JP4723262B2 - Information collection system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an information collection system.

As an information collection system using RFID, one disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. In this conventional example, the information collection system is composed of an RF tag attached to a product and a tag reader fixed on the gate side arranged at the entrance, and an alarm signal is generated when an unsettled product passes through the tag reader. .
JP 2000-259958 A

  However, the above-described conventional example has a problem that it is not good because it is necessary to install a gate in the passage, and there is a problem that mental pressure on the user is great. This problem can be solved by embedding the tag reader in a wall surface or the like, but the distance between the opposing wall surfaces varies depending on the building and cannot be applied to a case where there is a wide frontage exceeding the RFID communication distance. is there. In addition, there is a similar problem when performing entrance / exit management using RFID.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described drawbacks, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information collection system that can improve versatility without deteriorating appearance.

According to the invention, the object is
An information collection system that reads information stored in an RF tag 3 fixed to a building by a tag reader 1 and collects information in an information collection target area set in the building,
A plurality of the RF tags 3 are fixed to the building ceiling 4 so that the information collection target area substantially coincides with the area constituted by the communicable areas of the RF tags 3,
Each RF tag 3 stores attribute information related to the information collection target area,
A plurality of the RF tags 3 are connected to the management center 7 by the data distribution network 5, and each storage unit corresponds to each information collection target area at one time by the distribution data distributed from the management center 7. This is achieved by providing an information collection system characterized in that it is formed to be rewritable to newly set attribute information .

In the present invention, by fixing the RF tag 3, which is a component of the RFID, to the ceiling portion 4, the communication direction can be made substantially vertical. The height of the ceiling is less varied than the distance between the opposing wall surfaces, and the variation in the area of the information collection target area is determined by arranging a plurality of RFID components ( RF tags ) on the ceiling 4. Can be absorbed.

  As a result, since the system can be installed anywhere without being affected by the size of the building, versatility is improved. Moreover, since the components of the RFID arranged on the ceiling part 4 are not conspicuous, the user is not given a feeling of mental pressure.

  Furthermore, since RFID is severely attenuated by moisture depending on the frequency used, the RF tag 3 that enters the public or the like is difficult to detect, which may contribute to a decrease in accuracy (for example, in the microwave band). 2.45GHz). On the other hand, in the present invention in which one of the components of the RFID is arranged on the ceiling, the communication direction is almost vertical, and it is possible to narrow the area that is in the shadow, resulting in improved accuracy. Can be achieved.

  In addition, the ceiling part 4 is provided with facilities 6 requiring maintenance such as disaster prevention equipment such as fire alarms and smoke detectors, air conditioners, or various security sensors such as surveillance cameras, infrared sensors, and ultrasonic sensors. Thus, the RFID component can be maintained during these maintenances, and the maintainability is improved.

  In this specification, the term “RFID” is based on the definition according to JIS X 0500, “although it performs short-range communication for reading and writing data in a semiconductor memory in a non-contact manner using an induction electromagnetic field or radio wave. Used as a generic term. Similarly, the term “RF tag” is used as “an information medium that has a built-in semiconductor memory and can store data written by an induction electromagnetic field or radio wave and can be read in a non-contact manner” according to JIS X 0500. It does not exclude similar things that have not yet been defined. In JIS X 0500, “reader / writer” is defined as “apparatus for writing and reading RF tag data”. On the other hand, in the present invention, since the writing function is not necessarily required, the term “tag reader” is used, but it is not intended to exclude those having the writing function.

Further, the information collection system of the present invention can increase the information collection accuracy dramatically.

  That is, the above-described conventional example has a problem in that when the state of the information collection target region is grasped based on the presence / absence of passage in front of the gate, a decrease in accuracy due to misreading of the RF tag 3 is inevitable.

  In order to prevent misreading of the RF tag 3, when there is no user distrust, for example, in entrance / exit management, the door is not opened unless the RF tag 3 is held over the tag reader 1 to detect entry / exit. It also seems possible to increase certainty.

  However, when such a system is constructed with an RFID having a small communication distance, such as a proximity type or a proximity type, when the leader opens the door using the RF tag 3, the successor uses the RF tag 3 to open the door. There is a limit to improvement in certainty because it is impossible to reliably prevent so-called co-accompaniment that moves in and out without hesitation.

  In order to solve this problem, it is possible to configure the RFID with a remote type having a long communication distance, but in this case, erroneous reading of the RF tag 3 in the outdoor area close to the door occurs. In the remote type, since the communication area is wide, a state where a plurality of people pass through the communication area frequently occurs. Some remote RFIDs support anti-collision that can read a plurality of RF tags 3 at the same time. However, since the entrance and exit persons pass through the door at a relatively high speed, the detection accuracy of the RF tag 3 jumps. It cannot be expected to be high. In particular, the identification of the RF tag 3 in anti-collision is normally performed by continuously transmitting a plurality of conditions until one RF tag 3 responds sequentially, so that the tag reader 1 communicates relatively early. It becomes difficult to detect a person who leaves the range.

The above invention recognizes that these problems are outflows from the technique of gate management using RFID. As represented by entrance / exit management, information collection targets such as occupants are information collection target areas. It was made based on the idea that this temporal element can be used for accuracy improvement, and the state in the area is placed on the ceiling 4 and the information collection target. a shall read directly by been RFID.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the holder of the tag reader 1 can acquire attribute information related to the area from the RF tag 3. As an example of the operation of this system, an evacuation route in a fire or the like is determined based on information from the RF tag 3, or the contents of time service at department stores or the like, instructions on product display, etc. are distributed to the RF tag 3. It is possible to memorize and give work instructions to employees.

  The setting of the area information to the RF tag 3 can be separately written using the tag reader 1, but in order to cope with urgency, the RF tag 3 is connected to the data distribution network 5, and the RF tag 3 It is useful to be able to distribute data for 3.

Furthermore, since the ceiling part 4 is generally equipped with disaster prevention equipment such as fire alarms, air conditioners, or equipment 6 that requires maintenance such as various security sensors such as surveillance cameras, infrared sensors, and ultrasonic sensors,
RFID components arranged on the ceiling part 4 are fixed to a maintenance target facility 6 installed on the ceiling part 4,
If the information collecting system according to claim 1 is replaceable together with the equipment 6 at the time of maintenance of the equipment 6, it is easy to maintain or replace the equipment 6 together when maintenance is performed, and the maintainability is improved. .

According to the present invention, the versatility of installation can be enhanced without deteriorating the appearance . Also, in order RF tag 3 is disposed on the ceiling portion 4, it is possible to reduce the influence of moisture as much as possible, it is possible to increase the information collection accuracy.

FIG. 1A shows a reference example of the present invention configured as a occupant management system in a company building. In this reference example , the tag reader 1 is fixed to the ceiling portion 4 in the room (information collection target area 2). Here, the ceiling part 4 is a position in which the update direction of the RF tag and the tag reader is substantially vertical, such as wall information on the indoor ceiling and the upper part of the wall surface adjacent to the ceiling or the outdoor area surrounded by the wall. . The tag reader 1 has a disaster prevention facility such as a fire alarm, an air conditioner, a monitoring camera, an infrared sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor, which is arranged on the ceiling 4 so that the information collection target area substantially matches the communicable area of the tag reader. Are integrally fixed to various security sensors such as these, and are exchanged at the same time when these facilities 6 are installed and exchanged.

  On the other hand, the RF tag 3 is embedded in an employee ID and distributed to employees. In addition to ID information such as employee numbers, the RF tag 3 stores additional information such as whether or not the person is a smoker and whether or not there is a hearing impairment.

  As the RFID, UHF having a relatively long communication distance or a radio wave type such as a microwave type can be used. Hereinafter, the operation when microwaves are used will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  When collecting indoor information, the tag reader 1 is first activated. The activated tag reader 1 determines whether or not it is the first microwave transmission after activation (step S1-1). If it has already been transmitted in the past, it is determined whether a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute) has passed since the previous transmission (S1-2), and if not, it waits until the predetermined time has elapsed. (Step S1-3). If it has elapsed, a microwave is transmitted (step S1-4). In the case of the first transmission in step S1-1, it is transmitted as it is.

  When the employee enters the detection range, the RF tag 3 is activated by the radio wave transmitted from the tag reader 1 (S1-5), and the stored identification information is read from the RF tag 3 (S1-6). It is transmitted to the outside management center (S1-7).

  On the management center side, the identification information is received, and the detected employee is registered in the room occupant list stored in the database installed in the management center (step S1-8).

  The occupant list is sequentially updated by transmitting a microwave from the tag reader 1 at a predetermined time interval and detecting a response from the RF tag 3.

The room information collected as described above can be used in a wider variety of ways by including various attribute information in the RF tag 3 in addition to general information such as the number of people in the room and the names of people in the room. Is possible. For example, by managing the smoker attribute, it is possible to increase the speaker volume by sending a message prompting the end of the ashtray when the last smoker leaves the room or by managing the hearing impairment attribute.
Alternatively, since a so-called action history such as where the employee has moved over time can be grasped, cost management can be performed based on this information. In this case, by unifying the RFID standards used in each building, it is possible to perform action history and cost management even when employees move between various buildings when they go out. .

  In the above description, the RF tag 3 is distributed only to employees. However, the RF tag 3 can be distributed to a maintenance company of the facility 6 as an admission card. The RF tag 3 stores a distribution date, a supplier code, and the like. When the maintenance work of the equipment 6 is performed, the tag reader 1 stores the RF tag information and is used as a maintenance history at a management center at a later date.

  In addition, RF tags are embedded in clothes of elderly people living alone, and the safety of personal elderly people living in ordinary homes and nursing homes can be confirmed, or by attaching RF tags to articles, the location of personal valuables and company equipment can be identified. You can manage and prevent misplacement.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, a plurality of RF tags 3, 3,... Are fixed to the ceiling portion 4 so that the communicable areas overlap each other. In FIG. 2, each RF tag 3 is connected to the management center 7 by a wired or wireless LAN (data distribution network 5). The RF tag 3 is formed so that the storage unit can be rewritten by distribution data distributed from the management center 7.

  FIG. 2 exemplifies the case of functioning as a guidance system at the time of a fire. Four rooms 8 and a corridor 9 are shown, and the RF tag 3 is disposed on the corridor 9 and the ceiling portion 4 of each room 8. Now, assuming that a fire has occurred in the area in the X direction of FIG. 2, first, the management center 7 distributes data indicating an evacuation route to each RF tag 3 and stores it in the RF tag 3.

  Each RF tag 3 stores an evacuation route when the refugee 10 enters the communicable area indicated by a chain line in FIG. 2. For example, the RF tag 3 (A) includes a corridor. After leaving, the message going to the left (arrow a direction) is stored.

  On the other hand, the refugee 10 holds the tag reader 1 and can evacuate safely according to the instructions of the RF tag 3. In this case, the tag reader 1 can be incorporated with a device that utters instructions from the RF tag 3. In addition, the RF tag 3 can store an instruction to a person in charge of fire extinguishing that holds the tag reader 1.

  Also, for example, the contents of the time service at the sales department such as a department store or the instruction regarding the display of the merchandise are distributed and stored in the RF tag 3, so that the salesperson in charge holding the tag reader reads the RF tag information and performs the work accordingly It is also possible to make it.

It is a figure which shows the reference example of this invention, (a) is explanatory drawing which shows the state of a room, (b) is a flowchart of occupancy management. It is a figure which shows embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Tag Reader 2 Information Collection Target Area 3 RF Tag 4 Ceiling 5 Data Distribution Network 6 Equipment

Claims (4)

An information collection system that reads information stored in an RF tag fixed to a building by a tag reader and collects information in an information collection target area set in the building,
A plurality of the RF tags are fixed to the building ceiling so that the information collection target area substantially coincides with the area composed of the communicable areas of the RF tags,
Each RF tag stores attribute information related to the information collection target area,
The plurality of RF tags are connected to a management center by a data distribution network, and each storage unit is newly set corresponding to each information collection target area at one time by distribution data distributed from the management center. An information collection system characterized by being formed to be rewritable to attribute information . The information collection system according to claim 1, wherein the RF tags are arranged at intervals that substantially coincide with the communicable area . The information collection system according to claim 1, wherein the attribute information is any one of evacuation route information and instruction information to a sales clerk . The information collection system according to claim 1, wherein the RF tag is fixed to a maintenance target facility installed on a ceiling portion .

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