JP4600740B2 - Radio tag circuit element cartridge and radio tag information communication apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless tag circuit element cartridge and a wireless tag information communication apparatus used in a wireless tag information communication apparatus that reads or writes wireless tag information from the outside of the wireless tag circuit element via wireless communication.

  An RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system that reads / writes information in a non-contact manner between a small wireless tag and a reader (reading device) / writer (writing device) is known. For example, a wireless tag circuit element provided in a label-like wireless tag includes an IC circuit unit that stores predetermined wireless tag information and an antenna that is connected to the IC circuit unit and transmits and receives information. Even if the battery is dirty or placed in an invisible position, the reader / writer can access (read / write information) the RFID tag information in the IC circuit unit, and manage the product. Practical use is expected in various fields such as inspection processes.

  As an example of using such a wireless tag for managing consumables, there is one described in Patent Document 1, for example. In this prior art, a wireless tag is provided in a recording material storage cartridge used in a printer, a copying machine, and a copying machine. As a result, when the cartridge is mounted on the main body side of the printer or the like, the profile information about the recording agent can be read from the RFID circuit element by the reader / writer provided on the main body side, and the use status of the printer or the like during the mounting In response to this, the profile information can be newly written or updated.

JP 2002-86864 A (paragraph numbers 0022 to 0057, FIG. 1)

  By the way, as described above, the RFID label has various usage methods. When the user actually uses the RFID tag label, generally, a strip-shaped tag provided with RFID circuit elements in the longitudinal direction of the tape at predetermined intervals. Each RFID circuit element is transported along the longitudinal direction of the tape by feeding out the tape from the tag tape roll, and a predetermined RFID tag generated on the device side with respect to the antenna of each RFID circuit element when being transported. Information is transmitted via the antenna on the device side, and the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit connected to the antenna of the RFID circuit element is sequentially accessed (read or written). Then, the RFID circuit element from which the RFID tag information has been read or written is then conveyed downstream in the conveying direction and cut into a label shape with a predetermined length, thereby completing the RFID tag label.

  In such a RFID label production procedure, access (reading or writing) to the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit is performed through non-contact wireless communication as described above. It cannot be said that there is no possibility of inadequate access or poor access (misread or miswritten) due to insufficient voltage (battery depletion), adverse effects of surrounding radio wave environment, and the like. In preparation for such a case, a device manufacturer or a service company is required to make every effort to guarantee the performance of the device and the quality of the wireless tag created thereby.

  The above prior art is a system using a wireless tag to monitor the state of consumables attached to the apparatus main body, and guarantees the production performance and the quality assurance of the RFID label in an article producing apparatus such as an RFID label producing apparatus. It is not a consideration.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an RFID circuit element cartridge and an RFID tag information communication device that can reliably guarantee device performance and RFID tag quality at the time of RFID label production and improve reliability.

To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plurality of RFID tag circuit elements for a user including an IC circuit unit for storing predetermined information and a tag side antenna connected to the IC circuit unit for transmitting and receiving information. Is generated, and access information for accessing the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit is generated, and the access information is transmitted to the tag-side antenna in a contactless manner by wireless communication to access the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit a RFID circuit element cartridge that is detachably attached to the RFID tag information communicating apparatus, wherein the access history information storage means for storing access history information with said RFID tag information communicating apparatus and the user wireless tag circuit element The wireless tag circuit element cartridge is provided in a housing .

  When the cartridge is attached to the wireless tag information communication device, the access information generated by the wireless tag information communication device is transmitted to the tag-side antenna of the user wireless tag circuit element by wireless communication without contact, and the wireless tag of the IC circuit unit Information is accessed (read or written). In the first invention of this application, the cartridge includes access history information storage means, and stores access history information between the RFID tag information communication apparatus and the user RFID circuit element. As a result, it is possible to leave access adequacy history and success / failure histories at the time of the above access in the cartridge. Even if a misread or miswrite) occurs, the contents of the access history information storage means can be obtained later from the cartridge on the side of the manufacturer or service company, etc. Detect, confirm, and take some measures. As a result, it is possible to ensure the performance of the apparatus and the quality of the RFID label, and to improve the reliability.

  According to a second aspect, in the first aspect, the access history information storage unit stores success or failure of the access to the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit as the access history information.

  By leaving an access success / failure history at the time of access, the success / failure history can be acquired later on the side of the manufacturer or service company, etc., and the performance guarantee and quality assurance can be fully ensured.

  According to a third invention, in the first or second invention, the access history information storage means is a management RFID circuit element provided for storing the access history information.

  By leaving the access history information in the RFID circuit element provided in the cartridge, the manufacturer or service company or the like can later acquire the information, and complete the performance assurance and quality assurance.

  According to a fourth invention, in the first or second invention, the access history information storage means is a non-volatile storage means provided for storing the access history information.

  By leaving the access history information in the non-volatile storage means provided in the cartridge, the manufacturer or service company or the like can later acquire the information and take thorough guarantees for performance and quality.

  According to a fifth invention, in any one of the first to fourth inventions, the access history information storage means includes, as the access history information, identification information of a wireless information communication device attached at the time of access, a required output. At least one of the information, the number of access attempts, and the number of times the cartridge is used is written and stored immediately after access.

  By leaving the device-side identification information, required output, access retry count, cartridge reuse count, etc. at the time of access in the access history information storage means, the manufacturer or service company or the like can later acquire such various information, and the device performance We can make every effort to guarantee the quality of the warranty and RFID tag labels.

To achieve the above object, a sixth invention, an RFID circuit element for a plurality of users having a tag antenna for transmitting and receiving information is connected to the IC circuit part and the IC circuit part storing predetermined information accommodated, the cartridge having an access history information stored hand stage housing for storing access history information of the wireless tag circuit element for the user, and a cartridge holder portion detachable, wherein the plurality of users for the wireless tag circuit element Among them, a device-side antenna that transmits and receives by wireless communication with the tag-side antenna of a specific RFID circuit element, and an access information generating unit that generates access information for accessing the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit And the access information generated by the access information generating means is transmitted to the tag antenna without contact via the device antenna, And information transmitting means for accessing to the wireless tag information of the serial IC circuit portion, and having a writing means for writing to generate said access history information in said access history information storage unit.

  When attached to the RFID tag information communication device to the cartridge holder, the access information generated by the access information generating means is transmitted to the tag side antenna of the RFID tag circuit element for the user in a non-contact manner via the device side antenna by the information transmitting means, Access (reading or writing) to the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit is performed. In the sixth invention of this application, the access history information of the user RFID circuit element is generated by the writing means, and is written and stored in the access history information storage means. As a result, the access propriety history and success / failure history at the time of the access can be left in the access history information storage means of the cartridge, so that the power supply voltage due to the user's erroneous operation (= access random occurrence of access failure), battery exhaustion, etc. Inappropriate access or poor access (misread or miswritten) due to shortage (= access failure continuously from a certain time), adverse effects of ambient radio wave environment (= access failure occurs quite frequently depending on installation location regardless of time), etc. Even if it occurs, the fact of the occurrence of inappropriate or defective access is detected and confirmed by acquiring the storage contents of the access history information storage means when collecting the cartridge on the maker or service company side. Some measures can be taken. As a result, it is possible to ensure the performance of the apparatus and the quality of the RFID label, and to improve the reliability.

  A seventh invention is the above-described sixth invention, wherein the plurality of user RFID circuit elements are continuously arranged in a tape longitudinal direction of a tag tape wound around a tag tape roll, and the tag tape or A printing means for performing predetermined printing is provided on either one of the tapes to be printed and the tape to be bonded.

  Thus, after accessing the RFID tag information of the RFID tag circuit element for the user of the tag tape, printing is performed on the tag tape or the tape to be printed to create a printed tag label tape, which is used for each RFID circuit element. Corresponding predetermined length printed label labels can be created.

  In an eighth aspect based on the seventh aspect, the printing means performs printing representing the access history information on the tag tape or the print-receiving tape.

  As a result, the access history information can be recorded not only in the access history information storage means but also in a visually obvious form (including barcodes and two-dimensional barcodes) on the tag tape or the print-receiving tape.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to reliably guarantee the device performance and the quality of the RFID label when producing the RFID label, and improve the reliability.

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

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing a wireless tag generation system (wireless tag information communication system) to which the tag label producing apparatus of this embodiment is applied. This embodiment is an embodiment in a case where the present invention is applied to a wireless tag generation system that can only read (not write).

  In the RFID tag generating system 1 shown in FIG. 1, the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment includes a route server 4, a terminal 5, a general-purpose computer 6, and a plurality of information servers via a wired or wireless communication line 3. 7 is connected.

  FIG. 2 is a conceptual configuration diagram showing a detailed structure of the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2.

  In FIG. 2, the apparatus body 8 of the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 is provided with a cartridge holder part (not shown) as a recess, and a cartridge (RFID tag circuit element cartridge) 100 can be attached to and detached from this holder part. Is attached.

  The apparatus main body 8 includes the above-described cartridge holder portion into which the cartridge 100 is fitted and a casing 9 constituting the outer shell, and a print head (in this example, a thermal head) as a printing unit that performs predetermined printing (printing) on the cover film 103. Head), a ribbon take-up roller drive shaft 11 that drives the ink ribbon 105 that has finished printing on the cover film 103, a cover film (printed tape) 103, and a base tape 101, and a printed tag label. Between the pressure roller driving shaft (drive shaft) 12 for feeding out from the cartridge 100 as the tape 110 for printing and the RFID circuit element To (provided by the RFID tag circuit element for users, details will be described later) provided on the tag label tape 110 with print. Antenna 1 for transmitting and receiving signals by radio communication using high frequency such as UHF band 4 and the RFID tag circuit element Tc (management RFID tag circuit element) provided in the cartridge 100, the antenna 19 for transmitting and receiving signals by wireless communication in the same manner as described above, and the printed tag label tape 110 are connected to a predetermined A cutter 15 that cuts to a predetermined length at timing to generate a label-like RFID tag T (details will be described later), and a predetermined access area that opposes the RFID circuit element To to the antenna 14 at the time of signal transmission / reception by the wireless communication. And a pair of transport guides 13 for guiding the cut tape 110 (= the RFID label T), and the guided RFID label T is transported to the carry-out port (discharge port) 16 and sent out. A delivery roller 17 and a sensor 18 for detecting the presence or absence of the RFID label T at the carry-out port 16 are provided.

  On the other hand, the apparatus main body 8 also processes the signal read from the RFID circuit element To and the RF circuit 21 for accessing (reading or writing) the RFID circuit element To via the antenna 14. A signal processing circuit 22 for the above, a cartridge motor 23 for driving the ribbon take-up roller driving shaft 11 and the tape feeding roller driving shaft 12 described above, a cartridge driving circuit 24 for controlling the driving of the cartridge motor 23, and A print drive circuit 25 that controls energization of the print head 10, a solenoid 26 that drives the cutter 15 to perform a cutting operation, a solenoid drive circuit 27 that controls the solenoid 26, and the delivery roller 17 are driven. Delivery roller motor 28 and delivery roller drive circuit 2 for controlling the delivery roller motor 28 And the overall operation of the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 through the high-frequency circuit 21, the signal processing circuit 22, the cartridge drive circuit 24, the print drive circuit 25, the solenoid drive circuit 27, the delivery roller drive circuit 29, and the like. And a control circuit 30.

  The control circuit 30 is a so-called microcomputer, and although not shown in detail, is composed of a central processing unit such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM, and is stored in advance in the ROM while using a temporary storage function of the RAM. Signal processing is performed according to the program. The control circuit 30 is connected to, for example, a communication line via the input / output interface 31, and is connected to the route server 4, the other terminal 5, the general-purpose computer 6, the information server 7 and the like connected to the communication line. It is possible to exchange information.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the detailed structure of the cartridge 100.

  In FIG. 3, the cartridge 100 includes a casing 100A, a first roll 102 around which the strip-shaped base tape 101 (tag tape) disposed in the casing 100A is wound, and the base tape 101 A second roll 104 around which the transparent cover film 103 having substantially the same width is wound, a ribbon supply side roll 111 for feeding out the ink ribbon 105 (thermal transfer ribbon, but not required when the cover film is a thermal tape), The ribbon take-up roller 106 for winding the ribbon 105 after printing, the base tape 101 and the cover film 103 are pressed and bonded to form the printed tag label tape 110, and the tape is fed in the direction indicated by the arrow A. The pressure roller 107 (which also functions as a tape feed roller) and the apparatus main body 8 in the casing 100A. Having an antenna 19 and the RFID circuit element Tc provided in substantially opposite positions.

  The first roll 102 is wound with the base tape 101 in which a plurality of RFID tag circuit elements To are sequentially formed at predetermined equal intervals in the longitudinal direction around a reel member 102a.

  In this example, the base tape 101 has a four-layer structure (see a partially enlarged view in FIG. 3), from the side wound inside (right side in FIG. 3) to the opposite side (left side in FIG. 3), An adhesive layer 101a made of an appropriate adhesive material, a colored base film 101b made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate), an adhesive layer 101c made of an appropriate adhesive material, and a release paper 101d are laminated in this order.

  An antenna (tag side antenna) 152 for transmitting and receiving information is integrally provided on the back side (left side in FIG. 3) of the base film 101b, and information can be updated so as to be connected thereto (rewritable rewritable). The IC circuit unit 151 to be stored is formed, and the RFID tag circuit element To is constituted by these (the same applies to the RFID tag circuit element Tc).

  The adhesive layer 101a for later bonding the cover film 103 is formed on the front side (right side in FIG. 3) of the base film 101b, and the RFID circuit element is formed on the back side (left side in FIG. 3) of the base film 101b. The release paper 101d is bonded to the base film 101b by the adhesive layer 101c provided so as to enclose To. The release paper 101d is one that can be adhered to the product or the like by the adhesive layer 101c when the RFID label T finally completed in a label shape is attached to a predetermined product or the like by peeling it off. It is.

  The second roll 104 has the cover film 103 wound around a reel member 104a. The cover film 103 fed out from the second roll 104 has a ribbon 105 driven by a ribbon supply side roll 111 and a ribbon take-up roller 106 arranged on the back side thereof (that is, the side to be bonded to the base tape 101). When pressed by the print head 10, it is brought into contact with the back surface of the cover film 103.

  The ribbon take-up roller 106 and the pressure roller 107 are driven by the driving force of the cartridge motor 23 (see FIG. 2 described above), for example, a pulse motor provided outside the cartridge 100. By being transmitted to the feed roller drive shaft 12, it is rotationally driven.

  The RFID circuit element TC is accessed by the antenna 14 for the RFID tag information of the IC circuit portion 151 of each RFID circuit element To for each of the plurality of RFID circuit elements To provided on the base tape 101 (here, read). The corresponding access history information is written and stored when it is written in a modified example described later (details will be described later).

  In the cartridge 100 configured as described above, the base tape 101 fed out from the first roll 102 is supplied to the pressure roller 107. On the other hand, the cover film 103 fed out from the second roll 104 is ink driven by a ribbon supply side roll 111 and a ribbon take-up roller 106 arranged on the back side thereof (that is, the side to be bonded to the base tape 101). The ribbon 105 is brought into contact with the back surface of the cover film 103 when pressed by the print head 10.

  When the cartridge 100 is mounted on the cartridge holder portion of the apparatus main body 8 and a roll holder (not shown) is moved from the separation position to the contact position, the cover film 103 and the ink ribbon 105 are moved to the print head 10 and the platen roller. The base tape 101 and the cover film 103 are sandwiched between the pressure roller 107 and the sub-roller 109. The ribbon take-up roller 106 and the pressure roller 107 are rotationally driven in synchronization with the directions indicated by the arrows B and D by the driving force of the cartridge motor 23, respectively. At this time, the tape feed roller drive shaft 12 is connected to the sub roller 109 and the platen roller 108 by a gear (not shown), and as the tape feed roller drive shaft 12 is driven, the pressure roller 107, the sub roller 109, Then, the platen roller 108 rotates, and the base tape 101 is fed out from the first roll 102 and supplied to the pressure roller 107 as described above. On the other hand, the cover film 103 is fed out from the second roll 104 and the plurality of heating elements of the print head 10 are energized by the print drive circuit 25. As a result, a print R (see FIG. 6 described later) is printed on the back surface of the cover film 103. The base tape 101 and the cover film 103 after the printing are bonded and integrated by the pressure roller 107 and the sub-roller 109 to form a tag label tape 110 with print, and are carried out of the cartridge 100. The The ink ribbon 105 that has finished printing on the cover film 103 is taken up by the ribbon take-up roller 106 by driving the ribbon take-up roller drive shaft 11.

  FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing detailed functions of the high-frequency circuit 21. In FIG. 4, the high frequency circuit 21 transmits an antenna switch (switching) circuit 341 switched by the control circuit 30 and signals to the RFID circuit elements To and Tc via the antenna switch circuit 341 and the antennas 14 and 19. The transmitting unit 32 includes a transmitting unit 32, a receiving unit 33 that inputs reflected waves from the RFID circuit elements To and Tc received by the antennas 14 and 19, and a transmission / reception separator 34.

  The antenna switch circuit 341 is a switch circuit using a well-known high-frequency FET or diode, and connects one of the antennas 14 and 19 to the transmission / reception separator 34 by a selection signal from the control circuit 30.

The transmission unit 32 accesses the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit 151 of the RFID circuit elements To and Tc (reading in this example, including writing in a modified example described later), a crystal resonator 35 that generates a carrier wave, PLL (Phase
The generated carrier wave is modulated based on a signal supplied from the signal processing circuit 22 (Locked Loop) 36, a VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator) 37 (in this example, a “TX_ASK” signal from the signal processing circuit 22) A transmission multiplication circuit 38 (amplitude modulation based on the above) (however, in the case of amplitude modulation, an amplification factor variable amplifier or the like may be used) and a modulated wave (wireless tag information) modulated by the transmission multiplication circuit 38 And a variable transmission amplifier 39 that determines and amplifies the amplification factor according to the “TX_PWR” signal from 30. The generated carrier wave preferably uses a UHF band frequency, and the output of the transmission amplifier 39 passes through the antenna switch circuit 341 via the transmission / reception separator 34 to either the antenna 14 or 19. The signal is transmitted and supplied to the IC circuit unit 151 of the RFID circuit elements To and Tc. Note that the RFID tag information is not limited to the signal modulated as described above, but may be only a carrier wave.

  The reception unit 33 includes a reception first multiplication circuit 40 that multiplies the reflected waves from the RFID circuit elements To and Tc received by the antennas 14 and 19 and the generated carrier wave, and the reception first multiplication circuit 40. A first band pass filter 41 for extracting only a signal of a necessary band from the output of the first output, a reception first amplifier 43 that amplifies the output of the first band pass filter 41 and supplies the amplified signal to the first limiter 42, and the antenna 14, a second reception multiplier circuit 44 that multiplies the reflected wave from the RFID circuit elements To and Tc received by the receiver 19 and the carrier wave delayed by 90 ° after generation, and the second reception multiplier circuit 44. A second band-pass filter 45 for extracting only a signal of a necessary band from the output of the second band-pass, and the output of the second band-pass filter 45 is input and amplified to be a second And a reception second amplifier 47 supplies the emitter 46. The signal “RXS-I” output from the first limiter 42 and the signal “RXS-Q” output from the second limiter 46 are input to the signal processing circuit 22 and processed.

  The outputs of the reception first amplifier 43 and the reception second amplifier 47 are also input to an RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) circuit 48, and a signal “RSSI” indicating the strength of these signals is input to the signal processing circuit 22. It has become so. In this way, in the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, the reflected wave from the RFID tag circuit element To is demodulated by IQ orthogonal demodulation.

  Although not specifically described above, in this embodiment, communication when the antenna switch circuit 341 is switched to the antenna 19 side (communication between the antenna 19 and the RFID circuit element Tc), and the antenna switch circuit In order to reduce the possibility that communication (communication between the antenna 14 and the RFID tag circuit element To) when the 341 is switched to the antenna 14 side will interfere with each other (a tag that is not an access target reacts). The communication protocol and access frequency may be changed (for example, 13 MHz and 950 MHz) according to the switching position of the circuit 341. For the same purpose, it is desirable that the RFID tag circuit element Tc of the cartridge 100 and the antenna 19 be as close as possible so that the access history information can be written reliably.

  FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the RFID circuit element To. In FIG. 5, the RFID circuit element To is connected to the antenna 152 on the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 side and the antenna 152 that transmits and receives signals in a non-contact manner using a high frequency such as a UHF band, and the antenna 152. And the IC circuit portion 151.

  The IC circuit unit 151 includes a rectification unit 153 that rectifies the carrier wave received by the antenna 152, a power supply unit 154 that accumulates energy of the carrier wave rectified by the rectification unit 153 and serves as a driving power source, and the antenna 152. A clock extraction unit 156 that extracts a clock signal from the received carrier wave and supplies the clock signal to the control unit 155, a memory unit 157 that can store a predetermined information signal, a modem unit 158 connected to the antenna 152, and the rectifier And a control unit 155 for controlling the operation of the RFID circuit element To via the unit 153, the clock extraction unit 156, the modulation / demodulation unit 158, and the like.

  The modem unit 158 demodulates the communication signal received from the antenna 152 of the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 received by the antenna 152, and the carrier wave received from the antenna 152 based on the response signal from the control unit 155. Modulated reflection.

  The control unit 155 interprets the received signal demodulated by the modulation / demodulation unit 158, generates a return signal based on the information signal stored in the memory unit 157, and performs basic control such as returning by the modulation / demodulation unit 158. Execute proper control.

  Although not shown in detail, the RFID circuit element Tc provided in the cartridge 100 has the same structure as the RFID circuit element To, and has an IC circuit portion 151 (not shown) and an antenna 152. (Not shown) etc. are provided.

  FIGS. 6A and 6B show an example of the appearance of the RFID label T formed by completing the information writing of the RFID circuit element To and the cutting of the printed tag label tape 110 as described above. 6A is a top view, and FIG. 6B is a bottom view. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along section VII-VII ′ in FIG.

  6 (a), 6 (b), and 7, the RFID label T has a five-layer structure in which the cover film 103 is added to the four-layer structure shown in FIG. From the (upper side in FIG. 7) to the opposite side (lower side in FIG. 7), the cover film 103, the adhesive layer 101a, the base film 101b, the adhesive layer 101c, and the release paper 101d constitute five layers. As described above, the RFID circuit element To including the antenna 152 provided on the back side of the base film 101b is provided in the adhesive layer 101c and printed on the back surface of the cover film 103 (in this example, the RFID label T). "RF-ID" indicating the type) is printed.

  FIG. 8 is displayed on the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6 when the RFID tag information communication device 2 as described above accesses (reads or writes) the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit 151 of the RFID circuit element To. It is a figure showing an example of a screen.

  In FIG. 8, in this example, the print character R printed corresponding to the RFID circuit element To, the access (reading or writing) ID that is an ID unique to the RFID circuit element To, and the information server 7 store them. The address of the received article information and the storage destination address of the corresponding information in the route server 4 can be displayed on the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6. Then, the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 is activated by the operation of the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6 so that the print character R is printed on the cover film 103 and is stored in advance in the IC circuit unit 151 as will be described later. RFID tag information such as article information is read (or information such as the write ID and article information is written in the IC circuit unit 151).

  In the above description, an example in which the conveyance guide 13 is held in the access area and accessed (read or written) with respect to the moving printed tag label tape 110 in connection with the printing operation is shown. However, the access may be performed with the printed tag label tape 110 stopped at a predetermined position and held by the transport guide 13.

  Further, at the time of reading or writing as described above, the ID of the generated RFID label T and the information read from the IC circuit unit 151 of the RFID label T (or information written to the IC circuit unit 151) The correspondence relationship is stored in the route server 4 and can be referred to as necessary.

  FIG. 9 shows creation of the above-described RFID label T, that is, a printed tag label tape 110 after the cover film 103 is conveyed and the base tape 101 is bonded to the printed head 10 while performing predetermined printing with the print head 10. 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure executed by the control circuit 30 when the tape 110 is cut for each RFID circuit element To to form the RFID label T.

  In FIG. 9, this flow is started when the reading operation of the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 is performed. First, in step S <b> 105, print information to be printed on the RFID label T by the print head 10 input through the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6 is read through the communication line 3 and the input / output interface 31.

  Thereafter, in step S110, there is no response from the RFID circuit element To, and a variable N for counting the number of retries (number of access attempts) and a flag F indicating whether communication is good or bad are initialized to zero.

  In step S 115, a control signal is output to the cartridge driving circuit 24, and the ribbon take-up roller 106 and the pressure roller 107 are driven to rotate by the driving force of the cartridge motor 23. Thereby, the base tape 101 is fed out from the first roll 102 and supplied to the pressure roller 107, and the cover film 103 is fed out from the second roll 104. At this time, a control signal is output to the print drive circuit 25, the print head 10 is energized, and a predetermined area of the cover film 103 (for example, a wireless tag circuit arranged at equal intervals on the base tape 101 at a predetermined pitch). A print R such as a character, a symbol, or a barcode read in step S105 is printed on a region to be bonded to the back surface of the element To. Further, a control signal is output to the delivery roller motor 28 via the delivery roller drive circuit 29 to drive the delivery roller 17 to rotate. As a result, as described above, the base tape 101 and the cover film 103 after the printing are bonded and integrated by the pressure roller 107 and the sub-roller 109 to form a tag label tape 110 with print, and the cartridge body 100 is conveyed outward.

  After that, in step S120, the tag label tape 110 with print is a predetermined value C (for example, a transport distance that the RFID circuit element To to which the cover film 103 on which the corresponding print has been applied is bonded is reached the transport guide 13). Judge whether it was only transported. The conveyance distance at this time may be determined by, for example, detecting with a known tape sensor separately provided with an appropriate identification mark provided on the base tape 101. If the determination is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S200.

  In step S200, a tag information reading process is performed, an inquiry signal for reading is transmitted to the RFID circuit element To, and a response signal including RFID tag information is received and read (see FIG. 10 described later for details). When step S200 is completed, the process proceeds to step S125.

  In step S125, it is determined whether or not flag F = 0. If the reading process is normally completed, F = 0 remains (see step S280 in the flow shown in FIG. 10 described later), so this determination is satisfied, and the routine goes to step S130.

  In step S130, a combination of the information read from the RFID circuit element To in step S200 and the print information already printed by the print head 10 corresponding to the information is sent via the input / output interface 31 and the communication line 3. The data is output via the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6 and stored in the information server 7 or the route server 4. The stored data is stored and held in, for example, a database so that it can be referred to from the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6 as necessary.

  After that, in step S135, it is confirmed whether or not the printing on the area corresponding to the RFID circuit element To that is the processing target at this point in the cover film 103 is completed, and then the process proceeds to step S140.

  In step S125 described above, if the reading process is not normally completed for some reason, F = 1 is set (see step S280 in the flow shown in FIG. 10 to be described later), so the determination in S125 is satisfied. In step S137, a control signal is output to the print drive circuit 25 to stop energizing the print head 10 and stop printing. As described above, the fact that the RFID circuit element To is not a normal product is clearly displayed by stopping printing halfway, and then the process proceeds to step S140.

  In step S140, the tag label tape 110 with print is further printed in a predetermined amount (for example, the target RFID circuit element To and the print region of the cover film 103 corresponding to the target RFID circuit element To all have a predetermined length (margin amount)). It is determined whether or not it has been transported by a transport distance (exceeding a minute). Similar to step S120 described above, the conveyance distance at this time may be determined by, for example, detecting the marking with a tape sensor. If the determination is satisfied, the process moves to step S145.

  In step S145, control signals are output to the cartridge drive circuit 24 and the delivery roller drive circuit 29, the drive of the cartridge motor 23 and the delivery roller motor 28 is stopped, and the ribbon take-up roller 106, pressure roller 107, and delivery roller are stopped. The rotation of 17 is stopped. Thereby, the feeding of the base tape 101 from the first roll 102, the feeding of the cover film 103 from the second roll 104, and the conveyance of the tag label tape 110 with print by the feed roller 17 are stopped.

  Thereafter, in step S150, a control signal is outputted to the solenoid drive circuit 27 to drive the solenoid 26, and the printed tag label tape 110 is cut by the cutter 15. As described above, at this time, for example, the RFID tag circuit element To to be processed and the print area of the cover film 103 corresponding thereto all sufficiently exceed the cutter 15, and by cutting the cutter 15, the RFID tag A label-like RFID label T on which the RFID tag information of the circuit element To is read and predetermined printing corresponding to the RFID tag information is performed is generated.

  Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S155, where a control signal is output to the delivery roller drive circuit 29, the drive of the delivery roller motor 28 is resumed, and the delivery roller 17 is rotated. As a result, the conveyance by the delivery roller 17 is resumed, and the RFID label T generated in a label shape in step S150 is conveyed toward the carry-out port 16 and is further discharged from the carry-out port 16 to the outside of the apparatus 2.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of step S200 described above.

  In FIG. 10, first, in step S210, after printing the tag label tape 110 with print, the RFID circuit element To as the information reading target is transported to the vicinity of the antenna 14, and the target tag is set.

Thereafter, in step S220, a selection signal is output to the antenna switch circuit 341, the antenna switch circuit 341 is switched so that the antenna 14 is connected to the transmission / reception separator 34, and then the wireless tag is set in accordance with predetermined communication parameters and the like. A “Scroll All ID” command for reading information stored in the circuit element To is output to the signal processing circuit 22. Based on this, the signal processing circuit 22 uses “Scroll” as access information.
An “All ID” signal is generated and transmitted to the RFID circuit element To to be accessed via the high frequency circuit 21 to prompt a reply.

  Next, in step S230, the reply signal (wireless tag information such as article information and tag identification information ID) transmitted from the access target RFID circuit element To corresponding to the “Scroll All ID” signal is sent to the antenna 14. Via the high-frequency circuit 21 and the signal processing circuit 22.

  Next, in step S240, it is determined using a known error detection code (CRC code; Cyclic Redundancy Check, etc.) whether or not there is an error in the reply signal received in step S230.

If the determination is not satisfied, the process moves to step S250, and 1 is added to N. Further, in step S260, N is a predetermined number of retries set in advance (in this example, 5 times. Other times may be set as appropriate). It is determined whether or not. If N ≦ 4, the determination is not satisfied and the routine returns to step S220 and the same procedure is repeated. When N = 5, the process proceeds to step S270, where an error display signal is output to the terminal 5 and the general-purpose computer 6 via the input / output interface 31 and the communication line 3, and a corresponding writing failure (error) display is performed.
In step S280, the above-described flag F = 1 is set. In this way, even if reading is unsuccessful, retry is performed up to a predetermined number of times (in this example, 5 times). When step S280 ends, the process proceeds to step S290.

  When the determination in step S240 is satisfied, reading of the RFID tag information from the RFID circuit element To to be read is completed, and the process directly proceeds to step S290.

  In step S290, the value of N (the number of retries indicating the number of retries that have been successfully accessed) is temporarily stored in an appropriate storage means (for example, RAM in the control circuit 30).

  Thereafter, in step S295, a selection signal is output to the antenna switch circuit 341, the antenna switch circuit 341 is switched so that the antenna 19 is connected to the transmission / reception separator 34, and the retry count N stored in the storage means is read out. The wireless tag via the antenna 19 uses the retry count N, the identification information (tag ID) of the RFID circuit element, and the identification information (product number or model number, etc.) of the RFID tag information communication device 2 as access history information. It transmits to Tc and writes it in the IC circuit part 151 of the RFID circuit element Tc. That is, the control circuit 30 outputs a “Program” command to the signal processing circuit 22, and a “Program” signal as the access history information is generated by the signal processing circuit 22 and transmitted to the RFID circuit element Tc via the high-frequency circuit 21. Then, information is written in the memory unit 157.

  Through the above routine, the RFID tag information of the IC circuit 151 can be accessed and read from the RFID tag circuit element To to be accessed in the cartridge 100, and the access history at that time is recorded as the RFID circuit element Tc. Can be written and stored.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of access history information written in the RFID circuit element Tc as described above.

  11, the identification information of each RFID circuit element To is recorded in this example as “tag 1”, “tag 2”,...

  In the “read retry count” and “read success / failure” columns, whether or not the access succeeded at the time of the above access (read in the above example) to each RFID circuit element To (OK if successful, NG if failed) , And the value of the number N of retries until success (that is, any of N = 1 to 5) is recorded. Note that, as described above with reference to FIG. 10, an error occurs if access is not possible even when N = 5 times, so N = 6 or more is not possible (in this example). The case represented by “−” in the figure corresponds to this, and in this case “NG” is indicated as inaccessible.

  In the column of “device side identification information”, identification information of the RFID tag communication device 2 that has accessed each RFID circuit element To is “ID-a”, “ID-b”, “ID-c”. ", Etc. are recorded. In this example, among the RFID tag circuit elements To housed in the cartridge 100, the cartridge 100 has the identification information “ID-a” for the RFID circuit elements To represented by the identification information “tag 1” and “tag 7”. Access is performed when the wireless tag information communication apparatus 2 is attached. For the RFID circuit elements To represented by the identification information “tag 2” to “tag 6”, “tag 10”, etc., the RFID tag information communication apparatus in which the cartridge 100 is represented by the identification information “ID-b”. Access is being made when attached to 2. Further, for the RFID circuit element To represented by the identification information “tag 8”, “tag 9”, “tag 11”, etc., the RFID tag information communication device 2 in which the cartridge 100 is represented by the identification information “ID-c”. Access is made when attached to the.

  In the above, the antenna 14 constitutes a device-side antenna that performs transmission / reception by wireless communication with the tag-side antenna of the specific RFID tag circuit element among the plurality of user RFID tag circuit elements according to the claims. To do.

  Further, the signal processing circuit 22 generates access information (such as a “Scroll All ID” signal, a “Program” signal, an “Erase” signal, a “Verify” signal, and the like) for accessing the IC circuit unit 151). A generation means is configured. Further, the transmission unit 32 of the high-frequency circuit 21 transmits the access information generated by the access information generation unit to the tag-side antenna through the device-side antenna in a contactless manner, and accesses the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit. The information transmission means is configured, and the RFID circuit element Tc constitutes access history information storage means for storing access history information between the RFID tag information communication apparatus and the user RFID circuit element.

  The signal processing circuit 22, the transmission unit 32 of the high frequency circuit 21, and the antenna 19 also constitute writing means for generating access history information and writing it in the access history information storage means.

  As described above, in the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, the cartridge 100 is attached to the cartridge holder of the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 and the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit 151 of the RFID tag circuit element To is stored. Reading is done. Then, the access history information at the time of reading is stored in the RFID circuit element Tc provided in the cartridge 100. Thereby, the access history at the time of access to each RFID circuit element To can be left.

  The manufacturer or service company can obtain the stored contents of the RFID circuit element Tc so that the occurrence of improper access or access failure (incorrect reading or erroneous writing) should be reported. Detect, confirm, and take some measures.

  For example, if an access failure occurs randomly, it can be assumed that the user's erroneous operation is the cause. Therefore, the user (and other users) is advised to that effect by document or e-mail. Or, for the RFID tag information device 2 to be produced in the future, take precautions such as attaching precautions to avoid misoperation from the beginning, or revising the shape and design of the operation means so that it is difficult to misoperate. Can do.

  In addition, for example, the number of retries tends to increase from a certain time for a certain RFID tag information device 2, and if an access failure continues thereafter, it is estimated that the device 2 has a power supply voltage shortage (battery dead), etc. Give advice to the corresponding user (and other users) in writing or by e-mail, or give an indication of how much battery life will end or a warning to avoid running out of the battery. It is possible to take measures such as adding an additional warning indicator light or the like for the attached RFID tag information device 2 to be produced in the future so that it is easy to know that the battery has run out, or an energy saving design that extends the battery life itself.

  In addition, for example, if a bad access frequently occurs for a specific RFID tag information device 2 regardless of the time, it is estimated that the installation location of the device 2 is adversely affected by the surrounding radio wave environment. (And other users) will be advised to do so in writing or by e-mail, or will be accompanied by a cautionary note that avoids placing it near other devices that emit radio waves. It is possible to take measures such as designing the RFID tag information device 2 to be produced so as not to be affected by ambient radio waves (strengthening shielding means).

  By taking the measures as described above, it is possible to ensure the performance of the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 and the quality of the RFID label T produced thereby to improve the reliability.

  Further, in the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, the high frequency circuit 21 is shared by switching the connection between the antenna 14 and the antenna 9 by using the antenna switch (switching) circuit 341, so that the apparatus configuration is configured. There is also an effect that simplification and miniaturization can be achieved.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical idea. Hereinafter, such modifications will be described.

(1) When information is written to the RFID circuit element In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to an RFID tag generation system that can only be read (not written) has been described as an example. The present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention may be applied to a wireless tag generation system for writing wireless tag information to the IC circuit unit 151 of the wireless tag circuit element To.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a RFID label creation procedure (a procedure for writing RFID tag information) executed by the control circuit 30 in this modification, and corresponds to FIG. 9 of the above embodiment.

  In FIG. 12, the same steps as those in FIG. 9 are denoted with the same reference numerals. In FIG. 12, when the writing operation of the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 is performed, this flow is started, and step S105 is the same as that in FIG. 9. After this procedure is completed, the process proceeds to step S110A, In addition to the flag F, a variable M (details will be described later) is initialized to 0.

  Thereafter, after steps S115 and S120 similar to those in FIG. 9, the process proceeds to step S200A. In step S200A, a tag information writing process is performed, memory initialization (erasing) for writing is performed, and then the RFID tag information is transmitted and written to the RFID circuit element To (see FIG. 13 described later for details). When step S200A is completed, the process proceeds to step S125 as in FIG.

  In step S125, it is determined whether the flag F = 0 as in FIG. 9, and if this determination is satisfied, the process moves to step S130A.

  In step S130A, the combination of the information written in the RFID circuit element To in step S200A and the print information already printed by the print head 10 corresponding to the information is sent via the input / output interface 31 and the communication line 3. The data is output via the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6 and stored in, for example, the route server 4 as in step S130 of FIG. The stored data is stored and held so that it can be referred to from the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6 as necessary.

  The subsequent procedure is substantially the same as that shown in FIG.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of step S200A described above.

  In FIG. 13, first, in step S310, an identification number ID is set by a known appropriate method, and the RFID circuit element To to which information is to be written is transported to the vicinity of the antenna 14.

  Thereafter, in step S320, a selection signal is output to the antenna switch circuit 341, the antenna switch circuit 341 is switched so that the antenna 14 is connected to the transmission / reception separator 34, and then stored in the memory unit 157 of the RFID circuit element To. An “Erase” command for initializing the received information is output to the signal processing circuit 22. Based on this, an “Erase” signal as access information is generated in the signal processing circuit 22 and transmitted to the RFID tag circuit element To to be written through the high frequency circuit 21 to initialize the memory unit 157.

  Next, in step S 330, a “Verify” command for checking the contents of the memory unit 157 is output to the signal processing circuit 22. Based on this, a “Verify” signal as access information is generated by the signal processing circuit 22 and transmitted to the RFID circuit element To as an information write target via the high frequency circuit 21 to prompt a reply. Thereafter, in step S340, a reply signal transmitted from the RFID tag circuit element To to be written in response to the “Verify” signal is received via the antenna 14 and taken in via the high frequency circuit 21 and the signal processing circuit 22.

  Next, in step S350, based on the reply signal, information in the memory unit 157 of the RFID circuit element To is confirmed, and it is determined whether or not the memory unit 157 has been normally initialized.

  If the determination is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S360, and 1 is added to M. Further, in step S370, M is a predetermined number of retries set in advance (in this example, 5 times. Other times may be set as appropriate). It is determined whether or not. If M ≦ 4, the determination is not satisfied and the routine returns to step S320 and the same procedure is repeated. When M = 5, the process proceeds to step S380, where an error display signal is output to the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6 via the input / output interface 31 and the communication line 3, and a corresponding writing failure (error) display is performed. In this way, even if initialization is not successful, retry is performed up to five times. When step S380 ends, the process proceeds to step S385. In step S385, the aforementioned flag F = 1 is set, and the process proceeds to step S460.

  On the other hand, when the determination in step S350 is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S390, and a “Program” command for writing desired data in the memory unit 157 is output to the signal processing circuit 22. Based on this, the signal processing circuit 22 generates a “Program” signal as access information including ID information to be originally written, and transmits the signal to the RFID circuit element To as an information writing target via the high frequency circuit 21, and the memory unit 157. Information is written to

  Thereafter, a “Verify” command is output to the signal processing circuit 22 in step S400. Based on this, a “Verify” signal as access information is generated by the signal processing circuit 22 and transmitted to the RFID circuit element To as an information write target via the high frequency circuit 21 to prompt a reply. Thereafter, in step S 410, a reply signal transmitted from the RFID tag circuit element To to be written in response to the “Verify” signal is received via the antenna 14 and taken in via the high-frequency circuit 21 and the signal processing circuit 22.

  Next, in step S420, based on the reply signal, the information stored in the memory unit 157 of the RFID circuit element To is confirmed, and whether or not the transmitted predetermined information is normally stored in the memory unit 157. Determine whether.

  If the determination is not satisfied, the process moves to step S430, and 1 is added to N. Further, in step S440, N is a predetermined number of retries set in advance (in this example, 5 times. Other times may be set as appropriate). It is determined whether or not. If N ≦ 4, the determination is not satisfied and the routine returns to step S390 and the same procedure is repeated. If N = 5, the process proceeds to the above-described step S380, and similarly, the writing failure (error) display corresponding to the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6 is displayed. In step S385, the above-described flag F = 1 is set, and the process proceeds to step S460. . In this way, even if information writing is not successful, retry is performed up to five times.

  On the other hand, if the determination in step S420 is satisfied, the process moves to step S450, and a “Lock” command is output to the signal processing circuit 22. Based on this, a “Lock” signal is generated in the signal processing circuit 22 and transmitted to the RFID circuit element To as an information write target via the high frequency circuit 21, and writing of new information to the RFID circuit element To is prohibited. Is done. Thereby, the writing of the RFID tag information to the RFID circuit element To to be written is completed, and the RFID circuit element To is discharged as described above. When step S450 is completed, the process proceeds to step S460.

  In step S460, the values of N and M (the number of retries indicating the number of retries that have been successfully initialized or written) are temporarily stored in appropriate storage means (for example, RAM in the control circuit 30).

  Thereafter, in step S470, after the selection signal is output to the antenna switch circuit 341 and the antenna switch circuit 341 is switched so that the antenna 19 is connected to the transmission / reception separator 34, the number of retries N, M stored in the storage means The number of retries N and M, the identification information (tag ID) of the RFID tag circuit element, and the identification information (product number or model number) of the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 are used as the access history information for the antenna 19. Is transmitted to the RFID tag Tc and written to the IC circuit section 151 of the RFID circuit element Tc. That is, the control circuit 30 outputs a “Program” command to the signal processing circuit 22, and a “Program” signal as the access history information is generated by the signal processing circuit 22 and transmitted to the RFID circuit element Tc via the high-frequency circuit 21. Then, information is written in the memory unit 157.

  Through the above routine, desired RFID tag information can be written to the IC circuit unit 151 to the RFID circuit element To to be accessed in the cartridge 100, and the access history at that time is written to the RFID circuit element Tc. It can be stored in memory.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of access history information written in the RFID circuit element Tc as described above in the present modification, and corresponds to FIG. 11 described above in the embodiment. Note that the retry count M in the initialization shown in FIG. 13 is omitted.

  14, the identification information of each RFID circuit element To is recorded as “tag 1”, “tag 2”,... In this example, in the “tag ID” column.

  In the “write retry count” and “write success / failure” columns, whether or not the access was finally successful at the time of the above access (write in the above example) to each RFID circuit element To (OK if successful, NG if failed) , And the value of the number of retries N until the success (that is, any one of N = 1 to 5) is recorded. If access is not possible even N = 5 times, it is represented by “−”, and “NG” is indicated as inaccessibility.

  The column of “device-side identification information” is the same as in FIG.

  As described above, in the present modification, the wireless tag generation system that writes the wireless tag information has substantially the same effect as the above embodiment.

(2) Variation of Access History Information In the above, as the access history information for each RFID circuit element To, as described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 14, the number of retries N or M stored in the storage means is performed. The identification information (tag ID) of each RFID circuit element and the identification information (product number, model number, etc.) of the RFID tag information communication device 2 have been described as examples in the RFID tag circuit element Tc. The information related to other access history, for example, output information at the time of access, and the number of times of use (reuse) of the cartridge (assuming recycling and reuse) may be stored. Or any one of the above may be sufficient.

  15 and 16 correspond to FIG. 11 of the above-described embodiment and FIG. 14 of the modification, respectively, and when the transmission output power by the variable transmission amplifier 39 is variable at the time of access, other access is performed. In this example, power values at the time of successful access (in this example, three levels of relative values “large”, “medium”, and “small”) are stored as history information. When the operator (user) manually operates the output power, the manually set value at that time may be simply used as access history information, or the control circuit 30 makes the access successful (although detailed explanation is omitted). Control may be performed so that the transmission output gradually increases with each retry until the first successful access is stored as access history information.

(3) When the access history information is stored in a storage means other than the RFID circuit element In the above, the access history information is stored in the RFID circuit element Tc provided in the cartridge 100. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The storage means may be used. At this time, non-volatile storage means such as a so-called EEPROM or FRAM can also be used. In this case, since the stored contents can be held even when the power is turned off, the access history information can be acquired more reliably later on the side of the manufacturer or service company, and the performance guarantee and quality guarantee can be taken.

(4) In the case where bonding is not performed That is, as in the above-described embodiment, printing is performed on the cover film 103 different from the tag tape (base tape) 101 provided with the RFID circuit element To, and these are bonded together. In this case, the present invention is applied to a cartridge for a tag label producing apparatus that prints on the tag tape itself.

  FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the detailed structure of the cartridge 100 ′ according to this modification, and corresponds to FIG. 3 described above. Components equivalent to those in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

  In FIG. 17, a cartridge 100 'is a first roll (tag tape roll) 102' around which a thermal tape 101 '(tag tape) is wound, and this thermal tape 101' is fed to the outside of the cartridge 100 '. And a tape feed roller 107 '.

  The first roll 102 ′ is wound around a reel member 102 a ′ with a strip-like transparent thermal tape 101 ′ in which a plurality of the RFID tag circuit elements To are sequentially formed in the longitudinal direction.

  In this example, the heat-sensitive tape 101 'wound around the first roll 102' has a three-layer structure (see a partially enlarged view in FIG. 17), and the tape base extends from the side wound outward to the opposite side. A material 101a ′, an adhesive layer 101b ′ made of an appropriate adhesive material, and a release paper 101c ′ are laminated in this order.

  An IC circuit portion 151 for storing information is integrally provided on the back side of the tape base material 101'a, and the antenna 152 is formed on the back side surface of the tape base material 101'a. On the back side of the tape substrate 101′a, the release paper 101c ′ is bonded to the tape substrate 101′a by the adhesive layer 101b ′.

  When the cartridge 100 ′ is mounted on the cartridge holder portion of the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 and a roller holder (not shown) is moved from the separation position to the contact position, the thermal tape 101 ′ is moved to the print head 10 and the platen roller 108. Between the tape feed roller 107 ′ and the sub roller 109. As the tape feed roller drive shaft 12 is driven by the drive force of the cartridge motor 23 (see FIG. 2), the tape feed roller 107 ', the sub roller 109, and the platen roller 108 rotate in synchronization with each other, and the first roll 102 is rotated. The heat-sensitive tape 101 'is fed out from'.

  The drawn thermal tape 101 'is supplied to the print head 10 on the downstream side in the transport direction. In the print head 10, the plurality of heating elements are energized by the print drive circuit 25 (see FIG. 2), whereby the print is printed on the surface of the tape base 101a 'of the thermal tape 101', and the tag label tape with print is printed. After being formed as 110 ', it is carried out of the cartridge 100'. It goes without saying that printing using an ink ribbon as in the above-described embodiment may be used.

  After carrying out of the cartridge 100 ′, access (information reading / writing) to the RFID tag information is performed via the antenna 14 described above, and the access history information at that time is transmitted via the antenna 19 in the same manner as in the above embodiment. The data is transmitted to and stored in the RFID circuit element Tc provided in the cartridge 100 '. Thereafter, the conveyance by the feed roller 17 and the cutting by the cutter 15 are the same as those in the above embodiment, so that the description thereof is omitted.

  Also in this modified example, as in the above-described embodiment, the performance history of the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 is guaranteed by acquiring the access history information of the RFID tag circuit element Tc provided in the cartridge 100 'on the side of the manufacturer or service company. In addition, it is possible to ensure the quality of the RFID label T produced thereby and improve the reliability.

  Instead of the tape base material 101′a, a heat-sensitive tape (tag tape) provided with a cover film 101′a made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or the like may be used in the same manner as the cover film 103 described above. .

(5) Printing access history information on a label In other words, in order to clarify the access history information stored and stored in the RFID circuit element Tc as described above, the print head 10 is attached to the generated tag label T itself. It is also possible to print by

  In that case, printing may be performed for each label T, but considering the aspect of information acquisition (collection) to the manufacturer or service company, a predetermined number of all wireless tags in the cartridge 100 (or 100 ′; the same applies hereinafter) It is convenient to print on the last remaining label T (the RFID circuit element To may or may not exist) after the use of the circuit element To.

  FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a case where the access history information (the contents previously shown in FIG. 11 in this example) is printed on the label TL finally discharged from the RFID tag information communication apparatus 2 as described above.

  FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a control flow executed by the control circuit 30 in this modification, and corresponds to FIG. 9 described above. Steps equivalent to those in FIG. 9 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

  19 is different from FIG. 9 in that step S102 is provided before step S105. In this step S102, it is determined whether or not the tape length for creating the tag label T including the normal user RFID circuit element To before the final label T for printing the access history information according to this modification is finished. To do. For example, the following method can be considered for this determination.

(a) Detection of shortage of base tape The cover film 103 is set to be longer than the base tape 101 by one label T in advance, and the base tape 101 is not fed out from the first roll 102 (or the base tape 101). It is detected by an appropriate sensor or the like that the tape portion is no longer effective as a material tape. In this case, the access history information is printed on the remaining cover film 103, and the last label TL is created only by the cover film.

(b) Tag disconnection detection Alternatively, the RFID circuit element To is not arranged at the last part of the base tape 101, and the non-arranged part is detected by an appropriate sensor or the like. In this case, the base tape 101 that does not include the RFID circuit element To and the cover film 103 are bonded together to create the last label TL.

  When the determination in step S102 as described above is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S170. In step S170, as in step S115, the contents of the access history information recorded in the RFID circuit element Tc of the cartridge 100 so far are started on the cover film 103 as shown in FIG. Printing is performed, and the paper is discharged out of the apparatus 2 from the carry-out port 16 by the delivery roller 17. When step S170 ends, this flow ends.

  If the determination in step S102 is not satisfied, the normal RFID circuit element To is accessed, printed, disconnected, etc. in steps S105 to S155 as described above, and the process proceeds to step S160 after the completion of step S155. In step S160, as in step S102, it is determined whether or not the tape length for creating the tag label T including the normal user RFID circuit element To has ended. If the determination is not satisfied, the flow is terminated as it is. If the determination is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S170 and the above procedure is performed, and then the flow ends.

  As described above, the access history information can be printed on the label TL finally discharged from the wireless tag information communication apparatus 2.

  Instead of providing the base tape 101 with the portion without the RFID circuit element To as described above, (c) actively using the last RFID circuit element To for writing the access history information; May be. In this case, in step S102 and step S170, it is detected that the remaining RFID circuit element To is one. Specifically, a specific identifier is formed at the position corresponding to the last RFID circuit element To on the base tape 101 (or the position of the cover film 103 corresponding to this), and this is replaced with an appropriate sensor or the like. What is necessary is just to make it detect. In this case, unlike the previous RFID tag circuit element To, normal user information access is not performed, and access history information is written as in the RFID tag circuit element Tc of the cartridge 100. The last label TL containing is generated.

  According to the present modification, in addition to the above-described effect due to the access history information being written in the RFID circuit element Tc of the cartridge 100, the access history information can be recorded in a form that is visually apparent.

(6) Extension to user service In other words, not only the visual recording of the access history information of (5) above, but also the printing performed on the final label TL may be actively utilized for the user service.

  FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating such a modification, and corresponds to FIG. 18 described above. In this example, as the printing of the final label TL, the access history information is printed at the bottom as in FIG. . The service of this example is a content that discounts the price from the next purchase of the cartridge as a compensation in accordance with the number of inaccessible / defective access to the RFID circuit element To due to the above-described erroneous user operation or the like.

  By printing such service information, the motivation to bring the cartridge 100 and the label T to the manufacturer or service company side (in the illustrated example, a dealer or an electric appliance store) can be given more strongly. It is possible to increase the acquisition and collection probability of access history information on the manufacturer or service company side.

  As described above, if the access history information itself is printed on the final label TL, there is an advantage that the access history information can be collected by the label TL regardless of the presence or absence of the cartridge 100 having the RFID circuit element Tc. is there. Further, as described in the modification (5) (c), when the access history information is stored in the RFID circuit element To of the final label TL in addition to the RFID circuit element Tc of the cartridge 100, the above-mentioned Thus, regardless of the presence or absence of the cartridge 100, it is also possible to obtain access history information as electronic information from the RFID circuit element To.

  On the other hand, if it is assumed that the user brings the cartridge 100, or if the access history information is stored in the RFID circuit element To of the final label TL, the access history information is not necessarily shown in FIG. Thus, it is not necessary to print both access history information and service information, and only user service information may be printed.

(7) Other
(A) Frequency of writing access history information As described above, the access history information is not limited to be written and recorded every time the RFID circuit element To is accessed every time the RFID circuit element To is accessed. Alternatively, writing may be performed at an appropriate operation on the operator side.

(B) When the cutter is not cut In the above case, the tag label T is created by cutting the printed tag label tape 110 that has been printed and accessed (read or written) to the RFID circuit element To with the cutter 15. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, in the case where a label mount (so-called die cut label) previously separated into a predetermined size corresponding to the label is continuously arranged on the tape fed out from the roll, even if it is not cut by the cutter 15, After the tape has been discharged from the discharge port 16, only the label mount (the one with the already accessed RFID circuit element To and the corresponding printing performed) may be peeled off from the tape to produce the tag label T.

Note that the "Scroll" used above
The “All ID” signal, the “Erase” signal, the “Verify” signal, the “Program” signal, and the like are assumed to conform to the Auto-ID specification established by the EPC global. EPC global is a non-profit corporation established jointly by the International EAN Association, which is an international organization of distribution codes, and the United Code Code Council (UCC), which is an American distribution code organization. Note that signals conforming to other standards may be used as long as they perform the same function.

  In addition, although not illustrated one by one, the present invention is implemented with various modifications within a range not departing from the gist thereof.

1 is a system configuration diagram showing a wireless tag generation system to which a tag label producing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. It is a conceptual block diagram showing the detailed structure of a wireless tag information communication apparatus. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the detailed structure of a cartridge. It is a functional block diagram showing the detailed function of a high frequency circuit. It is a functional block diagram showing the functional structure of a wireless tag circuit element. It is the upper surface figure and bottom view showing an example of the appearance of a RFID tag label. It is a cross-sectional view by the VII-VII 'cross section in FIG. It is a figure showing an example of the screen displayed on a terminal or a general purpose computer at the time of access to RFID tag information. It is a flowchart showing the control procedure performed by the control circuit. It is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of step S200 shown in FIG. It is a figure showing an example of the access history information written in a wireless tag circuit element. It is a flowchart showing the preparation procedure of the RFID label performed with the control circuit in the modification which writes information in a RFID circuit element. It is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of step S200A shown in FIG. It is a figure showing an example of the access history information written in a wireless tag circuit element. It is the figure which showed an example at the time of storing together the power value at the time of access success as access history information. It is the figure which showed the other example at the time of storing together the power value at the time of access success as access history information. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the detailed structure of the cartridge of the modification which does not perform bonding. In the modification which prints access history information on a label, it is a figure showing the case where access history information is printed on the label finally discharged | emitted from a wireless tag information communication apparatus. It is a figure showing the control flow which a control circuit performs. It is a figure showing the modification which extends to a user service.

Explanation of symbols

2 RFID tag information communication device 10 Print head (printing means)
14 Antenna (device side antenna)
19 Antenna (writing means)
22 Signal processing circuit (access information generating means; writing means)
32 Transmitter (information transmitting means; writing means)
100 cartridge 100 'cartridge 101 base tape (tag tape)
101 'Thermal tape (tag tape)
102 1st roll (tag tape roll)
102 'first roll (tag tape roll)
103 Cover film (printed tape)
151 IC circuit section 152 Antenna (tag side antenna)
Tc RFID circuit element Tc (access history information storage means)
To RFID tag circuit element (RF tag circuit element for users)

Claims (8)

A plurality of user RFID circuit elements each having an IC circuit unit for storing predetermined information and a tag-side antenna connected to the IC circuit unit for transmitting / receiving information are accommodated, and the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit is accessed. A wireless tag configured to be attachable to and detachable from a wireless tag information communication device that generates access information to be transmitted and transmits the access information to the tag antenna without contact by wireless communication and accesses the wireless tag information of the IC circuit unit A circuit element cartridge,
A wireless tag circuit element cartridge characterized in that an access history information storage means for storing access history information between the wireless tag information communication apparatus and the user wireless tag circuit element is provided in a housing of the wireless tag circuit element cartridge. . The RFID tag circuit element cartridge according to claim 1,
The access history information storage means stores the success or failure of access to the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit as the access history information. The RFID tag circuit element cartridge according to claim 1 or 2,
The RFID tag circuit element cartridge, wherein the access history information storage means is a management RFID circuit element provided to store the access history information. The RFID tag circuit element cartridge according to claim 1 or 2,
The RFID circuit element cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the access history information storage means is a nonvolatile storage means provided for storing the access history information. The RFID tag circuit element cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The access history information storage means immediately after accessing at least one of the identification information of the wireless information communication device attached at the time of access, the required output information, the number of access attempts, and the number of times of use of the cartridge as the access history information The RFID circuit element cartridge is characterized in that data is written and stored in the RFID tag circuit element cartridge. Accommodating a plurality of RFID tag circuit elements for a user having an IC circuit unit for storing predetermined information and a tag-side antenna connected to the IC circuit unit for transmitting and receiving information, and access history with the RFID tag circuit element for users the cartridge with the access history information stored hand stage housing for storing information, and a cartridge holder portion detachable,
Among the plurality of user RFID circuit elements, a device-side antenna that transmits and receives by radio communication with the tag-side antenna of a specific RFID circuit element;
Access information generating means for generating access information for accessing the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit;
The access information generated by the access information generating means is transmitted to the tag-side antenna through the device-side antenna in a contactless manner, and information transmitting means for accessing the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit;
A wireless tag information communication apparatus comprising: writing means for generating the access history information and writing it in the access history information storage means. The wireless tag information communication apparatus according to claim 6,
The plurality of RFID tag circuit elements for users are continuously arranged in a tape longitudinal direction of a tag tape wound around a tag tape roll,
A wireless tag information communication apparatus, comprising: a printing unit configured to perform predetermined printing on either the tag tape or a tape to be printed attached thereto. The wireless tag information communication device according to claim 7,
The wireless tag information communication apparatus, wherein the printing unit prints the access history information on the tag tape or the print-receiving tape.

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