JP2011082684A - Communications equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide communications equipment in which an electromagnetic wave transmission sheet and various devices, such as a signal reader, an interface device are integrally constituted. <P>SOLUTION: The communications equipment includes the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet 100; the interface device 300, which is attached to the end of the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet 100, and transmits/receives electromagnetic waves to/from the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet 100; the signal reader 400, which is electrically connected to the interface device 300 to read a predetermined signal transmitted from the interface device 300; and a storage box 200, which stores the interface device 300 and the signal reader 400 and is provided integrally at the edge of the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet 100. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication device that transmits a signal, and more particularly, to a communication device that transmits a predetermined signal via an electromagnetic wave in an electromagnetic wave transmission sheet.

  Conventionally, an electromagnetic field is present in an electromagnetic wave transmission sheet composed of opposing conductor layers and a dielectric layer therebetween, and the voltage between the conductor layers is changed to change the electromagnetic field, or the conductor is changed by the change of the electromagnetic field. A communication device that transmits a signal by changing the voltage between the layers and advancing electromagnetic waves has been developed (see Patent Document 1). Non-Patent Document 1 below introduces the principle of two-dimensional communication.

  In this communication device, for example, a signal related to a code of an article placed on an electromagnetic wave transmission sheet is transmitted between the sheets, and the signal is read by a separate signal reading device. Thereby, for example, when an article is placed on an electromagnetic wave transmission sheet, information related to the article can be displayed on a monitor on a personal computer provided by reading a signal related to the article.

JP 2007-82178 A

Hiroyuki Shinoda, “High-speed sensor network formed on material surface”, Measurement and Control, February 2007, Volume 46, Volume 2, P98-103

  However, in the above-described communication device, the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet is separated from various devices such as a signal reading device and an interface device. For this reason, the conventional communication device has poor portability, and there is a problem in that it is necessary to perform cable wiring between the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet and the signal reading device every time it is installed. In addition, there is a problem in that an unnecessarily large gap is generated between the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet and the signal reading device, resulting in a large installation space. Further, there is a problem that the appearance of the cable wiring is exposed between the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet and the signal reading device, and the aesthetic appearance is impaired.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a communication device capable of integrally configuring an electromagnetic wave transmission sheet and various devices such as a signal reading device and an interface device. .

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention transmits a predetermined signal from a recording medium on which predetermined information is recorded, and includes a first conductor layer having a mesh conductor, and the first conductive layer. A second conductor layer disposed substantially parallel to the body layer, and a dielectric layer disposed between the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer, wherein the first conductor A dielectric layer between the body layer and the second conductor layer, a thin plate-like electromagnetic wave transmission sheet for transmitting a predetermined signal via electromagnetic waves, and an electromagnetic wave transmission sheet attached to an end of the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet, An interface device for transmitting / receiving the electromagnetic wave between the interface device, a signal reading device that is electrically connected to the interface device and reads the predetermined signal transmitted from the interface device, the interface device, and the signal Storing the reader And, characterized by comprising a storage box which is provided integrally with the end portion of the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet. According to this, the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet and various devices such as a signal reading device and an interface device can be integrally configured.

The interface device includes a first electrode portion facing the first conductor layer of the electromagnetic wave sheet, a second electrode portion facing the second conductor layer, the first electrode portion, and the second electrode. It is preferable to include a locking portion that locks the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion so as to sandwich and hold the end portion of the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet. According to this, it becomes easy to configure integrally with the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet, and the transmission and reception of the electromagnetic waves are ensured, and the communication reliability is improved.
In addition, the storage box is disposed substantially parallel to the base member disposed at the bottom, the first cover member disposed so as to cover the base member, and the first cover member. A fixing member and a second cover member arranged to cover the fixing member, wherein the interface device is provided on the upper surface of the base member, and a signal reading device is provided on the upper surface or the lower surface of the fixing member. It is preferable that the interface device and the signal reading device are electrically connected via a cable. According to this, since each member becomes a simple layered structure in the vertical direction, each member can be configured more compactly and can be easily manufactured.

  Further, it is preferable that the base member and the first cover member are fixed while sandwiching and holding an end portion of the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet. According to this, an electromagnetic wave transmission sheet | seat and a storage box can be fixed more reliably.

  Preferably, a USB terminal is electrically connected to the signal reading device, and the USB terminal is provided in an exposed state on the outer surface of the storage box. According to this, it is possible to easily perform USB connection with other devices such as a personal computer, which is convenient.

  A storage box in which the interface device and the signal reading device are stored may be integrally provided at both side ends of the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet. According to this, other devices can be connected to both sides of the communication device, or a plurality of communication devices can be connected in series via a USB cable or the like.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the recording medium transmits / receives a signal to / from the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet by using an RF tag by short-range wireless communication. According to this, the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet can reliably read a predetermined signal from a recording medium located within a predetermined distance range.

  According to the present invention, an electromagnetic wave transmission sheet and various devices such as a signal reading device and an interface device can be integrally configured. For this reason, a communication apparatus can be carried integrally and the portability of a communication apparatus improves. Further, it is not necessary to perform cable wiring when installing the communication device, so that the work efficiency of the user is improved. Further, the gap between the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet and the signal reading device is reduced, and space saving can be realized. Furthermore, since the cable wiring is also hidden in the storage box, the aesthetic appearance is improved. Therefore, it becomes easy to install this communication apparatus in various places, such as a shelf, a table, and a wall, and it becomes possible to contribute to various management, such as efficient merchandise management, medicine management, or book management.

It is the (a) top view and (b) sectional view of the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet concerning this embodiment. It is a perspective view of this communication apparatus. It is a top view of the accommodation box of this communication apparatus. It is a side view of the accommodation box of this communication apparatus. It is a rear view of the accommodation box of this communication apparatus. It is BB sectional drawing of the accommodation box of this communication apparatus. It is a disassembled perspective view of the lower side of this communication apparatus. It is a disassembled perspective view of the upper side of this communication apparatus. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the interface apparatus of this communication apparatus. It is a top view of this communication apparatus concerning other embodiments.

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

  In the following, for ease of explanation, a conductor that is a conductor in a frequency band used for electromagnetic wave transmission is referred to as a “conductor”, and a dielectric that is a dielectric in the frequency band is referred to as a “dielectric”. Therefore, it is not limited at all by, for example, whether it is a conductor or a semiconductor with respect to a direct current. In addition, the dielectric and the conductive pair are defined by characteristics in relation to the electromagnetic wave, and do not restrict the mode such as whether it is solid, liquid, or gas.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electromagnetic wave transmission sheet (hereinafter referred to as a sheet) according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1A shows a plan view of the sheet 100, and FIG. 1B shows a cross-sectional view of the sheet 100 taken along the line A-A ′.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the sheet 100 includes a mesh-shaped first conductor 110 and a flat plate-shaped second conductor 120 substantially parallel to the mesh-shaped first conductor 110, and is typically a so-called communication sheet. It is a two-dimensional sheet called. The first conductor 110 is provided above the second conductor 120 in FIG. In FIG. 1A, the first conductor 110 is configured in a substantially square mesh shape.

  In addition, when air is interposed as a dielectric layer between the first conductor 110 and the second conductor 120, the second conductor 120 passes through the substantially square opening of the first conductor 110. appear. However, when an opaque dielectric layer is interposed between the first conductor 110 and the second conductor 120, the second conductor 120 cannot be seen from the opening of the first conductor 110. Here, as the opaque dielectric layer, for example, a flexible resin plate or the like may be used.

  Further, as the dielectric layer, it is preferable to use a member having a certain degree of strength, flexibility, lightness, and aesthetics, such as a foamed member. The mesh repeating unit (mesh period) is equal to the distance between the centers of adjacent square openings.

  In FIG. 1B, a gap region 130 as a dielectric is provided between the first conductor 110 and the second conductor 120, and an extruding region 140 from which electromagnetic waves extrude above the first conductor 110. Is provided. Both the gap region 130 and the exudation region 140 may be air, but either one or both or a part thereof may be another dielectric, for example, liquid, earth, or vacuum. .

  Further, for example, by covering the extruding region 140 with a protective sheet or a protective film, the sheet 100 having strength that can be practically used, durability, and aesthetic appearance can be obtained. Similarly to the extruding region 140, the back side of the second conductor 120, that is, the surface on the opposite side of the narrow region 130 of the second conductor 120 is covered with a protective sheet or a protective film to withstand practical use. It is possible to obtain a sheet 100 having high strength, durability and aesthetics.

  In order to prevent a standing wave from being generated in the gap region 130, a material having a large dielectric loss or resistance loss in a specific frequency band of the propagated electromagnetic wave is disposed or filled in the gap region 130. May be. Typically, the above-described processing can be performed on the end portion or the edge portion of the sheet 100 as a so-called termination processing.

  Such a termination process not only reduces the standing wave, but in reality, even if the sheet 100 has a finite width, it is theoretically as if it has been developed to an infinite width. Can be handled easily.

  The first conductor 110 and the second conductor 120 are both two-dimensional and configured in a sheet shape. The sheet form means a sheet having a thin surface, such as a band, cloth, paper, foil, plate, film, film, mesh, or the like.

  In addition, the first conductor 110 and the second conductor 120 are configured by using conductive ink or conductive rubber and painting or spraying them while drawing an arbitrary pattern or picture as necessary. can do. In this case, if necessary, in order to inject electromagnetic waves into the sheet 100 from any position or take out the electromagnetic waves, an appropriate cut-out shape can be formed at any position on the sheet 100 through the hose, the edge, or the end. Etc. may be formed.

  Here, in the sheet 100, attention is paid to the electromagnetic wave mode that propagates between the narrow regions 130 sandwiched between the first conductor 110 and the second conductor 120. If the first conductor 110 is not mesh-shaped and has no opening, the electromagnetic wave is confined in the narrow space 130.

  On the other hand, typically, as illustrated in this embodiment, the first conductor 110 has a mesh-like structure and has an opening. With such a shape, the electromagnetic field oozes up to a certain height. The region where the electromagnetic field oozes out is a region conceptually shown as the leaching region 140 in FIG. This height is determined by the period of the mesh and the dielectric of the sheet.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the unit dimension (mesh period) of the mesh is a period sufficiently shorter than the electromagnetic wave length λ in the narrow space 130. Here, the unit dimension for repeating the mesh is a dimension corresponding to a value obtained by adding the length of one side constituting the so-called mesh grid and the thickness of the mesh conductor.

  The unit size (mesh cycle) of the mesh is typically a cycle of λ / 5 or less, λ / 10 to λ / 100, λ / 100 to λ / 1000, etc. with respect to the electromagnetic wave length λ. However, the size can be appropriately adjusted according to the application field of the sheet 100. In addition, the height of the extruding region 140 may be set so that a desired intensity of electromagnetic waves can be obtained by performing experiments by combining actual materials.

  As communication devices connected to the communication device, external communication devices, various communication elements, communication circuits, sensors, RF tags, actuators, and the like are conceivable. For example, in the case of an RF tag, when an RF tag is attached to the bottom surface of an article and the article is placed on a sheet, information on the RF tag can be read and communicated.

  The RF tag records predetermined information and transmits / receives a predetermined signal (including predetermined information) to / from the sheet by short-range wireless communication using an electromagnetic field or radio wave. In many cases, an RF tag is arranged mainly on the front surface or the back surface of the recording medium. A predetermined signal transmitted to and received from the sheet 100 is transmitted through the sheet 100 via electromagnetic waves and then read by a signal reading device 400 described later.

  In addition, other communication devices are connected to one communication device by wired coupling, direct coupling, or proximity coupling, and other communication devices are connected to the other communication device by wired coupling or proximity coupling. Then, if the extruding area 140 of each sheet 100 of the two communication devices is overlapped, a signal is transmitted between the one communication device and the communication device and the other communication device and the communication device via electromagnetic waves. It is possible to communicate.

  Further, as described above, the sheet 100 is configured to have a function of transmitting an electromagnetic wave signal, but may be configured as a power supply system that supplies and / or transmits power and may be a wireless power feeding device.

  Further, the sheet 100 includes a square through hole 150 at the end. The rectangular through hole 150 is typically formed by cutting out the sheet 100, and has no function of making an electrical connection between the first conductor 110 and the second conductor 120. For this reason, if a cable terminal is connected to an arbitrary position of the rectangular through-hole 150, electromagnetic waves can be transmitted to or received from the sheet 100.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the communication apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  In the communication apparatus, a storage box 200 is provided at one end of the sheet 100 in the length direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the storage box 200 is formed in a flat box shape having a low height, and stores various devices such as the interface device 300 and the signal reading device 400 therein. .

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, a base member 210 disposed on the bottom and a first cover member 220 disposed in a manner covering the base member 210 are provided. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a fixing member 230 disposed in parallel above the first cover member 220 and a second cover member 240 disposed so as to cover the fixing member 230 are provided. That is, the base member 210, the first cover member 220, the fixing member 230, and the second cover member 240 are arranged in a layered manner in the vertical direction from the bottom. 8 shows the fixing member 230 and the second cover member 240 upside down for convenience of explanation, the second cover member 240 is actually disposed above the fixing member 230.

  The base member 210 is made of a synthetic resin having a length (length direction of the sheet 100: left-right direction in FIG. 3) of 130 mm and a width (direction perpendicular to the length direction: vertical direction of FIG. 3) of 110 mm. Consists of thin plates.

  A rectangular fixed base 211 is formed at the front end of the base member 210. As described later, when the sheet 100 is sandwiched and held between the first cover member 220 and the base member 210, the lower surface of the end of the sheet 100 is pushed upward by the fixing base 211, so that the sheet 100 is sandwiched and fixed. It comes to increase power.

  In addition, a fixed recess 212 formed in the shape of the base end portion of the interface device 300 is formed at the center of the base member 210. As a result, the base end portion of the interface device 300 is fitted into the fixing recess 212 to be fixed. In addition, the interface device 300 and the fixed recess 212 are formed in a T shape in plan view, thereby preventing the interface device 300 fitted in the fixed recess 212 from coming off.

  In addition, by forming the fixed base portion 211 and the fixed concave portion 212 in the above-described positions and shapes, when connecting the sheet 100 to the interface device 300, the interface device 300 can be installed at the center of the sheet 100, The sheet 100 can be installed at the center of the base member 210.

  Further, (213) is four screw holes formed in the upper surface of the base member 210, and (214) is two hooking recesses formed in the rear end portion of the base member 210.

  The first cover member 220 is a hollow cover member having a bottom surface opening made of synthetic resin having a length of 95 mm, a width of 110 mm, and a height of 29 mm.

  An arc-shaped rib portion 221 is provided at the front end portion of the first cover member 220 so as to leave a height of about the thickness of the sheet 100. Accordingly, when the sheet 100 is sandwiched and held between the first cover member 220 and the base member 210, the sheet 100 is bonded between the rib portion 221 of the first cover member 220 and the fixing base portion 211 of the base member 210. It is fixed by pressure bonding with an appropriate force without using such as. In the present embodiment, the first cushion material 250 having a T-shape in plan view and the second cushion material 260 having a circular shape are arranged so as to be sandwiched between the rib portion 221 and the seat 100, and the seat 100 is sandwiched and held and fixed. The power is finely adjusted.

  Reference numeral (222) denotes a screw hole formed at a position corresponding to the screw hole 213 of the base member 210. (223) is a terminal hole for projecting a terminal (340) of the interface device 300, which will be described later, to connect with a terminal (610) at one end of the cable member 600. (224) is a hooking recess formed at the rear end of both sides of the base portion 210.

  Thus, in a state where the sheet 100 is sandwiched and held by the interface device 300, the interface device 300 is fitted and fixed in the fixing recess 212, and the sheet 100 is placed on the upper surface of the fixing table 211. Then, when the first cover member 220 and the base member 210 are overlapped so that the rear end portion and both side portions thereof coincide with each other, the sheet 100 is fixed to the fixing base portion 211 of the base member 210 and the rib portion 221 of the first cover member 220. Is held between. Then, if each screw 225 is fastened to the screw hole 213 of the base member 210 via the screw hole 222 of the first cover member 220, the base member 210 and the first cover member 220 sandwich and hold the end portion of the sheet 100. Can be fixed.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the fixing member 230 is formed of a rectangular thin plate made of synthetic resin. The signal reading device 400 is fixed to the lower surface of the fixing member 230 with a screw 231 and a nut 235.

  The signal reading device 400 reads a signal sent from the interface device 300 via the cable 600. Note that the signal reading device 400 not only reads a signal sent from the interface device 300, but conversely based on a signal sent from another device (for example, a personal computer) via the USB terminal 500. A signal may be transmitted. A signal sent to the interface device 300 is transmitted through the sheet 100 via electromagnetic waves, and information on other devices placed on the sheet 100 is rewritten.

  A USB terminal 500 is fixed next to the signal reading device 400, and the signal reading device 400 and the USB terminal 500 are electrically connected. The USB terminal 500 is exposed on the outer surface by the USB terminal window 243 of the second cover member 240. A signal read by the signal reading device 400 is sent to another device (for example, a personal computer) connected to the USB terminal 500 via the USB terminal 500.

  In addition, (232) is a screw hole formed in the rear end portion on both sides and the center of the front end portion of the fixing member 230, (233) is a projecting hole for projecting the cable 600 upward, and (234) is a power LED or the like. is there.

  The second cover member 240 is a hollow cover member having a lower surface opening made of synthetic resin. The second cover member 240 is formed larger than the fixing member 230 and covers the entire fixing member 230.

  In addition, (241) is three screw holes provided on the back side of the second cover member 240, (242) is a hook piece provided at both rear ends of the cover member, and (243) is a second cover member. This is a USB terminal window drilled in the center of the rear end.

  Thus, the fixing member 230 is accommodated in the second cover member 240 in a state where the signal reading device 400 and the USB terminal 500 are disposed on the lower side (upper side in FIG. 8) opposite to the second cover member 240. The fixing member 230 can be fixed to the second cover member 240 by fastening the screws 236 to the screw holes 241 of the second cover member 240 via the screw holes 232 of the fixing member 230.

  Then, the second cover member 240 to which the fixing member 230 is fixed is disposed above the first cover member 220, and the both side portions and the rear end portions of the first cover member 220 and the second cover member 240 are aligned. Thus, when the hooking piece 242 of the second cover member 240 is hooked on the hooking recesses 214 and 224 of the first cover member 220 and the base member 210, the second cover member 240 is hooked on the first cover member 220 and the base member 210. Can be fixed. In this manner, the base member 210, the first cover member 220, the fixing member 230, and the second cover member 240 can be integrally provided in the upper and lower layers at the end of the sheet 100.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a typical structure of the interface device 300.

  The interface device 300 is attached to an end portion of the sheet 100 so as to sandwich the first conductor 110 and the second conductor 120 of the sheet 100.

  In addition, the interface device 300 includes a first electrode part 310 disposed to face the first conductor 110 and a second electrode part 320 disposed to face the second conductor 120. Typically, the interface device 300 and the sheet 100 transmit and receive electromagnetic waves by capacitive coupling. Further, the interface device 300 includes a locking portion 330 that fixes the first electrode portion 310 and the second electrode portion 320 so that the sheet 100 is sandwiched between the first electrode portion 310 and the second electrode portion 320.

  The engaging portion 330 may be any member that can temporarily fix the first electrode portion 310 and the second electrode portion 320 at an interval of about the thickness of the sheet 100 when the sheet 100 is attached. Further, the first electrode part 310 or the second electrode part 320 and the sheet 100 are not necessarily in contact with each other, and may be close to each other or other members may be interposed therebetween.

  A metal terminal 340 is formed on the upper surface of the base end portion of the locking portion 330. This terminal is fitted and connected to a metal terminal 610 formed at one end of the cable 600. As shown in FIG. 7, the cable 600 is formed in a U-shape. As described above, the metal terminal 610 at one end is connected to the terminal 340 of the interface device 300, and the other end is Connected to the signal reading device 400.

  Further, when the cable 600 is disposed, the cable 600 is arranged substantially horizontally between the first cover member 220 and the fixing member 230, and a part of the cable 600 protrudes from the protruding hole 233 of the fixing member 230. With such a structure of the cable 600, the interface device 300 located on the lower side and the signal reading device 400 located on the upper side can be electrically connected in a compact manner.

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a communication apparatus according to another embodiment.

  In the present communication device, an accommodation box 200 in which the interface device 300 and the signal reading device 400 are accommodated is integrally provided at both end portions of the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet 100. Since the sheet 100, the storage box 200, the interface device 300, the signal reading device 400, and the like are the same as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, the same reference numerals are given and description thereof is omitted. According to this, other devices can be connected to both sides of the communication device, or a plurality of communication devices can be connected in series via a USB cable or the like.

  In this embodiment, the storage box has a layered structure on the top and bottom. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any structure can be used as long as it can accommodate the interface device and the signal reading device. Good.

  Further, although the interface device and the signal device are electrically connected by a cable, they may be integrally provided without using a cable.

  Further, although the interface device has a structure that holds and holds the sheet, the interface device may simply be in contact without holding the sheet, or may be connected in some way.

  In addition, the sheet 100 is sandwiched and held between the base member and the first cover member, but any method may be used as long as the storage box is attached to the sheet integrally.

100 ... sheet 200 ... storage box 210 ... base member 220 ... first cover member 230 ... fixing member 240 ... second cover member 300 ... interface device 310 ... first 1 electrode part 320 ... second electrode part 330 ... locking part 400 ... signal reading device 500 ... USB terminal 600 ... cable

Claims (7)

Transmitting a predetermined signal from a recording medium on which predetermined information is recorded, a first conductor layer having a mesh-like conductor, and a second conductor disposed substantially parallel to the first conductor layer. A conductor layer; and a dielectric layer disposed between the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer; and between the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer. In the dielectric layer, a thin electromagnetic wave transmission sheet that transmits a predetermined signal via electromagnetic waves,
An interface device that is attached to an end of the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet and transmits and receives the electromagnetic wave to and from the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet;
A signal reader which is electrically connected to the interface device and reads the predetermined signal transmitted from the interface device;
A communication device comprising: the interface device and the signal reading device; and a housing box integrally provided at an end of the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet.   The interface device includes a first electrode portion facing the first conductor layer of the electromagnetic wave sheet, a second electrode portion facing the second conductor layer, the first electrode portion, and the second electrode portion. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising: a locking portion that locks the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion so as to sandwich and hold an end portion of the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet. The storage box includes a base member disposed at the bottom, a first cover member disposed in a manner to cover the upper portion of the base member, and a fixing member disposed substantially parallel to the upper portion of the first cover member. And a second cover member disposed in a manner covering the fixing member,
2. The interface device is provided on an upper surface of the base member, and a signal reading device is provided on an upper surface or a lower surface of the fixing member, and the interface device and the signal reading device are electrically connected via a cable. Or the communication apparatus of Claim 2.   The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the base member and the first cover member sandwich and hold and fix an end portion of the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet.   The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a USB terminal is electrically connected to the signal reading apparatus, and the USB terminal is provided in an exposed state on an outer surface of the storage box.   The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an accommodation box in which the interface device and the signal reading device are accommodated is integrally provided at both end portions of the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet.   The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the recording medium transmits and receives a signal to and from the electromagnetic wave transmission sheet by using an RF tag by short-range wireless communication.