RU2231129C2 - Process of identification of articles and mark for identification system - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: article identification means.

SUBSTANCE: uninterrupted unmodulated signal of specified length is generated in zone of control in agreement with process before transmission of first code bit of request, in interval between code bits and after last bit. Activation of each mark is delayed by value same for all marks determined by time of transmission of all code bits and duration of generation of uninterrupted unmodulated signal is established by time of reception of responses from marks. System mark includes transceiving antenna, detector, rectifier coupled to energy storage circuit, pulse former, decoder, timer and aid transmitting return signal that is coder connected to transceiving antenna.

EFFECT: ensured control over articles located in container without its opening, provision for identification of articles while they are numerous and have small dimensions.

5 cl, 3 dwg

Description

The invention relates to electronics, and in particular to methods for identifying products and a tag for an identification system.

The invention can be most effectively used to control the availability of products in containers without opening them, when there are many products in the container and they are small-sized.

Other applications are possible, for example, for inventory and identification of books in a library or other items.

Known methods for identifying products based on the excitation in a controlled area of a modulated electromagnetic field, triggering attached to each product tags with an individual code and on the identification of the received signal.

A device is known (US patent No. 5512879, class G 08 B 23/00, dated April 30, 1996), attached to the product as a tag, which contains means for receiving request signals, means for decrypting them, and also means for generating and transmitting a response a signal containing identification data.

This device, designed to prevent kidnapping and identification of stray along the way, is not reliable enough for use in identifying small items that are tightly packed in a container.

Closest to the invention in technical essence is a method for identifying products (US patent No. 5519381, class G 08 B 21/00, dated May 21, 1996), based on the excitation of a modulated electromagnetic field in a controlled area by transmitting separate request packets, triggering a label with an individual code attached to each product, if the tag and request codes coincide and on the identification of the received tag response signals.

The disadvantages of this method are as follows:

- the impossibility of reliable identification of products with tight packaging and their large quantities due to the low reliability of identification, because when interrogating even a narrow beam, the radiation pattern (MD) in the zone of its action will necessarily include several marks, for example, located one after the other along the axis of the radiation pattern. After the blocking time has elapsed, these labels will answer the request a second time, which will lead to erroneous identification;

- a rather complicated hardware composition of the system for implementing this method, because the interrogator-reader contains at least two transmitting devices operating at different frequencies, and two antennas (with a narrow and wide beam);

- bringing the labels into an active working state is carried out by the energy of the interrogator, transmitting encoded information, which negatively affects the identification of the first requested label, because the initial part of the code message will be lost for recognition by the tag due to the fact that the energy storage device supplying power to the tag devices takes some time to enter the operating mode.

Closest to the invention - a label for an identification system is a device for a similar purpose (RF patent No. 2032221, IPC ⁶ G 08 V 13/24 of 03/27/95), including a transceiver antenna, detector, rectifier, energy storage, pulse shaper, decoder and means for transmitting a response signal.

A disadvantage of the known device is low noise immunity, because in identification mode, when a space is excited by a coded electromagnetic field, any appearance of a random interference pulse during the transmission of counting pulses will lead to erroneous identification.

The basis of the present invention is the creation of a method of identification of products, which would ensure control of their presence in the container without opening it, and a label for the identification system, which would provide identification of each product when there are many and they are small.

The technical result provided by the invention by the method is to increase the reliability of identification of small items packaged in containers in large quantities, while simplifying the hardware composition of the system for implementing the method.

The technical result provided by the invention, the label, is to increase the reliability of recognition of request signals, the ability to use the same individual code for request and response, and simplifying the registration of response labels.

The claimed label can be used in other systems and identification methods, but the claimed method cannot be implemented without the present invention - the label.

The problem is solved in that in a method for identifying products based on the excitation in a controlled area of a modulated electromagnetic field by transmitting separate request code packets, triggering a tag with an individual code attached to each product, with the tag and request codes matching, and identifying the received tag signals, according to the invention, a continuous unmodulated signal of a given duration is additionally generated in the monitoring zone before transmitting the first code message, in In the gap between the code messages and after the last code request, the response of each label is delayed by an amount that is the same for all tags, determined by the transmission time of all the request traffic packets, and the duration of the generation of a continuous unmodulated signal is determined by the time it takes to receive response signals from all the tags.

In the particular case, when it is required to further increase the reliability and reliability of identification, each request code packet and each tag response signal are repeated many times, and the tag response rate is set independently of the repeat code request rate.

In an advantageous embodiment, the magnitude of the time delay τ ₃ pickup tags is set based on the condition τ ₃ + τ _app ≥kmτ ₂ (k-1),

where k is the number of polled labels;

τ _app - the duration of one code message request;

m is the repetition rate of the code sending the request;

τ ₂ - the time of continuous generation of the unmodulated signal in the interval between the code packets of the request,

and the duration of the generation of the unmodulated signal after transmitting the last code request is determined from the dependence

T≥τ _n · n + τ ₃ -mτ _Zap (k-1),

where τ _p - the duration of the code sending labels;

n is the repetition rate of the code sending labels.

This option is optimal in the sense that with an increase in reliability to the reliability of identification, it becomes possible to use the same code for the request and response of one tag, which halves the number of code messages.

Analysis of published sources of information confirmed the unknown method, which indicates its compliance with the patentability criterion.

The significance of the distinguishing features of the method based on the excitation of a modulated electromagnetic field in the controlled zone by transmitting separate request packets, triggering of a tag with an individual code attached to each product, when the tag and request codes coincide and on the identification of the received tag response signals, is due to the fact that:

- the generation of an unmodulated signal before the first code request is necessary to enter the operating mode of the energy storage device between code messages;

- to separate them by time, and then to maintain the tags of the identification system in an active state, the reliability and reliability of identification depends on this. So, if you do not do this before the first code transmission, then the first label may not be identified, because An energy storage device requires some time for it to reach the operating mode;

- the delay in triggering the tags by a certain amount is necessary in order for the requests and responses to be separated in time, allowing you to use the same code at the tags for the request and response.

The problem is also solved by the fact that in the label for the product identification system containing a transceiver antenna, detector, rectifier, energy storage device, pulse shaper, decoder, means for transmitting a response signal, according to the invention, an additional timer is installed, the means for transmitting a response signal is an encoder connected its output with the antenna, while the pulse shaper is connected in series between the detector output and the decoder, and the timer is connected between the decoder and the encoder.

The significance of the distinctive features of the device is due to the fact that:

- the presence of a timer ensures the accumulation of a countable number of series of code packets and the receipt of the response label signal in a strictly set time interval formed by the timer;

- the combination of all the new features of the device also provides a response from the tag containing data identifying it.

Using the proposed label in the new method allows you to organize such a request-response system, which ensures increased reliability of identification of products equipped with labels and packaged in containers, without opening the latter while simplifying the hardware of the identification system. Only one interrogator-reader is used, which at least halves the hardware compared to the prototype.

The advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of an example of its implementation and the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 depicts a functional diagram of the interrogator and reader of information;

figure 2 - functional diagram of the label;

figure 3 is a temporary sequence diagram of the system.

The method for identifying products consists in the fact that a continuous unmodulated signal is generated in the controlled area for τ ₁ , which activates tags that have an individual code and are attached to each product. After that, a modulated (amplitude, frequency, phase-pulse, pulse-width, etc.) electromagnetic field is excited in the control zone by transmitting to the zone of separate code request packets with a duration of each code message τ _app , and in the intervals between code request packets, a continuous unmodulated a signal of duration τ ₂ . That label whose code coincided with the first code message of the request is triggered first, but with a given delay τ ₃ . The triggering of each label is delayed by an amount that is the same for all labels, determined by the transmission time of all request code packets. Thus, the first label will respond (work) only after all the code packets of the request have been transmitted. At the same time, i.e. Immediately after transmitting the last code request message to the control zone, a continuous unmodulated signal of duration T, determined by the time of receiving response signals from all labels, is generated taking into account the fact that τ _p is the duration of the label response signal (label response code sending).

In more detail with reference to the positions of the drawings, an example implementation of the method is described below when describing the operation of the identification system used to implement the claimed method.

The identification system for implementing the proposed method for identifying products contains request and read devices (both in FIG. 1), as well as tags (FIG. 2), each of which is attached to the product and has its own individual code. The reader (Fig. 1) is associated with tags through an electromagnetic field.

The request device (Fig. 1) consists of a microcontroller 1, a modulator 2, a generator 3, the output of which is loaded on a transmitting antenna 4, and the reader (Fig. 1) consists of a receiving antenna 4, a processing unit 5, a microcontroller 1, and a display device 6 The interrogator and reader antennas are combined into one 4. The first output of the serial port of the microcontroller 1 is connected to the input of the transceiver antenna 4 by serial connection of the modulator 2 and generator 3. The output of the transceiver antenna 4 through the processing unit 5 is connected to oromu microcontroller port 1, the third port of which is coupled to display device 6.

The label for the identification system (Fig. 2) consists of a transceiver antenna 7, a rectifier (detector) 8, an energy storage device 10, a detector 9, a filter 11, an amplifier-former (pulse shaper) 12, a decoder 13, a timer 14, and an encoder 15. Output the transceiver antenna 7 is connected to the input of the rectifier 8, the output of which is connected to the input of the energy storage 10, the output of which is connected to the power bus (not indicated) of the amplifier-former 12, decoder 13, timer 14 and encoder 15. Also, the output of the transceiver antenna 7 is connected in series with entrance child torus 9, filter 11, amplifier-shaper 12, a decoder 13, a timer 14 and encoder 15, whose output is connected with a tap transceiver antenna 7.

Each label has individual codes, "wired" in the decoder and encoder. In general, these codes may vary. Each identifiable product is equipped with its own individual label.

The label in the identification system works as follows. At start command microcontroller 1 comprises a high frequency generator 3 (Scheme connection not shown), the output of which is loaded by a receive antenna 4 for radiating a certain time τ ₁ unmodulated high-frequency signal (carrier frequency) in a controlled space. All tags located in the controlled space receive this signal using individual transceiver antennas 7, which is fed to rectifier 8 and detector 9. Rectifier 8, together with energy storage 10, generates a constant voltage supplied to the electronic circuit of the tag throughout the entire operating time of the system. The time τ ₁ (Fig. 3), during which an unmodulated signal is emitted, is determined by the exit time to the energy storage mode 10.

After the time τ _{1, the} microcontroller 1 generates an m-fold repeated first code message (the first series of code messages) recorded in its memory. The number of repetitions m characterizes the degree of reliability of receiving a code packet by tags under conditions of a possible distortion of the transmitted signal by noise and increases the probability of a tag receiving at least one undistorted code packet. All tags process each code packet. At all marks, the detector 9, together with the filter 11, selects the code packet, which arrives at the amplifier-driver 12, where the signal edges are formed and the code packet is normalized by amplitude. The signal thus generated is fed to the markers 13, where the received and “wired” individual identification codes are compared in the label. Only the label whose code matches the interrogator sends the decoder. The decoder 13 generates a signal to a timer counter, recording a finite number of request code packets and including a timer 14, which provides a time delay τ _{3 of the} signal to turn on its own encoder, generating its n-fold code message (tag response signal), which changes the characteristics of the transceiver antenna 7.

The delay time τ ₃ is determined by the total number of interrogated labels k, the duration of one code parcel τ _app , the number of repetitions of all parcels m and the time interval τ _{2 of} continuous interrogator generation between two series of code parcels. This relationship is expressed by the dependence τ ₃ ≥kmτ _zap + τ ₂ (k-1), where k is the number of polled labels; τ _app - the duration of the code sending the request; m is the repetition rate of the running request; τ ₂ is the time of continuous generation between series of code packets of the interrogator, determined by the time of decoding by the label of one code packet and the delay of the microcontroller 1 to switch from one code packet to another.

The microcontroller 1 after the emission of the m-fold of the first code packet after a time interval τ ₂ generates a second code packet, etc. until the k-th sending, after which the high-frequency generator 3 again switches to the continuous generation mode and continues to generate an unmodulated signal over time

T≥kτ _n · n + τ ₃ -mτ _Zap (k-1),

where τ _p - the duration of the code sending labels; n is the repetition rate of the code label sending (label response signal).

Changes in the characteristics of the antennas 7 tags distort the resulting electromagnetic field in the area of the transceiver antenna 4 of the reader. The signal from the antenna 4 enters the processing unit 5 of the reader, where the received information is allocated and normalized. The signal from the output of the processing unit 5 enters the microcontroller 1, where the identification of a finite number of code parcels of the label response with the database codes occurs. The comparison results are displayed on the display device 6.

All nodes of the reader, except for the high-frequency generator and transceiver antenna, can be implemented on the basis of integrated circuits of medium and high degree of integration. The tag, in addition to the receiving antenna, can be implemented on the basis of a single microchip.

The invention can be used to identify small-sized close-packed products that are in large quantities in a container without opening it.

Claims (4)

1. A method for identifying products based on the excitation in a controlled area of a modulated electromagnetic field by transmitting separate request packets, triggering a tag with an individual code attached to each product, when the tag and request codes coincide and on identifying the received tag response signals, characterized in that the control zone additionally generate a continuous unmodulated signal of a given duration before transmitting the first code message, in the interval between the code messages and after the last code message of the request, while the operation of each label is delayed by an amount that is the same for all labels, determined by the transmission time of all the code packets of the request, and the duration of the generation of a continuous unmodulated signal is determined by the time of receipt of response signals from all labels. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that each request code packet and each response signal is repeated many times, while the response rate of the label is set regardless of the rate of repetition of the request code packets. 3. The method according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the value of the time delay of the labels τ _{3 is} set based on the condition τ _3≥ kmτ _spare + τ ₂ (k-1), where k is the number of polled labels; τ _app - the duration of one code message request; m is the repetition rate of the code sending the request; τ ₂ - the time of continuous generation of the unmodulated signal in the interval between the code packets of the request, and the duration of the generation of the unmodulated signal T - after transmitting the last, code request, is determined from the dependence T≥kτ _{n ·} n + τ ₃ -mτ _{spare ·} (k-1), where τ _n - the duration of the code sending labels; n is the repetition rate of the code sending labels. 4. The label for the identification system, including a transceiver antenna, a detector, a rectifier, an energy storage device, a pulse shaper, a decoder, means for transmitting a response signal, characterized in that it is additionally equipped with a timer, the means for transmitting a response signal is an encoder connected to its output with an antenna, wherein the pulse shaper is connected in series between the detector output and the decoder, and the timer is connected between the decoder and the encoder.

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