JP2022052052A - Wireless communication device and search system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a configuration in which a position of a search target provided with a wireless tag can be easily and visually recognized.SOLUTION: A wireless communication device includes: an operation unit 23 or the like that sets, as a wireless communication target, an LED tag 50 having an LED 56 configured to be in predetermined light emitting states in response to a received light emission instruction (light-on command, light-off command) and inputs a tag ID recorded on the LED tag 50 attached to a search target; and a control unit 21 and a wireless tag processing unit 30 that function as a light emitting instruction transmitting unit for transmitting a light emitting instruction so as to establish a blinking state in which the predetermined light emitting states repeat the light-on and the light-off at predetermined blinking intervals, for the LED tag 50 in which the tag ID input by the operation unit 23 or the like is recorded.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a wireless communication device and a search system for searching a wireless tag attached to a search target.

Currently, a wireless tag such as an RFID tag is attached to each of the articles to be managed, and by reading this wireless tag with a wireless communication device, it is possible to easily manage the arrangement status of each article and manage each article. We are trying to improve the efficiency of. As a technique related to a wireless communication device for improving the efficiency of management of each article, for example, a location information management system disclosed in Patent Document 1 below is known.

This location information management system is arranged for each storage unit of the bookshelf, a non-contact identification tag attached to each of the books, a management device for managing the position information of the books stored in each storage unit of the bookshelf, and the like. It is configured to be equipped with a data communication device. Among the data communication devices, one or more data communication devices that have received the response wave from the non-contact identification tag attached to the designated book can be identified by the non-contact identification from the radio wave strength of the radio wave received from the non-contact identification tag. Estimate the tag direction and distance. Then, when the position of the designated book is calculated based on the direction and distance of the non-contact identification tag estimated as described above by the representative data communication device, the calculated position information is transmitted to the management device. The designated book can be searched by displaying it on the display unit so that the position of the designated book can be specified by the management device that receives this.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-287718

However, the management targets to which the wireless tags are attached may not only be arranged in a regular arrangement like a book, but may also be arranged so that a plurality of management targets are stacked, for example, and the type of management target. Depending on the situation, it may be piled up randomly. Then, even if you can grasp the approximate range of where the wireless tag is located according to the radio wave strength of the radio wave received from the wireless tag of the management target to be searched (hereinafter, also referred to as the search target), it is accurate. Since it is not possible to specify a specific position, there is a problem that it takes time to search for the search target depending on the arrangement state or the like.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a configuration in which the position of a search target with a wireless tag can be easily visually recognized.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 of the claims shall be:
A wireless communication device (10) capable of wireless communication with a wireless tag (50) having a light emitting unit (56) that is in a predetermined light emitting state in response to a received light emitting instruction.
An input unit (23, 40) for inputting a tag ID recorded in the wireless tag attached to the search target, and
With respect to the wireless tag in which the tag ID input by the input unit is recorded, the light emission state is such that the predetermined light emission state by the light emitting unit repeats lighting and extinguishing at predetermined blinking intervals. A light emitting instruction transmitter (21, 30) for transmitting an instruction, and
It is characterized by having.
The reference numerals in the parentheses indicate the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described later.

In the first aspect of the present invention, a wireless tag having a light emitting unit that is in a predetermined light emitting state in response to a received light emitting instruction is set as a wireless communication target, and an input for inputting a tag ID recorded in the wireless tag attached to the search target is input. A light emission instruction for transmitting a light emission instruction so that the above-mentioned predetermined light emission state is repeatedly turned on and off at a predetermined blinking interval for the unit and the wireless tag on which the tag ID input by the input unit is recorded. A transmitter and a transmitter are provided.

As a result, when searching for a search target, the tag ID recorded in the wireless tag attached to the search target is input to the input unit, so that the wireless tag recording the tag ID is in the blinking state. It becomes. In particular, since the light emitting unit does not simply emit light, but the light emitting unit blinks at a predetermined blinking interval, for example, even when searching for a search target from a plurality of management targets randomly piled up, the search target is searched. Since the visibility of the wireless tag attached to is improved, the position of the search target with the wireless tag can be easily visually recognized.

In the second aspect of the present invention, the light emitting instruction transmitting unit transmits the light emitting instruction so that the predetermined blinking interval changes according to the radio wave intensity of the radio wave received from the radio tag detected by the detecting unit. As a result, for example, as the radio wave intensity increases, that is, the distance from the wireless tag becomes shorter, the predetermined blinking interval is shortened, so that the visibility of the wireless tag attached to the search target is further improved. The position of the search target can be visually recognized more clearly.

In the invention of claim 3, when the radio wave intensity detected by the detection unit becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value, the light emission instruction transmitting unit transmits a light emission instruction to turn off the light emitting unit as a light emission instruction. As a result, by setting the predetermined threshold value according to the distance at which the blinking state of the light emitting unit can be easily visually recognized, when the user who sees the blinking light emitting unit approaches the wireless tag having the light emitting unit. , The light emitting part that was blinking can be automatically switched to the off state without any operation by the user.

As in the invention of claim 4, the light emitting instruction is configured by transmitting a lighting instruction for turning on the light emitting unit and a turning off instruction for turning off the light emitting unit at the above-mentioned predetermined blinking interval. May be done.

According to the invention of claim 5, it is possible to realize a search system having the same effect as that of claim 1.

In the invention of claim 6, when the wireless tag receives a predetermined specified value and the remaining battery level of the battery that is the drive source of the light emitting unit is equal to or less than the predetermined specified value, the light emitting unit is seconded. A control unit for controlling the light emission state is provided. The wireless communication device is provided with a designated value transmitting unit that transmits the predetermined designated value to the wireless tag.

As a result, the user recognizes that the wireless tag in the second light emitting state is insufficient in driving power by transmitting a command corresponding to the predetermined specified value to each wireless tag by the wireless communication device. Can be done. Therefore, by replacing the battery of the wireless tag in the second light emitting state, it is possible to prevent a state in which the search target cannot be searched because the light emitting unit does not blink due to insufficient driving power.

It is explanatory drawing which substantially explains the search system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a side view of the wireless communication device of FIG. 3A is a plan view of the wireless communication device of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3B is a back view of the wireless communication device of FIG. 1. 4A is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of a wireless communication device, FIG. 4B is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of a wireless tag processing unit, and FIG. 4C is a block diagram. Is a block diagram illustrating the electrical configuration of the information code reading unit. It is a block diagram which shows the electric structure of the LED tag schematically. It is a flowchart which exemplifies the flow of the search process performed by a wireless communication device.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, an embodiment embodying the wireless communication device and the search system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The search system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a wireless communication device 10 capable of wireless communication with a wireless tag such as an RFID tag attached to the search target, and should search from a plurality of management targets to which the wireless tags are attached. It is configured as a system to search for management targets (search targets). In the present embodiment, a product G such as clothes is adopted as a management target, and a wireless tag recording a unique tag ID that can identify each product G is attached to the product G. In particular, in the present embodiment, a wireless tag (hereinafter, also referred to as LED tag 50) provided with an LED serving as a light emitting unit is adopted, and the light emitting function of the LED tag 50 improves visibility at the time of searching. There is. In addition, in FIG. 1, for convenience, one of a plurality of products G to be managed is illustrated, and the illustration of the other product G is omitted.

The wireless communication device 10 according to the present embodiment is configured as a portable information processing terminal that is carried by a user and reads predetermined information at various places. The wireless communication device 10 has a function as a wireless tag reader / writer that reads / writes information stored in a wireless tag such as an LED tag 50 via a radio wave transmitted / received via an antenna 34, as well as a barcode or a two-dimensional object. It also has a function as an information code reader that optically reads an information code such as a code, and has a configuration that can be read by two methods.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the outer shell of the wireless communication device 10 is formed by a housing made of a synthetic resin material such as ABS resin, and the main body 11 and the grip attached to the main body 11 are assembled. It is configured to include a unit 12 and a wireless communication unit 13. On the surface 11a of the main body 11, a part of the operation unit 23 such as a function key and a numeric keypad operated when inputting predetermined information, a display unit 24 for displaying the predetermined information, and the like are arranged. There is. Further, on the outer surface of the grip portion 12, a trigger switch 23a operated when starting the reading process for the LED tag 50 or the like is arranged in a portion near the back surface 11b of the main body portion 11 and facing the wireless communication unit 13. Has been done. Further, a reading port 11c for taking in the reflected light from the information code is provided at the end of the main body 11 on the reading side (left side in FIG. 2).

The wireless communication unit 13 is for increasing the output of the transmitted radio wave, and is assembled on the reading side of the back surface 11b of the main body unit 11 so as to be located below the reading port 11c. The wireless communication unit 13 is configured to accommodate a part of the functions of the antenna 34 and the wireless tag processing unit 30, which will be described later, inside the wireless communication unit 13.

Next, the electrical configuration of the wireless communication device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4C.
The main body 11 includes a control unit 21 that controls the entire wireless communication device 10. The control unit 21 is mainly composed of a microcomputer, has a CPU, a system bus, an input / output interface, and the like, and constitutes an information processing device together with a storage unit 22. In the storage unit 22, a program for executing a reading process for reading a wireless tag such as an LED tag 50 by non-contact communication, a program for executing a reading process for optically reading an information code, and the like are provided by the control unit 21. It is pre-stored so that it can be executed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4A, an operation unit 23, a display unit 24, a vibrator 25, a buzzer 26, an external interface 27, and the like are connected to the control unit 21. The operation unit 23 is provided with a trigger switch 23a, a function key, a numeric keypad, etc., and is configured to give an operation signal corresponding to the operation to the control unit 21, and the control unit 21 receives the operation signal and operates. Operates according to the content of the signal. Further, the display unit 24, the vibrator 25, and the buzzer 26 are configured to be controlled by the control unit 21, and each operates in response to a command from the control unit 21. The external interface 27 is configured as an interface for performing wireless communication or wired communication with an external device or the like, and is configured to perform communication processing in cooperation with the control unit 21. Further, a power supply unit 28 is provided in the housing of the main body unit 11, and power is supplied to the control unit 21 and various electric components by the power supply unit 28 and the battery 29.

Further, the wireless communication device 10 includes a wireless tag processing unit 30 and an information code reading unit 40, which are controlled by the control unit 21 and function as an information reading unit capable of reading external information.
The wireless tag processing unit 30 cooperates with the antenna 34 and the control unit 21 to communicate with the wireless tag by electromagnetic waves accompanied by a predetermined command, read the data stored in the wireless tag, or read the data for the wireless tag. It functions to write. The wireless tag processing unit 30 is configured as a circuit that performs transmission by a known radio wave method, and as schematically shown in FIG. 4B, a transmission circuit 31, a reception circuit 32, a matching circuit 33, and the like are included. Have.

The information code reading unit 40 functions to optically read the information code, and as shown in FIG. 4C, an illumination unit 41 composed of a plurality of LEDs, lenses, and the like, and an imaging lens 42. It is configured to include a light receiving sensor 43 composed of a CCD area sensor and the like, and optically reads an information code C such as a bar code or a two-dimensional code attached to the reading target R in cooperation with the control unit 21. Works like. Specifically, when the information code C is irradiated with the illumination light Lf emitted from the illumination unit 41, the reflected light Lr from the information code C passes through the reading port 11c and the imaging lens 42 to the light receiving sensor 43. When the light is received, a light receiving signal corresponding to the image of the information code C is output from the light receiving sensor 43. This received light signal is stored in the storage unit 22 as image data, and is used in a decoding process for decoding the information recorded in the information code C.

Next, the electrical configuration of the LED tag 50 will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the LED tag 50 includes an antenna 51, a demodulation circuit 52, a control circuit 53, a memory 54, a modulation circuit 55, an LED 56, a battery 57, and the like.

The demodulation circuit 52 demodulates a command or the like superimposed on the signal received via the antenna 51 and outputs it to the control circuit 53. Predetermined data such as a tag ID is stored in the memory 54.

The control circuit 53 is configured to output data or the like read from the memory 54 to the modulation circuit 55 as transmission data, and the modulation circuit 55 load-modulates the response signal with the transmission data and uses it as a response wave from the antenna 51. It is configured to send. Further, the control circuit 53 controls the LED 56 to be in a lighting state when a lighting command described later is received via the antenna 51, and controls the LED 56 to be in a lighting state when a lighting command described later is received via the antenna 51. It is configured as follows. The LED 56 may correspond to an example of a "light emitting unit" that is in a predetermined light emitting state according to a received light emitting instruction.

The battery 57 functions as a power source for operation, and power is supplied to the control unit 21 and various electric components by the battery 57.

Next, in the search system 1 configured as described above, the search process performed by the control unit 21 of the wireless communication device 10 when searching for the search target, and the LED tag 50 that flashes due to this search process. The operation will be described with reference to the drawings.

When the search process is started by the control unit 21, the search tag ID input process shown in step S101 of FIG. 6 is performed, and the product to be searched is subjected to a predetermined operation or the like on the operation unit 23 functioning as the input unit. The tag ID of the LED tag 50 attached to G is input. In the search tag ID input process, the tag ID is not limited to being input in response to a predetermined operation or the like on the operation unit 23 by the user, and for example, the information code C corresponding to the search target functions as an input unit. The tag ID may be input by being optically read by the information code reading unit 40. Further, in the search tag ID input process, the product names and the like are input by inputting the product names and the like on the premise of using a database that is pre-established in which the product names and the like of all the products G that can be searched are associated with the tag ID. The tag ID may be specified from the entered product name or the like.

When the tag ID is input as described above, the lighting command transmission process shown in step S103 is performed, and a command for controlling the LED 56 of the LED tag 50 in which the input tag ID is recorded to be in the lighting state (hereinafter, lighting). A transmission signal including a command) is transmitted by the wireless tag processing unit 30 via the antenna 34. The lighting command corresponds to an example of "light emission instruction" and "lighting instruction", and the control unit 21 and the wireless tag processing unit 30 that perform the lighting command transmission processing correspond to an example of "light emission instruction transmission unit". obtain.

When the response wave from the LED tag 50 in which the tag ID is recorded is received in response to the transmission of such a lighting command (Yes in S105), the RSSI value detection process shown in step S107 is performed, and the received response wave is performed. The radio wave strength (received signal strength) of is detected as an RSSI value. The control unit 21 that detects the RSSI value can correspond to an example of a "detection unit" that detects the radio wave intensity of the radio wave received from the LED tag 50.

Subsequently, the guidance display process shown in step S109 is performed, and the guidance information including the distance to the LED tag 50 obtained from the RSSI value calculated as described above, that is, the distance to the product G to be searched is displayed. It is displayed in the unit 24. The user roughly grasps the guidance information displayed on the display unit 24, more specifically, the direction in which the product G to be searched is located, or the like according to a change in the distance to the product G to be searched. be able to.

Subsequently, in the determination process of step S111, it is determined whether or not the calculated RSSI value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. In the present embodiment, when the viewing distance is a distance at which the blinking state of the LED 56 of the LED tag 50 can be easily visually recognized (for example, 1 m), the predetermined threshold value is the LED tag 50 that transmits a response wave from the wireless communication device 10. It is set to match the RSSI value calculated when the distance to is the above-mentioned viewing distance.

Here, when the calculated RSSI value is less than a predetermined threshold value because the distance from the LED tag 50 that transmitted the response wave to the wireless communication device 10 exceeds the viewing distance (No in S111). After a predetermined time (hereinafter, also referred to as lighting time) has elapsed from the transmission of the lighting command (S113), the extinguishing command transmission process shown in step S115 is performed. In this process, a transmission signal including a command for switching the LED 56 of the LED tag 50 in the lit state to the off state (hereinafter, also referred to as a turn-off command) is transmitted by the wireless tag processing unit 30 via the antenna 34. The extinguishing command corresponds to an example of "light emission instruction" and "light extinguishing instruction", and the control unit 21 and the wireless tag processing unit 30 that perform the extinguishing command transmission processing correspond to an example of "light emission instruction transmitting unit". obtain.

Then, when a predetermined time (hereinafter, also referred to as a turn-off time) elapses from the transmission of the turn-off command (S117), the turn-on command transmission process of the step S103 is performed. As a result, the extinguishing command is transmitted when the lighting time elapses from the transmission of the lighting command until the calculated RSSI value becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold value, and the lighting command is transmitted when the extinguishing time elapses from the transmission of the extinguishing command. The state to be done is repeated.

After that, when the user approaches the LED tag 50 and the calculated RSSI value becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold value (Yes in S111), the transmission signal including the extinguishing command sends the antenna 34 by the wireless tag processing unit 30. It is transmitted via (S119), and the main search process is completed.

In the LED tag 50 attached to the product G to be searched, when the lighting command is received as described above, the LED 56 is controlled by the control circuit 53 to be in the lighting state, and the extinguishing command is received as described above. Then, the LED 56 is turned off under the control of the control circuit 53. That is, the LED 56 is in a blinking state in which the lighting state of the lighting time and the extinguishing state of the extinguishing time are repeated at predetermined blinking intervals.

A user who is approaching the product G to be searched by looking at the guidance information displayed on the display unit 24 can find the product G to be searched by searching for the blinking LED 56 as described above.

As described above, in the wireless communication device 10 according to the present embodiment, the LED tag 50 having the LED 56 that is in a predetermined light emitting state according to the received light emission instruction (lighting command, extinguishing command) is targeted for wireless communication and searched. The predetermined light emitting state is lit for the operation unit 23 and the like for inputting the tag ID recorded in the LED tag 50 attached to the target and the LED tag 50 for recording the tag ID input by the operation unit 23 and the like. A control unit 21 and a wireless tag processing unit 30 that function as a light emitting instruction transmitting unit that transmits a light emitting instruction so as to be in a blinking state in which the lighting and the extinguishing are repeated at predetermined blinking intervals are provided.

As a result, when searching for a search target, by inputting the tag ID recorded in the LED tag 50 attached to the search target, the LED tag 50 recording the tag ID becomes the blinking state. In particular, since the LED 56 does not simply emit light, but the LED 56 blinks at a predetermined blinking interval, for example, even when searching for a search target from a plurality of management targets randomly piled up, the search target is attached. Since the visibility of the LED tag 50 is improved, the position of the search target to which the LED tag 50 is attached can be easily visually recognized.

In particular, when the RSSI value detected by the RSSI value detection process becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value (Yes in S111), the wireless tag processing unit 30 transmits an instruction to turn off the LED 56 as a light emission instruction. As a result, by setting the predetermined threshold value according to the viewing distance at which the blinking state of the LED 56 can be easily visually recognized, when the user who sees the blinking LED 56 approaches the LED tag 50 having the LED 56. , The blinking LED 56 can be automatically switched to the off state without any operation by the user.

As a first modification of the present embodiment, the predetermined blinking interval may be changed according to the RSSI value detected by the RSSI value detection process. Specifically, for example, the predetermined blinking interval may be shortened as the detected RSSI value becomes larger. In this case, in the search process, the larger the detected RSSI value, the shorter the lighting time (S113) and the extinguishing time (S117) are set.

As a result, the larger the RSSI value (radio wave intensity), that is, the closer the distance to the LED tag 50, the shorter the predetermined blinking interval, so that the visibility of the LED tag 50 attached to the search target is further improved. Therefore, the position of the search target can be visually recognized more clearly.

Further, as a second modification of the present embodiment, when the remaining battery level of the battery 57, which is the drive source of the LED 56, is equal to or less than a predetermined specified value for each LED tag 50 from the wireless communication device 10, the LED 56 is described above. A power confirmation command may be transmitted to enter a second light emission state (for example, a lighting state) different from that at the time of the search process. In this case, the control circuit 53 of the LED tag 50 functions as a control unit that controls the LED 56 to the second light emitting state by receiving the power confirmation command from the wireless communication device 10, and the control unit 21 of the wireless communication device 10 And the wireless tag processing unit 30 functions as a designated value transmitting unit that transmits the predetermined specified value to the wireless tag by the power confirmation command.

As a result, the user can recognize that the LED tag 50 in the second light emitting state is insufficient in driving power by transmitting the power confirmation command to each LED tag 50 by the wireless communication device 10. .. Therefore, by replacing the battery 57 of the LED tag 50 in the second light emitting state, it is possible to prevent a state in which the search target cannot be searched because the LED 56 does not blink due to insufficient driving power. .. A plurality of types of power confirmation commands may be prepared according to the above-mentioned predetermined value.

[Other embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and modifications, and may be embodied as follows, for example.
(1) The present invention is not limited to being adopted in a search system that manages a product G such as clothes, for example, a luggage placed in the backyard of a store or a suitcase placed in a cloakroom of a hotel. It may be adopted in a search system that manages such things. In this case, the search tag ID input process described above is based on the premise of using a database in which specific information for identifying the luggage or suitcase (for example, the name of the owner who deposited the luggage) is associated with the tag ID and is constructed in advance. , The tag ID may be specified from the input specific information by inputting the above specific information.

(2) In the search tag ID input process, not only one tag ID is input, but a plurality of tag IDs may be input, or a group ID or the like capable of specifying a plurality of tag IDs is input. You may. In this case, since the LEDs 56 of the plurality of LED tags 50 corresponding to the input tag IDs and the like blink respectively, it is possible to search a plurality of search targets at the same time.

(3) The wireless tag attached to the management target is not limited to being configured as the LED tag 50 having the LED 56, but may be configured to have another blinking means.

1 ... Search system 10 ... Wireless communication device 21 ... Control unit (light emission instruction transmission unit, detection unit, specified value transmission unit)
23 ... Operation unit (input unit)
30 ... Wireless tag processing unit (light emission instruction transmission unit, specified value transmission unit)
34 ... Antenna 40 ... Information code reading unit (input unit)
50 ... LED tag (wireless tag)
53 ... Control circuit (control unit)
56 ... LED (light emitting part)

Claims (6)

A wireless communication device capable of wireless communication with a wireless tag having a light emitting unit that changes to a predetermined light emitting state according to a received light emitting instruction.
An input unit for inputting a tag ID recorded in the wireless tag attached to the search target, and
With respect to the wireless tag in which the tag ID input by the input unit is recorded, the light emission state is such that the predetermined light emission state by the light emitting unit repeats lighting and extinguishing at predetermined blinking intervals. A light emitting instruction transmitter that sends instructions, and
A wireless communication device characterized by being provided with. It is equipped with a detection unit that detects the radio wave strength of the radio wave received from the radio tag.
The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting instruction transmitting unit transmits the light emitting instruction so that the predetermined blinking interval changes according to the radio wave intensity detected by the detecting unit. .. The second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, when the radio wave intensity detected by the detection unit becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value, the light emitting instruction transmitting unit transmits an extinguishing instruction in which the light emitting unit is turned off as the light emitting instruction. The described wireless communication device. The light emitting instruction is characterized in that a lighting instruction for turning on the light emitting unit and a turning off instruction for turning off the light emitting unit are transmitted at the predetermined blinking interval. The wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The wireless tag attached to the search target and
A search system characterized by being equipped with. The wireless tag is
A control unit that controls the light emitting unit to a second light emitting state when the remaining battery level of the battery that is the drive source of the light emitting unit is equal to or less than the predetermined specified value when the predetermined specified value is received is provided. ,
The wireless communication device is
The search system according to claim 5, further comprising a designated value transmitting unit that transmits the predetermined designated value to the wireless tag.

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