JP2011002902A - Apparatus for controlling radio communication apparatus, radio communication system, and method for controlling radio communication apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide means for inexpensively monitoring the reading performance of an information recording medium such as an RFID tag.SOLUTION: An apparatus for controlling a radio communication apparatus compares an acquired index value indicating a communication load on a radio communication apparatus with a threshold, and if the index value exceeds the threshold, gives information to that effect.

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling a wireless communication apparatus that inputs and outputs data with an information recording medium that performs wireless communication, and a system including the apparatus.

  In recent years, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags have been widely used in the fields of supply chain management and article management in distribution and sales. An RFID tag is an information recording medium having a communication distance of several meters or more.

  The RFID tag performs wireless communication with an external communication device, that is, a reader / writer. The reader / writer has functions of reading information on the RFID tag, writing information, locking the reading or writing, and disabling the RFID tag. The RFID tag reader / writer can simultaneously recognize several tens or more RFID tags.

  When a reader / writer performs wireless communication with an RFID tag, the frequency band (also referred to as a channel) of radio waves that can be used is limited. Therefore, the plurality of reader / writers cannot use the same frequency band at the same time, and cannot perform wireless communication with the RFID tag. Here, “simultaneous” and “same frequency band” do not necessarily match exactly, but include the meanings of substantially the same and substantially the same frequency band.

  In an RFID tag system using a plurality of reader / writers, when the number of reader / writers used at the same time is larger than the number of usable frequency bands, the number of reader / writers that can simultaneously communicate with the RFID tag is limited. As a result, the RFID tag system may not function normally. Under such circumstances, the RFID tag system is required to more reliably communicate between the reader / writer and the RFID tag.

  For example, Patent Document 1 below proposes a method of storing a history for each RFID tag ID read by a reader / writer in the past, determining a reading condition based on the information, and improving reading performance. .

International Publication WO2006 / 087764

  In the future, the number of IDs of RFID tags is expected to increase enormously as RFID tags become more widespread. When the number of IDs of the RFID tag increases, the reader / writer that cannot be used at the same time may increase due to the restriction on the frequency band described above. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the reading performance of the RFID tag. Further, when the number of IDs of RFID tags increases, a system for storing and managing information for each ID needs to handle a huge amount of data, and requires more costs.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide means capable of monitoring the reading performance of an information recording medium such as an RFID tag at a low cost.

  The control device of the wireless communication device according to the present invention acquires an index value representing the communication load of the wireless communication device, compares it with a threshold value, and notifies the fact when the index value exceeds the threshold value.

  According to the control apparatus of the wireless communication apparatus according to the present invention, it is possible to monitor the reading performance of the information recording medium at a low cost by using a simple method.

1 is a configuration diagram of a wireless communication system 1000 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of a reader / writer 110. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a reader / writer control device 200. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a centralized control device 300. FIG. It is an operation flow when the reader / writer 110 executes an RFID tag read command 131. It is another operation flow when the reader / writer 110 executes the RFID tag read command 131. It is another operation flow when the reader / writer 110 executes the RFID tag read command 131. It is a figure which shows the structure and data example of an adjustment parameter table. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration and data example of a reading performance index value table 802. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure and data example of the determination threshold value table 803. It is an operation flow when the reader / writer control device 200 or the centralized control device 300 sets adjustment parameters of each reader / writer 110.

<Embodiment 1>
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a radio communication system 1000 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The wireless communication system 1000 includes a first RFID tag 100a, a second RFID tag 100b, an Nth RFID tag 100c, a first reader / writer 110a, a second reader / writer 110b, an Nth reader / writer 110c, a first reader / writer control device 200a, and a second reader. A writer control device 200b and a centralized control device 300 are provided. For convenience, three RFID tags and three reader / writers and two reader / writer control devices are described, but the number is not limited to these.

  Hereinafter, the first RFID tag 100a, the second RFID tag 100b, and the Nth RFID tag 100c are collectively referred to as “RFID tag 100”. The first reader / writer 110a, the second reader / writer 110b, and the Nth reader / writer 110c are collectively referred to as “reader / writer 110”. The first reader / writer control device 200a and the second reader / writer control device 200b are collectively referred to as “reader / writer control device 200”.

  The RFID tag 100 is an information recording medium that performs wireless communication with the reader / writer 110 to transmit or receive data. The RFID tag 100 holds a unique ID therein. This ID is set so as not to overlap with other RFIDs. However, the ID may be duplicated depending on the specification of the wireless communication system 1000 or the like.

  The reader / writer 110 is a wireless communication device that performs wireless communication with the RFID tag 100. In order to read data from the RFID tag 100 or write data to the RFID tag 100, the reader / writer 110 transmits a data read command or data write command to the RFID tag 100 and receives the result.

  The reader / writer control device 200 executes control of processing for reading data from the RFID tag 100 by the reader / writer 110, acquisition processing of data read from the RFID tag 100 by the reader / writer 110, and the like. Send and receive commands. The reader / writer control device 200 is installed around the place where the reader / writer 110 is installed.

  The central control device 300 controls the operation of the reader / writer control device 200. Further, the reader / writer control device 200 receives data acquired from the RFID tag 100 and executes necessary control operations and the like.

  The first reader / writer 110a reads data from or writes data to the first RFID tag 100a. The second reader / writer 110b reads data from or writes data to the second RFID tag 100b. The Nth reader / writer 110c reads data from or writes data to the Nth RFID tag 100c.

  The first reader / writer control device 200a is connected to the first reader / writer 110a and the second reader / writer 110b, and performs operation control of these reader / writers 110 and the like. The second reader / writer control device 200b is connected to the Nth reader / writer 110c and controls its operation.

  The centralized control device 300 is connected to the first reader / writer control device 200a and the second reader / writer control device 200b, and performs operation control of these reader / writer control devices 200 and the like.

  The connection relationship and the number of the RFID tag 100, the reader / writer 110, the reader / writer control device 200, and the central control device 300 are not limited to those shown in FIG. For example, the reader / writer control device 200 may be provided for each reader / writer 110. Alternatively, the central control device 300 may be provided for each reader / writer control device 200.

  In the configuration of FIG. 1, the reader / writer control device 200 controls the operation of the reader / writer 110. However, the reader / writer 110 itself has the same configuration as the reader / writer control device 200 and controls its own operation. You may do it. Similarly, although the centralized control device 300 controls the operation of the reader / writer control device 200, the reader / writer control device 200 itself may control its own operation.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of the reader / writer 110. The reader / writer 110 includes a reader / writer antenna 111 and a reader / writer main body 112.

  The reader / writer antenna 111 performs wireless communication with the RFID tag 100 using radio waves or the like. For example, a command such as an RFID tag read command 131 for reading data held by the RFID tag 100 is transmitted to the RFID tag 100 by radio waves. An example of the command will be described later. The RFID tag 100 receives this radio wave and transmits an RFID tag response 132 to the reader / writer antenna 111. When the RFID tag 100 has a wireless power feeding function, electric power can be supplied to the RFID tag 100 by radio waves transmitted from the reader / writer antenna 111 or the like.

  The reader / writer main body 112 transmits an RFID tag read command 131 and receives an RFID tag response 132 via the reader / writer antenna 111. Further, processing such as extracting data from the received RFID tag response 132 is executed. Examples of commands used by the reader / writer main body 112 include the following.

(Command example 1: Read command)
This is used when reading data held by the RFID tag 100.

(Command example 2: Write command)
Used when data is written to the RFID tag 100.

(Command example 3: Lock command)
It is used when data held by the RFID tag 100 is set to be unreadable or writable.

(Command example 4: kill command)
Used when the RFID tag 100 is disabled.

  FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the reader / writer control device 200. The reader / writer control device 200 includes a reader / writer connection interface 210, a centralized control device connection interface 211, a control unit 212, a power supply unit 213, and a storage unit 214.

  The reader / writer connection interface 210 is a communication interface for connecting to the reader / writer 110.

  The central control device connection interface 211 is a communication interface for connecting to the central control device 300.

  The control unit 212 controls the operation of the reader / writer control device 200. For example, data such as a control command is transmitted / received to / from the reader / writer 110 and the centralized control device 300, or data is read / written from / to the storage unit 214.

  The power supply unit 213 supplies power to each unit of the reader / writer control device 200.

  The storage unit 214 stores adjustment parameters of the reader / writer 110 and the like. Details will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  The reader / writer connection interface 210 and the central control device connection interface 211 may be configured as the same interface depending on the connection method of the reader / writer 110 and the central control device 300.

  In addition to the above configuration, the reader / writer control device 200 may include an interface for connecting to an external communication device such as a personal computer or a sensor. In this case, the control unit 212 executes communication processing with the external communication device.

  FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the centralized control device 300. The centralized control device 300 includes a reader / writer control device connection interface 310, an external communication device connection interface 311, a control unit 312, a power supply unit 313, and a storage unit 314.

  The reader / writer control device connection interface 310 is a communication interface for connecting to the reader / writer control device 200.

  The external communication device connection interface 311 is a communication interface for connecting to an external communication device such as a personal computer or a sensor.

  The control unit 312 controls the operation of the central control device 300. For example, data such as a control command is transmitted / received to / from the reader / writer control device 200 and an external communication device such as a personal computer, or data is read / written from / to the storage unit 314.

  The power supply unit 313 supplies power to each unit of the central control device 300.

  The storage unit 314 stores adjustment parameters of the reader / writer 110 and the like. Details will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  The reader / writer control device connection interface 310 and the external communication device connection interface 311 may be configured as the same interface depending on the connection method of the reader / writer control device 200 and the external communication device.

  The control unit 212 and the control unit 312 can be configured by using hardware such as a circuit device that realizes these functions, or define an arithmetic device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a microcomputer and its operation. It can also be configured using software.

  The storage unit 214 and the storage unit 314 can be configured using a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

  The “communication load acquisition unit” and “communication load determination unit” in the first embodiment correspond to the control unit 212 or the control unit 312.

  The schematic configuration of the communication system 1000 has been described above. Next, adjustment parameters that affect the reading performance of the reader / writer 110 will be described. First, the contents defined by each adjustment parameter will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7, and the change of the adjustment parameter will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 11. In the following description, the RFID tag read command 131 illustrated in FIG. 2 is taken up, but the operation flow is the same for other commands.

  FIG. 5 is an operation flow when the reader / writer 110 executes the RFID tag read command 131. In the figure, the R channel is taken as an example of the adjustment parameter. Hereinafter, each step of FIG. 5 will be described.

(FIG. 5: Step S500)
The reader / writer 110 receives a command indicating that the RFID tag read command 131 should be transmitted from the reader / writer control device 200 or when a predetermined start condition is satisfied, such as when a predetermined time interval is reached. This operation flow starts.

(FIG. 5: Step S501)
The reader / writer 110 determines whether the radio frequency (= channel) used when transmitting the RFID tag read command 131 is not used by another reader / writer 110. For example, whether or not radio waves of the same channel frequency can be received is tried, and if it can be received, it is understood that the other reader / writer 110 is using the channel. Hereinafter, this channel is referred to as an R channel. If another reader / writer 110 uses the R channel, this step is repeated. If not, the process proceeds to step S502. An upper limit of the number of repetitions or the repetition time of this step may be set, and this operation flow may be terminated when the upper limit is reached.

(FIG. 5: Step S501: Supplement)
This step is executed because if another reader / writer 110 uses the R channel, the channel cannot be used while the communication is being performed. In this step, the reader / writer 110 confirms whether or not the R channel can be used before command transmission.
The value of R is stored in the storage unit 214 of the reader / writer control device 200 or the storage unit 314 of the centralized control device 300, and is notified to the reader / writer 110 before the reader / writer 110 starts this operation flow. The reader / writer 110 may store the value of R in an appropriate memory or the like. The correspondence between the value of R and the frequency is previously unified in the wireless communication system 1000.

(FIG. 5: Step S502)
The reader / writer 110 turns on the radio wave output of the R channel.

(FIG. 5: Step S503)
The reader / writer 110 transmits an RFID tag read command 131 to the RFID tag 100 via the reader / writer antenna 111.

(FIG. 5: Step S504)
The reader / writer 110 receives the RFID tag response 132 from the RFID tag 100 via the reader / writer antenna 111.

(FIG. 5: Step S505)
The reader / writer 110 turns off the radio wave output of the R channel.

  The operation flow when the reader / writer 110 executes the RFID tag read command 131 has been described above. The reader / writer 110 transmits data read from the RFID tag 100 to the reader / writer control device 200. The transmission timing is set to an appropriate timing after step S504. In addition, adjustments such as reducing the number of times of communication by transmitting a plurality of reading results together may be performed as appropriate.

  By adjusting the value of the R channel, it is possible to reduce the possibility that a plurality of reader / writers 110 use the same channel at the same time. As a result, the reading performance of the RFID tag 100 is improved. The R channel value of each reader / writer 110 is set not to overlap as much as possible from the beginning, and even after each reader / writer 110 starts operation, the R value is dynamically changed as necessary. It is also possible to change to

  FIG. 6 is another operation flow when the reader / writer 110 executes the RFID tag read command 131. In the figure, an example in which the same frequency repetition count COUNT (hereinafter abbreviated as COUNT as necessary) is added to the R channel as an example of the adjustment parameter. COUNT is an adjustment parameter that defines the number of times the reading process of the RFID tag 100 is repeatedly executed on the same R channel. Hereinafter, each step of FIG. 6 will be described.

(FIG. 6: Step S600)
This is the same as step S500 in FIG.

(FIG. 6: Step S601)
The reader / writer 110 initializes the value of the repeat counter X with zero.

(FIG. 6: Steps S602 to S605)
This is the same as steps S501 to S504 in FIG.

(FIG. 6: Step S606)
The reader / writer 110 adds 1 to the value of the repeat counter X.

(FIG. 6: Step S607)
The reader / writer 110 acquires the value of COUNT by some means before executing this step. The reader / writer 110 compares X and COUNT. If X is COUNT or more, the process proceeds to step S608, and if X is less than COUNT, the process returns to step S604.

(FIG. 6: Step S608)
This is the same as step S505 in FIG.

  The operation flow in FIG. 6 has been described above. The value of COUNT is stored in the storage unit 214 of the reader / writer control device 200 or the storage unit 314 of the centralized control device 300, and is notified to the reader / writer 110 before the reader / writer 110 starts this operation flow. The reader / writer 110 may also store the value of COUNT in an appropriate memory or the like. In any case, it is more convenient for the convenience of processing to store it as a set with the value of R.

  By adjusting the value of COUNT, the RFID tag read command 131 can be executed a desired number of times without changing the value of the R channel, so there is a possibility that the value of R overlaps with other reader / writers 110. Can be reduced.

  FIG. 7 is another operation flow when the reader / writer 110 executes the RFID tag read command 131. In the figure, an example in which the frequency change repetition count LOOP (hereinafter abbreviated as LOOP as necessary) is added to the R channel as an example of the adjustment parameter. LOOP is an adjustment parameter that defines the number of times the reading process of the RFID tag 100 is repeatedly executed while changing the R channel. Hereinafter, each step of FIG. 7 will be described.

(FIG. 7: Step S700)
This is the same as step S500 in FIG.

(FIG. 7: Step S701)
The reader / writer 110 initializes the value of the repeat counter Y with zero.

(FIG. 7: Steps S702 to S706)
This is the same as steps S501 to S505 in FIG.

(FIG. 7: Step S707)
The reader / writer 110 adds 1 to the value of the repeat counter Y.

(FIG. 7: Step S708)
The reader / writer 110 acquires the LOOP value by some means before executing this step. The reader / writer 110 compares Y and LOOP. If Y is greater than or equal to LOOP, the operation flow ends. If less than LOOP, the process returns to step S702.

  The operation flow of FIG. 7 has been described above. The LOOP value is stored in the storage unit 214 of the reader / writer control device 200 or the storage unit 314 of the centralized control device 300, and is notified to the reader / writer 110 before the reader / writer 110 starts this operation flow. The reader / writer 110 may store the LOOP value in an appropriate memory or the like. In either case, it is more convenient for the convenience of processing to store it as a set with the values of R and COUNT.

  By adjusting the LOOP value, the RFID tag read command 131 is executed while changing the R channel value. Therefore, the time for one reader / writer 110 to occupy the same R channel is shortened, and the R channel is reduced. Can be easily reused by a plurality of reader / writers 110.

  The adjustment parameters (R, COUNT, and LOOP) that affect the reading performance of the reader / writer 110 have been described above with reference to FIGS. The reader / writer control device 200 or the centralized control device 300 can adjust the reading performance of the reader / writer 110 by changing these adjustment parameters. Next, these adjustment procedures will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a configuration and data example of the adjustment parameter table 801. The adjustment parameter table 801 is a table that holds each adjustment parameter described in FIGS. 5 to 7 for each reader / writer 110.

  The storage unit 214 of the reader / writer control device 200 or the storage unit 314 of the centralized control device 300 stores the adjustment parameter table 801 of FIG. The reader / writer control device 200 or the centralized control device 300 manages the adjustment parameters of each reader / writer 110 using the adjustment parameter table 801. When the centralized control device 300 holds the table, the centralized control device 300 notifies the reader / writer control device 200 of each adjustment parameter, and the reader / writer control device 200 adjusts each reader / writer 110 using the adjustment parameter. Set the parameters. When both the reader / writer control device 200 and the centralized control device 300 hold the adjustment parameter table 801, processing such as synchronization is appropriately performed to match the two.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the reading performance index value table 802 and data examples. The reading performance index value table 802 is a table that holds index values of performance for each reader / writer 110 to read data from the RFID tag 100.

  The reading performance index value table 802 includes a “reading process count” column, a “read ID count” column, and an “average read ID count” column.

  The “reading process count” column holds a record of the number of times each reader / writer 110 has performed a process of reading data from the RFID tag 100. The process of reading data corresponds to one operation flow described with reference to FIGS. For example, if the operation flow shown in FIG. 5 is executed once from “START” to “END”, the value in this column is incremented by one.

  The “read ID number” column holds the actual value of the number of individual RFID tags 100 from which each reader / writer 110 has read data. The “individual number” is a number obtained by individually identifying each RFID tag 100 and counting it. That is, even if data is read from the same RFID tag 100 a plurality of times, the value in this column does not increase.

  The “average read ID number” column holds a value obtained by dividing the value of the “read ID number” column by the value of the “read processing count” column. That is, the value in this column represents the average value of how many RFID tags 100 are read each time the reader / writer 110 performs the process of reading data from the RFID tags 100 once. When the value of this column is high, it is considered that the communication load of the reader / writer 110 is increased.

  Each reader / writer 110 transmits each item of the reading performance index value table 802 to the reader / writer control device 200 or the centralized control device 300. Since the value of the “average reading ID number” column can be calculated from the values of the other two columns, it does not necessarily have to be transmitted. The control unit 212 of the reader / writer control device 200 or the control unit 312 of the centralized control device 300 receives the above items from each reader / writer 110, and stores them in the storage unit 214 or storage unit 314 to the reading performance index value table described in FIG. Store in the format 802. The update of the reading performance index value table 802 may be performed sequentially each time the above items are received from each reader / writer 110, or a plurality of reception results may be temporarily stored in a buffer or the like and updated collectively. Good.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the determination threshold value table 803 and data examples. The determination threshold value table 803 stores a determination threshold value for determining whether or not the value of the “average reading ID number” column described in FIG. 9 is higher than expected, for each reader / writer 110. In other words, the determination threshold value table 803 holds the expected value of the value in the “average read ID number” column described with reference to FIG. The determination threshold will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The storage unit 214 of the reader / writer control device 200 or the storage unit 314 of the centralized control device 300 stores a determination threshold value table 803. When the storage unit 314 of the centralized control device 300 stores, the value held in the table is transmitted to the reader / writer control device 200 via the centralized control device connection interface 211, and the control unit 212 of the reader / writer control device 200 The value is stored in the storage unit 214.

  FIG. 11 is an operation flow when the reader / writer control device 200 or the centralized control device 300 sets the adjustment parameter of each reader / writer 110. Hereinafter, each step of FIG. 11 will be described. In the following description, the reader / writer control device 200 is described as executing this operation flow. However, when the centralized control device 300 executes this operation flow, the control unit 312 instructs the reader / writer control device 200 about the operation content. Then, the control unit 212 of the reader / writer control device 200 executes this operation flow according to the instruction.

(FIG. 11: Step S1100)
The control unit 212 of the reader / writer control device 200 starts this operation flow at predetermined time intervals, for example.

(FIG. 11: Step S1101)
The control unit 212 initializes the value of the repetition counter Z with zero. The repetition counter Z is used to execute the following steps for each reader / writer 110.

(FIG. 11: Step S1102)
The control unit 212 compares the value of the repeat counter Z with the total number N of reader / writers 110. If the repeat counter Z is greater than or equal to N, the operation flow ends. If less than N, the process proceeds to step S1103.

(FIG. 11: Step S1103)
The control unit 212 adds 1 to the value of the repeat counter Z.

(FIG. 11: Step S1104)
The control unit 212 acquires the value of the “average number of read IDs” column for the Zth reader / writer 110 from the reading performance index value table 802, and acquires the value of the determination threshold for the reader / writer 110 from the determination threshold table 803. To do. The control unit 212 compares both values. If the determination threshold value is less than or equal to the value in the “average reading ID number” column, the process returns to step S1102, and if it exceeds, the process proceeds to step S1105.

(FIG. 11: Step S1105)
The control unit 212 resets the adjustment parameters (R, COUNT, LOOP) of the Z-th reader / writer 110, or outputs a notification indicating that it should be reset. After the end of this step, the process returns to step S1102. The following example can be considered as a specific resetting method.

(FIG. 11: Step S1105: Example 1 of Reset Method)
When the wireless communication system 1000 is designed, a criterion for resetting each adjustment parameter is determined, and the rule is stored in the storage unit 214. For example, a rule may be considered in which the value of R is preferentially changed for the first reader / writer 110a and changed in the order of COUNT>LOOP> R for the second reader / writer 110b. Specific rules differ individually depending on the specifications of the wireless communication system 1000, the installation environment of each device, the number and position of the RFID tags 100, the moving speed of the RFID tags 100, and the like, and the rules should be adjusted as necessary. Is desirable. The same applies to the determination threshold value in FIG.

(FIG. 11: Step S1105: Example 2 of resetting method)
The control unit 212 outputs a notification that the adjustment parameter of the Zth reader / writer 110 should be reset to an external communication device such as the central control device 300 or a personal computer. As the output means, notification on a GUI (Graphical User Interface) such as a display or a touch panel, notification by e-mail, or the like can be considered. Furthermore, it is desirable for the user if the adjustment parameter can be reset by the notification destination device. The user resets the adjustment parameters via appropriate input means. The control unit 212 receives the setting content and sets it in the reader / writer 110.

  The operation flow when setting the adjustment parameters of each reader / writer 110 has been described above.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the reader / writer control device 200 or the centralized control device 300 acquires an index value indicating the communication load of the reader / writer 110 and stores it in the reading performance index value table 802. Further, these index values (average number of read IDs) are compared with the determination threshold values held in the determination threshold value table 803, and when the index value exceeds the determination threshold value, the communication load of the reader / writer 110 is increased. It judges that it has increased, outputs a notification that the adjustment parameter should be changed, or changes the setting itself. Accordingly, the reading performance of the reader / writer 110 can be monitored at a low cost using a simple method called threshold determination, and can be adjusted as necessary.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, the reader / writer control device 200 or the centralized control device 300 sets and changes the value of the R channel as the adjustment parameter of the reader / writer 110. This can reduce the possibility that a plurality of reader / writers 110 use the same R channel at the same time. As a result, the time required for the reader / writer 110 to wait for the end of communication with other reader / writers 110 is reduced, and the reading performance is improved. be able to.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, the reader / writer control device 200 or the centralized control device 300 sets and changes the value of the same frequency repetition count COUNT as the adjustment parameter of the reader / writer 110. As a result, the RFID tag 100 can be read a desired number of times without changing the R channel. As a result, the possibility that the R channel overlaps with another reader / writer 110 is reduced, and reading performance can be improved.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, the reader / writer control device 200 or the centralized control device 300 sets and changes the value of the frequency change repetition count LOOP as the adjustment parameter of the reader / writer 110. Thus, since the value of the R channel is changed every time the RFID tag 100 is read, the time for one reader / writer 110 to occupy the same R channel is shortened. In an environment where the number of assignable R channels is small, the reader / writer 110 can easily use the R channels by the above method. As a result, the possibility of overlapping R channels is reduced, and reading performance is improved.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, the reading performance of each reader / writer 110 can be optimized by setting the values of a plurality of adjustment parameters (R, COUNT, LOOP) in a well-balanced manner.

<Embodiment 2>
In FIG. 9 of the first embodiment, the number of RFID tags 100 read for each reading process is used as an index value for reading performance. On the other hand, the total number of read RFID tags 100 may be used without identifying individual RFID tags 100. In this case, the “read ID number” column of the read performance index value table 802 holds the number of statements, not the number of read RFID tags 100. Similarly, the “average number of read IDs” column holds an average value of how many RFID tags 100 (not individually identified) are read each time a process of reading data from the RFID tags 100 is performed once.

  Also in the second embodiment, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be exhibited. Further, since the reading performance index value table 802 holds the total number of read RFID tags 100, the communication load of the reader / writer 110 can be grasped regardless of the number of RFID tags 100.

<Embodiment 3>
The methods described in the first and second embodiments can be combined. In this case, the “number of read IDs” column of the read performance index value table 802 holds both the number of individuals and the number of statements of the read RFID tag 100. Similarly, in the “average read ID number” column, the average value of how many RFID tags 100 are read each time the process of reading data from the RFID tags 100 is performed is performed when individual identification is not performed. Hold for both.

  In the third embodiment, in step S1104 of FIG. 11, the determination threshold value and the average value are compared for both cases where individual identification is performed and when individual identification is not performed. When either one exceeds the determination threshold, the process may proceed to step S1105, or only when both exceed the determination threshold, the process may proceed to step S1105.

  Also in the third embodiment, the same effects as in the first and second embodiments can be exhibited. Further, the reading performance of the reader / writer 110 can be monitored while comparing the case where individual identification of the RFID tag 100 is performed and the case where it is not performed.

<Embodiment 4>
In the above first to third embodiments, the operation of each device has been described by taking the RFID tag read command 131 as an example, but the same technique can be used for other commands. For example, the following configuration examples can be considered.

(Configuration example for other commands 1)
Tables corresponding to the adjustment parameter table 801, the reading performance index value table 802, and the determination threshold value table 803 are provided for each type of command. The reader / writer control device 200 or the centralized control device 300 acquires items in each table for each command, and changes the setting parameter of the reader / writer 110 for each command.

(Configuration example for other commands 2)
The values held in the adjustment parameter table 801, the reading performance index value table 802, and the determination threshold value table 803 are total values for each command.

  For example, instead of the reading performance index value table 802, an overall performance index value table or the like is provided, and a value obtained by integrating the performance indices of each command is stored in the table. For example, an average value of the performance index for each command, a value obtained by multiplying each command by a coefficient, and the like are stored. In general, it is considered that reading performance and writing performance affect the performance of the reader / writer 110. Therefore, adjustments may be made as appropriate, such as increasing the specific gravity of commands related to these.

  In step S1104 of FIG. 11, the above-mentioned total performance index value is compared with a separately set total determination threshold value.

<Embodiment 5>
In the first to fourth embodiments described above, the central control device 300 controls the operation of the reader / writer control device 200. However, when the reader / writer control device 200 performs the operation control by itself, the central control device 300 is controlled. Is not necessarily provided. In this case, the reader / writer control device 200 executes a function corresponding to the central control device 300 by itself.

  The “control device” in the present invention corresponds to the reader / writer control device 200 and the centralized control device 300. When each control device controls the operation of the reader / writer 110, the control device corresponds to the “control device” in the present invention. When the tables described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10 are distributed and stored in these control devices, or when the control devices share and execute control of the reader / writer 110, the reader / writer control device 200. The integrated body of the central control device 300 corresponds to the “control device” in the present invention.

  100: RFID tag, 100a: first RFID tag, 100b: second RFID tag, 100c: Nth RFID tag, 110: reader / writer, 110a: first reader / writer, 110b: second reader / writer, 110c: Nth reader / writer, 111 : Reader / writer antenna, 112: Reader / writer main body, 131: RFID tag read command, 132: RFID tag response, 200: Reader / writer control device, 200a: First reader / writer control device, 200b: Second reader / writer control device, 210 : Reader / writer connection interface 211: Central control device connection interface 212: Control unit 213: Power supply unit 214: Storage unit 300: Central control device 310: Reader / writer control device connection interface 311: External communication device connection Inf Over scan, 312: control unit, 313: power supply unit, 314: storage unit, 801: adjustment parameter table 802: reading performance index value table, 803: determination threshold table 1000: a wireless communication system.

Claims (12)

A control device that controls a wireless communication device that inputs and outputs data to and from an information recording medium that performs wireless communication,
A communication load acquisition unit for acquiring an index value representing the communication load of the wireless communication device;
A communication load determination unit for determining the level of the index value;
A storage unit for storing a threshold for the communication load determination unit to determine the level of the index value;
With
The communication load determination unit
When the index value exceeds the threshold value, a notification to that effect is output. The communication load acquisition unit, as the index value,
Obtaining an average value of the number of individuals of the information recording medium read by the wireless communication device in one reading process;
The storage unit is configured as the threshold value.
The control device for a wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device stores an expected value of an average value of the number of individuals read by one reading process. The communication load acquisition unit, as the index value,
Obtaining an average value of the total number of the information recording media read by the wireless communication device in one reading process;
The storage unit is configured as the threshold value.
The control apparatus for a wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wireless communication apparatus stores an expected value of an average value of the total number read by one reading process. The storage unit
Storing adjustment parameters for adjusting the communication load of the wireless communication device;
The communication load determination unit
When the index value exceeds the threshold value, a notification that the adjustment parameter of the wireless communication device should be changed is output. The control apparatus of the wireless communication apparatus described. The storage unit has the adjustment parameter as
Storing a frequency band when the wireless communication device performs wireless communication with the information recording medium;
The communication load determination unit
The control device for a wireless communication device according to claim 4, wherein when the index value exceeds the threshold, a notification that the frequency band of the wireless communication device should be changed is output. The storage unit has the adjustment parameter as
Storing the same frequency repetition count that defines the number of times that the wireless communication device repeats wireless communication with the information communication medium without changing the frequency band,
The communication load determination unit
6. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the index value exceeds the threshold value, a notification that the number of repetitions of the same frequency of the wireless communication apparatus should be changed is output. Control device. The storage unit has the adjustment parameter as
Storing a frequency change repetition count that defines the number of times that the wireless communication device repeats wireless communication with the information communication medium while changing the frequency band each time,
The communication load determination unit
When the index value exceeds the threshold value, a notification indicating that the frequency change repetition count of the wireless communication apparatus should be changed is output. Any one of claims 4 to 6 The control apparatus of the radio | wireless communication apparatus as described in a term. The wireless storage device control device according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the storage unit stores the adjustment parameter of each of the plurality of wireless communication devices. A control device for a wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
One or more wireless communication devices;
A wireless communication system comprising: A control device for a wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
One or more wireless communication devices;
Have
The control device of the wireless communication device is:
An interface for outputting the threshold value to the outside of the control device or setting the threshold value from the outside of the control device. A control device for a wireless communication device according to any one of claims 4 to 8,
One or more wireless communication devices;
Have
The wireless communication device
An interface for setting the adjustment parameter from the outside of the wireless communication device;
The control device of the wireless communication device is:
The wireless communication system, wherein the adjustment parameter is set in the wireless communication device via the interface. A method of controlling a wireless communication device that inputs and outputs data with an information recording medium that performs wireless communication,
Obtaining an index value of a communication load of the wireless communication device;
A communication load determination step for determining the level of the index value;
Obtaining a threshold for determining the level of the index value in the communication load determination step;
Have
In the communication load determination step,
When the index value exceeds the threshold value, a notification to that effect is output.

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