JP5246703B2 - IC tag for direction discrimination and method for direction discrimination of workpiece - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an IC tag for discriminating before and after and right and left of a work, and a work direction discriminating method using the IC tag.

  Regarding the present invention, it is known in Patent Document 1 that a reader / writer determines whether a loading direction of a hybrid card with respect to a card holder is appropriate. In this case, communication is performed between the hybrid card and the card holder (reader / writer), and whether or not the loading direction is appropriate is determined based on whether or not the communication is successful. The hybrid card is provided with a magnetic shield layer, an optical recording unit is provided on one of the front and back sides, and an antenna and a CPU are arranged on the other side. The antenna is arranged at a position deviated from the center of the card, for example, at a position deviated from one side of the card. When the hybrid card is loaded upside down with respect to the card holder, the card side antenna is blocked by the magnetic shield layer, so that no response is obtained from the card side CPU and it is determined that the card is loaded incorrectly. Also, when the hybrid card is loaded upside down with respect to the card holder, the antenna on the card side and the antenna on the holder side (reader / writer side) are misaligned so that they cannot face each other. A response is not obtained and it is determined that there is an error.

  In the present invention, the antenna of the IC tag is constituted by the first antenna part and the second antenna part formed continuously with the first antenna part. Thus, the antenna is constituted by the two antenna parts. This is known from Patent Document 2. There, a rectangular spiral first antenna is formed along the periphery of a rectangular substrate, and a rectangular spiral second antenna is formed in a state of being biased to one long side portion inside the first antenna. doing. In this way, by forming the second antenna in a state of being biased to one of the long sides of the substrate, the reader / writer side antenna is connected to the IC tag as well as the reader / writer side antenna directly facing the IC tag. Even when it is located on the side of an orthogonal plane, information can be read and written by communicating with the IC tag. In addition, the winding direction of the coil of the 1st antenna and the 2nd antenna is the same direction.

JP 2000-011097 A (paragraph number 0036, FIG. 2) JP 2001-236481 (paragraph number 0021, FIG. 2)

  According to the hybrid card of Patent Document 1, it can be confirmed that the card is correctly loaded into the card holder. However, in the case of a hybrid card of the same size as a general credit card, it may be possible to determine the direction without problems, but the entire card is miniaturized into an IC tag and attached to the work surface. When determining the direction of the workpiece, it is expected that it will be difficult to accurately determine the front and rear and the left and right. For example, when assuming an IC tag with a vertical and horizontal dimension of several centimeters in which an antenna and an IC module are mounted on a base, even if the front and rear or the left and right sides of the workpiece are in the opposite posture, the antenna communicable area on the reader / writer side This is because the entire IC tag enters the network, and communication may be possible in both cases of the normal posture and the reverse posture.

  Also, only when the hybrid card is loaded in the card holder, the card orientation can only be determined, so it is a hybrid card that uses a non-contact type access form, but this is added to workpieces of various structures. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the direction and lacks versatility.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an IC tag that can accurately determine the front, back, left, and right of a workpiece with high reliability, and a workpiece direction determination method using the IC tag. An object of the present invention is to determine whether a work with an IC tag attached is in a normal posture or a reverse posture, and whether the electromotive force at the antenna of the IC tag satisfies the operating power condition of the IC module. It is an object to provide an IC tag excellent in versatility and reliability, and a method for discriminating a workpiece direction.

The present invention includes a reader writer 10 and the antenna 11 provided in the direction discriminator 20, in a predetermined communication position and the IC tag 1 which is fixed on the workpiece W surface is relatively close, the reader writer 10 of the direction discriminator 20 and The IC tag is fixed to the workpiece surface and is used for discrimination of the workpiece W direction by the direction discriminating device 20 by performing communication between the antenna 11 and the IC tag 1 fixed to the workpiece W surface . The IC tag 1 includes a base body 2, an IC module 3 and an antenna 4 arranged on the base body 2, and is configured as a passive tag type. The antenna 4 includes a first antenna unit 6 disposed on one side of the base body 2 and a second antenna unit 7 disposed on the other side of the base body 2 continuously to the first antenna unit 6. The end portions of both antenna portions 6 and 7 are connected to the IC module 3, respectively. The first antenna unit 6 and the second antenna unit 7 have the coils wound in opposite directions, and the number of turns of the coil of the first antenna unit 6 is larger than the number of turns of the coil of the second antenna unit 7. Is set. Then, at a predetermined communication position, the electromotive force in the antenna 4 varies between the state in which the first antenna unit 6 is close to the antenna 11 of the reader / writer 10 and the state in which the second antenna unit 7 is close to the antenna 11 of the reader / writer 10. , depending on whether the operating power meet the IC module 1, or the posture of the workpiece W is reversed orientation or a normal posture is characterized that you have been configured to be discriminated.

  When the work W located at a predetermined communication position is in a normal posture, the first antenna unit is arranged such that only the first antenna unit 6 provided in the IC tag 1 is located inside the communicable area of the reader / writer 10. 6 is offset from one side of the base body 2.

  When the work is in a normal posture at a predetermined communication position, the electromotive force of the first antenna unit 6 is P1, the electromotive force of the second antenna unit 7 is P2, and the operating power of the IC module 3 is P ( The antenna units 6 and 7 are configured to satisfy P1-P2 ≧ P).

  The first antenna portion 6 is formed in one region divided by the symmetrical central axis Q passing through the center of the base body 2, and the second antenna portion 7 having an antenna effective area smaller than that of the first antenna portion 6 is formed in the other region. It forms symmetrically with the first antenna part.

In the direction determination method of the work of the present invention, the reader writer 10 and the antenna 11 provided in the direction discriminator 20, in a predetermined communication position and the IC tag 1 which is fixed on the workpiece W surface is relatively close, the direction determination the reader writer 10 and the antenna 11 of the device 20, by performing communication with the IC tag 1 which is fixed to the workpiece W table surfaces, to determine the direction of the workpiece W. The IC tag 1 includes a base body 2, an IC module 3 disposed on the base body 2, and an antenna 4, and is configured as a passive tag type. The antenna 4 includes a first antenna unit 6 disposed on one side of the base body 2 and a second antenna unit 7 disposed on the other side of the base body 2 continuously to the first antenna unit 6. The end portions of both antenna portions 6 and 7 are connected to the IC module 3, respectively. The first antenna unit 6 and the second antenna unit 7 have opposite winding directions, and the number of turns of the coil of the first antenna unit 6 is set larger than the number of turns of the coil of the second antenna unit 7. Has been. Therefore, at a predetermined communication position , the first antenna unit 6 is close to the antenna 11 of the reader / writer 10 and the second antenna unit 7 is close to the antenna 11 of the reader / writer 10. It is characterized in that it is determined whether the posture of the work W is a normal posture or a reverse posture depending on whether the power satisfies the operating power condition of the IC module 3 or not .

  When the work W is in a normal posture at a predetermined communication position, the electromotive force of the first antenna unit 6 is P1, the electromotive force of the second antenna unit 7 is P2, and the operating power of the IC module 3 is P. The direction is determined by operating the IC module 3 in a state where (P1-P2 ≧ P) is satisfied.

  When the workpiece W is in a normal posture at a predetermined communication position, the reader / writer is placed in the IC tag so that only the first antenna portion provided in the IC tag is located inside the communicable area of the reader / writer. The communication is performed with a biased arrangement.

  In the present invention, the antenna 4 of the IC tag 1 is constituted by the first antenna portion 6 and the second antenna portion 7 arranged on one side and the other side of the base body 2, and the end portions of both antenna portions 6, 7. Were connected to the IC module 3 respectively. Further, the first antenna portion 6 and the second antenna portion 7 are formed so that the winding directions of the coils are opposite to each other and the number of turns of the coils is different. The IC tag 1 is fixed to the surface of the workpiece W and communicates with the reader / writer 10 at a predetermined communication position. When the left and right or front and back of the workpiece W are correct, an electromotive force that is equal to or greater than the operating power of the IC module 3 is generated in the antenna 4, and communication can be performed between the reader / writer 10 and the IC tag 1. It can be seen that W is in a normal posture. However, in a state where the workpiece W is in the reverse posture, the electromotive force in the antenna 4 does not reach the operating power of the IC module 3, and communication cannot be performed between the reader / writer 10 and the IC tag 1. It can be seen that the workpiece W is in the reverse posture.

  As described above, in the present invention, an electromotive force in which positive and negative are reversed is generated in the first antenna unit 6 and the second antenna unit 7 in which the winding directions of the coils are opposite to each other, and the difference between the electromotive forces is determined by the IC module 3. The direction of the workpiece W is determined based on whether or not the operating power condition is satisfied, that is, whether or not the communication between the reader / writer 10 and the IC tag 1 is established. Can be determined accurately. In addition, since the IC module 3 and the antenna 4 are mounted on the base body 2 and the IC tag 1 is configured in a passive tag type, the IC tag 1 can be used without any problem even when the shape and structure of the workpiece W are variously different. The IC tag 1 that can be applied and has excellent versatility is obtained.

  When the workpiece W located at a predetermined communication position is in a normal posture, the first antenna unit 6 is arranged such that only the first antenna unit 6 provided on the IC tag 1 is located inside the communicable area of the reader / writer 10. Is biased to one side of the base body 2, the difference in the electromotive force of the antenna 4 can be clarified depending on whether the workpiece W is in the normal posture or in the reverse posture. In addition, the distance between the first antenna unit 6 and the second antenna unit 7 can be increased, and only one of them can be accessed by the reader / writer 10. Therefore, the IC tag 1 can be further reduced in size and further versatility can be achieved. It can be improved.

  The relationship among the electromotive force P1 of the first antenna unit 6, the electromotive force P2 of the second antenna unit 7 and the operating power P of the IC module 3 when the workpiece is in a normal posture at a predetermined communication position is (P1- If each antenna part 6 * 7 is comprised so that it may become (P2> = P), the difference in the electromotive force of the antenna 4 with the case where the attitude | position of the workpiece | work W is a normal attitude | position and a reverse attitude | position can further be clarified. Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine the direction of the workpiece W before and after, left and right, etc. with higher reliability and to provide an IC tag with excellent versatility.

  The first antenna portion 6 is formed in one region divided by the symmetrical central axis Q passing through the center of the base body 2, and the second antenna portion 7 having an antenna effective area smaller than that of the first antenna portion 6 is formed in the other region. If it is formed symmetrically with one antenna unit, the access conditions when the reader / writer 10 accesses the antenna units 6 and 7 individually can be equalized. This means that, for example, when a predetermined number of workpieces W are simultaneously accessed by a predetermined number of reader / writers 10, the workpiece W or the reader / writer 10 may be simultaneously displaced by an equal amount. The structure and device for direction determination can be simplified, and the cost for direction determination can be reduced.

  In the work direction determination method of the present invention, communication is performed between the IC tag 1 fixed to the surface of the work W and the reader / writer 10 at a predetermined communication position, which is the reverse of the case where the work W is in the normal posture. The direction of the workpiece W can be determined depending on whether the electromotive force in the antenna 4 satisfies the operating power condition of the IC module 3 in the case of the posture. As described above, when the direction of the workpiece W is determined based on the electromotive force at the antenna 4 of the IC tag 1 as a criterion, only the IC tag 1 is added to the workpiece W having various structures, and the direction of the workpiece W is determined. Can be performed accurately with high reliability and in a non-contact state. Further, since the IC tag 1 and the reader / writer 10 communicate with each other in a non-contact state to determine the direction, the card loading operation to the card holder, which is indispensable in the conventional direction determination method, can be omitted. The direction determination of W can be performed quickly and easily, and the time required for the direction determination can be significantly shortened.

  The relationship among the electromotive force P1 of the first antenna unit 6, the electromotive force P2 of the second antenna unit 7 and the operating power P of the IC module 3 when the workpiece is in a normal posture at a predetermined communication position is (P1- When the direction is determined by operating the IC module 3 in the state of P2 ≧ P), the difference in the electromotive force of the antenna 4 between the case where the posture of the workpiece W is the normal posture and the case where it is the reverse posture is further clarified. it can. Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine the direction of the workpiece W before and after, right and left, etc. with higher reliability.

  When the workpiece W in the normal posture is at a predetermined communication position, the reader / writer 10 is placed in the IC tag 1 so that only the first antenna unit 6 provided in the IC tag 1 is located within the communicable area of the reader / writer 10. If communication is performed with a biased arrangement, the difference in electromotive force of the antenna 4 can be clarified between the case where the posture of the workpiece W is the normal posture and the case where the workpiece W is in the reverse posture. Direction discrimination such as left and right can be accurately discriminated with higher reliability.

It is a top view of an IC tag. It is a top view which shows the difference in the attitude | position of an IC tag, and the positional relationship of a reader / writer. It is a graph which shows the electromotive force of an antenna when an IC tag is a normal posture. It is a graph which shows the electromotive force of an antenna in case an IC tag is a reverse attitude | position. It is a top view which shows an example of the direction discrimination | determination method of a rubber stamp (work). It is a perspective view which shows the stamping state of a rubber stamp. It is a top view which illustrates the difference in the posture of a rubber stamp. It is the sectional view on the AA line in FIG. It is a top view which shows another Example of the antenna by the side of an IC tag.

(Example) FIG. 1 thru | or FIG. 6 shows the Example of the direction discriminating method at the time of applying the IC tag for direction discriminating concerning this invention, and an IC tag to the rubber stamp (work) W. FIG. In FIG. 2, the IC tag 1 includes a base body 2, an IC module 3 and an antenna 4 disposed on the base body 2, and is configured in a passive tag type. The base body 2 can be formed of an insulating plate, an insulating sheet, an insulating film, and the like. In this example, the base body 2 was formed of a rectangular insulating sheet having a vertical and horizontal dimension of 15 × 20 mm. An IC module 3 and an antenna 4 are mounted on the attachment surface side of the base body 2 and covered with an insulating layer, and an adhesive material layer is formed on the outermost surface to form an adhesive label.

  The antenna 3 includes a first antenna unit 6 disposed in one region divided by a symmetrical central axis Q parallel to the long side portion passing through the center of the base body 2, and the other one in succession to the first antenna unit 6. The second antenna unit 7 is arranged in the region, and the ends of both antenna units 6 and 7 are connected to the IC module 3 respectively. The first antenna unit 6 and the second antenna unit 7 are arranged in a line-symmetric position with respect to the previous symmetry center axis Q. It should be noted that the first antenna portion 6 is formed in a square spiral shape in the counterclockwise direction toward FIG. 1, whereas the second antenna portion 7 is a square shape in the clockwise direction toward FIG. It is in the point of forming in a spiral. Furthermore, the number of coil turns of the first antenna unit 6 is made sufficiently larger than the number of coil turns of the second antenna unit 7, and the effective antenna area of the first antenna unit 6 is reduced to the effective antenna of the second antenna unit 7. It is in the point set to about 20 times or less of an area.

  As described above, when the first antenna portion 6 and the second antenna portion 7 are formed so that the winding directions of the coils are opposite to each other and the number of turns of the coils is different, the IC tag 1 is connected to the reader / writer 10. The electromotive force in the antenna 4 at the time of communication can be clearly changed according to the difference in the attitude of the IC tag. For example, when communication is performed between the IC tag 1 and the reader / writer 10 in a state where the first antenna unit 6 is close to the antenna 11 of the reader / writer 10 as shown in FIG. An electromotive force exceeding the operating power P of the module 3 is obtained. On the other hand, when communication is performed between the IC tag 1 and the reader / writer 10 in a state where the second antenna unit 7 is close to the antenna 11 of the reader / writer 10 (reverse posture) as shown in FIG. Only an electromotive force less than the operating power P of the IC module 3 can be obtained.

  As described above, the first antenna unit 6 and the second antenna unit 7 have the coil winding directions opposite to each other, and the number of coil windings in both the antenna units 6 and 7 differs greatly. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3A, the positive and negative of the electromotive force P1 in the first antenna unit 6 and the electromotive force P2 in the second antenna unit 7 when the IC tag 1 is in the positive posture are reversed. It becomes an electromotive force. In addition, the electromotive force P1 in the first antenna unit 6 is sufficiently larger than the electromotive force P2 in the second antenna unit 7. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3B, the entire antenna 4 generates P1-P2 electromotive force. When the electromotive force is the same as or larger than the operating power of the IC module 3, that is, when the expression (P1-P2 ≧ P) can be satisfied, the IC module 3 is operated and the IC tag 1 and the reader / writer 10 are connected. It is possible to communicate with. The electromotive force in the antenna 3 is supplied to the IC module 3 in a state of full wave rectification.

  Moreover, since the electromotive force P1 in the first antenna unit 6 and the electromotive force P2 in the second antenna unit 7 when the IC tag 1 is in the reverse posture are governed by the antenna effective area of the second antenna unit 7, As shown in FIG. 4, the electromotive force P1 in the first antenna unit 6 and the electromotive force P2 in the second antenna unit 7 are reversed in polarity, and the latter electromotive force P2 is slightly larger than the former electromotive force P1. Power. As a result, (P1−P2 ≧ P) cannot be satisfied, and even when full-wave rectification is performed, an electromotive force exceeding the operating power P of the IC module 3 cannot be obtained. Therefore, the IC module does not operate and communication between the IC tag 1 and the reader / writer 10 cannot be performed.

  In a state where the antenna 4 of the IC tag 1 and the antenna 11 of the reader / writer 10 face each other at a predetermined communication position, (P1−P2 ≧ P) is always satisfied, and the IC tag 1 is in the normal posture or in the reverse posture. It will not be possible to determine whether or not there is. In order to avoid such a situation, when the IC tag 1 located at a predetermined communication position is in the normal posture, only the first antenna unit 6 of the IC tag 1 is in the communicable area of the antenna 11 of the reader / writer 10. The first antenna unit 6 is offset from one side of the base body 2 so as to be located inside, and the reader / writer 10 is offset from the IC tag 1. In other words, the communication distance L1 between the reader / writer 10 and the first antenna unit 6 is made smaller than the communication distance L2 between the reader / writer 10 and the second antenna unit 7, and only the first antenna unit 6 of the IC tag 1 is The reader / writer 10 is positioned within the communicable area of the antenna 11. As described above, the antenna in the case where the IC tag 1 is in the reverse posture as described above is provided by offsetting the first antenna unit 6 and further offsetly arranging the reader / writer 10 with respect to the IC tag 1. 4 can be made smaller than the operating power P of the IC module 3.

  5 to 8 show usage examples in which the direction of the workpiece W is determined using the IC module 1 configured as described above. In this case, the IC tag 1 is attached to the upper end surface of the square pillar-shaped stamp stand 15 with the alphabetic characters and rubber stamps (workpieces) W for imprinting Arabic numerals one by one. A group of rubber stamps W is stored so as to form a straight line in the vertical and horizontal directions of the storage table 16. In order to determine the direction of each rubber stamp W, guide rails 17 are provided on the left and right sides of the storage box 16 so that the direction determining device 20 can reciprocate along the rails 17. The direction discriminating device 20 includes a gate-shaped support frame 21 straddling the storage base 16 on the left and right sides, a drive mechanism (not shown) that reciprocates the support frame 21, and a reader / writer that communicates with the IC tag 1 of each rubber stamp W. 10, an antenna 11, and a control device (computer) (not shown). The reader / writer 10 and the antenna 11 are provided in the same number as the rubber stamps W constituting the rows, and are arranged in a row on the support frame 21 so as to face each rubber stamp W constituting the rows vertically.

  In the IC module 3 of each IC tag 1, unique information (ID number) of the rubber stamp W is recorded, and in the control device, unique information of the rubber stamp W accommodated in a predetermined vertical and horizontal address of the storage box 16, Character font, font size, number of uses, etc. are recorded in advance. When the recording capacity of the IC module 3 is large, the character font, font size, number of times of use, etc. can also be recorded in the IC module 3.

  The unused support frame 21 stands by at a home position H indicated by an imaginary line in FIG. 5, and prior to marking with the rubber stamp W, the direction of each rubber stamp W and the storage position with respect to the storage table 16. Is determined by the direction determination device 20. As described above, when the direction is determined, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the antenna 11 of each reader / writer 10 is brought close to a predetermined communication position in the vicinity of the IC tag 1, and in that state. The direction of the rubber stamp W is determined depending on whether or not communication is established between each reader / writer 10 and the IC tag 1. The distance in the vertical direction between the antenna 11 and the first antenna 6 at this time is preferably 0 to 30 mm although it depends on the intensity of the electromagnetic wave transmitted from the antenna 11. Actually, the internal structure of the IC tag 1 is not seen through, but each member is shown by a solid line in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7 for easy understanding.

  If the left and right are stored in the storage table 16 as in the rubber stamp W located in the center of FIG. 7, communication between the reader / writer 10 and the IC tag 1 is not established. It is determined that the retracted posture of W is the reverse posture, and this is recorded in the control device. Further, as a result of communication between the reader / writer 10 and the IC tag 1, if the unique information of the rubber stamp W is different from the unique information of the vertical and horizontal addresses recorded in the control device, the storage position of the rubber stamp W is wrong. Therefore, the storage position of the rubber stamp W is corrected to a correct state. This correction work may be performed by an operator or may be performed by an automatic stamper 23 described later. In the state where the direction determination of all the rubber stamps W has been completed, the position of the rubber stamp W in the reverse posture is specified, and the direction determination device 20 returns to the home position H and is on standby.

  In the above state, as shown in FIG. 6, the rubber stamp W is captured by the automatic stamper 23 in accordance with the character string to be stamped, and the character string is printed on the stamp target 24. At this time, the rubber stamp W that is determined to be in the reverse storage position with respect to the storage table 16 is captured by the automatic stamper 23, and is then rotated and displaced 180 degrees around the vertical axis to return to the correct position. Therefore, a character string such as a manufacturing date, a product name, and a lot number instructed from the control device is correctly printed on the marking object 24. Examples of the print target 24 include steel products such as steel plates, steel bars, and steel pipes, or management plates attached to these products.

As can be understood from the above description, the method for discriminating the direction of the workpiece of the present invention can be implemented in the following form.
A workpiece direction determination method for determining the direction of the workpiece W by performing communication between the IC tag 1 fixed to the surface of the workpiece W and the reader / writer 10 at a predetermined communication position.
The IC tag 1 includes a base body 2, an IC module 3 and an antenna 4 arranged on the base body 2, and is configured in a passive tag type.
The antenna 4 includes a first antenna unit 6 disposed on one side of the base body 2 and a second antenna unit 7 disposed on the other side of the base body 2 continuously to the first antenna unit 6. The end portions of both antenna portions 6 and 7 are connected to the IC module 3, respectively.
The first antenna unit 6 and the second antenna unit 7 are formed so that the winding directions are opposite to each other and the electromotive forces during communication with the reader / writer 10 are different from each other.
In a state where communication is performed between the reader / writer 10 and the IC tag 1 at a predetermined communication position, the difference in electromotive force in the antenna 4 between the case where the workpiece W is in the normal posture and the case where it is in the reverse posture is the IC module 3. The direction of the workpiece is determined based on whether or not the operating power condition is satisfied.

In the above direction determination method,
When the work W is in a normal posture at a predetermined communication position, the electromotive force of the first antenna unit 6 is P1, the electromotive force of the second antenna unit 7 is P2, and the operating power of the IC module 3 is P. The direction of the workpiece is determined in a state where the operating power condition of the IC module is (P1-P2 ≧ P).

In the above direction determination method,
When the workpiece W is in a normal posture at a predetermined communication position, the communication distance L1 between the reader / writer 10 and the first antenna unit 6 is smaller than the communication distance L2 between the reader / writer 10 and the second antenna unit 7. The reader / writer is arranged in a biased manner with respect to the IC tag and communicates to determine the direction of the workpiece.

  FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the coil pattern of the antenna 4 in the IC tag 1. There, the first antenna portion 6 is formed on one side of the base body 2 and the second antenna portion 7 is formed on the other side, as in the previous embodiment, but the second antenna portion 7 circulates around the outer periphery of the base body 2. The first embodiment is different from the previous embodiment in that the first antenna portion 6 and the second antenna portion 7 are asymmetrically arranged. Since others are the same as the previous embodiment, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  In addition to the above embodiments, the IC tag 1 can be disposed on the front and rear circumferential surfaces and the left and right circumferential surfaces of the workpiece W, and can be applied to workpieces W having various shapes and structures. The overall shape of both the first and second antennas 6 and 7 can be formed into a round shape, a triangular shape, or an arbitrary geometric shape. In short, if selected in relation to the shape of the antenna 11 on the reader / writer 10 side. Good. When determining the direction of the workpiece W to be conveyed, every time the workpiece W reaches a predetermined communication position, communication is performed between the reader / writer 10 and the IC tag 1 to determine whether or not communication is established. Thus, the direction can be determined. It is not necessary to determine the direction of a group of workpieces W arranged in a vertical / horizontal fashion, and it is not necessary to carry out a single vertical / horizontal unit, and it is distributed individually by one reader / writer 10 or simultaneously by several reader / writers 10. Can be done.

  The offset direction of the reader / writer 10 does not need to be a direction orthogonal to the side portion of the base body 2 as described in the embodiment. For example, depending on the arrangement direction of the workpieces W, the bias direction is oblique to the side portion of the base body 2. The direction may intersect with The point is that the first antenna unit 6 is located within the coverage area (communication possible area) of the antenna 11 of the reader / writer 10 and the second antenna section 7 is located outside the coverage area of the antenna 11 at a predetermined communication position. If it is enough.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 IC tag 2 Base body 3 IC module 4 Antenna 6 1st antenna part 7 2nd antenna part 10 Reader / writer 11 Antenna

Claims (7)

A reader writer and an antenna provided in the direction determination unit, in a predetermined communication position IC tag is relatively close fixed to the work surface, and the reader-writer and the antenna of the direction discrimination unit, IC tag fixed to the work surface by performing communication with, it applied to the determination of the work direction by direction determining device, an IC tag fixed to the work surface,
The IC tag is configured in a passive tag type including a base body, an IC module and an antenna disposed on the base body,
The antenna includes a first antenna unit disposed on one side of a base body and a second antenna unit disposed on the other side of the base body in succession to the first antenna unit. The end of each part is connected to the IC module,
The first antenna unit and the second antenna unit have opposite coil winding directions, and the number of coil turns of the first antenna unit is larger than the number of coil turns of the second antenna unit. Is set,
In a predetermined communication position, the electromotive force in the antenna is the IC in a state in which the first antenna unit is close to the reader / writer antenna and a state in which the second antenna unit is close to the reader / writer antenna. in either operating power condition is satisfied or not in for modules, IC tag for direction determination, characterized that you have been configured to do the reverse position or orientation of the workpiece is positive attitude is determined.   When the workpiece located at a predetermined communication position is in a normal posture, the first antenna is arranged such that only the first antenna portion provided on the IC tag is located within the communicable area of the reader / writer. The IC tag for direction determination according to claim 1, wherein the portion is offset from one side of the base body.   When the electromotive force of the first antenna unit is P1, the electromotive force of the second antenna unit is P2, and the operating power of the IC module is P when the workpiece is in a normal posture at a predetermined communication position, The IC tag for direction discrimination according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each antenna section is configured to satisfy (P1-P2≥P).   The first antenna portion is formed in one region divided by a symmetrical central axis passing through the center of the base body, and the second antenna portion having an antenna effective area smaller than that of the first antenna portion is formed in the other region. The IC tag for direction determination according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the IC tag is formed symmetrically with one antenna portion. A reader writer and an antenna provided in the direction determination unit, in a predetermined communication position IC tag is relatively close fixed to the work surface, and the reader-writer and the antenna of the direction discrimination unit, IC tag fixed to the work surface by performing communication with, a direction determination method of the workpiece to determine the direction of the workpiece,
The IC tag is configured in a passive tag type including a base body, an IC module and an antenna disposed on the base body,
The antenna includes a first antenna unit disposed on one side of the base body and a second antenna unit disposed on the other side of the base body in succession to the first antenna unit. The ends of both antenna portions are connected to the IC module,
The first antenna unit and the second antenna unit have opposite winding directions, and the number of turns of the coil of the first antenna unit is set larger than the number of turns of the coil of the second antenna unit. And
In a predetermined communication position, the electromotive force in the antenna is the IC in a state in which the first antenna unit is close to the reader / writer antenna and a state in which the second antenna unit is close to the reader / writer antenna. A method for discriminating the direction of a workpiece, characterized by discriminating whether the posture of the workpiece is a normal posture or a reverse posture depending on whether or not the operating power condition of the module is satisfied. When the electromotive force of the first antenna unit is P1, the electromotive force of the second antenna unit is P2, and the operating power of the IC module is P when the workpiece is in a normal posture at a predetermined communication position,
6. The workpiece direction determining method according to claim 5, wherein the IC module is operated in a state satisfying (P1-P2 ≧ P) to determine the direction.   When the workpiece is in a normal posture at a predetermined communication position, the reader / writer is placed on the IC tag so that only the first antenna portion provided on the IC tag is located inside the communicable area of the reader / writer. 7. The method for discriminating a workpiece direction according to claim 5, wherein communication is performed with a biased arrangement with respect to the workpiece.

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