JP2008104033A - Assembly management method using rfid tag - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method capable of judging even the position relation of a combination component of an object with a fitting part using an inexpensive passive tag with no power supply and also judging the position relation of two or more combination components by using a tag capable of performing congestion control that enables concurrent reads to be carried out within a readable range. <P>SOLUTION: The RFID tag of passive type, which is capable of performing two or more reads concurrently, has a structure where an antenna and a chip are formed into one piece. The antenna unit of the tag is divided into two or more, and each antenna unit containing the chip is embedded in an object of management. Each antenna unit containing a chip is embedded in the object of management in such a manner that the divided antenna unit is assembled into a full antenna unit which functions as a RFID tag when the object of management is normally assembled. By this setup, the object of management, which is normally assembled, is irradiated with RFID tag radio waves, the response of the object of management to the radio waves is received, whereby it can be ascertained that the object of management is normally assembled through this management method. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an assembly management method using a passive type RFID tag.

  RFID tags include an active tag that has a power source inside and transmits radio waves by itself, and a passive tag that receives radio waves and operates using the radio waves as a power source. While active tags can transmit information spontaneously and have a long communication distance, they require a power source and tend to be relatively large and expensive. On the other hand, the passive tag does not require a power source, is small and inexpensive, but has a short communication distance and can operate only within the reach of the radio wave from the reader device.

  In recent years, an article management method using the RFID tag is becoming widespread, and Patent Document 1 discloses an article management method in which an active tag and a passive tag are connected by a detachable mechanism that can communicate and two tags are used in combination. It is.

JP 2006-190241 A

  In the prior art, an active tag serves as a relay, detects the presence or absence of a nearby passive tag, and reports it to a host device. Because of the active tag, there are problems in terms of power supply and price. The method proposed this time can determine the positional relationship of the combined parts using an inexpensive passive tag that does not require a power supply for an object with a fitting part, and it can be read simultaneously within the reading area We propose a method that can determine the positional relationship of multiple combination parts by using controllable tags

  The present invention is a management method for determining the positional relationship of a combination part using a passive tag for a management target product having a fitting portion, and the passive type RFID tag used in the present invention includes an antenna portion and an ID The RFID chip portion storing information is integrated. The antenna part of the RFID tag is divided into two or a plurality of pieces, and the divided RFID tags are respectively embedded in the management target products.

  As a position to be embedded in the management target product, it is assumed that the antenna parts divided when the management target product is normally assembled are aligned and embedded in a position that functions as an RFID tag.

  After the product to be managed is assembled, radio waves are emitted from the reader device and a response is received to confirm that the product has been assembled normally. For managed products consisting of multiple assemblies, by using a RFID tag that can be read simultaneously and a reader device that can control congestion, multiple RFID tags can be read simultaneously to manage multiple assemblies at once. To do.

  In addition, as a method of dividing and mounting the antenna, by placing a conductor serving as an auxiliary antenna in the vicinity of the tag, the tag and the auxiliary antenna are in a loosely coupled state and function as an RFID. We propose a method to manage the assembly by functioning as an RFID tag even though it is in contact.

  By using a passive type RFID tag, it is possible to manage the assembled product by the non-contact lead method. Further, a combination (positional relationship) of a plurality of management objects can be simultaneously managed by using a plurality of tags that can be read.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

The assembly management system according to the present invention includes a reader device that emits radio waves from an RFID tag, receives reflected waves from the RFID tag, and reads information, and generates information based on the radio waves emitted from the reader and generates information in the reflected waves. It consists of an RFID tag that responds. The RFID tag includes an antenna unit that receives radio waves radiated from a reader device, and an RFID chip unit that generates electric power from the received radio waves and responds by placing ID information on reflected waves.
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of claim 1.

  Antennas 104, 104A, 107, and 107A each having an RFID tag divided are mounted on the management target products 101, 102, and 103, respectively. One of the divided antenna units includes a control unit for functioning as an RFID and RFID chip units 106 and 106A in which ID information is stored. In addition, the dividing portion includes contact mechanism portions 105 and 105A. As a method of dividing the antenna portion of the RFID tag, the antenna portions 107 and 107A on which the RFID chip portions 106 and 106A are mounted select an antenna length that does not operate independently with a radio wave having a frequency radiated from the reader device.

  FIG. 2 shows details of the antenna portion and the contact mechanism portion. The contact mechanism 105, 105A has a mechanism that is electrically connected when a product to be managed is assembled. This makes the antenna length resonate at the frequency used in the RFID and functions as an RFID tag. Shall.

  When the products to be managed are correctly assembled, the RFID tags 108 and 109 exist as the antenna parts are connected together by the connection mechanism parts 105 and 105A. As a result, it functions as an RFID tag and can receive radio waves radiated from the reader device and respond with information in the RFID chip as reflected waves. The reader device receives the reflected wave from the RFID tag and reads the ID information, thereby confirming that the management target product has been correctly assembled.

  As an example of claim 2, by using the RFID tags 108 and 109 for congestion control that can be read simultaneously in a readable area and the reader device 110 that supports congestion control, ID information of a plurality of RFID tags can be simultaneously obtained. By reading, it is possible to confirm that the assembly of the management target product has been completed correctly at one time.

  FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of claim 3.

  The managed products 301, 302, and 303 are equipped with short antenna tags 304 and 304A with antenna lengths that cannot receive radio waves of the frequency radiated from the reader device, respectively, and auxiliary antennas 305 and 305A that resonate with radio waves of the radiated frequency. ing. This auxiliary antenna is simply a conductor, and functions as an auxiliary antenna for the tag by being arranged in the vicinity of the RFID tag. Various shapes can be considered for the auxiliary antenna. In the example of FIG. 3, a rectangular conductor is used.

  The RFID tags 304, 304A and auxiliary antennas 305, 305A that are not operated independently are assembled by the assembly of the products to be managed, and the short RFID tags 304, 304A and auxiliary antennas 305, 305A are arranged in the near field. It becomes a state and functions as an RFID completed with two objects of the auxiliary antennas 305 and 305A and the short RFID tags 304 and 304A. When the management target product is correctly assembled, the reader device 110 can acquire ID information and confirm that the product is correctly assembled.

It is explanatory drawing of the Example using passive type RFID. It is detail drawing of a RFID antenna part and a connection mechanism part. It is explanatory drawing of the Pa Example using an auxiliary antenna.

Explanation of symbols

101-103 ... Management object, 104, 104A, 107, 107A ... Antenna part, 106, 106A ... RFID chip part, 105, 105A ... Contact function part, 108, 109 ... RFID Tag 110 reader device

Claims (3)

  This is a method for managing assemblies using RFID tags that communicate using radio waves as a medium. Divide the antenna part of a passive RFID tag, and paste the antenna parts into individual parts. An assembly management method that can determine whether or not each component has been assembled correctly by making the antenna parts that have been split into contact when they are assembled correctly and functioning as an antenna and reading the RFID tag. The assembly management method according to claim 1,
By using RFID that can be read simultaneously in an area that can be read by the passive tag and that can be controlled, a plurality of tags can be mounted on the management target product, and multiple contact parts and non-contact parts for one part An assembly management method that can be applied to an assembly in which there exists. An assembly management method according to claim 1 or 2,
If the antenna part does not come into contact when individual parts are completed, a conductor that acts as an auxiliary antenna is placed in the vicinity of the RFID tag so that the tag and the auxiliary antenna are loosely coupled, and the antennas are not in contact with each other An assembly management method characterized by allowing the RFID tag to function as it is.

Images