JP4262067B2 - RFID reading method and reading apparatus - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an RFID reading method and a reading device for reading the contents of an RFID attached to an article such as a mail.

  Recently, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) has become widespread as an article identification technique that replaces barcodes. The RFID stores identification information in a semiconductor integrated circuit chip, and the stored identification information can be read without contact via a radio wave. Since an RFID semiconductor integrated circuit chip receives power from radio waves, a power source is unnecessary on the RFID side. RFID is small and can be easily attached to an article as if it were a tag. Therefore, RFID is called a wireless tag that can read identification information without contact.

  A search device that searches for an article using such an RFID is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

By the way, mails posted by the sender are delivered to the recipient via the sender, relay station and delivery station. In order to smoothly pass the postal matter through each station in this way, a bar code recording delivery information is attached to the postal matter.
JP 2002-271229 A

  Delivery information recorded in such a bar code has been read by a bar code reader.

Since there is only one mail piece that can be read by this bar code reader, it has to be taken out from the bag that stores the mail pieces together.

  That is, the delivery information of a large number of mail items cannot be read out at the same time.

  Therefore, it is conceivable to attach an RFID to a mail and read delivery information recorded on the RFID with an RFID reader.

  In this way, when the delivery information recorded in the RFID of a plurality of pieces of mail is read by the RFID reader, the RDIF of the mail that goes out of the reading area of the RFID reader cannot be read.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an RFID reading method and reading apparatus capable of reliably reading delivery information simultaneously from a plurality of mail items using RFID. It is in.

The present invention relates to an RFID reading method for reading an RFID attached to an article, a step of reading the total number of articles from a tag on which the total number of articles is recorded, and a step of reading RFID attached to the article via an antenna. Reading the RFID attached to the article by changing the angle of the antenna, comparing the total number of read data of the RFID before or after changing the angle of the antenna, and the total number of the article, And outputting a result of the comparison.

According to the present invention, since the angle of the antenna that radiates radio waves is changed, it is possible to provide an RFID reading method and reading apparatus that can reliably read information stored in a plurality of RFIDs. .

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a view showing an RFID reader on which a mail bag as a container for storing mail items is placed. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes an RFID reader. A mail bag 11 is placed on the RFID reader 10. The mail bag 11 is divided into a plurality of storage chambers 11 a to 11 g by a partition plate 12. Non-standard-size mail items are stored in the storage rooms 11a to 11f, and non-standard-size mail items are stored in the storage room 11g. On the side surface of the mail bag 11, a nameplate tag 13 that stores information on how many mail items are stored in the mail bag 11 is attached. This nameplate tag 13 is also constituted by RFID. After the mail is stored in the mail bag 11, the upper opening is covered with a lid member (not shown).

  The RFID reader 10 incorporates a control unit and the like as described with reference to FIG.

Inside the upper surface 10a of the RFID reader 10, antennas 1 to 8 for transmitting and receiving radio waves are embedded as shown in FIG. The embedded positions of the antennas 1 to 8 are embedded at positions facing the storage portions 11 a to 11 g of the mail bag 11. An inclination means (not shown) is provided for changing the readable range of the antenna by inclining the antennas 1 to 8 from the horizontal plane. The operation of the tilting means is performed by the control unit 31 described later.

  A display device 20 is connected to the RFID reader 10.

  Note that an RFID 21 is attached to the mail stored in the mail bag 11 as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the RFID reader 10 includes a control unit 31 composed of, for example, a microprocessor. The control unit 31 is connected to the antennas 1 to 8 and the display device 20 described above.

The antennas 1 to 8 embedded inside the upper surface 10a of the RFID reader 10 are shown as an antenna 41 in FIG . Antenna 41 has a read preparative area in the vertical direction with respect to the planar radiating surface of the antenna 41. This readable area is indicated by hatching A in FIG. The antenna 41 is embedded at a position facing the storage portions 11 a to 11 g of the mail bag 11. In other words, it is not embedded at a position that does not face the storage portions 11a to 11g. The position where the antenna is not embedded is an unreadable area. This unreadable area is indicated by hatching B in FIG .

  Therefore, if the RFID 21 enters the unreadable area B, the delivery information recorded on the RFID 21 cannot be read.

  Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described. First, the posted mail is stored in the mail bag 11 at the sending station and covered. The number of mail items stored in the mail bag 11 is recorded on the name tag 13 attached to the side surface of the mail bag 11. The mail bag 11 is delivered by truck to the relay station.

  In this relay station, the mail bag 11 is taken out and placed on the RFID reader 10.

Hereinafter, the handling of the mail bag 11 at the relay station will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The total number of postal items recorded on the nameplate tag 13 attached to the side surface of the mail bag 11 is read by a reading means (not shown) (step S1). The total number of mails read by this reading means is displayed on the display device 20.

  Then, the RFID reader 10 reads the delivery information recorded on the RFID 21 attached to the corresponding mail item without tilting the antennas 1 to 8 (step S2). The read delivery information, that is, the total number of mail items stored in the mail bag 11 is stored in the memory in the control unit 31 and displayed on the display device 20.

  Next, the RFID reader 10 performs a process of tilting the antennas 1 to 8 and reading the delivery information recorded on the RFID 21 attached to the corresponding mail item (step S3).

  A state in which the readable area A of the antenna 41 is changed by tilting the antennas 1 to 8 will be described with reference to FIG. A region indicated by hatching A in FIG. 7 indicates a readable region when the antenna 41 is not tilted. In this state, the RFID 21 immediately above the antenna 41 is in the unreadable area B.

  In such a case, when the antenna 41 is tilted as shown by a dashed line, the RFID 21 enters the readable area A ′ when the antenna 41 is tilted.

  In this way, by reading the RFID 21 without tilting the antenna 41 and by reading the RFID 21 while tilting the antenna 41, the delivery information recorded on the RFID 21 can be reliably read.

  Next, it is determined whether the reading has been completed (step S4). This determination is made, for example, based on whether the total number of postal items recorded on the nameplate tag 13 read in step S1 is equal to the total number of postal items read in step S2 or S3.

  If “YES” is determined in the determination in step S <b> 4, “OK” is displayed on the display device 20. When “OK” is displayed in this way, the total number of postal items recorded on the nameplate tag 13 and the total number of postal items actually stored in the postal bag 11 read by the RFID reader 10 are obtained. Means that they match.

On the other hand, if “NO” is determined in the determination in step S4, error processing is performed (step S5). As a case where “NO” is determined in step S4, the RFID 21
Is assumed to be peeled off from the mail. In such a case, the post office staff removes the lid (not shown) of the mail bag 11 and attaches the RFID 21 to the mail piece again.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, since the angle of the antenna that radiates radio waves is changed, there is provided an RFID reading method capable of reliably reading information stored in a plurality of RFIDs. be able to. At this time, it is possible to check whether the number of mail items stored in the mail bag 11 is correct by storing the total number of mail items stored in the mail bag 11 in the nameplate tag.

  In the above-described embodiment, the way of partitioning the inside of the mail bag 11 into a plurality of storage rooms is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the total number of mail items and the number of RFIDs 21 stored in the nameplate tag 13 are checked, but the present invention is not limited to this.

1 is an overall view showing an RFID reader to which an RFID reading method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The top view of the mail according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a layout diagram of antennas provided in the RFID reader according to the embodiment. The figure which shows the readable area | region of the RFID reader concerning the embodiment. The system block diagram of the RFID reader concerning the embodiment. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the RFID reader according to the embodiment. The figure which shows the readable area | region at the time of inclining the antenna of the RFID reader concerning the embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... RFID reader, 11 ... Mail bag, 12 ... Partition plate, 13 ... Nameplate tag, 20 ... Display apparatus.

Claims (3)

In an RFID reading method for reading an RFID attached to an article,
Reading the total number of articles from a tag that records the total number of articles;
Reading the RFID attached to the article via the antenna;
Reading the RFID attached to the article by changing the angle of the antenna;
Comparing the total number of RFID read data before or after changing the angle of the antenna with the total number of the articles;
Outputting the comparison result; and
RFID read method characterized by comprising the. Reading means for reading the total number of articles from a tag in which the total number of articles is recorded;
RFID reading means for reading the RFID attached to the article via the antenna,
The RFID reader can read the RFID by changing the angle of the antenna, and the total number of RFID read data before or after changing the angle of the antenna, and the article read by the reader An RFID reader characterized by comparing the total number of the signals and outputting the result. Display means for displaying a comparison result between the total number of read data output by the RFID reading means before or after changing the angle of the antenna and the total number of articles read by the reading means. The RFID reader according to claim 2.

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