JP4671167B2 - Tag label producing apparatus and tag label producing system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tag label producing apparatus and a label creating system to produce an RFID label capable of performing reading or writing of RFID tag information via the wireless communication from the outside.

  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 label 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 side can access (read / write information) the RFID tag information in the IC circuit section, and manage assets. (See, for example, Patent Document 1), document management in an office (see, for example, Patent Document 2), and a name tag worn on a person's chest (for example, see Patent Document 3). is there.

JP 2004-295406 A JP 2001-216308 A JP-A-9-245138

  By the way, as described above, the RFID label has various uses. When producing the RFID label, for example, a strip-like tag tape provided with RFID circuit elements in the longitudinal direction of the tape is driven at predetermined intervals. Then, the RFID tag circuit elements are fed out (or the sheet-like tag sheets are sequentially supplied) so that each RFID circuit element is sequentially conveyed. Then, during this conveyance, an IC circuit connected to the antenna of the RFID circuit element by transmitting predetermined RFID tag information generated on the apparatus side to the antenna of each RFID circuit element via the antenna on the apparatus side. The RFID tag information is sequentially accessed (read or written) to complete the RFID label.

In recent years, as described above, the use of the RFID label has been expanded to a wide variety. Therefore, even if the RFID label is used for any of these wide-ranging uses, the tag label producing apparatus has the purpose of the use. It is desirable that the RFID label can be easily created. However, conventionally, there has been no tag label producing apparatus taking this point into consideration, and the convenience for the operator has been low.
Furthermore, even if a tag label producing device that has a wide variety of RFID label producing functions corresponding to the above-mentioned wide range of RFID tag production is realized, when an operator actually creates a tag label, Alternatively, each time a tape having a different tag attribute parameter (for example, tape width) or communication parameter (for example, communication protocol) is used, it is often used for a specific application (function). In that case, the operation for selecting the specific function from the various functions as described above is troublesome, and the target RFID label cannot be easily created.

An object of the present invention, a wide variety even in the case of using the RFID label in any application is to provide easily tag label producing apparatus and a label creating system that can produce an RFID label of interest.

To achieve the above Symbol object, a first aspect of the present invention, the RFID circuit element cartridge detachably mountable cartridge holder unit for a tag label RFID circuit element comprising a storage unit and stored for storing and holding the information, for the label a device side antenna unit that performs wireless communication with the RFID circuit element, is the order based on the preparation history information determined, the application related information related to multiple uses of the tag label RFID circuit element, one of said RFID circuit against in the storage means of the device the cartridge, a write control means for writing in accordance with the operator's operation, written in the storage means, a display signal for displaying a plurality of applications of the tag label RFID circuit element A display signal output means for outputting, and reading the use related information relating to the plurality of uses stored in the storage means Based on the creation history information, read control means, and a plurality of the operation software as options for use by the operator based on the use related information related to the plurality of uses read by the read control means. According to the determined order, outputting the software confirmation display signal for performing the confirmation display while giving priority to the most frequently used one or the most recently used one, and displaying it on the top. In response to the operator's selection result based on the display giving priority to the most frequently used or the most recently used one, a software instruction signal for determining and indicating the operation software is output. And a software control signal output means .

  In the first invention of this application, when an RFID tag is produced using an RFID tag circuit element cartridge containing a tag label RFID circuit element, when an operator performs an appropriate operation, the write control means Application-related information regarding what application is used is written in a storage means provided in the cartridge. As a result, the cartridge and the RFID tag circuit element accommodated in the cartridge can be associated with the corresponding use. Therefore, from now on, when creating the RFID label using the cartridge, it is convenient for the operator to create the tag label by using the association and starting the operation software according to the application and controlling the related display. It is possible to automatically execute control for achieving the above. As a result, even if the tag label is used for any of a wide variety of uses, the operator can easily perform the purpose without performing a troublesome operation (particularly, an operation for selecting a function desired by the operator from multiple functions). Tag labels can be created, and convenience can be improved.

In addition, since application-related information relating to a plurality of uses is written in the storage means provided on the cartridge, the operator can then select a desired use from the plurality of uses when creating the RFID label using the cartridge. When is selected, it is possible to associate the selected application with the cartridge and the RFID circuit element housed in the cartridge.

In addition, application-related information relating to a plurality of uses is written in order in the storage means provided in the cartridge based on the creation history, so that when the RFID label is created using the cartridge, the operator can When selecting a desired application, the order of application-related information is determined by the creation history. For example, the most frequently used application can be placed first when displaying or selecting to improve user convenience. Is possible.

Further, by having display signal output means for outputting a display signal for displaying the plurality of uses of the RFID circuit element for tag label written in the storage means, a plurality of uses displayed by the display signal output means When the operator selects a desired application from the inside, the selected application can be associated with the cartridge and the RFID circuit element housed in the cartridge.

Further, the reading control means includes reading control means for reading application-related information stored in the storage means and software control signal output means for outputting control signals related to operation software used by the operator. When application-related information in the storage means of the cartridge is read, control for the convenience of creating the tag label for the operator is automatically executed, such as control for selecting operation software related to the application, activation, and related display. The

In addition, the software control signal output means outputs a software confirmation display signal for confirming and displaying the operation software, so that when the read control means reads the usage related information of the storage means of the cartridge, The confirmation display of the operation software related to the application is executed.

In addition, the software control signal output means outputs a software confirmation display signal for performing confirmation display of a plurality of operation software, whereby confirmation display of the plurality of operation software is executed, and the operator can select the option. You can select the software you want to use.

Further, when the software control signal output means outputs a software instruction signal for determining and instructing the operation software , when the read control means reads the use-related information of the storage means of the cartridge, the use is automatically performed. The operation software related to is determined and its activation is executed.

In order to achieve the above object, the second invention provides a cartridge holder portion having a storage means for storing and holding information, and a detachable RFID tag circuit element cartridge containing a tag label RFID circuit element, and the tag label wireless A device-side antenna means for performing wireless communication with the tag circuit element, a writing control means for writing application-related information relating to the use of the tag label wireless tag circuit element to the storage means in response to an operation by an operator, and Based on the use related information read by the read control means, read control means for reading the use related information stored and held, and control signals related to the operation software used by the operator in relation to the corresponding use Software control signal output means for outputting, the software control signal output means is preset Based on the application-related information and the correlation information between the operating software that, and outputs the control signal.

In the second invention of the present application, when the read control means reads the use related information of the storage means of the cartridge, the operation software corresponding to the use related information is referred to using the correlation information, thereby starting the operation software. Controls for the convenience of the operator in creating the tag label, such as control for display and related display, are executed.

A third invention is characterized in that, in the second invention, there is provided a correlation reading instruction signal output means for outputting a correlation reading instruction signal for reading the correlation information from a database.

  The correlation is read from the database by the correlation reading instruction signal, and the operation software corresponding to the application related information can be referred to using the read correlation.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect of the invention , when the RFID circuit element cartridge is attached to the cartridge holder or when the apparatus power is turned on, the reading control means It is characterized by reading information.

  As a result, when the operator mounts the cartridge (or when the apparatus power is turned on), the application-related information is automatically read from the storage means of the cartridge, and the operation software related to the application is started or related display is performed. Control such as control is performed for the convenience of the operator in creating the tag label.

A fifth invention is characterized in that, in any one of the second to fourth inventions, the storage means is a wireless tag circuit element for use-related information that performs wireless communication with the device-side antenna means. .

  Thereby, the usage-related information of the storage means can be quickly read by the apparatus-side antenna means through wireless communication without contact.

To achieve the above Symbol object, a sixth aspect of the present invention, the cartridge holder portion detachably an RFID circuit element cartridge containing an RFID circuit element for label comprising storage means for storing and holding information, Wireless said label Device-side antenna means for performing wireless communication with a tag circuit element, use-related information relating to a plurality of uses of the tag label wireless tag circuit element, the order of which is determined based on creation history information, and the one RFID tag circuit element cartridge Write control means for writing to the storage means according to the operation of the operator, and display for outputting display signals written to the storage means for displaying the plurality of uses of the tag label RFID circuit element Reading the application related information related to the plurality of uses stored in the signal output means and the storage means Based on the creation history information, a plurality of operation software as options for use by the operator based on the use-related information related to the plurality of uses read by the control means and the read control means. According to the determined order, outputting the software confirmation display signal for performing the confirmation display while giving priority to the most frequently used one or the most recently used one, and displaying it on the top. In response to the operator's selection result based on the display giving priority to the most frequently used or the most recently used one, a software instruction signal for determining and indicating the operation software is output. A tag label producing device having software control signal output means, and writing by the write control means of the tag label producing device And having a control terminal for performing operations.

In the sixth invention of this application, when an RFID tag is produced using the RFID circuit element cartridge containing the RFID circuit element for tag label, when the operator performs an appropriate operation from the operation terminal, the writing control means of the tag label producing device Application-related information relating to what purpose the RFID label circuit element for tag label is used is written in the storage means provided in the cartridge. As a result, the cartridge and the RFID tag circuit element accommodated in the cartridge can be associated with the corresponding use. Therefore, from now on, when creating a RFID label using the cartridge, the association is used to start the operation software according to the application on the operation terminal side and control for related display, etc. Control that facilitates the creation of tag labels can be automatically executed. As a result, an operator can easily use a tag label for any of a wide variety of purposes without performing a troublesome operation (in particular, an operation for selecting a function desired by the operator of the tag label producing apparatus). A target tag label can be created, and convenience can be improved.

Further, the tag label producing apparatus has software confirmation display signal output means for outputting a software confirmation display signal for performing confirmation display of the operation software based on the read application related information, so that the tag label producing apparatus can read When the control means reads the use related information of the storage means of the cartridge, the confirmation display of the operation software related to the use is automatically executed by the display means of the operation terminal.

Further, the tag label producing apparatus has a software instruction signal output means for outputting a software instruction signal for determining and instructing operation software to be used by the operator based on the read application-related information. When the reading control means reads the usage related information of the storage means of the cartridge, the starting means of the operation terminal automatically starts the operating software related to the usage.

To achieve the above object, according to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cartridge holder portion having a storage means for storing and holding information, wherein the RFID tag circuit element cartridge storing the tag label RFID circuit element is detachable, and the tag label RFID tag Device-side antenna means for performing wireless communication with the circuit element, write control means for writing application-related information relating to the use of the RFID label circuit element for tag label to the storage means, and read control for reading the application-related information stored in the storage means And a software confirmation display signal for performing confirmation display of the operation software used by the operator in the operation terminal in relation to the corresponding use based on the use related information read by the reading control means Tag producing apparatus having software confirmation display signal output means for outputting A display means for performing the confirmation display in response to the software confirmation display signal, and a database storing correlation information between the application-related information and the operation software, and the writing control of the tag label producing apparatus And an operation terminal for performing a writing operation by means .

In the seventh invention of the present application , the correlation information in the database of the operation terminal is read, and the operation software corresponding to the use related information of the storage means is read on the operation terminal side or the tag label producing apparatus side using the read correlation. You can refer to it.

To achieve the above object, according to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cartridge holder portion having a storage means for storing and holding information, wherein the RFID tag circuit element cartridge housing the tag label RFID circuit element is detachable, and the tag label RFID tag Device-side antenna means for performing wireless communication with the circuit element, write control means for writing application-related information relating to the use of the RFID label circuit element for tag label to the storage means, and read control for reading the application-related information stored in the storage means And a software confirmation display signal for performing confirmation display of the operation software used by the operator in the operation terminal in relation to the corresponding use based on the use related information read by the reading control means Tag producing apparatus having software confirmation display signal output means for outputting A display means for performing the confirmation display in response to the software confirmation display signal, an operation terminal for performing a write operation by the write control means of the tag label producing apparatus, the application related information, and the operation software And an external storage device that stores and holds correlation information .

In the eighth invention of the present application , the correlation information in the database of the external storage device provided separately from the operation terminal and the tag label producing device is read, and the read correlation is used for the operation corresponding to the use related information of the storage means. The software can be referred to on the operation terminal side or on the tag label producing apparatus side.

  According to the present invention, even if the RFID label is used for any of a wide variety of uses, the target RFID label can be easily created.

  Hereinafter, embodiments 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 to which the tag label producing apparatus of this embodiment is applied.

  In the RFID tag generating system 1 (tag label producing system) shown in FIG. 1, a tag label producing device 2 is a terminal 5 (operation) for operating the route server 4 and the tag label producing device 2 via a wired or wireless communication line 3. (Terminal), general-purpose computer 6, and information server 7 (external storage device) are connected to construct a network (for example, a wide area).

  The terminal 5 is a so-called PC (personal computer) terminal, and includes a display 5a as a display means and a keyboard (may be a mouse or the like) 5b as an input means, and a CPU (starting means) as a central processing unit (not shown). And ROM and RAM (database) as storage means. The CPU starts an application for operating the tag label producing apparatus 2 stored in advance in, for example, a ROM based on an external signal input via the communication line 3 (details will be described later).

  FIG. 2 is a conceptual configuration diagram showing a detailed structure of the tag label producing apparatus 2.

  In FIG. 2, the device body 8 of the tag label producing device 2 is provided with a cartridge holder portion (not shown) as a recess, and a cartridge 100 (wireless tag circuit element cartridge) is detachably attached to this holder portion. It has been.

  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) 10, ribbon take-up roller drive shaft 11 for driving the ink ribbon 105 that has finished printing on the cover film 103, and the cover film 103 and the base tape 101 are bonded together as a printed tag label tape 110 as a cartridge. A high-frequency wave such as a UHF band is used between the pressure roller driving shaft 12 for unwinding from 100 and the RFID circuit element To (the RFID label circuit element for tag label, details will be described later) provided on the tag label tape 110 with print. Antenna 14 for transmitting and receiving signals by wireless communication (device side antenna means) ) And an RFID tag circuit element Tc (storage means, RFID tag circuit element for use-related information) provided in the cartridge 100, and an antenna 19 (device-side antenna means) that transmits and receives signals by wireless communication in the same manner as described above. A cutter 15 that cuts the printed tag label tape 110 into a predetermined length at a predetermined timing to generate a label-like RFID tag T (details will be described later), and a RFID circuit element at the time of signal transmission / reception by the wireless communication To is set and held in a predetermined access area facing the antenna 14, a pair of transport guides 13 for guiding the tape 110 (= the RFID label T) after being cut, and the guided RFID tag T being a carry-out port (Discharge port) A discharge roller 17 that is transported to and sent to 16 and a discharge that detects the presence or absence of the RFID label T at the carry-out port 16 And a sensor 18.

  On the other hand, the apparatus main body 8 also has a high-frequency circuit for accessing (reading or writing) the RFID circuit element To via the antenna 14 and the RFID circuit element Tc via the antenna 19. 21, a signal processing circuit 22 for processing signals read from the RFID circuit elements To and Tc, and a cartridge motor 23 for driving the ribbon take-up roller drive shaft 11 and the tape feed roller drive shaft 12 described above. A cartridge drive circuit 24 for controlling the drive of the cartridge motor 23, a print drive circuit 25 for controlling the energization of the print head 10, a solenoid 26 for driving the cutter 15 to perform a cutting operation, A solenoid drive circuit 27 for controlling the solenoid 26 and a delivery roller module for driving the delivery roller 17 are provided. , A feed roller drive circuit 29 for controlling the feed roller motor 28, 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, and the feed roller drive circuit. And a control circuit 30 for controlling the overall operation of the tag label producing apparatus 2 through the control circuit 29 and the like.

  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, the communication line 3 via the input / output interface 31, and 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 3 are connected to the control circuit 30. Information can be exchanged between the two.

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

  In FIG. 3, the cartridge 100 includes a casing 100 </ b> A, a first roll 102 around which the strip-shaped base tape 101 is wound and disposed in the casing 100 </ b> A, and substantially the same width as the base tape 101. A second roll 104 around which the transparent cover film 103 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), and a ribbon after printing The ribbon take-up roller 106 for taking up 105, 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 (= tape feed). A pressure roller 107 (which also functions as a roller) and the antenna 1 on the apparatus main body 8 side in the casing 100A. When having a 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.

  On the back side (left side in FIG. 3) of the base film 101b, an antenna 152 that transmits and receives information is integrally provided, and an IC that stores information in an updatable (rewritable rewritable) manner so as to be connected thereto. A circuit portion 151 is formed, and these constitute a RFID circuit element To (the same applies to the RFID 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 tag circuit element Tc stores application related information of the RFID tag circuit element To included in the cartridge 100. Here, the usage-related information is information relating to the usage in which the RFID circuit element To is used, and in this embodiment, the ID associated with the usage of the RFID circuit element To on a one-to-one basis. Information is stored (hereinafter simply referred to as ID information). Prior to accessing the RFID tag information of the IC circuit portion 151 of each RFID circuit element To provided in the base tape 101 from the antenna 14, the ID information is read (details are given here). 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 generates a carrier wave for accessing (reading or writing) the RFID tag information of the IC circuit unit 151 of the RFID circuit elements To and Tc in accordance with a control signal from the control circuit 30; PLL (Phase Locked Loop) 36 and VCO (Voltage)
Controlled Oscillator) 37 and a transmission multiplication circuit that modulates the generated carrier wave based on the signal supplied from the signal processing circuit 22 (in this example, amplitude modulation based on the “TX_ASK” signal from the signal processing circuit 22). 38 (however, in the case of amplitude modulation, an amplification factor variable amplifier or the like may be used) and the modulated wave (wireless tag information) modulated by the transmission multiplication circuit 38 is amplified by the “TX_PWR” signal from the control circuit 30 And a variable transmission amplifier 39 for determining and amplifying the rate. 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 bandpass filter 41 for extracting only a signal in a necessary band from the output of the first, a reception first amplifier 43 for amplifying the output of the first bandpass filter 41, and an output of the reception first amplifier 43. The first limiter 42 that amplifies and converts it into a digital signal is multiplied by the reflected wave from the RFID circuit elements To and Tc received by the antennas 14 and 19 and the carrier wave whose phase is delayed by 90 ° after being generated. A reception second multiplication circuit 44 to be combined, a second band pass filter 45 for extracting only a signal of a necessary band from the output of the reception second multiplication circuit 44, and the second And receiving second amplifier 47 for amplifying the output of the bandpass filter 45, and a second limiter 46 for converting the digital signal further amplifies the output of the receiving second amplifier 47. 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 tag label producing apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, the reflected waves from the RFID circuit elements To and Tc are demodulated by IQ orthogonal demodulation.

  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 includes an antenna 14 that transmits and receives signals in a contactless manner using a high frequency such as a UHF band with the antenna 14 on the tag label producing apparatus 2 side, and the antenna 152 that is connected to the antenna 152. IC circuit portion 151.

  The IC circuit unit 151 includes a rectification unit 153 that rectifies the carrier wave received by the antenna 152, and 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 for the IC circuit unit 151. A clock extraction unit 156 that extracts a clock signal from the carrier wave received by the antenna 152 and supplies the clock signal to the control unit 155; a memory unit 157 that can store a predetermined information signal; and a modulation / demodulation unit connected to the antenna 152 158, and the control unit 155 for controlling the operation of the RFID circuit element To through the rectifying unit 153, the clock extracting unit 156, the modem unit 158, and the like.

  The modem 158 demodulates the communication signal received from the antenna 14 of the tag label producing apparatus 2 received by the antenna 152, and modulates and reflects the carrier wave received from the antenna 152 based on the response signal from the controller 155. To do.

  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 tag circuit element Tc provided in the cartridge 100 has the same structure as the RFID tag circuit element To, and includes an IC circuit unit 151, an antenna 152, and the like. Yes.

  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 shows creation of the above-described RFID label T, that is, the printed label label 110 after the cover film 103 is conveyed and the base tape 101 is bonded to the printed label 10 while the printing head 10 performs predetermined printing. 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. 8, for example, when an operator performs a tag information read or write operation (in other words, a tag label creation operation) in the tag label creation device 2 via the terminal 5 (or the general-purpose computer 6, the same applies hereinafter), this flow is performed. Be started. First, in step S10, based on the ID information stored in advance in the memory unit 157 (see FIG. 5) of the RFID circuit element Tc provided in the cartridge 100, the operator operates the terminal in relation to the corresponding application. 5 is used to select an application (operation software, which may be a print format template) for operating the tag label producing apparatus 2 used in 5 (see FIG. 9 described later).

  In the next step S50, the tag access is switched to the tape side. Specifically, a selection signal is output to the antenna switch circuit 341, and the antenna switch circuit 341 is switched so that the antenna 14 is connected to the transmission / reception separator 34.

  Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S100, and the RFID tag information to be written to the IC circuit unit 151 of the RFID circuit element To from the antenna 14, which is input via the terminal 5 using the application selected in the above step S10, and the printing are printed. According to the print information to be printed on the RFID label T by the head 10, the RFID tag information is written in the memory portion 157 of the IC circuit portion 151 of the RFID circuit element To and predetermined printing is performed on the cover film 103 (note that In the case of the reading process, the predetermined value on the cover film 103 is determined according to the print information to be printed on the RFID label T by the print head 10 that is input via the terminal 5 using the application selected in step S10. The tag label tape 110 with print is attached to the RFID tag circuit. Cut for each child To perform RFID label producing process of an RFID label T (see FIGS. 14 to 16 below for details), and this flow is ended. Note that when the RFID label producing process is performed on a so-called die-cut type label material in which a cut line for peeling is previously formed in a predetermined region including the RFID circuit element To, the cutting is not necessary.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of step S10 described above.

  In FIG. 9, first, in step S <b> 11, it is determined whether or not the cartridge 100 is attached to the cartridge holder portion provided in the apparatus main body 8 of the tag label producing apparatus 2. Specifically, although not particularly illustrated and described, for example, a mechanical switch that detects the presence or absence of the cartridge 100 by urging and contacting the contact with a casing 100A of the cartridge 100 with a spring member, for example, the control circuit 30 The mounting of the cartridge 100 is detected by a sensor equipped with a phototransistor that receives light reflected by the housing 100A and outputs a corresponding detection signal to the control circuit 30. This is done by inputting a signal.

  Thereafter, in step S12, the tag access is switched to the cartridge side. Specifically, a 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.

  In the next step S13, the ID information stored in advance in the memory unit 157 (see FIG. 5) of the RFID circuit element Tc provided in the cartridge 100 is read (see FIG. 13 described later).

  In the next step S14, it is determined whether or not an operation for newly registering an application for operating the tag label producing apparatus 2 has been performed. Specifically, a control signal is output to the CPU of the terminal 5 via the input / output interface 31 and the communication line 3, and a message screen asking whether or not to newly register an application is displayed on the display 5a (see FIG. 10). ). When prompted by this message and the operator inputs whether or not to perform new registration using the keyboard 5b (or a mouse not shown), the input signal is controlled via the communication line 3 and the input / output interface 31. The signal is input to the circuit 30 to make a determination. For example, when the application to be used has been used so far and has already been associated with the ID information stored in the RFID tag circuit element Tc on the cartridge 100 side, the operator The fact that new registration is not performed is input, and the determination is not satisfied, and the routine goes to the next step S15.

  In step S15, for example, a control signal (correlation reading instruction signal) is output to the information server 7, and the ID information and the tag label stored in the RFID tag circuit element Tc on the cartridge 100 side stored in advance in the memory of the information server 7 or the like. Correlation information associated one-to-one with the creation device 2 operation application is read via the communication line 3 and the input / output interface 31. Then, the read correlation information is temporarily stored in the RAM or the like included in the control circuit 30. Note that a plurality of applications may be associated with one piece of ID information based on the correlation information (see also modifications described later). In this case, the plurality of applications are associated in advance in a predetermined order based on the past RFID tag labeling history (for example, the one with the highest use frequency is given priority), and this order information is also included in the correlation information. In this way, it may be read in step S15. Further, this order information may be stored not in the information server 7 but in the RFID circuit element Tc together with the ID information.

  In the next step S16, an application associated with the ID information read from the RFID tag circuit element Tc on the cartridge 100 side in the previous step S13 is selected based on the correlation information stored in the RAM in step S15. Then, a control signal (software confirmation display signal) is output to the CPU of the terminal 5 via the input / output interface 31 and the communication line 3, and the name of the selected application (eg, a symbol, an icon, etc.) may be displayed on the display 5a. A message screen that asks whether or not to approve the selected application and display the application of the RFID circuit element To (in other words, display the usage of the RFID circuit element To). Is displayed. An example of the selection processing screen at this time is shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 11, fixed asset management is selected from the three applications of fixed asset management, name tag management, and document management.

  In the next step S17, it is determined whether or not the application selected in step S16 has been approved. Specifically, whether or not to approve is input by the operator through the keyboard 5b of the terminal 5, and it is determined whether or not the input signal is input to the control circuit 30 through the communication line 3 and the input / output interface 31. To do. If approved, the determination is satisfied and the routine goes to the next Step S18.

  In step S18, a control signal (software instruction signal) is output to the CPU of the terminal 5 via the input / output interface 31 and the communication line 3 to activate the application.

  On the other hand, in the previous step S14, for example, when the application to be used has not been used so far and has not yet been associated with the ID information stored in the RFID circuit element Tc, If the association with the ID information has already been made but it is desired to change the association, the operator inputs that new registration is performed, the determination is satisfied, and the routine goes to the next step S19.

  In step S19, a control signal is output to the CPU of the terminal 5 via the input / output interface 31 and the communication line 3, and the ID information read from the RFID circuit element Tc in step S13 is displayed on the display 5a. Then, the process proceeds to next Step S20.

  Even when the selected application is not approved in the previous step S17, the determination is not satisfied and the process proceeds to the next step S20.

  In step S20, a control signal is output to the CPU of the terminal 5 via the input / output interface 31 and the communication line 3, and the tag label producing device 2 stored in advance in the ROM (or RAM) of the terminal 5 is operated. Names of applications (including both singular and plural) (for example, symbols, icons, etc., that is, display that can be identified by the application) are displayed in a list on the display 5a (in other words, RFID circuit elements This is equivalent to displaying a list of To applications). At this time, the application list display and the ID information displayed in step S19 are displayed side by side on the display 5a (note that one may be displayed).

  In the next step S21, it is determined whether or not the operator has selected one application from the applications listed on the display 5a in step S20. Specifically, the operator selects an application using the keyboard 5 b, and determines whether the selection input signal is input to the control circuit 30 via the communication line 3 and the input / output interface 31. If it is selected, the process proceeds to the next step S22.

  In step S22, the application selected in step S21 and the ID information read from the RFID circuit element Tc in the previous step S13 are made to correspond one-to-one, and correlation information is sent via the input / output interface 31 and the communication line 3. For example, the correlation information is output to the information server 7 and stored in a memory or the like included in the information server 7.

  In the next step S23, a control signal (software instruction signal) is output to the CPU of the terminal 5 via the input / output interface 31 and the communication line 3, and the application selected in the previous step S21 is activated.

As described above, the selection of the application for operating the tag label producing apparatus 2 is completed, and the flow of the application selection process ends.
As described above, when the ID information of the RFID circuit element Tc on the cartridge 100 side is associated with a plurality of applications, the plurality of applications are selected and displayed on the display 5a in step S16. At this time, the plurality of selected applications may be simply displayed in parallel, or the most frequently used application or the most recently used application may be displayed with higher priority. Furthermore, when selecting the application described above, a database used by the application may be selected together.

  In the above description, the ID information is read from the RFID circuit element Tc (step S13) when the cartridge 100 is mounted in the cartridge holder portion of the tag label producing apparatus 2 (step S11). However, the present invention is not limited to this. The ID information may be read from the RFID circuit element Tc when the apparatus power of the creating apparatus 2 is turned on.

  FIG. 12 shows an example of a screen displayed on the display 5a of the terminal 5 when the selection process of the application for operating the tag label producing apparatus 2 as described above is performed and the application is started in step S18 or step S23. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 12, in this example, the application type of the RFID circuit element To is for fixed assets, the printed characters printed on the cover film 103 corresponding to the RFID circuit element To, and the RFID tag An input field for inputting article information as RFID tag information stored in the IC circuit unit 151 of the circuit element To is displayed. When the operator uses the keyboard 5b of the terminal 5 to input the fixed asset number in the print character column, the name of the article that is the fixed asset in the item information column, the administrator name in the manager column, the input information is stored in the terminal 5 To the control circuit 30 via the communication line 3 and the input / output interface 31. Thus, as described later, in the RFID label producing process, the print character R (here, fixed asset No.) is printed on the cover film 103, and the article information is used as RFID tag information in the IC circuit of the RFID circuit element To. Is written in the section 151 (see FIG. 14 described later). For example, when the memory unit 157 is composed of a read-only memory and the RFID label is produced by reading, the article information is displayed on the screen, and the operator inputs only the fixed asset number in the print character column. Become.

  Note that when writing to or reading from the RFID circuit element To as described above, the article information input by the operator may be directly written in the IC circuit unit 151 as RFID tag information. The ID information of the RFID circuit element To may be associated with the ID information and written in the IC circuit 151. In this case, the correspondence relationship between the article information and the ID information of the RFID circuit element To is stored in, for example, the information server 7 described above and can be referred to as necessary.

  In the above, the case where the application type of the RFID circuit element To is for fixed assets is shown as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it corresponds to various uses such as name tag management, office document management, and general purpose. The application is started.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of step S13 of FIG. 9 described above.

  In FIG. 13, first, in step S31, a variable K for counting the number of times of retrying (number of access attempts) when there is no response from the RFID circuit element Tc is initialized to zero.

Thereafter, in step S32, a “Scroll All ID” command for reading out ID information stored in the RFID circuit element Tc using predetermined communication parameters (frequency band, communication protocol, etc.) fixedly determined in advance is signal-processed. Output to the 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 tag circuit element Tc of the cartridge 100 via the high frequency circuit 21 to prompt a reply.

  Next, in step S33, a reply signal (cartridge information) transmitted from the RFID circuit element Tc of the cartridge 100 in response to the “Scroll All ID” signal is received via the antenna 19, and the high frequency circuit 21 and the signal are received. The data is taken in via the processing circuit 22 (may be temporarily stored in an appropriate memory).

  Next, in step S34, 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 S33.

  If the determination is not satisfied, the process moves to step S35, and 1 is added to K. Further, in step S36, K is a predetermined number of retries set in advance (in this example, 3 times. Other times may be set as appropriate). It is determined whether or not. If K ≦ 2, the determination is not satisfied and the routine returns to step S22 and the same procedure is repeated. If K = 3, the process proceeds to step S37, 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 to display a reading failure (error), and this flow is terminated. To do. In this way, even if reading is unsuccessful, retry is performed up to a predetermined number of times (three times in this example). When the determination in step S34 is satisfied, reading of cartridge information from the RFID circuit element Tc is completed, and this flow is finished.

  Through the above routine, the cartridge information stored in the IC circuit portion 151 of the RFID tag circuit element Tc provided in the cartridge 100 can be read.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a detailed procedure of the RFID label producing process in step S100 of FIG.

  First, in step S110, the radio to be written to the IC circuit unit 151 of the RFID circuit element To from the antenna 14 that is input via the terminal 5 using the application selected by the application selection process described above with reference to FIG. Tag information and print information to be printed on the RFID label T by the print head 10 are read through the communication line 3 and the input / output interface 31.

  Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S115, and a variable N for counting the number of times of retry (retry) when there is no response from the RFID circuit element To and a flag F indicating whether communication is good or bad are initialized to zero.

  Next, in step S120, a control signal is output to the cartridge drive circuit 24, and the ribbon take-up roller 106 and the pressure roller 107 are driven to rotate by the drive 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). The print R of characters, symbols, barcodes, etc. read in step S110 is printed on the area 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.

  Thereafter, in step S125, 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 printing is applied is bonded is reached to 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 the next step S130.

  In step S130, a write process for transmitting and writing the RFID tag information to the RFID circuit element To is performed (refer to FIG. 15 described later for details).

  In the next step S140, it is determined whether or not the flag F = 0. If the writing process has been completed normally, F = 0 remains (see step S138 in the flow shown in FIG. 15 described later), so this determination is satisfied, and the routine goes to step S141. On the other hand, if the writing process is not normally completed for some reason, F = 1 is set (see step S138 in the flow shown in FIG. 15 to be described later), so this determination is not satisfied, and the process proceeds to step S145 to drive printing. A control signal is output to the circuit 25 to stop energization of 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 S160 described later.

  In step S141, the combination of the RFID tag information written to the RFID circuit element To in step S130 and the print information printed by the print head 10 corresponding thereto is sent via the input / output interface 31 and the communication line 3. And stored in the information server 7 and 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.

  Thereafter, in step S150, it is confirmed whether or not all the printing on the area corresponding to the RFID circuit element To which is the processing target at this time in the cover film 103 is completed, and then the process proceeds to step S160.

  In step S160, it is determined whether the printed tag label tape 110 has been transported to a predetermined position to be cut by the cutter 15. Specifically, for example, whether the target RFID circuit element To and the print area of the cover film 103 corresponding to the target RFID circuit element To all exceed the cutter 15 by a predetermined length (margin amount) An appropriate identification mark provided corresponding to each RFID circuit element To on 101 (specifically, for example, release sheet 101d or cover film 103) may be provided outside cartridge 100 (for example, further downstream of cutter 15 in the transport direction). It is sufficient to perform detection by using a known tape sensor provided on the side). In addition, without such detection, it is determined based on the print information whether the length of the print character length of the print R plus a predetermined blank area exceeds the total length of the RFID circuit element To (is exceeded). For example, it is possible to avoid cutting the RFID circuit element To to be bonded by cutting the margin area outside with the cutter 15 at least when the printing of the cover film 103 is completed). Also good.

  When the determination in step S160 is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S170. In step S170, 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, the pressure roller 107, and the delivery roller. 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.

  In the next step S180, a control signal is output 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 S190, 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. Thereby, the conveyance by the delivery roller 17 is resumed, and the RFID label T generated in the label shape in the above-described step S180 is conveyed toward the carry-out port 16 and discharged from the carry-out port 16 to the outside of the apparatus 2.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of step S130.

  In FIG. 15, when the above-described step S <b> 125 in FIG. 14 is completed, the process proceeds to step S <b> 131, and a “Program” command for writing desired data in the memory unit 157 is output to the signal processing circuit 22. Based on this, a “Program” signal is generated as RFID tag information including ID information to be originally written by the signal processing circuit 22, and is transmitted to the RFID tag circuit element To to be written via the transmitter 32 and the antenna 14 of the high frequency circuit 21. Is transmitted, and information is written in the memory unit 157.

  Thereafter, in step S 132, 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 RFID tag information is generated by the signal processing circuit 22 and transmitted to the RFID tag circuit element To to be written via the transmitter 32 and the antenna 14 of the high frequency circuit 21 to prompt a reply.

  Then, the process proceeds to step S 133, and a reply (response) signal transmitted (returned) from the RFID circuit element To corresponding to the “Verify” signal is received via the antenna 14, and the receiving unit 33 of the high-frequency circuit 21. The signal is captured via the signal processing circuit 22.

  Next, in step S134, based on the reception result of step S133, the information stored in the memory unit 157 of the RFID circuit element To is confirmed, and the transmitted predetermined information is normally transmitted to the memory unit 157. It is determined whether or not it has been stored.

  If the determination is not satisfied, the process moves to step S135, 1 is added to N, and it is further determined in step S136 whether N = 5. If N ≦ 4, the determination is not satisfied and the routine returns to step S131 and the same procedure is repeated. If N = 5, the process proceeds to step S137. In step S137, an error display signal is output to the terminal 5 or the general-purpose computer 6 through the input / output interface 31 and the communication line 3, and a corresponding writing failure (error) display is performed. Then, in step S138, the flag F = 1. This routine is finished as follows. As described above, even if information writing is not successful, the retry is performed up to five times, so that it is possible to make sure of the writing reliability.

  On the other hand, if the determination in S134 is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S139, and a “Lock” command for prohibiting subsequent information writing 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 the information writing 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 S139 ends, this flow ends.

  Although the above description has been given of the case where the RFID tag information is transmitted to the RFID circuit element To and written to the IC circuit unit 151 to create the RFID label T, the present invention is not limited to this. May read the RFID tag information from the read-only RFID circuit element To that is stored and held in a non-rewritable manner, and print the corresponding tag to create the RFID label T.

  In this case, only the print information is read in step S110 in FIG. 14, and the RFID tag information is read in step S130 (refer to FIG. 16 described later for details). Thereafter, in step S141, the combination of the print information and the read RFID tag information is stored.

  FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a detailed procedure of the wireless tag reading process.

In FIG. 16, in step S <b> 201, a “Scroll All ID” command for reading information stored in the RFID circuit element To as an information reading target is output to the signal processing circuit 22. Based on this, the signal processing circuit 22 uses “Scroll” as RFID tag information.
An “All ID” signal is generated and transmitted to the RFID circuit element To to be read via the high frequency circuit 21 to prompt a reply.

  Next, in step S202, a reply signal (RFID information including tag ID information and the like) transmitted from the RFID circuit element To to be read corresponding to the “Scroll All ID” signal is received via the antenna 14. Then, the high-frequency circuit 21 and the signal processing circuit 22 are used.

  Next, in step S203, 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 S202.

  If the determination is not satisfied, the process moves to step S204, 1 is added to N, and it is further determined in step S205 whether N = 5. If N ≦ 4, the determination is not satisfied and the routine returns to step S201 and the same procedure is repeated. If N = 5, the process proceeds to step S206, and 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 reading failure (error) display is performed. In step S207, the flag F = 1 is set, and this routine is terminated. Thus, even if information reading is unsuccessful, retrying is performed up to five times, so that the reading reliability can be ensured to ensure completeness.

  On the other hand, when the determination in step S203 is satisfied, reading of the RFID tag information from the RFID circuit element To to be read is completed, and this routine ends.

  In the above, the transmission unit 32, the signal processing circuit 22, and the control circuit 30 of the high-frequency circuit 21 constitute a write control unit that writes application-related information in the storage unit, and the reception unit 33 of the high-frequency circuit 21, The signal processing circuit 22 and the control circuit 30 constitute a reading control means for reading usage related information.

  In addition, the control circuit 30 includes a storage unit that stores and holds information, a display signal output unit that outputs a display signal, and a software control signal that outputs a control signal related to operation software (application or template). An output means and a correlation reading instruction signal output means for outputting a correlation reading instruction signal are configured.

  As described above, in the tag label producing apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, the ID information stored in the RFID circuit element Tc provided in the casing 100A of the cartridge 100 is associated with the application one-to-one, and the correlation information Is stored in the information server 7, the cartridge 100 and the RFID circuit element To accommodated in the cartridge 100 can be associated with the usage corresponding thereto. When the RFID label T is created using the cartridge 100 using this association, as described above with reference to FIG. 9, when the cartridge 100 is mounted on the cartridge holder portion, it is stored in the RFID circuit element Tc. The read ID information is read, an application associated with the ID information based on the correlation information, that is, an application corresponding to the use of the RFID circuit element To is confirmed and displayed, and is activated with the approval of the operator. As described above, according to the tag label producing apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, the operator can easily create the tag label, such as the activation of the operation application corresponding to the use of the RFID circuit element To of the cartridge 100 and the control for related display. It is possible to automatically execute control for achieving the above. As a result, even if the operator uses the RFID label T for any of a wide variety of uses, the operator does not perform a troublesome operation (in particular, an operation for selecting a function desired by the operator of the tag label producing apparatus) The target RFID label T can be easily created, and convenience can be improved.

  Further, in the tag label producing apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. 9, if the application to be used is already associated with the ID information and the association is to be changed, the operation is performed. A person can newly register the association arbitrarily. That is, once the RFID circuit element To is associated with the use corresponding thereto, the association can be changed as necessary. As a result, for example, when an application with higher functionality than the currently associated application is developed, the association can be changed so that the application is automatically executed. While being able to improve more, the expandability of the tag label production apparatus 2 can also be improved.

  In addition to the above, the above embodiment can be further modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the gist and technical idea. Hereinafter, such modifications will be sequentially described.

(1) When one RFID circuit element To is made to correspond to a plurality of uses In the above embodiment, the ID information stored in the RFID circuit element Tc based on the correlation information stored in advance in the memory or the like of the information server 7 Are associated with the application for operating the tag label producing apparatus 2 on a one-to-one basis. In other words, the RFID circuit element To and the usage corresponding thereto are made to correspond one-to-one. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of usages may be made to correspond to one RFID circuit element To. .

  FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of the application selection process in the present modification, and corresponds to FIG. 9 described above.

  In FIG. 17, Steps S11 to S14 are the same as those in FIG. If it is determined in step S14 that the operator does not perform new registration, the determination is not satisfied and the process proceeds to the next step S60.

  In step S60, an application search process is performed (see FIG. 18 described later).

  In the next step S17, it is determined whether or not the application searched in step S60 is approved. Specifically, whether or not to approve is input by the operator through the keyboard 5b of the terminal 5, and it is determined whether or not the input signal is input to the control circuit 30 through the communication line 3 and the input / output interface 31. To do. If not approved, the determination is not satisfied and the routine returns to step S60. On the other hand, if approved, the determination is satisfied, and the routine goes to the next Step S80.

  In step S80, the application counter (number of uses) N of the application selected in step S60 is read from the RAM or the like of the terminal 5 via the communication line 3 and the input / output interface 31. The data is updated in the RAM of the terminal 5 via the communication line 3. Then, the process proceeds to next Step S18.

  In step S18, a control signal (software instruction signal) is output to the CPU of the terminal 5 via the input / output interface 31 and the communication line 3 to activate the application.

  Steps S19 to S23 are the same as those in FIG.

  FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of step S60 described above.

  18, first, in step S61, for example, a control signal (correlation reading instruction signal) is output to the information server 7, and the ID information stored in the RFID circuit element Tc stored in advance in the memory or the like of the information server 7 is stored. The correlation information associated with the application for operating the tag label producing apparatus 2 is read through the communication line 3 and the input / output interface 31. Then, the read correlation information is temporarily stored in the RAM included in the control circuit 30. Here, in this modification, a plurality of applications are associated with one ID information by the correlation information.

  In the next step S62, based on the correlation information stored in the RAM in step S61, a plurality of applications associated with the ID information read from the RFID circuit element Tc in the previous step S13 are selected. Then, the selected application information (for example, an application name or the like; any information that can identify the selected application) is read from the terminal 5 via the communication line 3 and the input / output interface 31 (in other words, a RFID circuit element) It corresponds to reading the usage of To).

  In the next step S63, the application count value N corresponding to each of the plurality of applications selected in step S62 is read via the communication line 3 and the input / output interface 31. The application count value N is a value indicating the number of times the application has been used (started up), and corresponds to the creation history information. The application count value N is accumulated each time it is used (see step S80 in FIG. 17) and stored in the RAM of the terminal 5 or the like. ing. The application count value N may be stored in the information server 7 together with (or included in) the correlation information. Alternatively, the application count value N may be stored in the RFID circuit element Tc together with the ID information instead of the information server 7.

  In the next step S64, an application having the maximum application count value N is searched and selected from the plurality of applications read in step S63.

  In the next step S65, a control signal (software confirmation display signal) is output to the CPU of the terminal 5 via the input / output interface 31 and the communication line 3, and the name of the application selected in the above step S64 (for example, a symbol) is displayed on the display 5a. A message that asks whether or not to approve the selected application (in other words, it is equivalent to displaying the usage). Is displayed. Instead of displaying only one selected application, the selected application may be displayed in combination with other applications while being distinguishable from other applications (higher level display, highlighted display, etc.). In this case, for example, the application count value N may be displayed in a higher order in descending order (high usage frequency). This flow is complete | finished above.

  In the above, the application having the highest number of uses is automatically selected from the plurality of associated applications. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a list of the plurality of associated applications is displayed. The operator may select and input from among them. FIG. 19A and FIG. 19B show an example of the display at this time. In this example, the order in which the applications are displayed (upper and lower positions) is determined by, for example, application points corresponding to the past usage frequency, and FIG. 19A shows the highest fixed asset management application points at the top. FIG. 19B shows an example in which the name tag management application points are displayed at the top most at the maximum. Alternatively, the applications may be sequentially displayed in a fixed predetermined order, and the operator may select and input from among them.

  Also in this modification, even if the operator uses the RFID label T for any of a wide variety of applications, the RFID label T can be easily created, and the convenience can be improved. The same effect is obtained.

(2) When using a local network Although the tag label production apparatus 2, the terminal 5, etc. were integrated in the (wide area) network via the communication line 3 as an example above, it is not restricted to this. . That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 20, the tag label producing device 2 and the terminal 5 are connected by a local network (so-called LAN or the like) (not connected to other external lines), and thereby the RFID tag generating system 1 ′ is connected. It may be formed.

  In this case, the correlation information in which the ID information stored in the RFID circuit element Tc and the application for operating the tag label producing device 2 are associated is stored in a memory (database) such as a ROM or RAM of the terminal 5, for example. Therefore, when selecting an application, the control circuit 30 of the tag label producing apparatus 2 outputs a control signal (correlation reading instruction signal) to the terminal 5 (CPU), and locally stores the correlation information stored in the memory of the terminal 5. Through a typical network. Based on the correlation information, an application associated with the ID information read from the RFID circuit element Tc is selected. After that, the process of displaying the confirmation of the selected application on the display 5a of the terminal 5 and starting it after the approval of the operator is the same as described above, and the description thereof will be omitted.

  Also by this modification, the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment and the modification of (1) can be acquired.

(3) Case where taglar producing apparatus has all functions In other words, all functions of terminal 5 in the modified example of (2) may be provided on the tag label producing apparatus 2 side. In this case, the tag label producing apparatus 2 includes some storage means functioning as a database, display means (display) for displaying applications, and operation means (keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc.) for operation input by the operator. Yes.

  In this case, the correlation information in which the ID information stored in the RFID circuit element Tc and the application for operating the tag label producing device 2 are associated is stored in the storage means (database) provided in the tag label producing device 2. Therefore, when selecting an application, the control circuit 30 of the tag label producing apparatus 2 reads the correlation information stored in the storage means, and based on the correlation information, the ID information read from the RFID circuit element Tc and Select the associated application. Thereafter, the display unit confirms the selected application, obtains the operator's approval, and activates the application.

  Also by this modification, the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment and the modification of (1) and (2) can be acquired.

  In the embodiment and the modification described above, ID information is stored in the RFID circuit element Tc as use related information, and the ID information and the application are associated with each other using the correlation information. It is not limited to this. That is, the RFID tag circuit element Tc stores the usage information of the RFID tag circuit element To (for example, for fixed assets, for name tags, for offices, for general purposes, etc.) and associates the usage information with the application using the correlation information. You may do it. The application information may be directly stored in the RFID circuit element Tc. In this case, there is an advantage that a database for storing correlation information becomes unnecessary.

  In the embodiment and the modification described above, the name of the application is displayed in order to obtain the operator's approval for the selected application. However, the present invention is not limited to this. , Name tag, office, general purpose, etc.) may be displayed. In this case, even an operator who does not know the name of the application or the like can approve with the use.

  In addition to those already described, the methods according to the above-described embodiments and modifications may be used in appropriate combination.

It is assumed that the “Scroll All ID” signal, “Erase” signal, “Verify” signal, “Program” signal, etc. used above conform to the Auto-ID specification established by EPC global. EPC global is an international EAN association that is an international organization of distribution codes, and a Uniform Code that is a US distribution code organization.
It is a non-profit corporation jointly established by Council (UCC). 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 an embodiment of a tag label producing apparatus of the present invention is applied. It is a notional block diagram showing the detailed structure of one Embodiment of the tag label production apparatus of this invention. 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 side figure and bottom view showing an example of the appearance of a wireless tag label. It is a cross-sectional view by the VII-VII 'cross section in FIG. It is a flowchart showing the control procedure performed by the control circuit. It is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of step S10 shown in FIG. It is a figure showing an example of the display screen of the display of a terminal. It is a figure showing an example of the display screen of the display of a terminal. It is a figure showing an example of the screen displayed on the display of a terminal, when an application starts in step S18 or step S23 shown in FIG. It is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of step S13 shown in FIG. It is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of step S100 shown in FIG. It is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of step S130 shown in FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a detailed procedure of a wireless tag reading process in a case where a wireless tag label is created by performing printing corresponding to the wireless tag circuit element while reading the wireless tag circuit element. It is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of the selection process of the application in the modification corresponding to multiple uses. It is a flowchart showing the detailed procedure of step S60 shown in FIG. It is a figure showing an example of the display screen of the display of a terminal. It is a figure showing the modification which connected the tag label production apparatus and the terminal by the local network.

Explanation of symbols

1 RFID tag generation system (tag label creation system)
5 terminal (operation terminal)
5a Display (display means)
7 Information server (external storage device)
14 Antenna (device side antenna means)
19 Antenna (device side antenna means)
22 Signal processing circuit (write control means, read control means)
30 Control circuit (storage means, display signal output means, software control signal output
Means, correlation reading instruction signal output means, writing control means, reading
Control means)
32 Transmitter (write control means)
33 Receiver (reading control means)
100 cartridge (wireless tag circuit element cartridge)
Tc RFID circuit element (memory means, RFID circuit element for application related information)
To wireless tag circuit element (RFID tag circuit element for tag label)

Claims (8)

A cartridge holder portion having a storage means for storing and holding information, and a detachable RFID tag circuit element cartridge containing a tag label RFID circuit element; and
Device-side antenna means for performing wireless communication with the tag label RFID circuit element;
The order based on the preparation history information have been determined, the application related information related to multiple uses of the tag label RFID circuit element, against the one of the storage unit of the RFID circuit element cartridge, according to an operation of the operator Write control means to write,
Display signal output means for outputting a display signal written in the storage means for displaying the plurality of uses of the tag label RFID circuit element;
Read control means for reading the use related information relating to the plurality of uses stored in the storage means;
The order determined based on the creation history information, based on the creation history information, based on the use related information related to the plurality of uses read by the read control means. Depending on the condition, the most frequently used or the most recently used one is given priority, and a software confirmation display signal is output for confirmation display, and the most frequently used A software control signal output that outputs a software instruction signal for determining and instructing the operation software in response to a result of selection by the operator based on a display giving priority to a display having a higher or most recently used one. Means,
Tag label producing apparatus according to claim <br/> to have. A cartridge holder portion having a storage means for storing and holding information, and a detachable RFID tag circuit element cartridge containing a tag label RFID circuit element; and
Device-side antenna means for performing wireless communication with the tag label RFID circuit element;
Write control means for writing application-related information related to the use of the RFID circuit element for tag label to the storage means in response to an operation by the operator;
Read control means for reading the use related information stored in the storage means;
Software control signal output means for outputting a control signal related to the operation software used by the operator in relation to the corresponding application based on the use-related information read by the read control means;
Have
The software control signal output means includes
The control signal is output based on correlation information between the use-related information set in advance and the operation software.
A tag label producing apparatus characterized by that. In the tag label producing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
A tag label producing apparatus comprising correlation reading instruction signal output means for outputting a correlation reading instruction signal for reading the correlation information from a database. In the tag label producing apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3 ,
The reading control means includes
A tag label producing apparatus that reads the use-related information when the RFID circuit element cartridge is attached to the cartridge holder or when the apparatus power is turned on. In the tag label production apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4 ,
The storage means
A tag label producing device, which is a RFID circuit element for use related information that performs wireless communication with the device side antenna means. A cartridge holder portion having a storage means for storing and holding information and a detachable RFID tag circuit element cartridge containing a tag label RFID circuit element, an apparatus-side antenna means for performing wireless communication with the tag label RFID circuit element, and creation history Application-related information related to a plurality of uses of the RFID label circuit element for tag label, the order of which is determined based on the information, is written to the storage means of one RFID circuit element cartridge in accordance with the operation of the operator Write control means, display signal output means for outputting display signals for displaying the plurality of uses of the tag label RFID circuit element written in the storage means, and the plurality of uses stored in the storage means Read control means for reading the application related information, and the read control means Based on the application-related information related to the plurality of uses, the plurality of operation software that is an option for use by the operator, according to the order determined based on the creation history information, Output the software confirmation display signal for confirmation display while giving priority to the most frequently used or the most recently used one, and displaying the most frequently used or Software control signal output means for outputting a software instruction signal for determining and instructing the operation software in response to a selection result of the operator based on a display giving priority to the most recently used display. A tag label producing device;
An operation terminal for performing a writing operation by the writing control means of the tag label producing apparatus;
A tag label producing system comprising: A cartridge holder portion having a storage means for storing and holding information and capable of detaching a RFID tag circuit element cartridge storing a tag label RFID circuit element, an apparatus-side antenna means for performing wireless communication with the tag label RFID circuit element, and the tag label Write control means for writing application-related information related to the use of the RFID circuit element for use to the storage means, read control means for reading the use-related information stored in the storage means, and the use-related information read by the read control means A tag label having software confirmation display signal output means for outputting a software confirmation display signal for performing confirmation display of operation software used by an operator in the operation terminal based on information in relation to a corresponding application A creation device;
A display means for performing the confirmation display in response to the software confirmation display signal; and a database for storing and storing correlation information between the application-related information and the operation software, and the writing control means of the tag label producing apparatus. With an operation terminal for writing operation by
A tag label producing system comprising: A cartridge holder portion having a storage means for storing and holding information and capable of detaching a RFID tag circuit element cartridge storing a tag label RFID circuit element, an apparatus-side antenna means for performing wireless communication with the tag label RFID circuit element, and the tag label Write control means for writing application-related information relating to the use of the RFID circuit element for use to the storage means, read control means for reading the use-related information stored in the storage means, and the use-related information read by the read control means A tag label having software confirmation display signal output means for outputting a software confirmation display signal for performing confirmation display of operation software used by an operator in the operation terminal based on the information in relation to the corresponding application A creation device;
An operation terminal for performing a writing operation by the writing control means of the tag label producing apparatus, comprising display means for performing the confirmation display in response to the software confirmation display signal;
An external storage device storing and holding correlation information between the use-related information and the operation software;
A tag label producing system comprising:

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