JP5929513B2 - Metal embedded RFID tag and data reader - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a metal-embedded RFID tag and a data reading device that are used in the UHF band and the SHF band and have an RFID tag disposed in a metal member.

  Conventionally, wireless communication has been performed between an RFID tag (a non-contact IC (Integrated Circuit) label) and a reader. However, when this RFID tag is attached to a metal body, the communication performance deteriorates. To solve this problem, the following RFID tag configuration has been proposed and studied.

  In UHF band and SHF band RFID tags, a dielectric or air layer is provided between an antenna (antenna portion) and a metal body, thereby ensuring a gap between the antenna and the metal body and suppressing the influence of the metal body. Is generally used.

  There is also a metal integrated RFID tag in which an IC inlet is embedded and integrated in a metal article to which the RFID tag is attached, a part of the metal article is used as a radiating antenna, and the mechanical strength of the metal article is obtained.

  A configuration in which a magnetic body is provided between the antenna and the metal member has also been proposed. In this RFID tag, a soft magnetic material is disposed between the antenna and the metal member, and there is a clear description of the soft magnetic material, but the dipole antenna and its modified antenna are described in terms of the antenna to be used. In the actual verification, there is no detailed description of the antenna shape, and only an example in which the thickness of the magnetic material is 1 mm (communication distance is 15 mm) is described. Furthermore, there is no description about the metal body which is a to-be-adhered body (patent document 1).

  A shortened inlet (non-contact IC label) is sealed in a curable resin to form a tag main body, and this tag main body is embedded in a metal holder (metal member) made of a metal material to incorporate metal. There is a proposal that constitutes an RFID tag (a non-contact IC label built-in article). This shortened inlet includes an RFID chip (IC chip), a shortened antenna (antenna portion) electrically connected to the RFID chip, and a base material on which the RFID chip and the shortened antenna are integrally mounted. . Among metal articles to which RFID tags are attached, there are also thin metal-embedded RFID tags (smart coins, electronic coins), etc. (Patent Document 2).

  However, when the RFID tag described in Patent Document 1 is arranged in a metal member, and in the metal-embedded RFID tag described in Patent Document 2, the RFID tag is embedded in the metal member. There is a problem that the communication distance with the data reading device is shortened.

JP 2005-309811 A JP 2007-135183 A

The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and the RFI is provided inside the metal member.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a metal-embedded RFID tag and a data reader that can perform good communication with a data reader even when a D tag is provided.

As a means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that a coin front plate having a metal member and a coin back plate having a metal member are provided with a space on the outer side of the surface having the metal member. Is a structure in which the metal member of the coin front plate and the metal member of the coin back plate are connected by a connecting portion,
A metal-embedded RFID tag in which an adhesive layer is provided on an inner surface opposite to the surface having the metal member of the coin front surface plate and the coin back surface plate, and an RFID tag is attached on the adhesive layer,
The RFID tag includes a magnetic sheet, an antenna unit, an impedance matching circuit unit, an IC chip, and a ground unit.
The antenna unit and the impedance matching circuit unit are provided on one surface of the magnetic sheet, and the ground unit is provided on the other surface,
The antenna unit and the impedance matching circuit unit are electrically connected,
An IC chip is connected to this impedance matching circuit section,
A metal-embedded RFID tag characterized in that an impedance matching circuit portion and a ground portion are electrically connected.

  Further, in the invention described in claim 2, the RFID tag is attached in the vicinity of the edge of the opposite side of the side of the connection portion between the metal member of the coin front plate and the metal member of the coin back plate. The metal-embedded RFID tag according to claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is embedded in metal.

  The invention described in claim 3 is the metal-embedded RFID tag according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the metal surface of the coin front plate and coin back plate is provided with an uneven design. .

  The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the space is sealed with a non-conductive sealing portion, wherein the metal-embedded RFID according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is provided. It is a tag.

The invention according to claim 5 is the metal-embedded RFID tag according to claim 4 , wherein the sealing portion has water resistance.

The invention according to claim 6 is the metal-embedded RFID tag according to claim 4 or 5 , wherein the sealing portion has chemical resistance.

The invention described in Claim 7, wherein the magnetic sheet, the antenna unit, according to claim 4, wherein the impedance matching circuit portion, the ground portion and the sealing portion, characterized in that it has a heat resistance It is a metal built-in RFID tag as described in any one of -6 .

  The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that the IC chip is provided with a function of data encryption and decryption, and is embedded in metal according to any one of claims 1 to 7. RFID tag.

  The invention described in claim 9 is a data reading device including a waveguide for reading data of the metal-embedded RFID tag according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein an outer surface of the waveguide, The data reading device is characterized in that data reading is performed by bringing the outer surface of the metal-embedded RFID tag into point or surface contact.

  According to the metal-embedded RFID tag and the data reader of the present invention, communication with the data reader can be satisfactorily performed even if the RFID tag is provided inside the metal member.

It is a top view of the metal built-in RFID tag 1 of 1st Embodiment. It is a plane perspective view of the metal built-in RFID tag 1 of the first embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the metal built-in RFID tag 1 of 1st Embodiment. 2 is a side sectional view schematically showing the RFID tag 3. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the RFID tag 3. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the RFID tag 3. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a waveguide body 30. FIG. 2 is a side view of a waveguide body 30. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a data reading device 50. FIG. It is sectional drawing of the metal built-in RFID tag 2 of 2nd Embodiment.

<First Embodiment>
A first embodiment of a metal-embedded RFID tag (smart coin, electronic coin) according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In all the following drawings, the thicknesses and dimensional ratios of the components are appropriately changed in order to make the drawings easy to see.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 of the present embodiment includes an RFID tag 3 therein. The main body portion 8 of the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 has a metal surface plate 4 and a back plate 5 having the same shape as viewed from above, and the surface plate 4 and the back plate 5 have a space 6 therebetween. It overlaps and has a structure in which a part of both sides is connected by the connecting portion 12. When viewed from the side, it has a “U” shape. The front surface plate 4 corresponds to the surface of a normal coin (coin), and the other back surface plate 5 corresponds to the back surface of the coin.

  The main body portion 8 of the first embodiment is formed by forming a 1 mm thick aluminum flat plate into a developed shape by machining, and bending the central portion of the aluminum flat plate so that the space 6 is formed. It is made. The dimensions of the front plate 4 and the back plate are about 30 mm × 30 mm. Although the metal of the main body 8 is aluminum, any metal having conductivity may be used. For example, in addition to gold, silver, copper, brass and titanium, a special metal alloy containing a plurality of raw materials may be used.

  The RFID tag 3 is firmly fixed at the position shown in FIG. 2 in such a manner that it is pressed against the other surface 4b of the surface plate 4 by the elasticity (force in the spreading direction) of the foamed polystyrene spacer 7. It should be noted that the place where the RFID tag 3 is closely fixed may be the same position on the other surface 5b of the back plate.

  Next, the RFID tag 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the RFID tag 3 includes a magnetic sheet 10, an antenna unit 21 and an impedance matching circuit unit 22 arranged on one surface 10 a of the magnetic sheet 10, and an impedance matching circuit unit 22. An IC chip 23 provided and a ground portion 24 disposed on the other surface 10b of the magnetic sheet 10 are provided. The other surface 10b of the magnetic sheet 10 and the ground portion 24 become a surface in contact with the other surface 4b of the metal-embedded RFID tag 1. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the base material 26 described later is not shown for convenience of explanation.

  The thickness of the magnetic sheet 10 is, for example, 250 μm, and the magnetic sheet 10 is formed with a hole 11 that penetrates in the thickness direction of the magnetic sheet 10. As the magnetic sheet 10, a well-known material having high flexibility made of a composite material of magnetic particles or magnetic flakes and plastic or rubber can be used. In the prototype metal-incorporated RFID tag 1, a magnetic sheet (model: NRC025) manufactured by Daido Steel Co., Ltd. was used.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the antenna unit 21, the impedance matching circuit unit 22, and the ground unit 24 print silver paste ink on one surface 26 a of a base material 26 formed in a film shape with a resin such as PET. It is integrally formed with. The thickness of the base material 26 is, for example, 50 μm. Then, by winding the base material 26 around the magnetic sheet 10 and pasting it with a magnetic sheet adhesive layer (not shown), the antenna unit 21, the impedance matching circuit unit 22, and the ground unit on the surfaces 10a and 10b of the magnetic sheet 10 24 is arranged.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the antenna portion 21 and the ground portion 24 are formed in a rectangular shape in plan view. The antenna unit 21 and the ground unit 24 are each electrically connected to the impedance matching circuit unit 22. The ground portion 24 is bent on the other surface 10 b and the side surface 10 c of the magnetic sheet 10 so as to be disposed along the edge portion 10 d of the magnetic sheet 10.

  The ground portion 24 and the surface plate are formed by capacitive coupling formed by using the dielectric constant of the base material 26 between the surface of the ground portion 24 and the other surface 4b of the surface plate 4 facing the ground portion 24. 4 is electrically connected.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the impedance matching circuit unit 22 is formed by wiring meandering into a predetermined shape. The impedance matching circuit unit 22 is electrically connected by an electrical contact (not shown) of the IC chip 23, and is equal to each other between the IC chip 23 and the antenna unit 21 and between the IC chip 23 and the ground unit 24. The impedance and the resistance value are generated.

  The IC chip 23 has a known configuration (UCODE G2iL manufactured by NXP), and predetermined information is stored in the IC chip 23. Then, by supplying radio wave energy from an electrical contact (not shown) provided on the IC chip 23 by a radio wave system, the stored information can be transmitted from the electrical contact to the outside as a radio wave. The IC chip 23 is accommodated in the hole 11 of the magnetic sheet 10.

  The one surface 4a of the front plate 4 and the one surface 5a of the back plate 5 are provided with the same design as that of conventional coins. Further, the manufacturing date, manufacturing number or control number is engraved with a stamp or a laser. But you can.

  In the first embodiment, the RFID tag 3 is tightly fixed by the elasticity of the spacer 7, but any fixing method may be used as long as the RFID tag 3 is securely fixed to the mounting surface. For example, an adhesive layer may be provided and fixed between the RFID tag 3 and the mounting surface.

  The contents of the reading experiment of the fabricated metal-incorporated RFID tag 1 are shown below. As a reading device, a UHF band high output handy reader capable of producing a maximum output of 1 W manufactured by SAMSUNG (model VLACG1) was used. Reading was performed by holding the patch antenna provided in the handy reader over the metal-embedded RFID tag 1, but reading was not possible even when the output of the handy reader was set to the maximum of 30 dBm (1 W).

Next, when a 50 × 5 mm aluminum plate (not shown) is prepared and the tip of the aluminum plate is brought into contact with the rounded corner of the main body 8 and reading is performed again with a handy reader, good reading is obtained. I can do it now. In this experiment, the fixed position on the surface plate 4 of the RFID tag 3 was also examined. As a result, it was found that reading was impossible when the RFID tag 3 was moved in the center direction from the position shown in FIG. 2, and good reading was possible near the edge of the surface plate 4 in the opposite direction.

  For this reason, the main body 8 of the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 functions as a radiating antenna, but because of its small size, the resonance frequency is high and cannot be read as it is. By doing so, it becomes a radiating antenna having a shape including an aluminum plate in addition to the main body 8, and as a result, the resonance frequency is lowered, and it is considered that good communication can be performed. From the above experimental results, it was confirmed that the metal built-in RFID tag 1 cannot be read in a single state, but the main body 8 functions as a radiating antenna.

  The fact that the main body 8 of the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 functions as a radiation antenna means that the antenna itself is exposed on the outer surface of the main body 8. The inventor noticed that this antenna itself was exposed. Rather than reading data without contact, the data was read by making direct contact with the outer surface of the main body 8.

  In conventional general RFID tags, the antenna element is protected by a protective layer for reasons such as appearance problems, oxidation, corrosion, and electrostatic breakdown prevention. Furthermore, a colored protective layer conceals the antenna element. It also has the effect of doing. Therefore, in the conventional RFID tag, the antenna element (conductor surface) cannot be seen from the appearance and is not exposed. On the other hand, the same applies to conventional metal-compatible RFID tags. In order to reduce the influence of the metal surface, the RFID inlet arranged away from the metal surface via a dielectric or the like has a problem of appearance, oxidation, as described above. In addition to preventing corrosion, electrostatic breakdown, etc., in order to absorb external stress and shock, the antenna element including IC chip is protected by a protective layer or protective structure, and the antenna element can also be seen from its appearance Neither is it exposed.

  In the present invention, a data reader is defined including a handy reader and a waveguide described below. Next, the waveguide 30 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 7, the waveguide 30 includes a coupling portion 32 in which one end is wound with a lead wire in an open state so as to have a spiral shape around the end. The other end portion of the lead wire drawn out from is electrically connected to a rod-like contact portion 31 (contact needle). The waveguide 30 is composed of the coupling portion 32 and the contact portion 31.

  The above-described coupling unit 32 is intended to electrically couple both the small patch antenna unit 41 (circularly polarized wave) included in the handy reader 40 by facing (surface) the magnetic induction by electromagnetic induction. One example of the functional element is the spiral coupling portion 32 shown in FIG. The direction of the spiral is the same as the direction of the circular polarization of the handy reader, and the small patch antenna 41 of the handy reader 40 used in the experiment was a right-handed circularly polarized wave. I made it. In addition to the above-described electromagnetic induction coupling, the coupling unit 32 may use any coupling method as long as the electromagnetic wave radiated from the antenna of the reading device such as electrostatic capacitance (electric field) coupling can be efficiently taken into the waveguide 30. It does not matter.

The contact portion 31 is, for example, a rod-shaped contact needle, and is a functional element for bringing the outer surface of the metal built-in RFID tag 1 in which the metal main body portion 8 itself functions as a radiation antenna into point or surface contact. is there. The high-frequency current generated by the electromagnetic induction coupling also flows to the contact portion 31 that is drawn out from the coupling portion 32 with a lead wire and is electrically connected. Furthermore, the above-described high-frequency current flows from the outer surface of the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 that is in contact with the contact portion 31, and as a result, the IC chip 23 built in the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 is activated and data can be read. Become.

  An evaluation experiment was also performed on the above-described general RFID tag. When the antenna surface of the RFID tag was exposed and a part of the antenna element was brought into contact with the contact portion 31, it was confirmed that good data reading was possible.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the patch antenna 41 of the handy reader 40 is made to face (surface) the coupling portion 32, and further, the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 is brought into contact with the tip of the contact portion 31 (dashed circle A in the figure). As a result of reading, good reading was confirmed. The output of the handy reader 40 was set to 27 dBm (0.5 W).

  As described above, the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 cannot be read by a normal reading method. However, as shown in FIG. 9, the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 can be read well by bringing the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 into contact with the tip of the contact portion 31. became.

  As described above, the waveguide body 30 of the present invention has the small patch antenna 41 of the handy reader 40 facing (surface) the coupling portion 32, so that the small patch antenna 41 and the coupling portion 32 are connected. In the meantime, a coupled state is generated by an electromagnetic induction action, and a high-frequency current is induced in the waveguide by this action.

  One of the contact portions 31 is brought into contact with the outer surface of the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 in which the metal main body portion 8 itself functions as a radiation antenna, so that the induced high-frequency current is incorporated into the metal via the contact portion 31. As a result, the IC chip 23 embedded in the metal-incorporated RFID tag 1 is activated and data can be read.

  As described above, the present invention defines the data reading device 50 including the handy reader 40 and the waveguide 30. On the other hand, the data reading target of the data reading device 50 is the metal built-in RFID tag 1 in which the metal main body itself functions as a radiation antenna. Since the data communication between the data reader 50 and the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 is a method of performing data communication by bringing both into contact, the data communication method can be said to be a contact communication method.

  Normally, data communication between a data reading device and an RFID tag is performed in a non-contact manner with an RFID tag that is a data reading target by radiating electromagnetic waves from the antenna unit provided in the data reading device into space. This is a non-contact communication method for performing communication. The contact communication method of the present invention is completely different from the mechanism for radiating electromagnetic waves in space, compared to the normal communication method performed without contact, and the contact portion 31 provided in the data reader 50 and the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 This is a communication method that is performed by contacting the outer surface.

  In a normal non-contact communication method, there is a possibility that data of an unintended RFID tag is erroneously read due to a mechanism for radiating electromagnetic waves in space. In particular, when the RFID tags to be read are placed in a dense state, and further when there is a metal body (metal article etc.) in the vicinity of the read target, the former is difficult to specify the read target, In the latter case, the electromagnetic wave radiated from the data reading device is reflected on a nearby metal body to generate a multipath, and as a result, the data of the RFID tag placed in an unexpected place may be read. This problem is addressed by reducing the transmission output of the data reader and processing the data after reading the data.

On the other hand, in the contact communication system of the present invention, the metal built-in R which is the object of data reading
Since this is a communication system in which the FID tag 1 is specified and brought into contact, the data of the non-target metal-incorporated RFID tag 1 is not erroneously read due to the reasons described above.

  The data reading device 50 according to the first embodiment has a configuration of a spiral coupling portion 32 and a contact portion 31 using a commercially available handy reader 40 for experimental evaluation. As long as data communication is performed at the communication frequency in a state where the contact portion 31 is provided and the contact portion 31 and the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 are in contact with each other, any form may be used. For example, the coupling relationship between the small patch antenna 41 and the spiral coupling unit 32 may be provided on a circuit board of the data reading device instead of an equivalent functional element, and arranged as a unit in the data reading device. In this way, the device size of the data reading device 50 can be reduced.

  In addition, although it is contact with the contact part 31 and the metal built-in RFID tag 1, you may be electrically coupled by the electromagnetic induction coupling by communication frequency other than direct current electrical coupling. However, in the case of this electromagnetic inductive coupling, it is preferable that the distance between the contact portion 31 and the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 is approximately 0.5 mm or less.

  In contrast to the conventional method of performing communication by spatial propagation with the transmitting antenna of the reading device and the receiving antenna of the RFID tag facing each other, in the contact communication method, the contact part 31 of the data reading device 50 and the metallic property of the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 are used. Since the communication is performed by directly contacting the main body portion 8, the space propagation space described above becomes unnecessary, and the data reading device 50 can be downsized. Further, by shielding the entire exterior surface of the data reading device 50, leakage of electromagnetic waves generated inside the device can be suppressed. Since the contact communication type data reading device 50 thus configured is small in size and suppressed in electromagnetic wave leakage, it can be incorporated as a functional unit inside an existing depositing / dispensing device such as an ATM or POS register.

<Second Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the metal embedded RFID tag according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 of the first embodiment, the interior of the main body 8 is only a space 6, so that dust, liquid, dust, gas, etc. can enter and maintain the performance as an RFID tag. I can't. Furthermore, it does not have the appearance of ordinary money.

  As shown in FIG. 10, dust, liquid, dust, gas, or the like can be prevented from entering by sealing the space 6 inside the main body portion 8 with a sealing portion 9. The sealing part 9 preferably has water resistance, chemical resistance, and insulation (non-conductive), specifically, materials such as epoxy resin, phenol resin, polyimide resin, and silicone resin. Can be suitably used. In addition, by making the color of the sealing material used for the sealing portion 9 the same as that of the main body portion 8, the presence of the sealing portion 9 can be visually concealed, and the appearance of the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 can be improved. It can also be made the same as normal money.

  In the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 of the first embodiment, a known RFID IC chip (UCODE G2iL manufactured by NXP) is used. This IC chip 23 has an encryption and decryption function inside the IC chip 23. Not equipped. Since this is not secure, it cannot be used as an electronic currency because it can be easily forged and impersonated. By using an IC chip 25 (not shown) with encryption and decryption functions, which is used in IC cards, electronic passports, etc., in addition to communication functions as RFID, in the IC chip, anti-counterfeiting Will be improved dramatically and can be used as an electronic currency.

  The metal built-in RFID tag 2 of the present invention is electrically one conductor because the main body 8 is made of metal. For this reason, when the body portion 8 is subjected to an electrical shock such as static electricity, the surge current flows in the body portion 8 in the same manner as a normal electric wire, so that damage to the built-in RFID tag 3 is caused. There is no.

  Next, the destruction action and countermeasures for the metal embedded RFID tag 2 will be described in detail below. The electromagnetic wave having the same frequency as the communication frequency used between the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 and the data reader 50 is strongly applied to the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 by using, for example, a magnetron to destroy the IC chip 25. Destructive behavior is also conceivable. As countermeasures against this destructive action, the IC chip is easily damaged, for example, by increasing the destructive strength of the rectifying element and the constant voltage element, adding a protection circuit such as an ESD protection circuit, etc. It is possible to prevent destruction of the IC chip 25 against the action.

  By bringing a metal needle or the like close to the internal IC chip 25 and applying a high voltage to the metal needle, a spark discharge occurs between the metal needle and the IC chip 25, and the IC chip 25 is destroyed by the discharge. Is also possible. As a countermeasure against this destructive action, the IC chip 25 is arranged at a position more than ½ of the length from the outer surface with respect to the length of the longest opening portion of the sealing portion 9. Even if a metal needle is brought close to the sealing portion 9 and a high voltage is applied to the metal needle, the discharge only occurs between the metal needle and the metallic main body portion 8, so that the discharge to the IC chip 25 is avoided. can do.

  The following method can also be considered for the destruction of the IC chip 25 by electric discharge. By making a hole for allowing the metal needle to pass through the sealing portion 9 provided in the space 6, it is possible to insert the metal needle into the hole and bring the metal needle closer to the IC chip 25. By applying a high voltage to the metal needle in such a state, a destructive act of causing a discharge between the metal needle and the IC chip 25 and destroying the IC chip 25 can be considered. In addition, the hole opened in the sealing part 9 is closed using a sealing material of the same color as the sealing part 9 so that no trace is left. I can't judge.

  The following countermeasures can be considered for the above destruction. In order to make partial repair difficult, the surface of the sealing portion 9 may be provided with ultrafine irregularities or a hologram functional layer. Several kinds of fibers having different lengths, thicknesses, colors, and the like may be included in the sealing material. A laminated structure in which the color of the sealing material is changed from the outer surface toward the center may be used. Furthermore, there is a method of mixing a minute amount of a special substance that can be determined by inspection of a metal-embedded RFID tag, which will be described later, and checking whether there is a portion blocked by a destructive action.

  Next, forgery resistance of the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 of the present invention will be described. The IC silicon chip is sliced thinly in a thickness direction with a special device, or the constituent layers are further melted with special chemicals, and the pattern on each surface is photographed as an image. From the accumulated images By extracting the circuit pattern, a master for manufacturing can be made. Therefore, it is possible to produce a large amount of copy products (counterfeit chips) from this master.

  Forged chips are not quality controlled at the time of manufacture, so they have problems such as short life and unstable performance compared to regular products. For example, when counterfeit chips are used in medical devices, they are life-threatening. Since it is possible, it has become a big problem worldwide. In the future, when an electronic currency is issued, it is very likely that an IC chip built in the electronic currency becomes a target of a counterfeit organization that produces the aforementioned counterfeit chip.

On the other hand, there are companies that have developed IC chip manufacturing methods in which extraction of circuit patterns is difficult even using the above-described slicing method, chemical melting method, and the like, and objectively evaluating the anti-counterfeiting property There is also a company. In the future, if the issuance policy of electronic currency with built-in IC chip is issued by the national government, central bank, etc., both technical levels will be greatly improved, so counterfeiting of IC chip 25 will be more severe. .

  The metal-embedded RFID tag 2 of the present invention has a mechanism for exchanging information between the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 and the management server via a network described later. Between the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 and the management server, advanced encryption communication using a private encryption key and composite key that can be changed by software is performed. Even if it can be created, if the above-mentioned encryption key and composite key cannot be obtained, authentication of the management server described later cannot be obtained, and the same settlement processing as that of the regular metal-embedded RFID tag 2 cannot be performed.

  Along with the spread of digital payments typified by electronic money, etc., along with the extensive research and development of encryption technology, even if a completely counterfeit chip can be created, in addition to the encryption key and composite key described above, for example, By adding new non-public information and a mechanism, it is considered that impersonation similar to that of the regular metal embedded RFID tag 2 at the time of information exchange with the management server becomes very difficult.

  As described above, in the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 according to the second embodiment, various countermeasures against counterfeit products are taken on both the hardware side and the software side. The strength of can be increased. Moreover, in order to further increase the strength, it may be provided in the mechanism in advance so that a technology developed in the future can be added.

  When the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 is actually used as a currency, the IC chip 25 built in the main body unit 8 may malfunction due to problems in design and manufacturing quality in addition to malfunction due to fraud. Conceivable. Since this corresponds to an assumed force majeure, it is necessary to determine a relief method in advance for the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 having a monetary value.

  As one of the methods, whether the IC chip 25 incorporated in the target metal-embedded RFID tag 2 has malfunctioned due to a problem in design and manufacturing quality in a period shorter than the design life or other factors. In order to determine whether or not it has malfunctioned, a metal-incorporated RFID tag inspection is performed. If the inspection result of the metal embedded RFID tag inspection is acceptable, a new metal embedded RFID tag having the same value is issued to the owner, and if the inspection fails, the owner of the metal embedded RFID tag 2 is notified. A new metal-incorporated RFID tag is not issued.

  Inspecting the metal-embedded RFID tag includes qualitative analysis of the material used to fill the holes opened in the main body portion 8, the IC chip 25, and the sealing portion 9 of the metal-embedded RFID tag 2, and the original sealing material and hole. The state of the interface of the material used to fill the surface is the point of inspection. For example, it is very difficult to destroy the IC chip 25 without leaving a trace by performing a strict inspection by destruction or non-destruction using the latest science.

  Next, when the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 of the present invention is put into practical use, the contents assumed as a system of the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 such as the equipment environment and operation mode of a downsized data reader, network, management server, etc. Is described.

Since the metal embedded RFID tag 2 of the present invention is a digitized electronic currency, a management server (not shown) that manages the metal embedded RFID tag 2 exists on the network. The management server is connected via a network to depositing / withdrawing devices installed in places where metal-incorporated RFID tags are used, such as banking and other financial institutions, ATMs in the city, and POS registers at retail stores. And The management server also has a new concept management function of a metal embedded RFID tag and an owner authentication function and a theft list, which will be described later.

  In the memory area of the IC chip 25 mounted on the metal-embedded RFID tag 2, a manufacturing number (information) carved on the metal outer surface of the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 is stored as a coin ID, and further, its own monetary value. Information on the chip status for determining is also stored. There are only two types of information indicated by the chip status, valid state and invalid state.

  When the chip status is in a valid state, it is defined that the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 has a value as a currency. If the chip status is valid, it is possible to transfer the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 itself to the transfer destination, and the chip status remains valid on the side where the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 is transferred. In this case, the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 can be further transferred to a third party.

  On the other hand, when the chip status is in an invalid state, it is defined that the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 has no value as a currency. Therefore, although the appearance of the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 is a regular coin, it has no value as a currency, which is an unprecedented concept.

  The owner of the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 (the person who has the right to own) is defined as having the right to rewrite the chip status information because it is the owner. Therefore, by rewriting the chip status information by the owner himself, the value of the metal built-in RFID tag 2 he owns can be controlled as the valid state or the invalid state. Here, the rewriting corresponds to an action of changing the chip status from the valid state to the invalid state, or from the invalid state to the valid state.

  The difference between the metal-incorporated RFID tag 2 of the present invention and the conventional currency when it is issued from the Mint and distributed in the city is one unit system information called chip status provided on the IC chip 25 in the metal-incorporated RFID tag 2. (Status data) can simply control its value as a currency to be valid or invalid. This function is one of the functions of next-generation electronic currency that is not available in conventional currencies.

  Although it is chip status information, the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 requires authentication with the management server, and the chip status information cannot be read or rewritten unless authentication is obtained. The reason why it cannot be read is the possibility of the appearance of a counterfeit metal embedded RFID tag in which the chip status information is made valid, and if it can be read easily, impersonation becomes possible.

  The valid / invalid state of the chip status information is set by, for example, an ATM installed in the city as well as a financial institution such as a bank. The operation will be described below. When the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 is transferred from a third party to itself (owner), the chip status in the transferred metal-embedded RFID tag 2 is always valid. For this reason, the first action performed by the new owner is to change the chip status from the valid state to the invalid state.

An operation of changing the chip status of the target metal embedded RFID tag 2 from the valid state to the invalid state in the ATM will be described. The metal-embedded RFID tag 2 is inserted into the ATM, and subsequently, information for identifying the individual who is the owner of the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 is registered in the management server by biometric authentication such as a fingerprint. After registration, the chip status of the metal embedded RFID tag 2 can be changed from the valid state to the invalid state. By this operation, the inserted metal-incorporated RFID tag 2 can be brought into a state having no value as a currency.

  Next, an operation of changing the chip status of the target metal-embedded RFID tag 2 from the invalid state to the valid state in the ATM will be described. Check whether the information registered in the management server matches with biometric authentication such as fingerprints, which was performed when the metal embedded RFID tag 2 was inserted into the ATM and the chip status was changed from the valid state to the invalid state. It is done. If they match, it is determined that they are the same individual, and as the owner of the metal-embedded RFID tag 2, the chip status of the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 can be changed from an invalid state to a valid state. By this operation, the inserted metal RFID tag 2 can be returned to a state having value as a currency.

  In each operation, by storing information on a unique coin ID (manufacturing number) possessed by the metal-embedded RFID tag 2, if the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 is subsequently stolen, the coin ID is used. You can submit a theft report to the enforcement agency. At the time of notification, the chip status information may be valid or invalid.

  After confirming that the reporter is the last accessor from the communication record recorded in the management server, the enforcement organization that received the theft report cooperates with the management server's operating organization and then uses the management server to store the coin ID information. Add to your theft list. The coin ID information can also be used as information for identifying the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 when the target metal-embedded RFID tag 2 returns after being stolen.

  Encrypted communication (authentication processing time) between the metal embedded RFID tag 2 and the data reading device, and the data reading device and the management server connected via a network (dedicated line, Internet line, etc.). QoS (Quality of Service) technologies such as high data communication speed, frequently repeated encryption, high processing time required for decryption, high speed MPU and cache memory, admission control, priority control, and fairness control With these comprehensive improvements, such as the advancement of bandwidth guarantee for the network used and the installation of a large number of management servers (mirror servers of management servers) in proportion to the population density, the authentication processing time for the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 will be in the future. It is thought to be dramatically shortened. A specific target processing time is preferably within several hundred ms.

  Next, the settlement processing of the metal embedded RFID tag 2 will be described based on the above contents, for example, in the case where the purchase goods are paid with the metal embedded RFID tag 2 at the time of deposit processing at the POS register introduced in the store. .

  When the metal built-in RFID tag 2 is inserted into the deposit mechanism part of the POS register, the authenticity determination device as a coin is executed by the physical authenticity determination device provided in the deposit mechanism part. An authentication process is immediately performed between the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 and an external management server via a network connected to the data reader, the POS register main body control unit, and the communication unit. Since the authentication process is completed instantly as described above, even the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 can be smoothly deposited in the same manner as ordinary bills and coins.

If the chip status of the inserted metal-incorporated RFID tag 2 is invalid during the deposit process, the coin is returned to the owner on the spot or owned by the fingerprint reader provided in the POS register. When the person presses the finger and performs fingerprint authentication, the chip status can be changed from the invalid state to the valid state on the spot and money can be deposited.

  Furthermore, if the coin ID of the inserted metal embedded RFID tag 2 is a coin ID registered in the theft list on the management server during the deposit process, the theft list is also checked during the authentication process. Therefore, the target coin ID is reliably detected. The detected coins are collected on the spot, a theft alert is issued, and a notification is sent to the enforcement agency.

  As described above, in the settlement process of the metal embedded RFID tag 2, if the chip status of the metal embedded RFID tag 2 is in a valid state, smooth deposit can be performed in the same manner as normal bills, coins, etc. Even if it is, fingerprint authentication is performed immediately by pressing the finger on the fingerprint reading unit, and it is possible to deposit after the authentication is completed.

  The deposit process at the POS register in the store becomes an opportunity to search for a metal-embedded RFID tag registered in the theft list on the management server, if viewed differently. Of course, illegally obtained metal embedded RFID tags cannot be used for payment for purchased goods, and even if a notification is sent to a regulatory agency, a metal embedded RFID tag registered in the theft list is discovered. But there is. However, if this mechanism is made public, it is unlikely that illegally obtained metal embedded RFID tags will be brought in.

  The following effects can be obtained by setting the chip status of the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 to an invalid state. Even when the metal embedded RFID tag 2 is stored in a safe such as a bank, a company or an individual and the metal embedded RFID tag 2 is illegally taken out, information for identifying an individual registered in the management server Unless the two match, the chip status cannot be changed from the invalid state to the valid state. Therefore, the metal embedded RFID tag 2 taken out remains in an invalid state, and thus has no value as a currency. For this reason, the act of illegally taking out can be meaningless.

  Even if the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 is illegally taken out, if the taken-out coin ID is known, a theft report can be sent to the enforcement organization with the coin ID. The contents of this theft report are immediately reflected in the theft list provided in the management server. With the theft list collation function, when the metal embedded RFID tag 2 for which the theft report has been used is used in the POS register at the merchandise store, the system is immediately notified to the enforcement agency.

  If the unique coin ID possessed by the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 is known, the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 can be specified, and it can be re-enabled by performing fingerprint authentication of the owner. For example, when the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 taken out illegally returns to the owner after that, the value as a currency can be restored.

  As described above, the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 whose chip status is invalid does not have a value as a currency, and further has a mechanism of reporting to a regulatory agency when used in a store. There is no merit of taking the metal-incorporated RFID tag 2 illegally, and there is also a risk of reporting to the enforcement agency, so the fraud itself becomes meaningless and theft can be strongly suppressed.

  This deterrent effect means that you are free from the risk of theft that has continued since ancient times. For example, in the case where the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 is stored at home, if the chip status is set to an invalid state, it will not be stolen so that it is not necessary to put it in a safe or the like.

  As another example, in cash transfer at financial institutions, if the chip status is changed to a disabled state in the same way, it will greatly change from the current style of cash transport including cash transport vehicles based on the premise of attacks from robberies. It can also be a cash transport style that is unlikely to be attacked by the company, saving costs including labor saving.

  Therefore, the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 and the data reader of the present invention have excellent anti-counterfeiting properties, have the same convenience as ordinary banknotes, coins, etc., and also have a powerful anti-theft effect. This is one of the new electronic currencies for the next generation. The inventor believes that a new electronic currency function can be exhibited by issuing the currency as high as 50,000 yen or 100,000 yen, which is higher than the 10,000 yen bill.

  In the above description, the authentication method for identifying an individual is fingerprint authentication because of the merit that the biometric reading unit can be downsized. However, any form may be used as long as it has an authentication function. IC cards such as Basic Resident Register Card, IC Driver's License, Electronic Passport, Electronic Money Card, Credit Card with IC may be used. In this case, it goes without saying that the management server operating organization, IC card issuing organization, and company are affiliated in advance.

  As described above, since the management server directly authenticates with these IC cards in order to hold the authentication processing time at the time of settlement processing, information such as card ID, encryption key, decryption key, etc. attached to the IC card However, in this case, the personal information can be prevented from being present in the management server by separating the personal information. In this mechanism, when the management server that manages the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 is also regarded as a part of the currency in a broad sense, it can be said that the anonymity that is one of the requirements of the currency (legal currency) is maintained.

  A method that does not perform authentication for specifying the owner (individual) is also conceivable. This is a method of setting a password of about 4 digits on the spot when changing the chip status information. The password becomes information for identifying the owner and is stored in the management server. However, if this method forgets the password, the chip status information cannot be returned to the valid state, and the currency value cannot be restored. Although the chip status is provided in the IC chip 25 in the second embodiment, it may be provided on the management server.

  It is also conceivable that the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 is burnt down by a fire or the like. In this case, if the function of the IC chip 25 is maintained, the IC chip 25 is taken out from the main body 8 and authentication with the management server is obtained, the value of the currency is not lost, and a new metal-embedded RFID tag 2 is issued. You can also. Like conventional paper banknotes, it is possible to prevent loss of currency value due to burning.

  From this, it can be said that the value of the metal-embedded RFID tag 2 is the IC chip 25 that can be authenticated with the management server. Therefore, when viewed from the IC chip 25, the main body 8 can also be viewed as a metal IC chip protective container.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The same parts as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof will be omitted, and only different points will be described. At present, there is no regulation of heat-resistant temperature in the next generation electronic currency, but when it is issued from the Mint and distributed in the city, it is expected to be exposed to various temperature environments. In the metal-embedded RFID tag 3 of this embodiment, the target upper limit temperature is set to 200 ° C. The purpose is that there is no deformation, alteration, peeling, or deterioration of communication performance under this upper limit temperature. However, the communication performance under the upper limit temperature is excluded from this embodiment, and communication with a data reading device or the like is not performed under the upper limit temperature. The heat resistance of each component member was raised without changing the basic structure, thereby improving the heat resistance of the metal-embedded RFID tag 1. The contents will be described in detail below.
In the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 of the first embodiment, the impedance matching circuit portion 22, the antenna portion 21, and the ground portion 24 are formed on the base material 26 by pattern printing with silver paste ink. However, in the environment of 200 ° C., which is the upper limit of the use temperature, the heat resistance temperature of the members constituting the impedance matching circuit unit 22, the antenna unit 21, and the ground unit 24 is too low, so that this configuration cannot be used at all. From this, the heat-resistant temperature of the constituent members of the impedance matching circuit part 22, the antenna part 21, and the ground part 24 shown below was raised.
In the first embodiment, the base material 26 is formed of a PET film. However, the base material 26 is made of a film material having a heat-resistant temperature exceeding 200 ° C. such as polyimide and polyetherimide. The heat-resistant temperature can be raised. However, since the dielectric constant value of the material changes as the material of the base material 26 changes, it is necessary to optimize the impedance matching circuit unit 22.
In the first embodiment, the impedance matching circuit section 22, the antenna section 21, and the ground section 24 are formed by pattern printing with silver paste ink, but these are formed by etching an aluminum thin film or a copper thin film. Thus, the upper limit of the operating temperature of the impedance matching circuit unit 22, the antenna unit 21, and the ground unit 24 can be raised to 200 ° C.
In the first embodiment, the bumps of the IC chip 23 and the impedance matching circuit unit 22 are connected by using the flip chip mounting bonding method using ACP which is a bonding material, and by the bonding effect of the ACP material, the bumps and impedance matching are performed. The circuit unit 22 is electrically connected. However, in this mounting method, the electrical connection between the IC chip 23 and the impedance matching circuit unit 22 cannot be guaranteed under the environment of 200 ° C., which is the upper limit of the use temperature, because the heat resistant temperature of the ACP is too low.
By using an ultrasonic welding method (metal welding method by ultrasonic bonding) that does not use a bonding material having a low heat-resistant temperature such as ACP at all, the bumps of the IC chip 23 and the impedance matching circuit unit 22 are ultrasonically connected to these. Different metals can be welded together. Therefore, by using this bonding method, electrical connection reliability in an environment of 200 ° C., which is the upper limit of the use temperature, can be obtained.
The magnetic sheet 10 is formed of a composite material of magnetic particles or magnetic flakes and plastic or rubber. The upper limit of the use temperature of the magnetic sheet 10 used in the first embodiment is 85 ° C. (manufacturer recommended value). Among the specific physical property values of the magnetic sheet 10, parameters that greatly affect the antenna characteristics (antenna sensitivity) are magnetic permeability and magnetic loss values, and one of the dielectric constant and dielectric loss values is smaller than that. I know that. The values of magnetic permeability and magnetic loss of the magnetic sheet 10 are determined by the shape, direction, density, etc. of the magnetic particles or magnetic flakes used. On the other hand, the values of dielectric constant and dielectric loss are determined by the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the binder (binder) itself, in addition to the shape, direction and density of the magnetic particles or magnetic flakes.
The magnetic particles or magnetic flakes of the magnetic sheet 10 are not changed, and only the binder is changed to a heat-resistant binder having a heat-resistant temperature exceeding 200 ° C. such as silicone, fluorine-based, epoxy-cured, polyethersulfone-based, polyimide (polyamide) -based. Thus, the magnetic sheet 10 itself can be a heat-resistant magnetic sheet. However, by changing the binder used, the values of the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the magnetic sheet 10 also change. However, these two parameters have little influence on the antenna characteristics as described above, and by optimizing the impedance matching circuit unit 22, it is considered that there is almost no deterioration in communication performance due to the change to the heat-resistant binder. . As the adhesive layer (not shown), an acrylic or silicone material having a heat resistant temperature exceeding 200 ° C. can be suitably used.
As described above, the metal-embedded RFID tag 3 with the heat countermeasure is not subjected to a communication experiment with the reader, but it is considered that the result of the communication distance almost the same as that of the metal-embedded RFID tag 1 of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. Therefore, by increasing the heat resistance temperature of the members constituting the metal-embedded RFID tag 3, particularly the impedance matching circuit section 22, the antenna section 21 and the ground section 24, the metal can be built even in an environment of 200 ° C. which is the upper limit of the use temperature. The RFID tag 3 can be made.

  As described above, the first to third embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail. However, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and the configuration can be changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. Is also included. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the configurations shown in the embodiments can be used in appropriate combinations.

  For example, in the embodiment, the shape of the antenna unit 21 is a rectangular shape, but the antenna shape is not limited to this, and the shape may be a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape, a meander shape, an array antenna shape, or the like. Good. Similarly, the shape of the ground portion 24 is not limited to the shape of the above embodiment, and may be a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, or the like.

  In the RFID tag 3 of the embodiment, the IC chip is provided in the impedance matching circuit unit, and one is connected to the antenna unit 21 and the other is connected to the ground unit 24 from the impedance matching circuit unit. The ground portion 24 and the surface plate 4 are electrically connected by capacitive coupling. However, the form of the RFID tag is not limited to this. It may be a form. For example, a normal dipole antenna may be used.

  In the conventional RFID tag, the value of the communication distance was the most important numerical value representing the performance. However, in the contact communication method of the present invention, the data reader and the metal embedded RFID tag are brought into contact to perform communication. There is no conventional concept of communication distance. A new concept representing the communication performance of the metal-embedded RFID tag considered by the inventor is shown below.

  In the contact communication between the data reading device and the metal-embedded RFID tag, it is considered that the minimum value of the transmission output that guarantees reading and writing of information on the IC chip incorporated in the metal-embedded RFID tag becomes a new value. As a matter of course, the measurement is performed in a measurement environment defined in advance. A specific numerical value representing the communication performance is expressed as how many mW (how many dBm).

  The electrical property values (magnetic permeability, magnetic loss, dielectric constant, dielectric loss, etc.) of the magnetic sheet 10 are made suitable, and the thickness of the magnetic sheet 10, the impedance matching circuit unit 22, and the shape of the antenna unit 21 By optimizing the above, the aforementioned communication performance is further improved.

  In the embodiment, the use application of the present invention is a metal-embedded RFID tag, but the use application of the present invention is not limited to this and may be used as a general-purpose wired communication device, RFID tag, or the like. For example, a smart key (key with RFID tag), a wired data collection device, a metal-compatible RFID tag, a metal active RFID tag, or the like may be used. Further, although the frequency band to be used is not limited to the UHF band and the SHF band, other frequency bands may be used.

1 ... Metal-embedded RFID tag (Embodiment 1)
2 ... Metal-embedded RFID tag (Embodiment 2)
3... RFID tag 4... Surface plate 4 a... One surface 4 b of the surface plate... Other surface 5 of the surface plate... Back surface plate 5 a. .. The other surface 6 of the back plate ... Space 7 ... Spacer 8 ... Main body 9 ... Sealing portion 10 ... Magnetic sheet 10a ... One surface 10b of the magnetic sheet The other surface 10c of the magnetic sheet: the side surface 10d of the magnetic sheet ... the edge 11 of the magnetic sheet ... the hole 12 ... the connection part 21 ... the antenna part 22 ... the impedance matching circuit part 23 ... IC chip 24 ... Ground part 25 ... IC chip 26 ... Base material 26a ... One surface 30 of the base material 26 ... Waveguide 31 ... Contact part 32 ..Coupling unit 40 ... Handy reader 41 ... Small patch antenna unit 50 ... Data reading Equipment

Claims (9)

A coin front plate having a metal member and a coin back plate having a metal member are overlapped with a surface having the metal member disposed outside, and a space is provided, and the metal member of the coin front plate and the metal member of the coin back plate are It is a structure connected at the connection part,
A metal-embedded RFID tag in which an adhesive layer is provided on an inner surface opposite to the surface having the metal member of the coin front surface plate and the coin back surface plate, and an RFID tag is attached on the adhesive layer,
The RFID tag includes a magnetic sheet, an antenna unit, an impedance matching circuit unit, an IC chip, and a ground unit.
The antenna unit and the impedance matching circuit unit are provided on one surface of the magnetic sheet, and the ground unit is provided on the other surface,
The antenna unit and the impedance matching circuit unit are electrically connected,
An IC chip is connected to this impedance matching circuit section,
A metal-embedded RFID tag, wherein an impedance matching circuit portion and a ground portion are electrically connected.   The RFID tag is attached to the vicinity of the edge of the opposite side of the side of the connection portion between the metal member of the coin front plate and the metal member of the coin back plate. Metal embedded RFID tag.   3. The metal-embedded RFID tag according to claim 1, wherein the metal surface of the coin front plate and the coin back plate is provided with an uneven design.   The metal embedded RFID tag according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the space is sealed with a non-conductive sealing portion. The metal-embedded RFID tag according to claim 4 , wherein the sealing portion has water resistance. 6. The metal-embedded RFID tag according to claim 4 , wherein the sealing portion has chemical resistance. The metal according to claim 4 , wherein the magnetic sheet, the antenna unit, the impedance matching circuit unit, the ground unit, and the sealing unit have heat resistance. Embedded RFID tag.   The metal-embedded RFID tag according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the IC chip has data encryption and decryption functions.   A data reader comprising a waveguide for reading data of a metal-embedded RFID tag according to claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the waveguide and an outer surface of the metal-embedded RFID tag Alternatively, the data reading device is characterized in that the data is read by bringing it into surface contact.

Images