JP2007164426A - Data transmitter-receiver and position control program of the transmitter-receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a data transmitter-receiver or the like capable of accurately deciding optimum positional relation relative to communication of a transmission/reception means and an RFID element added to a medium in a short period of time. <P>SOLUTION: The intensity of received electromagnetic waves of the RFID element 108 or the transmission/reception means 107 when moving at least one of the transmission/reception means 107 and the medium 122 to a plurality of optional positions by moving means 103, 104 and 110 is measured at respective positions, and the optimum positional relation of the transmission/reception means and the RFID element is determined on the basis of measured values. Then, at least one of the transmission/reception means and the medium is moved via the moving means so as to be the determined optimum positional relation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention has a data transmission / reception device that transmits / receives data to / from an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) element attached to a medium such as a recording sheet or a card, and an optimal positional relationship for transmitting / receiving the data transmission / reception device to / from the medium. The present invention relates to a position control program for placement.

  RFID devices equipped with integrated circuit chips and antennas can write / read information without contact, so it is widely proposed to use RFID devices added to media such as recording paper, IC cards, and IC tags. It has come to be.

  Information writing / reading to / from the RFID element added to such a medium is performed via transmission / reception means having an antenna. In order to write / read information, the RFID element and transmission / reception means are used. However, it must satisfy the requirements for data transmission and reception, such as the positional relationship of the antenna and the surrounding environment.

Therefore, in Patent Document 1, in order to perform good data transmission / reception between the RFID element and the data transmission / reception apparatus,
(1) A technique for registering the position of the antenna of the RFID element in advance and moving the transmission / reception means relative to the RFID element in accordance with the registration information. It is disclosed.
JP 2003-296669 A

  However, the technique (1) described above has a problem that it is troublesome because the user needs to investigate and register the position information, and there is a possibility of causing a malfunction due to an input error.

  In addition, for the technique (2), the transmission / reception means is moved and the transmission / reception operation is performed with the RFID element to confirm the communicable area, and the position of the transmission / reception means connected to the RFID element is calculated based on the confirmation result. Therefore, in order to increase the accuracy of confirmation of the communicable area, it is necessary to increase the number of transmission / reception confirmation points, but there is a problem that confirmation takes time.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and can determine the optimum positional relationship related to communication between the transmission / reception means and the RFID element added to the medium with high accuracy in a short time. An object is to provide a data transmitting / receiving apparatus and a position control program for the apparatus.

  The above object is achieved by the following means.

  (1) Transmission / reception means for transmitting / receiving data to / from an RFID element added to a medium, movement means for moving at least one of the transmission / reception means and the medium, and a position for detecting a positional relationship between the transmission / reception means and the RFID element At least one of the transmission / reception means and the medium is moved to a plurality of arbitrary positions by the detection means, the measurement means for measuring the intensity of the electromagnetic wave received by the RFID element or the transmission / reception means, and the moving means. An optimum position determining means for determining an optimum positional relationship between the transmitting / receiving means and the RFID element based on a measured value of the received electromagnetic wave intensity at each position by the measuring means, and at least one of the transmitting / receiving means and the medium And a movement control means for moving through the movement means so that the optimum positional relationship determined by the optimum position determination means is obtained. A data transmission / reception device.

  (2) The moving means moves at least one of the transmitting / receiving means and the medium along a plurality of moving points in XY coordinates set in a plane parallel to the opponent, and the measuring means 2. The data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to item 1, wherein the received electromagnetic wave intensity is measured at a plurality of moving points.

  (3) The intensity of the electromagnetic wave received by the transmission / reception means based on the magnitude of the signal obtained by receiving and demodulating the signal modulated by the RFID element by the data transmission / reception means. 2. The data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to item 1 above.

  (4) The measurement means is data on a voltage generated when a signal from the transmission / reception means is received by an antenna of an RFID element, and is based on the data returned to the data transmission / reception means. 2. The data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to item 1 above, which measures the intensity of electromagnetic waves received by the RFID element.

  (5) The optimum position relationship between the transmission / reception means and the RFID element is determined by the optimum position determination means, and the measured value of the received electromagnetic wave intensity at each position measured by the measurement means is calculated from the position and the received electromagnetic wave intensity. 2. The data transmission / reception apparatus according to item 1, wherein the relationship is applied to a curve defined in advance and the vertex position of the curve is calculated.

  (6) In parallel with the normal data transmission / reception operation by the transmission / reception means and the RFID element, the movement means moves at least one of the transmission / reception means and the medium in the vicinity of the transmission / reception optimum position, and the measurement means has each movement position. The data transmission / reception apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optimum position determination unit corrects the optimum position of the transmission / reception unit based on a change amount of the electromagnetic wave intensity measured by the measurement unit.

  (7) The data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to item 1 above, further comprising error processing means for performing error processing when the measured value of the electromagnetic wave intensity at the optimum position measured by the measuring means does not reach a desired value.

  (8) The data transmission / reception apparatus according to item 7, wherein the error processing includes processing for changing a positional relationship between the transmission / reception means and the RFID element.

  (9) The data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to item 1 above, wherein the number of measurement samplings of the electromagnetic wave intensity by the measuring unit is increased in a section where the measurement result of the electromagnetic wave intensity by the measuring unit is in a certain condition.

  (10) The data transmission / reception apparatus according to item 1, wherein the transmission / reception unit transmits / receives data to / from the RFID element while performing an operation of determining an optimum positional relationship between the transmission / reception unit and the RFID element.

  (11) The data processing apparatus according to (1), wherein the medium is continuously connected.

  (12) The data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to item 11 above, wherein data is printed on the medium by printing means.

  (13) The data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to item 1, wherein the media are cut from each other.

  (14) The data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to item 13 above, wherein data is printed on the medium by printing means.

  (15) It is incorporated in an image forming apparatus capable of printing data on the medium made of paper, and the determination operation of the optimum positional relationship is performed after a paper feed port of the image forming apparatus is changed, after a machine trouble, after a paper jam occurs, 2. The data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to item 1, which is performed at least one after power-on.

  (16) a step of detecting a positional relationship between the RFID element attached to the medium and the transmission / reception means for transmitting / receiving data and the medium; a step of measuring the intensity of the electromagnetic wave received by the RFID element or the transmission / reception means; Determining an optimum positional relationship between the transmission / reception means and the RFID element based on measured values of the received electromagnetic wave intensity at each position when at least one of the transmission / reception means and the medium is moved to a plurality of arbitrary positions. A position control program for a data transmission / reception device for causing a computer to execute the step of moving at least one of the transmission / reception means and the medium so as to be in the determined optimum positional relationship.

  According to the invention according to item (1) above, the strength of the received electromagnetic wave received by the RFID element or the transmission / reception means when at least one of the transmission / reception means and the medium is relatively moved to a plurality of arbitrary positions. Since the optimum positional relationship between the transmission / reception means and the RFID element is determined based on the measured values at each position, the position where the intensity of the received electromagnetic wave that changes depending on the positional relationship is the strongest may be determined as the optimum position. It is possible to determine an optimal positional relationship with accuracy with time.

  According to the invention according to item (2) above, since the optimum positional relationship is determined using the XY coordinates, the determination process is facilitated.

  According to the invention of (3), the electromagnetic wave received by the transmitting / receiving means based on the magnitude of the signal obtained by receiving and demodulating the signal modulated by the RFID element by the data transmitting / receiving means. Therefore, the electromagnetic wave intensity can be reliably measured.

  According to the invention of (4) above, based on the data about the voltage generated when the signal from the transmission / reception means is received by the antenna of the RFID element and returned to the data transmission / reception means. Thus, since the intensity of the electromagnetic wave received by the RFID element is measured, the electromagnetic wave intensity can be reliably measured.

  According to the invention of the preceding paragraph (5), the optimum position relationship between the transmission / reception means and the RFID element is determined by the optimum position determination means, and the measured value of the received electromagnetic wave intensity at each position measured by the measurement means Since the relationship between the position and the received electromagnetic wave intensity is applied to a predetermined curve and the vertex position of the curve is calculated, the number of measurements can be reduced, and the optimum positional relationship can be determined in a shorter time. Can do.

  According to the invention of the preceding item (6), since the optimum position of the transmission / reception means is corrected, even if a deviation occurs in the optimum position, the positional relationship between the transmission / reception unit and the RFID element is corrected accordingly, and data transmission / reception is performed. Can always be done reliably.

  According to the invention according to item (7), since the error processing is performed when the measured value of the electromagnetic wave intensity at the optimum position does not reach the desired value, uncertain data transmission / reception is prevented. can do.

  According to the invention according to item (8) above, the error processing includes processing for changing the positional relationship between the transmission / reception means and the RFID element, so that the optimum position can be corrected.

  According to the invention according to the item (9), since the number of measurement sampling of the electromagnetic wave intensity is increased in the section where the measurement result of the electromagnetic wave intensity is in a constant condition, the optimum position can be determined with higher accuracy. .

  According to the invention according to the preceding item (10), since the original data transmission / reception is performed between the transmission / reception means and the RFID element simultaneously with the operation of determining the optimum positional relationship between the transmission / reception means and the RFID element, the original data transmission / reception is performed. Both can be efficiently performed without being hindered by the determining operation of the optimum positional relationship.

  According to the invention according to item (11) above, it is possible to ensure the optimum positional relationship between the RFID elements of the continuously connected media and the transmitting / receiving means.

  According to the invention according to item (12), the user can print data on continuously connected media.

  According to the invention according to the preceding item (13), it is possible to ensure the optimum positional relationship between the RFID element and the transmission / reception means of the medium that is cut from each other.

  According to the invention according to item (14), the user can print data on each cut medium.

  According to the invention according to item (15), when at least one of a paper feed port change, a machine trouble, a paper jam, and a power-on of the image forming apparatus occurs, the optimum position between the transmission / reception means and the RFID element thereafter Since the relationship determining operation is performed, both can be reset to the optimum positional relationship and reliable data transmission / reception can be resumed.

  According to the invention relating to the above item (16), the computer can determine the optimum positional relationship between the transmission / reception means and the RFID element with high accuracy in a short time.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1A is a plan view showing a data communication block provided in an image forming apparatus such as a printer for transmitting and receiving data to and from an RFID element, and FIG. It is sectional drawing.

  This data communication block is formed before or after the image forming block provided with image forming means (printing means).

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 123 denotes a conveyance belt that adsorbs and conveys a sheet conveyed from the previous process by an adsorption unit such as electrostatic adsorption, and is stretched between a driving roller 181 and a driven roller 182. Reference numerals 124 and 125 denote pressing rollers. The conveying belt can be fed and returned at predetermined steps by intermittent rotation of a driving roller 181 driven by a motor.

  Above the conveyor belt 123, a transmission / reception unit 107, which is one of the components of the data transmission / reception device and transmits / receives data to / from the RFID element attached to the paper 122, is movable so as to be able to face the paper 122. Is arranged. In this embodiment, in a plane parallel to the sheet 122 conveyed by the conveyance belt 123, XY coordinates are set with the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction as the X direction and the sheet conveying direction as the Y direction, and the transmission / reception unit 107 can be moved to an arbitrary position in the XY coordinates by a motor described later.

  Further, a predetermined position above the conveyor belt 123 includes an RFID home position sensor 105 for clarifying the position reference of the transmission / reception unit 107, a reflection type photosensor for detecting the leading edge of the conveyed sheet, and the like. A paper leading edge detection sensor 106 is provided. Note that FIG. 1 shows an example in which a single sheet of paper that is mutually cut is used as the sheet 122.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  The data transmission / reception apparatus includes an MPU 100, an X-axis motor driver 101, a Y-axis motor driver 102, an X-axis motor 103, a Y-axis motor 104, the RFID home position sensor 105, the paper leading edge detection sensor 106, the transmission / reception unit 107, and the conveyance motor. A driver 109 and a conveyance motor 110 are provided.

  The MPU 100 comprehensively controls the entire data transmitting / receiving apparatus. Specifically, the transmission / reception unit 107 is controlled to communicate with the RFID element 108 added to the sheet 122, and the motors 103, 104, and 110 are driven and controlled via the drivers 101, 102, and 109.

  The X-axis motor driver 101 drives the X-axis motor 103, the Y-axis motor driver 102 drives the Y-axis motor 104, and the carry motor driver 109 drives the carry motor 110.

  The X-axis motor 103 moves the transmission / reception unit 107 in the X direction in FIG. 1, and the Y-axis motor 104 similarly moves in the Y direction. Further, the transport motor 110 rotates the drive roller 181 that travels the transport belt 123. Each motor is composed of a stepping motor or the like.

  In this embodiment, the MPU 100 determines the current coordinate position (from the RFID home position sensor 105) of the transmission / reception unit 107 based on the signals from the RFID home position sensor 105 and the paper leading edge detection sensor 106 and the number of driving steps of each motor. And the position of the paper 122 can be detected, and as a result, the relative positional relationship between the transmission / reception unit 107 and the paper 122 can be detected.

  The transmission / reception unit 107 sends a command or data transferred from the MPU 100 to the RFID element 108, or conversely sends back data from the RFID element 108 to the MPU 100, and a digital processing unit 107a including a digital data to the antenna. An antenna 107c is provided with an analog processing unit 107b that converts the data into analog data for mounting, or converts data from the antenna into digital data.

  On the other hand, the RFID element 108 converts an antenna 108a for receiving a magnetic field sent from the transmission / reception unit 107, analog data and commands received by the antenna into digital data and commands, and digital data received from the digital processing unit 108c. An analog processing unit 108b that drives the antenna as analog data, and a digital processing unit 108c that transfers the digital data to the memory or retrieves it from the memory according to the command are provided.

  Next, means for measuring the intensity of the electromagnetic wave received by the RFID element 108 or the transmission / reception unit 107 will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a basic configuration of the analog processing unit 107b of the transmission / reception unit 107 and the analog processing unit 108b of the RFID element 108.

  Commands and data generated by the digital processing unit 107 a of the transmission / reception unit 107 are transferred to the analog processing unit 107 b as transmission data 150. In the analog processing unit 107b, the modulator 132 performs amplitude modulation processing of the carrier wave with data and sends the data to the antenna 107c.

  The electromotive voltage generated by coupling the magnetic field emitted from the antenna 107c to the antenna 108a on the RFID element 108 side is utilized in the following path. The first is a path for using the carrier wave as it is as the system clock 154 of the RFID element 108, the second is a path for separating only the data component through the demodulator 137 and reconstructing the received data 155, and the third is smoothing. This is a path utilized as the system power supply 159 on the RFID element 108 side.

  The received data 155 is passed to the digital processing unit 108c and executed as a command in the digital processing unit 108c.

  Conversely, for a reply from the RFID element 108 side to the transmission / reception unit 107 side, data read from the memory in the digital processing unit 108c is passed to the modulator 136 as reply data 158, and load modulation is performed by the reply data. Is done. The load modulation is transferred as a demagnetizing field from the antenna 108a on the RFID element 108 side to the antenna 107c on the transmission / reception unit 107 side, and only the reply data component is extracted by the demodulator 133 and sent to the digital processing unit 107a as binary reception data 151. It is done.

  First, a means for measuring the intensity of the electromagnetic wave received by the RFID element 108 will be described based on the configuration of FIG.

  An AC voltage proportional to the electromagnetic wave received by the antenna 108 a on the RFID element 108 side is generated in the resonance capacitor 160. This voltage is rectified and smoothed, and a digital received voltage value 157 is obtained by the A / D converter 156. This is sequentially transferred to the digital processing unit 108c of the RFID element 108.

  The digital processing unit 108c is programmed to send back a reception voltage value 157 when receiving a “measurement command”. By this mechanism, the digital signal processing unit 108c notifies the transmission / reception unit 107 of the intensity of the electromagnetic wave received by the RFID element 108. Can do.

  As another embodiment, a means for measuring the intensity of electromagnetic waves by measuring the additional modulation intensity transmitted from the RFID element 108 on the transmission / reception unit 107 side will be described based on the configuration of FIG.

  Data returned from the RFID element 108 is superimposed by applying load modulation to the carrier wave. The demodulator 140 on the transmission / reception unit 107 side includes a rectification / smoothing circuit and a low-pass filter to separate only the data component superimposed on the carrier wave. The magnitude of the separated data component is proportional to the magnitude of the electromagnetic wave received by the transmission / reception unit 107.

  The analog value is converted into digital data by the A / D converter 141 and converted to reception intensity data by the digital processing unit 107a, and then transferred to the MPU 100.

  Next, a method for deriving the antenna center position of the RFID element 108 from the intensity of the electromagnetic wave measured while moving the transmission / reception unit 107 and the position information of the transmission / reception unit 107, in other words, for the RFID element 108 added to the paper, The position determination process of the transmission / reception unit 107 that can perform data transmission / reception with the highest accuracy will be described.

  The first method will be described with reference to FIG. 6 conceptually showing the intensity distribution of the received electromagnetic wave with respect to the X-direction moving distance and the flowchart of FIG. 7 is executed by the MPU 100 operating according to a program recorded on a recording medium (not shown).

  In FIG. 7, first, a variable n is set to 0 in step T201, the transmitting / receiving unit 107 is moved by the X-axis motor 103 at a predetermined sampling interval S1 in step T202, a measurement command is sent in step T203, and step T204. Then, a reply from the RFID element 108 is awaited.

  If there is no reply (NO in step T204), it is determined whether or not the time is up in step T206. If the time is not up (NO in step T206), the reply is continued in step T206. If time is up (YES in step T206), it is checked in step T207 whether the data detection flag is 1 or not. If the data detection flag is not 1 (NO in step T207), it is determined whether or not the movement is finished in step T208. If it is finished (YES in step T208), this process is terminated. If not completed (NO in step T208), the process returns to step T202, and the transmission / reception unit 107 is moved by the sampling interval S1.

  Here, assuming that there is an intensity distribution of the received electromagnetic wave with respect to the X-direction moving distance as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 6, the electromagnetic wave intensity is not sufficient at the sampling points (measurement positions) 1 and 2. Communication itself is not established between the elements 108. If communication is not established, the process returns to step T202 in FIG. 7 as described above, and the transmitting / receiving unit 107 is moved by the sampling interval S1, and a measurement command is sent in step T203.

  Since sufficient electromagnetic wave intensity is obtained at the sampling points 3 and 4, communication is established between the transmission / reception unit 107 and the RFID element 108 (YES in step T204), and electromagnetic wave intensity data can be obtained. In step T205, the position data Xn and reply data (electromagnetic wave intensity data) An of the transmission / reception unit 107 are stored in the memory. Further, the data detection flag is set to 1, the variable n is set to n + 1, and the process returns to step T202.

  Once communication is established, since the communication establishment state continues for a while, steps T202 to T205 are repeated, and the position data Xn and reply data An for each position are sequentially stored in the memory.

  Once communication is established and communication is interrupted, the time is up in step T206 (YES in step T206), and the data detection flag is 1 (YES in step T207). The measurement at the sampling interval S1 is finished.

  Then, the process proceeds to step T209, and two data indicating the maximum value are determined as Ap1 and Ap2 (3 and 4 measurement positions in FIG. 6) among the stored two consecutive data. The measurement positions for Ap1 and Ap2 are Xp1 and Xp2, respectively.

  Since the section for re-measurement with fine sampling is determined, the transmitter / receiver 107 is returned to the position of Xp1 in step T210. Then, after setting variable n to 0 in step T211, measurement is performed at a sufficiently fine sampling interval S2 after step T212.

  That is, after the transmission / reception unit 107 is moved by the sampling interval S2 in step T212, it is determined in step T213 whether the position of the transmission / reception unit 107 has reached Xp2. If not reached (NO in step T213), a measurement command is sent in step T214, and a reply from the RFID element 108 is waited in step T215.

  If there is no reply (NO in step T215), wait until the time is up (NO in step T217). If the time is up (YES in step T217), the error flag is set to 1 in step T218 and the process is terminated. To do.

  If there is a reply (YES in step T215), electromagnetic wave intensity data can be obtained. In step T216, the position data Xn and reply data (electromagnetic wave intensity data) An of the transmission / reception unit 107 are stored in the memory. Further, the variable n is set to n + 1, and the process returns to step T212, and the transmitting / receiving unit 107 is moved by the sampling interval S2 for the next measurement.

  In this way, measurement is performed while moving the transmitting / receiving unit 107 to Xp2 by the sampling interval S2. When the position of the transmission / reception unit 107 reaches Xp2 (YES in step T213), in step T219, the position where the electromagnetic wave intensity of the received wave is the maximum value is determined, and the process is terminated. In the example of FIG. 6, intensity data for the measurement points 3, 7, 6, and 4 is obtained, and the position of the measurement point 6 is determined to be the maximum position.

  In this way, an optimal position for performing transmission / reception can be accurately obtained based on the electromagnetic wave intensity of the received wave.

  In the example of FIGS. 6 and 7, the optimum position determination process in the X direction has been described, but it can be similarly performed in the Y direction.

  Next, a second method of the optimum position determination process will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 and FIG. 10 which is a flowchart conceptually showing the intensity distribution of the received electromagnetic wave with respect to the X-direction moving distance. The process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10 is also executed by the MPU 100 operating according to a program recorded on a recording medium (not shown).

  This method is effective when the intensity distribution of the electromagnetic field measured in advance is known. For example, in the case of the received electromagnetic wave intensity distribution as shown by the wavy curve in FIG. 8, two pairs of data of point 3 and point 4 can be acquired in the effective communication area when measured at the sampling interval S1. If the ratio of the two pairs of data is known, the vertex position (also referred to as the center position) indicated by the arrow in FIG. 8 can be estimated. This center position is the optimum transmission / reception position. For this purpose, a table as shown in FIG. 11 is prepared in advance. The table of FIG. 11 calculates received electromagnetic wave strengths Aa to Ad at positions Pa to Pg in the X direction for each sampling interval S2 on the curve of FIG. 8, and calculates Aa / Ad, Ab / Ac, Ac / Ab. This defines the relationship between each value of and the center position.

  That is, if the actual measurement position is Pa (received electromagnetic wave intensity Aa on the curve), the next measurement position is Pd (received electromagnetic wave intensity Ad on the curve), so the ratio of the two measured data is Aa / Same as or similar to Ad. Assuming that the sampling interval S1 is set to 3 × S2, the center position in this case is a position 3 × S2 from Pa as the first measurement position. Therefore, by defining in the table the relationship between the data ratio Aa / Ad and the center position, if the ratio of the actual two measurement data is the same as or similar to Aa / Ad, the center position is referenced with reference to the table. Can be requested.

  Similarly, if the ratio of the two measurement data is the same as or approximated to Ab / Ac, the first measurement position is Pb, and the center position at that time is 2 × S2 from Pb, so refer to the table. And can be easily calculated.

  Similarly, if the ratio of the two measurement data is the same or approximate to Ac / Ab, the first measurement position is Pc, and the center position at that time is a position of 1 × S2 from Pc, so refer to the table. And can be easily calculated.

  In the flowchart of FIG. 10, first, the variable n is set to 0 in step T301, the transmitting / receiving unit 107 is moved by the X-axis motor 103 at the sampling interval S1 in step T302, the measurement command is sent in step T303, and the RFID in step T304. Wait for a reply from element 108.

  If there is no reply (NO in step T304), the process waits until the time is up (NO in step T305). If time is up (YES in step T305), it is checked in step T307 whether the data detection flag is 1 or not. If the data detection flag is not 1 (NO in step T307), it is determined in step T308 whether or not the movement has ended. If it is ended (YES in step T308), this process ends. If not completed (NO in step T308), the process returns to step T302, and the transmitting / receiving unit 107 is moved by the sampling interval S1 to move to the next measurement point.

  If there is a reply from the RFID element 108 (YES in step T304), the position data Xn and reply data (electromagnetic wave intensity data) An of the transmission / reception unit 107 are stored in the memory in step T306. Further, the data detection flag is set to 1, the variable n is set to n + 1, and the process returns to step T302.

  In this way, measurement is performed while the transmission / reception unit 107 is moved by the sampling interval S1, and the data is stored.

  Once communication is established and communication is interrupted, the time is up in step T305 (YES in step T305), and the data detection flag is 1 (YES in step T307). The measurement at the sampling interval S1 is finished.

  Then, the process proceeds to step T309, and the center position is calculated from the two acquired data by applying to the table of FIG. For example, if the two data ratios are the same as or approximate to those in the table Aa / Ad in FIG. 11, the position moved forward by three sampling intervals S2 from the first data position is determined as the optimum position.

  If the two data ratios are the same as or approximate to those of the table Ab / Ac in FIG. 11, the position moved forward by the sampling interval S2 from the first data position is determined as the optimum position.

  If the two data ratios are the same as or approximate to those in the table Ac / Ab of FIG. 11, the position moved forward by one sampling interval S2 from the first data position is determined as the optimum position.

  In this way, in this example, actual data is applied to the intensity curve of the received electromagnetic wave assumed in advance, and the center position on the curve is calculated as the optimum position, so there is no need to move the transmission / reception unit 107 at a fine sampling interval S2, The optimum position can be determined in a shorter time with a simple configuration.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the optimum position determination process in the X direction has been described. However, the same process can be performed in the Y direction.

  The overall control of the image forming apparatus such as a printer provided with the data transmitting / receiving apparatus described above will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  When data is written to or read from the RFID element 108 attached to the paper 122, the data is written to or read from the RFID element 108 after the printing process of the print data on the paper 122, or to the RFID element 108. Print data may be printed on the paper 122 after writing / reading is completed. Here, a case where writing / reading to / from the RFID element 108 is performed after printing on the paper 122 will be described as an example.

  After printing the print data on the paper 122 in step T401, the paper 122 is transported by the transport belt 123 and sent to the data communication block in step T402.

  When the leading edge position of the sheet is detected by the sheet leading edge detection sensor 106 in step T403, the sheet is conveyed in step T404 by a predetermined number of conveyance steps S1 (same as the sampling interval S1) from the detected timing. Stop. In step T405, a detection process of the RFID element 108 in the X direction is performed. Next, in step T406, it is determined whether or not the RFID element 108 is detected. If not detected (NO in step T406), the process returns to step T404 and the sheet is conveyed again by step S1.

  If the RFID element 108 can be detected (YES in step T406), the above-described optimum position determination process in the X direction as shown in FIG. 7 or FIG. 10 is performed, and the determined optimum position is stored in the memory in step T408. To do.

  Next, after the transmission / reception unit 107 is moved to the determined optimum position in step T409, the sheet 122 is returned by step S1 in step T410.

  Subsequently, after the detection process of the RFID element 108 in the Y direction is performed in step T411, the optimum position determination process in the Y direction is performed in step T412. The optimum position determination process in the Y direction is the same as the optimum position determination process in the X direction, but in this embodiment, the movement in the Y direction is performed by conveying the sheet 122, and the sheet is conveyed step by step S1. An electromagnetic wave intensity measurement command is executed. When the optimum position in the Y direction is determined, the sheet 122 is moved to the determined position in step T413, and then in step T414, the measured value of the electromagnetic wave intensity at that position is compared with a preset threshold value. If sufficient strength is obtained (YES in step T414), the optimum position in the Y direction (in this case, the motor feed amount from the front end of the paper) is stored in the memory. After that, information that is originally written to the RFID element 108 is written or read information is read.

  If the measured electromagnetic wave intensity is lower than the preset threshold value in step T414 (NO in step T414), error processing is performed in step T416. The error processing may notify that there is an abnormality in the system, but may perform a center position correction process described below.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the contents of error processing. In this process, when the measured electromagnetic wave intensity cannot secure a required magnitude, a process for correcting the position is performed. In this example, a case where position correction in the paper transport direction (Y direction) is performed will be described.

  The transmission / reception unit 107 is set at the optimum position determined by the optimum position determination process in steps T407 and T412 in FIG. In step T501, the sheet 122 is returned by a step S2 (sampling interval S2) finer than the detection step S1 (sampling interval S1) used in the optimum position determination process. Next, a measurement command is executed in step T502, and electromagnetic wave intensity data is acquired in step T503.

  Next, in step T504, the received data is compared with the previously measured data. If the received data is larger than the previously measured data (YES in step T504), the optimum value may be in the paper return direction. I understand. In step T505, the return direction flag is set to 1. Then, the process returns to step T501 and the sheet 122 is further returned by step S2.

  This operation is repeated until the electromagnetic wave intensity data does not increase. When the data does not increase (NO in step T504), the process proceeds to step T506, and the sheet 122 is advanced from the return position by step S2. In step T507, it is determined whether the return direction flag is 1. If the return flag is 1 (YES in step T507), the position is stored in the memory as an optimum position in step T513.

  First, the sheet is conveyed in the returning direction (step T501), and if the electromagnetic wave intensity data does not increase (NO in step T504), the sheet is fed by the step S2 in the sheet feeding direction (step T506). In this case, since the return direction flag is not 1 (NO in step T507), the measurement command is executed in step T508, and the electromagnetic wave intensity data is acquired in step T509. In step T510, the received data is compared with the previously measured data.

  If the received data is greater than the previously measured data (YES in step T510), the optimum value is in the paper feed direction, so the flow returns to step T506 and the paper 122 is further fed by step S2.

  This operation is repeated until the electromagnetic wave intensity data does not increase. When the data does not increase (NO in step T510), the process proceeds to step T511, and the sheet 122 is returned from the position where the electromagnetic field intensity stops increasing by step S2, and step At T512, the position is stored again as the optimum position.

  In the example shown in FIG. 13, the correction process in the Y direction is shown. However, the correction process in the X direction can be performed in the same manner.

  As described above, since the correction process is executed after the optimum position is determined, the positional relationship between the transmission / reception unit 107 and the RFID element 108 is corrected according to the deviation even if the optimum position is deviated. It can be carried out.

  In the above-described embodiment, the paper 122 is transported as the relative position moving unit in the Y direction between the transmission / reception unit 107 and the paper 122. However, as the moving unit of the transmission / reception unit 107 in the Y direction, a stepping motor or the like is used. By using the Y-axis motor 104, the same control can be performed without requiring the sheet 122 returning operation. In this case, first, the entire sheet 122 is conveyed to the data communication block as shown in FIG. The position of the sheet 122 can be determined by referring to the detection timing of the sheet leading edge detection sensor 106 based on the feed amount of the transport motor 110 from that timing. After that, the sheet conveyance described as the movement means in the Y direction in each flowchart may be replaced with the movement of the transmission / reception unit 107 by the Y-axis motor 104.

  Further, the description so far has been made on the assumption that the sheet 122 is a cut sheet. However, a label 128 to which the RFID element 108 is added is pasted on the continuous sheet 126 as shown in FIG. A similar embodiment can be realized for a continuous paper printer that conveys a simple recording medium. In the case of a continuous paper printer, a tractor hole 127 is added to the end of the continuous paper 126. The sheet feed amount can be obtained by counting the feed amount of the tractor hole.

In the data transmission / reception apparatus described above, the optimum position determination process for writing / reading data to / from the RFID element 108 is performed under the following conditions and timing.
1. 1. When transporting the first sheet after an instruction to change the sheet feeding port is given 2. When transporting the first sheet after being released from machine trouble 3. When transporting the first sheet after clearing a paper jam When the first sheet is transported immediately after the power is turned on. Also, when data is continuously written to / read from the plurality of RFID elements 108, the transmission / reception unit 107 may be fixed at a fixed position. Simultaneously with writing / reading, a measurement command of the received electromagnetic wave intensity may be executed to monitor whether the electromagnetic wave intensity is always within an allowable range. If it is detected that the monitored electromagnetic wave intensity has fallen below a certain value or the amount of change has exceeded a certain value, the position of the transmitting / receiving unit 107 is moved in the X or Y direction, It is also possible to secure an appropriate position.

1A is a plan view showing a data communication block of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the data transmitter / receiver which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a circuit diagram which shows the basic composition of the analog processing part of a transmission / reception part, and the analog processing part of an RFID element. It is a circuit diagram which shows the structure of the analog processing part of a transmission / reception part and the analog processing part of a RFID element in the case of measuring the intensity | strength of the electromagnetic waves which the RFID element is receiving. It is a circuit diagram which shows the structure of the analog processing part of a transmission / reception part and the analog processing part of a RFID element in the case of measuring the intensity | strength of the electromagnetic waves which the transmission / reception part is receiving. FIG. 6 is a diagram conceptually showing a received electromagnetic wave intensity distribution with respect to an X-direction moving distance in order to explain an example of an optimum position determination process. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the determination process of an optimal position. FIG. 5 is a diagram conceptually showing a received electromagnetic wave intensity distribution with respect to an X-direction moving distance in order to explain another example of the optimum position determination process. It is a figure which shows notionally the intensity distribution of the received electromagnetic wave with respect to a X direction movement distance similarly. It is a flowchart which shows the other example of the determination process of an optimal position. It is a table | surface used for the determination process of the optimal position of FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining overall control of an image forming apparatus including a data transmitting / receiving apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the content of the error process (step T417) in the flowchart of FIG. (A) is a top view which shows the data communication block of the image forming apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention, (B) is front sectional drawing of the central part vicinity similarly.

Explanation of symbols

100 MPU (position detecting means, measuring means, optimum position determining means, movement control means, error processing means)
103 X-axis motor (moving means)
104 Y-axis motor (moving means)
107 Transmission / Reception Unit 108 RFID Element 110 Conveyance Motor (Moving means)
122 Paper (medium)
123 Conveyor belt

Claims (16)

A transmission / reception means for transmitting / receiving data to / from the RFID element added to the medium;
Moving means for moving at least one of the transmission / reception means and the medium;
Position detecting means for detecting a positional relationship between the transmitting / receiving means and the RFID element;
Measuring means for measuring the intensity of the electromagnetic wave received by the RFID element or the transmitting / receiving means,
Based on the measurement value of the received electromagnetic wave intensity at each position by the measuring means when the moving means moves at least one of the transmitting / receiving means and the medium to any plurality of positions, the transmitting / receiving means and the RFID An optimal position determining means for determining an optimal positional relationship with the element;
Movement control means for moving at least one of the transmission / reception means and the medium via the movement means so as to be in the optimum positional relationship determined by the optimum position determination means;
A data transmitting / receiving apparatus comprising:   The moving means moves at least one of the transmitting / receiving means and the medium along a plurality of movement points in XY coordinates set in a plane parallel to the opponent, and the measuring means moves the plurality of movements. The data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the received electromagnetic wave intensity is measured at a point.    The measuring unit measures the intensity of the electromagnetic wave received by the transmitting / receiving unit based on the magnitude of the signal obtained by receiving and demodulating the signal modulated by the RFID element by the data transmitting / receiving unit. The data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to claim 1.   The measurement means is data on a voltage generated when a signal from the transmission / reception means is received by an antenna of the RFID element, and the RFID element is based on data returned to the data transmission / reception means. The data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to claim 1, which measures the intensity of a received electromagnetic wave.   The determination of the optimum positional relationship between the transmitting / receiving means and the RFID element by the optimum position determining means is performed by measuring the received electromagnetic wave intensity at each position measured by the measuring means and the relationship between each position and the received electromagnetic wave intensity in advance. The data transmission / reception apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data transmission / reception apparatus is performed by applying to a prescribed curve and calculating a vertex position of the curve.   In parallel with the normal data transmission / reception operation by the transmission / reception means and the RFID element, the movement means moves at least one of the transmission / reception means and the medium in the vicinity of the optimum transmission / reception position, and the measurement means transmits the electromagnetic wave at each movement position. The data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optimum position determining unit corrects the optimum position of the transmitting / receiving unit based on a change amount of the electromagnetic wave intensity measured by the measuring unit.   2. The data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising error processing means for performing error processing when the measured value of the electromagnetic wave intensity at the optimum position measured by the measuring means does not reach a desired value.   8. The data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the error processing includes processing for changing a positional relationship between the transmitting / receiving means and the RFID element.   The data transmission / reception apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of measurement samplings of the electromagnetic wave intensity by the measurement unit is increased in a section where the measurement result of the electromagnetic wave intensity by the measurement unit is a constant condition.   The data transmission / reception apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission / reception unit transmits / receives data to / from the RFID element while performing an operation of determining an optimum positional relationship between the transmission / reception unit and the RFID element.   The data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the media are continuously connected.   The data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to claim 11, wherein data is printed on the medium by a printing unit.   The data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the media are cut from each other.   The data transmitting / receiving apparatus according to claim 13, wherein data is printed on the medium by a printing unit.   Built in an image forming apparatus capable of printing data on the medium made of paper, and determining the optimum positional relationship is performed after changing the paper feed port of the image forming apparatus, after a machine trouble, after a paper jam occurs, and after turning on the power. The data transmission / reception apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data transmission / reception apparatus is performed on at least one of the following. A step of detecting a positional relationship between the medium and the RFID element attached to the medium, and a transmission / reception means for transmitting and receiving data;
Measuring the intensity of the electromagnetic wave received by the RFID element or the transceiver means;
Based on the measured value of the received electromagnetic wave intensity at each position when at least one of the transmission / reception means and the medium is moved to an arbitrary plurality of positions, an optimum positional relationship between the transmission / reception means and the RFID element is determined. Steps,
Moving at least one of the transmission / reception means and the medium so as to be in the determined optimum positional relationship;
A position control program for a data transmission / reception device for causing a computer to execute.

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