JPH1185925A - Wireless id tag and system therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a worker to obtain information related with an underground equipment at a job site and to monitor underground environment. SOLUTION: This tag 1 is constituted so that the reading and writing of data can be attained by non-contact with a reader/writer 2. This tag 1 is provided with at least more than one sensors, for example, distortion sensors 14, or at least more than one outside connection sensor terminals 11, or both of them. Thus, communication between the tag 1 buried in ground and the reader/ writer 2 can be attained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a wireless ID capable of reading and writing data without contact with a reader / writer.
The present invention relates to a tag and a wireless ID tag system using the wireless ID tag.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Outdoor equipment such as manholes and handholes are usually provided with an identification number, and information accompanying the identification number is collectively managed in an indoor database. However, since these facilities exist outdoors and densely, and the surface of the iron lid only has the mark of the organization or company that manages the manhole, it is not easy to identify the facilities, Furthermore, if the surface of the iron lid is worn down, it will be difficult to distinguish it from other service companies. Therefore, the only way to identify the equipment is to open the iron lid.
This is not easy to open. Further, if rainwater or the like is accumulated, equipment for eliminating the rainwater is required, but if the state of the inside is known after the iron cover is opened, the work efficiency is reduced. On the other hand, in pipelines buried in the basement, crustal deformation occurs due to earthquakes and landslides.
In the case of leakage of substances flowing through pipelines or damage to cables and other facilities inside, even if the approximate location of the damage can be estimated, the only way is to actually dig up the ground and search for the damaged location. Was. Therefore, it is very important to identify the equipment or grasp the situation inside it without opening the iron cover of the manhole, and to be able to monitor the condition of underground objects without digging the ground. Was.

[0003] As a means for knowing the internal state without opening the iron cover of a manhole, a remote monitoring type system has been considered. This is to monitor the internal state of the manhole by a remote system, usually in a company office remote from the manhole. Therefore, in this system, it is possible to know the inside of the manhole in advance in the office, but it is impossible to see the inside if there is nothing to work in the office. Further, in the case of a company or an organization where the person who manages the facility and the person who works are different, information exchange becomes more difficult. In addition, if the target facility is different from the facility where the lid is actually opened at the work site, the information obtained in advance becomes completely meaningless.

On the other hand, as a method for acquiring information such as a manhole identification number at a work site, for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 7-28
A management method using an electromagnetic induction type wireless ID tag system as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 1856 has been considered. An electromagnetic induction tag can transmit power required for operation from a reader / writer, and does not require a battery for the tag. Therefore, the tag is suitable for managing equipment existing outdoors. However, these tags can accumulate the identification numbers of the equipment and the information attached thereto and obtain the information from the ground, but cannot, for example, monitor the situation in the manhole in real time. Therefore, when a remote monitoring system and a tag for storing additional information are used, for example, a double management system is installed for one manhole, which is a problem in terms of efficient operation. As described above, there has been a demand for a method capable of grasping the situation such as generation of gas in a manhole or underground, water leakage, and the like and acquiring accompanying information at a work site.

[0005]

Heretofore, it has not been possible to identify the equipment located underground, the information attached to it, and the situation inside it without opening an iron cover such as a manhole. Also,
Information about the underground burial and its status could not be known without digging the ground.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and identifies underground facilities and information incidental thereto and the state of the inside thereof, or information and conditions concerning underground buried objects on the ground from the ground. It is an object of the present invention to provide a wireless ID tag that can be monitored and a system thereof.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a wireless ID tag according to the present invention comprises a wireless ID capable of reading and writing data without contact with a reader / writer.
In the tag, the wireless ID tag includes at least one or more sensors, or at least one or more sensor connection terminals, or both the sensor and the sensor connection terminal, and is provided between the wireless ID tag buried underground and a reader / writer. It is characterized by being able to communicate with.

A wireless ID tag system according to the present invention is a system including at least one wireless ID tag according to claim 1 and including a reader / writer capable of wirelessly communicating with the wireless ID tag. According to the transmitted signal, a sensor mounted on the wireless ID tag or a connection sensor is operated, measurement data is stored in the wireless ID tag, and the measurement data can be read using a reader / writer. .

According to the present invention, a wireless ID tag and a reader / writer are provided with a communication function capable of intermediary ground communication, and a sensor is attached to the tag so that the sensor can be controlled by the reader / writer. It can directly access tags installed underground or underground, and can control sensors attached to the tags. Further, by storing the measurement data in the tag, a system having an environment monitoring function becomes possible.

[0010] In addition, by using electromagnetic induction for communication between the tag and the reader / writer, communication underground becomes possible. Also, by mounting or connecting a sensor to the tag, the sensor can be controlled remotely from a reader / writer. Further, by providing the tag with a storage element, sensing data can be accumulated. In combination with the above operations, a system capable of monitoring underground buried objects and the environment in manholes from the ground and accumulating incidental information becomes possible.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a wireless ID tag according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a tag, 101 is a control circuit, 102 is a power supply circuit including a battery,
Reference numeral 103 denotes an antenna coil, 104 denotes a storage circuit, 105 denotes an external sensor connection terminal, 106 denotes a mounted sensor, 107 denotes an external external sensor, and 108 denotes a transmission / reception circuit. 106,
It goes without saying that the type of the sensor 107 is not limited as long as it is a device such as a thermometer or a strain meter that converts a change in a physical quantity into an electric signal.

FIG. 2 shows a configuration diagram of a case where a wireless ID tag is installed in a manhole as an embodiment of an underground buried object management system using a wireless ID tag according to the present invention. 1 is a tag, 2 is a reader / writer, 3 is a personal computer, 4 is a manhole, 5 is a manhole iron cover, 6 is a buried cable, 7 is a buried conduit, 8 is the ground,
9 is rainwater, 11 is an external connection sensor terminal, 12 is an internal mounted thermometer, 13 is an externally connected toxic gas sensor, 14 is an externally connected strain sensor, and 15 is an externally connected water level sensor. In the present embodiment, a thermometer 12 for detecting the temperature in the manhole 4 is mounted inside the tag 1 as a sensor, a water level sensor 15 for detecting the water level of the rainwater 9 accumulated in the manhole 4, a toxic gas (for example, hydrogen sulfide). 3), and a strain sensor 14 for detecting the displacement of the embedded cable 6 by external connection. Also,
Connect the reader / writer 2 to the personal computer 3,
A system in which reading and writing of data of a tag 1 is performed by a personal computer 3 is described. Thus, the worker can use the reader / writer 2 and the personal computer 3 from the ground on the manhole 4 without opening the manhole iron cover 5 without using the information attached to the manhole 4 and the gas and water in the manhole 4 and burying it. The status of the cable 6 can be known.

FIG. 3 shows an operation mode of the sensor in the wireless ID tag system according to the present invention. [1]
Is a single measurement mode, in which one or a plurality of designated sensors are operated (measured) once to obtain measurement data. The tag installed under the ground is normally in a standby state (a). When the worker transmits a signal specifying the mode and the sensor from the ground with the reader / writer (b), the tag in the standby state receives the signal, drives the specified sensor according to the instruction (c), and transmits the measured data to the ground. (D). The reader / writer receives the measurement data transmitted from the tag (e), and displays the data on a display device or a connected personal computer (f). After transmitting the data, the tag returns to the standby state (a).

[2] is a continuous measurement mode in which the operator can continuously operate the sensor and observe the time change of the measurement data. When the worker transmits a signal for designating the mode, the setting condition, and the sensor from the reader / writer to the tag in the standby state (a) (b '), the tag in the standby state receives the signal and is designated according to the instruction. (C), and transmits the measured data to the ground (d).
After that, the apparatus enters the standby state (a ') for the time designated by the mode setting condition.
The repetition operation (x) of measurement data transmission (d) and waiting for a specified time (a ') is repeated (X). The reader / writer receives the measurement data transmitted from the tag (e), and displays the data on a display device or a connected personal computer (f). To end the mode, when the reader / writer transmits the mode end signal (g), the tag in the standby state (a ') receives the signal and ends the mode,
The state is again the standby state (a). Even if a mode end signal is sent from the reader / writer during tag sensor drive (c) and measurement data transmission (d) (g), the reader / writer ends mode until the tag enters the standby state (a '). By continuing to send the signal (g), the tag can receive the mode end signal. This mode is used, for example, for monitoring during the work of draining water accumulated in the manhole.

[2 '] is a continuous measurement mode in which the number of measurements is specified in the continuous measurement mode in which the number of measurements is included in a signal (b ") such as a setting condition sent from the reader / writer.
The tag that has received the signal repeats the repetition operation (x) a specified number of times (X), and then returns to the standby state (a). This mode is used when monitoring changes in the environment within a certain period of time.

[3] is a data accumulation mode (memory mode). In the operation start and end of (1), a specified sensor is set to a specified number of times at a specified time interval or a specified number of times within a specified time. Drive and accumulate measurement data in the tag. When a signal (a), a mode and its setting condition, and a signal designating a sensor are transmitted from the reader / writer to the standby tag (b '' ′), the tag receives the signal and drives the designated sensor according to the instruction. (C), the measured data is written into the storage circuit (h), and the apparatus enters a standby state (a ″) for a designated time. The tag is used for the sensor drive (c), data writing (h), and standby (a ″). Repeat operation (y)
Is repeated a designated number of times (Y), and then returns to the standby state (a).

In the data call of (2), in order to read the written data, when the tag is in the standby state of (a) or (a ″), information on the type of sensor and the number of data to be read from the reader / writer is read. The tag that has received the signal sends the stored data reply signal (i), the tag receiving the signal sends the data specified to the reader / writer (j), and the tag returns to the standby state (a). The reader / writer (e) displays the data on a display device or a connected personal computer (f) The memory mode is useful for long-term monitoring of the condition of the equipment.

FIG. 4 shows a wireless ID tag system according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which a tag is installed in a buried conduit underground, and a tag for storing incidental information is installed in a manhole iron cover. 1 shows a system. In the figure, 1 is a wireless ID tag according to the present invention, 2 is a reader / writer, 4
Is a manhole, 5 is a manhole iron cover, 6 is a buried cable, 7 is a buried pipeline, 8 is the ground, 10 is a buried pipeline joint,
Reference numeral 11 denotes an external connection sensor terminal, 14 denotes an external connection distortion sensor, 16 denotes an internally mounted tilt sensor, and 17 denotes an electromagnetic induction type wireless ID tag incorporated in a manhole iron cover. In the present embodiment, the reader / writer 2 is equipped with an input / output device and operates in a stand-alone manner.
The sensors that can operate the tag are the inclinometer of the inclination sensor 16 and the strain gauge of the strain sensor 14, which are prepared for monitoring when an external force is applied to the buried conduit 7, respectively. Unlike the tag 1 according to the present invention, the electromagnetic induction type wireless ID tag 17 does not have a sensor mounted or is not externally connected, but writes information into a storage circuit mounted on the tag 17 and uses the reader / writer 2 to write information. It can be read. If electromagnetic induction is used for communication between the tag 1 and the reader / writer 2 according to the present invention, the tag 17 can be accessed by the same reader / writer 2 as the reader / writer 2 according to the present invention. As described above, a flexible system, such as using a tag 17 without a normal sensor for managing manholes that do not need to monitor the internal environment, and using the tag 1 according to the present invention for equipment that needs to be monitored. Can be constructed. In this embodiment,
Although the tag 1 provided with the sensors 14 and 16 is used for the buried conduit 7, it goes without saying that a system in which the tag 1 of the present invention and the electromagnetic induction tag 17 are mixed in the manhole 4 does not cause any problem.

As described above, the present invention relates to a wireless ID tag capable of transmitting and receiving data without contact with a reader / writer, and a system using the same, in which various sensors are connected to the wireless ID tag internally or externally. And communication is possible even when buried underground.
It is possible to monitor the condition of underground buried facilities such as the floor from the ground without opening the manhole cover.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a wireless ID tag and a system thereof that enable an operator to obtain information on underground facilities at a site and monitor the underground environment.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a wireless ID tag according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of a wireless ID tag system using a wireless ID tag according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a control flow relating to sensor driving according to an embodiment of the wireless ID tag system according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of a wireless ID tag system using a wireless ID tag according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Tag, 2 ... Reader / writer, 3 ... Personal computer, 4 ... Manhole, 5 ... Manhole iron cover, 6 ... Buried cable, 7 ... Buried pipeline, 8 ... Ground, 9 ... Rainwater, 10 ...
Buried pipe joint, 11: external connection sensor terminal, 12: internal mounted thermometer, 13: externally connected toxic gas sensor, 14
... Strain sensor, 15 ... Externally connected water level sensor, 16 ... Internally mounted tilt sensor, 17 ... Electromagnetic induction type wireless ID tag incorporated in a manhole iron cover, 101 ... Control circuit, 1
02: power supply circuit, 103: antenna coil, 104: storage circuit, 105: external sensor connection terminal, 106: mounted sensor, 107: external external sensor, 108: transmission / reception circuit.

Claims (2)

[Claims] In a wireless ID tag capable of reading and writing data without contact with a reader / writer, the wireless ID tag has at least one or more sensors, or at least one or more sensor connection terminals, or the sensors and A wireless ID tag having both sensor connection terminals and capable of communicating between the wireless ID tag embedded in the ground and a reader / writer. 2. The wireless I according to claim 1, wherein:
A system that includes one or more D tags and includes a reader / writer capable of performing wireless communication with the wireless ID tag. A signal transmitted from the reader / writer activates a sensor mounted on the wireless ID tag or a connection sensor to measure measurement data. A wireless ID tag, and the measurement data can be read using a reader / writer.