writing R / W device (hereinafter referred to as 14a for explanation), and the effective area of the antenna of the IC tag (11a) and the effective area of the antenna of the R / W device (14a) This can be solved by changing the rotational speed of the pulse motor 35 so that the two overlap each other and adjusting so that the two can communicate normally. It is assumed that the preceding IC tag 11 has already written (or read) electronic information.

  In this case, the moving speed Vr of the R / W device 14 in the arrow b direction can be expressed by the following equation (2).

Vr = (p2 × Vs) / p1 (2)
Vr: R / W device moving speed in the direction of arrow b
Vs: moving speed of the conveyance medium in the direction of arrow a
p1: IC tag mounting pitch
p2 R / W device mounting pitch According to this configuration, it is not necessary to return the R / W device to the initial position after the reading and / or writing of electronic information is completed, and the mounting pitch of the IC tag on the transport medium. The electronic information can be read and / or written to the IC tag continuously at a high speed. In addition, a plurality of IC tags can be attached in the width direction (direction orthogonal to the transport direction) of the transport medium, and electronic information can be read and written to a large number of IC tags at the same time.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 7 is a front view illustrating the configuration of the IC tag processing device 50 according to the third embodiment. The same members as those in the first and second embodiments described above are denoted by the same reference numerals. The detailed description will be omitted, and differences will be described.

  As in the first embodiment, the IC tag 11 that is a wireless communication element is mounted on the carrier medium 12 at a constant pitch p1 along the direction of arrow a, which is the direction of movement of the carrier medium 12. The IC tag 11 is configured to move at a constant speed in the direction of arrow a, and the tip position of the IC tag 11 being conveyed is configured to be detected by the position detection sensor 24.

  A plurality of R / W devices 14 and antennas 15 (six in the configuration shown in FIG. 7) are attached on a conveyor belt 34 installed between the driving roller 32 and the driven roller 33 at a constant pitch p2. The R / W device 14 and the antenna 15 are configured to move in the direction of arrow b by the conveyor belt 34 driven by the pulse motor 35.

  When the mounting pitch p1 of the IC tag 11 on the transport medium 12 matches the mounting pitch p2 of the antenna 15 of the R / W device 14 on the transport belt 34, the moving speed of the transport belt 34 in the direction of arrow b is as follows. By adjusting the rotational speed of the pulse motor 35 so as to be the same as the moving speed in the direction of arrow a of the carrier medium with the IC tag 11 attached, the IC tag 11 can be continuously moved without any particular trouble. Electronic information can be read and / or written.

  A countermeasure in the case where the mounting pitch p1 of the IC tag 11 on the transport medium 12 and the mounting pitch p2 of the antenna 15 of the R / W device 14 on the transport belt 34 do not match will be described in the second embodiment. Only when the IC tag 11 is transported in parallel with the R / W device 14, the direction of the antenna 15 of the R / W device 14 is adjusted or the arrow of the R / W device 14 is adjusted. This can be solved by adjusting the movement speed in the b direction. Since the details have been described in the second embodiment, the description thereof is omitted here.

  In the IC tag processing device 50 according to the third embodiment, the means for outputting the electronic information read by the R / W device 14 to the computer (PC) of the control device and the R / W from the computer (PC) of the control device. Wireless communication means is used as means for inputting electronic information to be written into the W device 14.

  In other words, the IC tag processing device 50 includes a storage device that performs necessary processing and temporarily stores electronic information to be written that is input from a computer (PC) of the control device or input from an operation panel or the like. A wireless communication device 37 that transmits information by wireless communication between the processing device 36 and the R / W device 14 and a main body antenna 38 are provided. The storage processing device 36, the wireless communication device 37, and the main body antenna 38 are also used as means for outputting electronic information read by the R / W device 14 to a computer (PC) of the control device.

  The storage processing device 36 performs necessary processing and temporarily stores electronic information to be written input from a computer (PC) of the control device or an operation panel, and the R / W device 14 is connected to the main body antenna 38. When passing nearby, temporarily stored electronic information is transmitted to the R / W device 14 via the wireless communication device 37, the main body antenna 38, and the antenna 15 of the R / W device 14, and stored in the R / W device 14. Store in the device.

  The R / W device 14 to which electronic information to be written is input has an IC tag when the effective area of the antenna 15 of the transported R / W device 14 and the effective area of the antenna of the IC tag 11 transported overlap. Wireless communication is performed with 11 and electronic information is written to the IC tag 11.

  Further, the R / W device 14 performs wireless communication with the IC tag 11 when the effective area of the antenna 15 of the R / W device 14 overlaps the effective area of the antenna of the IC tag 11 to be conveyed, and the IC Electronic information is read from the tag 11 and stored in the storage device of the R / W device 14. Then, when the R / W device 14 passes near the main body antenna 38, the R / W device 14 uses the electronic information stored in the storage device of the R / W device 14 as the antenna 15 of the R / W device 14. The data is transmitted to the storage processing device 36 via the main body antenna 38 and the wireless communication device 37, and the read electronic information is output to the computer (PC) of the control device.

[Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 8 is a front view for explaining the configuration of the IC tag processing device 60 of the fourth embodiment. The same members as those of the first, second, and third embodiments described above are denoted by the same reference numerals. A detailed description will be omitted, and differences will be described.

  As in the first embodiment, the IC tag 11 that is a wireless communication element is mounted on the carrier medium 12 at a constant pitch p1 along the direction of arrow a, which is the direction of movement of the carrier medium 12. The IC tag 11 is configured to move at a constant speed in the direction of arrow a, and the tip position of the IC tag 11 being conveyed is configured to be detected by the position detection sensor 24.

  The R / W device 14 of the fourth embodiment includes two antennas, a first antenna 15a attached to itself and a second antenna 15b attached to the holding body 16, and R / W A plurality of first antennas 15a of the W device 14 and second antennas 15b of the holding body 16 are mounted on the conveyor belt 34 at a mounting pitch p2 (in the configuration shown in FIG. 8, the R / W device 14, the first antenna 15a, The second antenna 15b is attached to each of three), and the R / W device 14 and the antenna 15a, the holding body 16 and the second antenna 15b are moved in the direction of the arrow b by the conveyor belt 34 driven by the pulse motor 35. Is configured to move.

  When the mounting pitch p1 on the transport medium 12 of the IC tag 11 and the mounting pitch p2 on the transport belt 34 of the antennas 15a and 15b of the R / W device 14 coincide with each other, the direction of the transport belt 34 in the direction of arrow b. By adjusting the rotational speed of the pulse motor 35 so that the moving speed is the same as the moving speed in the direction of arrow a of the conveyance medium on which the IC tag 11 is mounted, the IC tag 11 can be continuously connected without any particular trouble. On the other hand, electronic information can be read and / or written.

  A countermeasure when the mounting pitch p1 of the IC tag 11 on the transport medium 12 and the mounting pitch p2 of the first antenna 15a and the second antenna 15b of the R / W device 14 on the transport belt 34 do not coincide with each other is as follows. The same means as described in the second embodiment, that is, only when the IC tag 11 is transported in parallel with the R / W device 14, the orientation of the antennas 15 a and 15 b of the R / W device 14 is adjusted. Or by adjusting the moving speed of the R / W device 14 in the direction of arrow b. Since the details have been described in the second embodiment, the description thereof is omitted here.

  Also in the IC tag processing device 60 of the fourth embodiment, means for outputting the electronic information read by the R / W device 14 to the computer (PC) of the control device and the R / W from the computer (PC) of the control device. Wireless communication means is used as means for inputting electronic information to be written into the W device 14.

  That is, the IC tag processing device 60 includes a storage device that performs necessary processing and temporarily stores electronic information to be written that is input from a computer (PC) of the control device or input from an operation panel or the like. A wireless communication device 37 that transmits information by wireless communication between the processing device 36 and the R / W device 14 and a main body antenna 38 are provided. The storage processing device 36, the wireless communication device 37, and the main body antenna 38 are also used as means for outputting electronic information read by the R / W device 14 to a computer (PC) of the control device.

  The writing of electronic information to the IC tag will be described. The storage processing device 36 performs necessary processing and temporarily stores the first electronic information to be written and the second electronic information input from the computer (PC) of the control device or the operation panel. To do. In addition, the storage device of the R / W device 14 includes first and second storage areas corresponding to the antennas 15a and 15b.

  When the R / W device 14 passes near the main body antenna 38, the first and second electronic information temporarily stored in the storage processing device 36 is stored in the wireless communication device 37, the main body antenna 38, and the R / W device 14. Are transmitted to the R / W device 14 via the antenna 15a or 15b, and stored in the storage device of the R / W device 14. That is, the first electronic information to be written is stored in the first storage area of the storage device of the R / W device 14 and the second electronic information is stored in the second storage area. Note that the first and second electronic information may have the same contents or different contents.

  When the effective area of the antenna 15a of the transported R / W device 14 overlaps the effective area of the antenna of the IC tag 11 transported first, wireless communication is performed with the IC tag 11 transported first. The first electronic information is written on the IC tag 11 that is transported first.

  Further, when the effective area of the antenna 15b of the R / W device 14 overlaps the effective area of the antenna of the IC tag 11 to be transported later, wireless communication is performed with the IC tag 11 transported later, The second electronic information is written on the IC tag 11 to be conveyed later.

  Reading electronic information from the IC tag will be described. As described above, the storage device of the R / W device 14 includes the first and second storage areas corresponding to the antennas 15a and 15b. When the effective area of the antenna 15a of the transported R / W device 14 overlaps the effective area of the antenna of the IC tag 11 transported first, wireless communication is performed with the IC tag 11 transported first. The first electronic information of the IC tag 11 transported first is read and stored in the first storage area of the storage device of the R / W device 14.

  Further, when the effective area of the antenna 15b of the R / W device 14 overlaps the effective area of the antenna of the IC tag 11 to be transported later, wireless communication is performed with the IC tag 11 transported later, The second electronic information of the IC tag 11 conveyed later is read and stored in the second storage area of the storage device of the R / W device 14.

  When the R / W device 14 passes near the main body antenna 38, the first electronic information stored in the first storage area of the storage device of the R / W device 14 is the antenna 15a, the main body antenna 38, and the wireless The data is transmitted to the storage processing device 36 via the communication device 37 and temporarily stored in the storage processing device 36. The second electronic information stored in the second storage area is transmitted to the storage processing device 36 via the antenna 15 b, the main body antenna 38, and the wireless communication device 37 and temporarily stored in the storage processing device 36. The temporarily stored first and second electronic information is output to a computer (PC) of the control device.

  In the configuration described above, the two antennas, the first antenna 15a and the second antenna 15b, are connected to one R / W device 14, and the two antennas are switched according to the position of the IC tag being transported to change the electronic information. However, the number of antennas connected to the R / W device is not limited to two, and may be three or more. At this time, the storage device of the R / W device is provided with a number of storage areas corresponding to the number of antennas.

  With the above-described configuration, it is possible to reduce the number of installed R / W devices, and it is possible to read and / or write electronic information to a plurality of IC tags at the same time, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost. In addition, the processing speed can be increased.

  An IC tag processing device that reads and writes electronic information to and from an IC tag having a storage device and a wireless communication device, and a reading / writing device (R / W device) for the IC tag to be conveyed When communication is performed by following and moving, electronic information is read and / or written when it is within a predetermined signal intensity range, so that a high-speed and highly reliable IC tag processing device can be provided.

The front view of the conveyance medium with which the IC tag of 1st Embodiment was mounted | worn. The front view explaining the structure of the IC tag processing apparatus of 1st Embodiment. The top view explaining the moving apparatus of the R / W apparatus of 1st Embodiment. The block diagram of the control apparatus which controls the IC tag processing apparatus of 1st Embodiment. The flowchart explaining the control operation performed with the control apparatus of 1st Embodiment. The front view explaining the structure of the IC tag processing apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. The front view explaining the structure of the IC tag processing apparatus of 3rd Embodiment. The front view explaining the structure of the IC tag processing apparatus of 4th Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

10, 40, 50, 60 IC tag processing device 11 IC tag (wireless communication element)
12 Transport medium 12a Chain line (label cutting line)
14 R / W device (read / write device)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 Antenna 15a, 15b Antenna 16 Holder 17 Conveyance motor 18, 19 Conveyance roller pair 20 Moving device 21 Rotating shaft 22 Arm 23 Pulse motor 24 Position detection sensor 25 ROM
26 RAM
27 EEPROM
28 Computer (PC)
29 Operation Panel 30 Control Device 31 CPU
32 Drive roller 33 Driven roller 34 Conveyor belt 35 Pulse motor 36 Storage processing device 37 Wireless communication device 38 Main antenna 39 Contact

Claims (10)

An IC tag processing device that reads and writes electronic information to and from an IC tag having a storage device and a wireless communication device,
A transport device for transporting the IC tag mounted on a transport medium;
A read / write device for reading and writing electronic information to and from the IC tag;
A control device,
The control device reads and / or writes electronic information with respect to the IC tag in a stable communication environment while moving the reading / writing device following the IC tag being conveyed. IC tag processing device. An IC tag processing device that reads and writes electronic information to and from an IC tag having a storage device and a wireless communication device,
A transport device for transporting the IC tag mounted on a transport medium;
A position detection device for detecting the position of the IC tag being conveyed;
A read / write device for reading and writing electronic information to and from the IC tag;
A moving device for moving the reading / writing device to a position where it can communicate with the IC tag;
A control device,
The control device operates the moving device when the IC tag is detected by the position detection device, and moves the IC while following the IC tag being conveyed so that the reading / writing device is always in the communicable area. An IC tag processing apparatus which performs communication with a tag and reads and / or writes electronic information with respect to the IC tag. The control device moves the reading / writing device to follow the communicable position on the moving IC tag based on the mounting pitch of the IC tag mounted on the transport medium and the transport speed of the IC tag. The IC tag processing device according to claim 1, wherein the moving speed of the IC tag is controlled. The reading / writing device is attached to a moving device that moves in a non-contact manner on a conveyance medium on which the IC tag is conveyed, and the control device moves the moving device when the IC tag is detected by the position detection device. The electronic information is read and / or written to the IC tag while the IC tag is operated and the reading / writing device follows the IC tag, and when the reading and / or writing of the electronic information to the IC tag is completed, the reading / writing is performed. 3. The IC tag processing device according to claim 2, wherein the loading device is returned to the initial position. When the reading and / or writing of the electronic information on the IC tag by the reading / writing device is completed, the control device returns the reading / writing device to the initial position, and the initial position of the reading / writing device. 3. The IC tag processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the moving speed of the moving apparatus is controlled so that the return speed to the speed is higher than the moving speed at the time of reading and / or writing electronic information with respect to the IC tag. When the control device performs communication between the IC tag being conveyed and the reading / writing device, the control device is configured so that the signal strength received by the IC tag is always within a predetermined strength range. The IC tag processing device according to claim 1, wherein the moving speed is controlled. When it is confirmed from the signal intensity received by the IC tag that the IC tag has entered the communicable area with the reading / writing device, the control device reads the IC tag while reading and writing the device. The IC tag processing device according to claim 1, wherein communication is performed with the / write device, and electronic information is read and / or written with respect to the IC tag. The reading / writing device is attached to a moving device that circulates in a non-contact manner with respect to the transport medium on which the IC tag is transported, and the control device moves the reading / writing device following the moving speed of the IC tag. The IC tag processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein control is performed to The read / write device includes a plurality of antennas, and when performing communication between the IC tag and the read / write device, the antenna is switched according to the target IC tag. 2. The IC tag processing device according to 2. An IC tag processing method for reading and / or writing electronic information with respect to an IC tag provided with a storage device and a wireless communication device,
Transporting the IC tag mounted on a transport medium in a predetermined direction;
And a step of reading and / or writing electronic information from / to the IC tag under a stable communication environment while moving the reading / writing device following the IC tag being conveyed. IC tag processing method.

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