JP3964782B2 - Tag information management device, tag information management antenna - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention includes a loop antenna provided along a conveyance line, and reads information on a tag attached to an article conveyed by the conveyance line using a magnetic field generated by the loop antenna, or The present invention relates to a tag information management device and a tag information management antenna for writing information.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, there is known a tag information management device in which a wireless tag is attached to an article transported by a transport line, and information of the wireless tag is read or written by a loop antenna. As shown in FIG. 4, the loop antenna 1 is provided so that the loop surface is orthogonal to the transport line 2, and the radio tag 4 attached to the article 4 transported so as to go under the loop antenna 1. Information is read or information is written to the wireless tag 4 (communication is performed). According to such a loop antenna 1, a magnetic field directed in the transport direction of the transport line is generated, and the surface of the wireless tag 4 (that is, the loop surface of the tag loop antenna provided on the tag) is parallel to the loop surface. Thus, when the article is conveyed (in the state of 4a), communication with the wireless tag can be performed with high reliability.
[0003]
However, when the article is conveyed so that the surface of the wireless tag 4 attached to the article is orthogonal to the loop surface near the center of the loop antenna of the tag information management apparatus (state 4b), as shown in FIG. The direction of the magnetic field generated by the loop antenna is in the same direction as the surface of the wireless tag 4b, so that the tag loop antenna is difficult to interlink with the magnetic field generated from the loop antenna, and particularly the wireless tag 4b is positioned at the center of the carrier line. In such a case, reading or writing may become impossible. Further, when the surface of the wireless tag attached to the article is parallel to the surface of the transport line (state 4c), reading or writing may not be possible in the same manner as described above.
[0004]
As described above, the tag information management device described above has a problem that reading or writing is impossible when the RFID tag surface is perpendicular to the loop surface of the loop antenna near the center of the antenna. In order to solve this problem, the following patent documents having a completely different structure from the present invention are known.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-279362 A (page 2-3, FIG. 1)
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention makes it possible to read or write information on a wireless tag, regardless of the direction of the wireless tag, and to provide a highly reliable tag information management device. An object is to provide an antenna for tag information management.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention has a loop antenna provided along a transport line, and a tag attached to an article transported by the transport line using a magnetic field generated by the loop antenna. In the tag information management device that reads information or writes information to the tag, the loop antenna is composed of at least two loop antennas, each loop surface being substantially parallel to the transport surface, and the generated magnetic field of each loop antenna is The directional components are different from each other by approximately 90 degrees.
[0008]
Further, the present invention has a loop antenna provided along a conveyance line, and reads information on a tag attached to an article conveyed by the conveyance line using a magnetic field generated by the loop antenna, or In the tag information management device for writing information to a tag, the loop antenna is composed of at least two loop antennas, at least one of which is provided with an eight-shaped horizontal loop antenna whose loop surface is parallel to the transport surface It is characterized by that.
[0009]
In the tag information management device of the present invention, apart from the at least two loop antennas, a loop antenna is provided so that an article conveyed by a conveyance line can be passed through, and each loop antenna is provided at a predetermined distance. It is characterized by that.
[0010]
In the tag information management device of the present invention, the at least two loop antennas are provided at two positions in the height direction across a carrier line.
[0011]
The present invention is also a tag information management antenna for use in a tag information management apparatus that communicates using a magnetic field with a tag attached to an article conveyed by a conveyance line, and the article conveyed by the conveyance line is A loop antenna that is provided so as to pass through, and a horizontal loop antenna that is provided before and after the conveyance direction of the conveyance line of the loop antenna, the loop surface is parallel to the conveyance surface, and the generated magnetic fields have direction components that are approximately 90 degrees different from each other. Is provided.
[0012]
In the tag information management antenna according to the present invention, the horizontal loop antenna has an eight-letter shape whose loop surface is substantially parallel to the transport surface.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a tag information management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an operation.
The tag information management apparatus according to the embodiment includes a tag information management antenna 1, first and second distribution synthesizers H1 and H2 that are connected to the tag information management antenna 1 and distribute and supply power. The read / write device 5 that reads the information or writes the information to the wireless tag and the PC 6 that is connected to the read / write device 5 and controls and manages the read / write device 5 are configured.
[0014]
The tag information management antenna 1 is provided so as to surround the carrier line 2 and has a loop antenna (tunnel type loop antenna) 1A whose loop surface faces in the carrier direction, and before and after the carrier line in the carrier direction around the loop antenna 1A In each case, two octagonal loop antennas (horizontal loop antennas) 1B and 1C are provided below the conveyance surface of the conveyance line, the loop surface is parallel to the conveyance surface, and generates magnetic fields having directional components different from each other by 90 degrees. With. In addition, about the loop antenna provided so that a conveyance line may be enclosed, the lower part is passed between the belt of the upper side and lower side of the belt conveyor which comprises a conveyance line, or the lower side of the whole belt conveyor is passed. Either of them may be used. As a result, articles (such as luggage) conveyed on the belt are conveyed so as to pass through the loop antenna.
[0015]
That is, one horizontal loop antenna 1B has a shape in which two loops forming an eight-shape are arranged in the same direction as the direction of the transport line, and as shown in FIG. A magnetic field having a component in the same direction as the transport line is generated. According to the horizontal loop antenna 1B, near the center of the antenna, it is possible to communicate with the wireless tag except when the surface of the wireless tag is perpendicular to the transport surface and parallel to the transport direction. The other horizontal loop antenna 1C has a shape in which two loops forming an eight-shape are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the transport line, and a direction orthogonal to the direction of the transport line as shown in FIG. A magnetic field having the following components is generated. Therefore, according to this horizontal loop antenna, it is possible to communicate with the wireless tag except when the surface of the wireless tag is orthogonal to the transport direction at the center of the antenna.
[0016]
Further, according to the tunnel-type loop antenna 1A, as shown in FIG. 2C, when the surface of the wireless tag is parallel to the transport direction and when the surface of the wireless tag is near the center of the antenna, it is parallel to the transport surface (horizontal ) Can be communicated with the wireless tag except in the case of. The surface direction of the wireless tag that can communicate with the tunnel type loop antenna can be covered by either of the two horizontal loop antennas, but the tunnel type loop antenna can cover a wide communication range in the height direction.
[0017]
Further, the tunnel type loop antenna and the horizontal loop antenna are provided at a predetermined distance in the transport direction. This predetermined distance is a distance at which the loop antennas do not interfere with each other, a magnetic field is secured by each loop antenna, and communication with the wireless tag can be surely performed, and article management without leakage can be performed. Is set.
[0018]
Embodiment 2. FIG.
In FIG. 3, horizontal loop antennas 1B ′ and 1C ′ are provided also above the carrier line in order to widen the communication range in the height direction by the horizontal loop antenna. These horizontal loop antennas have the same shape as the horizontal loop antennas provided below the carrier line, and are provided in parallel. Their height positions are substantially the same as the upper side of the tunnel type loop antenna.
According to the second embodiment, the communication range in the height direction by the horizontal loop antenna can be expanded, and the reliability of communication can be further increased.
[0019]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to read or write information on a wireless tag regardless of the direction of the wireless tag, so that the tag information management device and tag information with high reliability can be obtained. The management antenna can be provided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a tag information management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a tag information management antenna according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a conventional tag information management apparatus.
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a conventional problem.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Tag information management antenna, 1A loop antenna (tunnel loop antenna), 1B, 1C, 1B ′, 1C ′ horizontal loop antenna, 5 read / write device, 6 PC, H1, H2 distribution synthesizer.

Claims (2)

It has a loop antenna provided below the conveyance surface of the conveyance line, and reads information on a tag attached to an article conveyed by the conveyance line using a magnetic field generated by the loop antenna, or information on a tag In the tag information management device to write,
The loop antenna is composed of at least two loop antennas each having a loop surface parallel to the transport surface, and one loop antenna of the two loop antennas has two loops forming a figure eight. A shape that is aligned in the same direction as the direction of the transport line, and the other loop antenna of the two loop antennas is a shape in which two loops forming an 8-shape are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the transport line A tag information management device comprising: In the tag information management device according to claim 1,
Two loop antennas are further provided above the transfer surface of the transfer line, and the loop antenna provided above the transfer surface has the same shape as the loop antenna provided below the transfer surface of the transfer line. Tag information management device.

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