WO2009107580A1

WO2009107580A1 - Radio tag processing device, radio tag processing system, and radio tag

Info

Publication number: WO2009107580A1
Application number: PCT/JP2009/053160
Authority: WO
Inventors: 晃志郎山口
Original assignee: ブラザー工業株式会社
Priority date: 2008-02-27
Filing date: 2009-02-23
Publication date: 2009-09-03

Abstract

A radio tag processing device improves the convenience of the user relating to the contents of information in a radio tag circuit element and the contents to be printed on a reversible printing area. The radio tag processing device includes a loop antenna (130) for transmitting/receiving information by radio to/from a radio tag circuit element (To) composed of an IC circuit unit (150) having addresses and a tag antenna (151) for transmitting/receiving information, an erasing thermal head (120) for substantially erasing unupdated characters (R) printed on a reversible printing area (S) of an IC card (200) having the radio tag circuit element (To) and the reversible printing area (S), a forming thermal head (120) for forming characters (R) representing the content corresponding to updated data on the reversible printing area (S), and a control circuit (140) for substantially holding information stored at predetermined addresses and writing corresponding information at the other addresses via the loop antenna (130).

Description

Wireless tag processing device, wireless tag processing system, and wireless tag

The present invention transmits / receives information by wireless communication to / from a wireless tag having a wireless tag circuit element having an IC circuit unit for storing information and a tag antenna connected to the IC circuit unit for transmitting / receiving information. In addition, the present invention relates to a wireless tag processing apparatus, a wireless tag processing system, and the wireless tag that perform predetermined printing.

It is widely performed that a small wireless tag capable of transmitting / receiving information to / from the outside is provided on an object to search and manage the object. The wireless tag circuit element provided in the wireless tag includes an IC circuit unit that stores information and a tag antenna that transmits and receives information, and can transmit and receive information without contact with the wireless tag communication device.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a small wireless tag having a wireless tag circuit element having an IC circuit unit for storing predetermined information and a tag antenna connected to the IC circuit unit for transmitting and receiving information, and a reader (reading device) / writer ( An RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system that reads / writes information without contact with a writing device has been proposed and is being put into practical use in various fields.

As one of the wireless tags that are being used in various fields as described above, there is one provided with a reversible printing area (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this prior art, the delivery information is written in the RFID tag circuit element (IC chip) of the RFID tag (IC tag) provided in the delivery table, and the printing (bar) corresponding to the reversible printable area (rewrite layer) of the RFID tag. Code), and the delivery operation is performed using these writing information and printing information. After the delivery is completed, the wireless tag is separated from the delivery table, the delivery information is erased from the RFID circuit element, and the print is erased. After that, new delivery information is written to the RFID circuit element, and new printing corresponding to the reversible printing area is performed, so that it can be used again for delivery work. In this way, the wireless tag can be reused in the delivery work.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-21755

In the above prior art, it is possible to rewrite the information of the RFID circuit element or rewrite the print contents of the reversible print area. However, it is inconvenient in the following points.

That is, in the above-described conventional wireless tag, each time it is reused, the previous information is erased from the wireless tag circuit element and rewritten with new information (information corresponding to the print contents of the reversible printable area). Therefore, when it becomes necessary to use the previous information (information that does not correspond to the print contents of the reversible printable area) for some reason after the information rewrite, the user obtains the necessary information from the wireless tag. I couldn't do it and it was inconvenient.

Also, when rewriting the new information to the RFID circuit element, new printing corresponding to the reversible printing area is performed. Therefore, the contents of the information stored in the wireless tag and the printing are basically the same. However, although it was in a matched state at the beginning, there is a possibility that only the information in the IC circuit unit is rewritten for some reason, and the print contents of the reversible print area may not be changed. In such a case, the user cannot visually recognize that the information in the IC circuit unit and the printed content are inconsistent, and therefore misunderstands that information equivalent to the printed content is stored in the wireless tag. there is a possibility. That is, the contents of the information stored in the wireless tag cannot always be visually confirmed, which is inconvenient.

As described above, in the above-described prior art, there is room for improvement in convenience regarding the information content of the RFID circuit element and the print content of the reversible printable area.

A first object of the present invention is to provide a wireless tag processing device, a wireless tag processing system, and a wireless tag processing device that can improve user convenience regarding information content of a wireless tag circuit element and printing content of a reversible printing area. To provide a tag.

A second object of the present invention is to perform wireless tag processing that can improve the convenience of the user by retaining the stored contents of the storage area not corresponding to the print contents of the reversible printable area without erasing them. It is to provide a device and a wireless tag.

It is a third object of the present invention to provide a wireless tag processing device, a wireless tag processing system, and a wireless tag that can improve user convenience by always checking the stored information of the wireless tag by visual observation. .

In order to achieve the first object, the first invention of the present application is a wireless tag circuit element having an IC circuit section for storing information and a tag antenna for transmitting and receiving information, and a wireless tag including a reversible printable area A device antenna for transmitting and receiving information to and from the RFID tag circuit element, and printing the reversible printable area to the IC circuit unit of the RFID tag circuit element via the device antenna. Information processing means for reading or writing print-related information related to contents, and print forming processing or print erasing processing in the reversible print area depending on the contents of the reading or writing by the information processing means And a print processing means.

The wireless tag processing device according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a device antenna, information processing means, and print processing means, and targets a wireless tag including a wireless tag circuit element and a reversible printable area. The information processing means reads and writes the print related information related to the print contents of the reversible print area to the IC circuit unit provided in the RFID circuit element via the device antenna. The print processing means executes print formation or print erasure of the reversible print area in accordance with the contents read or written by the information processing means.

As a result, for example, the information processing means writes new information in another storage area while substantially retaining the storage information in a part of the storage areas provided in the IC circuit unit, and the print processing means. However, it is possible to form a print corresponding to writing the new information. In this case, the reversible printable area always displays the print corresponding to the information written most recently in any of the plurality of storage areas, and the user always confirms the latest stored information visually. it can. At this time, the storage contents of the storage area in which the latest information has not been written (in other words, does not correspond to the printing contents of the reversible printable area) are retained without being erased, and can be read at an appropriate timing. Therefore, convenience can be improved.

Alternatively, for example, in the IC circuit unit, an identifier representing a match / mismatch between the stored information and the print contents of the reversible printable area is stored, and when the information processing means reads the stored information of the IC circuit unit, The identifier may be read together. In this case, if the read identifier represents a mismatch, the print processing unit re-forms (prints after erasing) the print contents of the reversible print area into a print corresponding to the read information. Thereby, since the printing corresponding to the storage information of the IC circuit unit is always displayed in the reversible printable area, the user can confirm it visually and the convenience can be improved.

As described above, in the first invention of the present application, it is possible to improve the convenience of the user regarding the information content of the RFID circuit element and the printing content of the reversible printing area.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the device antenna includes the IC circuit unit having a first storage area and a second storage area for storing the first information and the second information, respectively. The information processing means transmits and receives information to and from the circuit element, and the information processing means substantially holds the first information stored in the first storage area via the device antenna, and prints the second storage area. The information forming means for writing the second information as related information, wherein the print processing means has the content corresponding to the first information formed in the reversible print area as the print erasure process. The first print forming means for substantially erasing the first print and forming the second print having the content corresponding to the second information in the reversible print area as the print formation process. When That.

In the wireless tag processing device according to the second invention of the present application, a wireless tag including a wireless tag circuit element and a reversible printing area is accepted. The IC circuit unit provided in the wireless tag circuit element includes a first storage area for storing first information and a second storage area for storing second information. Of these, at least the first information is already stored in the first storage area. A first print corresponding to the first information is already formed in the reversible printable area.

The information forming means transmits / receives information to / from the RFID tag circuit element including the IC circuit unit via the device antenna. The information forming means writes the second information in the second storage area while substantially holding the first information (already stored) in the first storage area. In response to the writing of the second information, the first print forming means substantially erases the first print (already formed) in the reversible print area, and corresponds to the second information. Two prints are formed.

That is, each time the predetermined information is written to a storage area other than the predetermined storage area that has already stored information, the reversible printable area is newly (from the first print corresponding to the already stored first information). Will be rewritten to the second print corresponding to the second information written in.

As a result, in the reversible printable area of the wireless tag, the print corresponding to the information most recently written to any one of the plurality of storage areas is always displayed. Therefore, the user can always visually check the latest stored information among the plurality of storage areas of the wireless tag.

At this time, the storage contents of other storage areas where the latest information has not been written (in other words, the storage contents not corresponding to the print contents of the reversible print area) are retained without being erased. As a result, the first information in the first storage area can be read (as a past storage history) at an appropriate timing, and the convenience for the user can be improved. It is also possible to display information corresponding to the updated information in the reversible printable area each time the information is updated by selectively writing information to any of the plurality of storage areas. Become. In this case, it is also possible to use as a commercial information card or the like for displaying the latest stored information among them while storing different information in each of the plurality of storage areas, thereby improving the convenience for the user.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, the wireless communication device further comprises transport means for receiving and transporting the wireless tag. The transport means stores the first information in the first storage area and stores the first information in the second storage area. The second information before update is stored, the first print is formed in the reversible printable area, the wireless tag is conveyed, and the information forming means is stored in the second storage area First information reading means for reading at least the second information before update, and the second information before update read by the first information reading means are updated to new second information, and the second information after the update is updated. And an information writing means for writing information to the second storage area.

As a result, each time a user inserts a wireless tag into the wireless tag processing apparatus, information is selectively read from one of a plurality of storage areas, the storage content is updated and written, and the reversible printable area is updated. The display can be changed to correspond to the information. Therefore, it is possible to reliably realize a commercial information card that displays the latest stored information among them while storing different information in each of the plurality of storage areas. For example, it is possible to use a service card that can accumulate purchase information such as points and miles at a plurality of stores, thereby improving the convenience for the user.

According to a fourth invention, in the third invention, when the wireless tag is received by the transport means, the first storage area and the second storage area are selected from the plurality of storage areas provided in the IC circuit unit. Storage area determining means for determining each storage area to be a storage area, wherein the first information reading means stores the first storage area before the update stored in the second storage area determined by the storage area determining means. 2 information is read at least, and the information writing means writes the updated second information to the second storage area determined by the storage area determination means.

In the wireless tag processing device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the wireless tag is received by the transport means, the storage area determination means automatically selects the first storage area for a plurality of storage areas of the IC circuit unit provided in the wireless tag circuit element. And the second storage area is determined. Thus, for example, when the user goes to one of the installation locations of the plurality of RFID tag processing devices and inserts the RFID tag, the storage region corresponding to the location where the device is installed is selected from the plurality of storage regions. It can be determined as two storage areas. As a result, information corresponding to the store or the like is written into the second storage area (or written to update the stored content), and information about the store or the like is printed and displayed in the reversible printable area. be able to. In other words, in this case, the information about the store or the like is automatically written in the corresponding storage area regardless of the number of stores or the like (the information stored in other storage areas related to other stores or the like is In addition, the display of the reversible printable area can be automatically changed to a display corresponding to the store or the like that performed.

In a fifth aspect based on the fourth aspect, the first information reading means is
The second information before update stored in the second storage area and the first information stored in the first storage area are read, and the information writing means is configured to read the second information after the update. Is written in the second storage area, and the first information read by the first information reading means is written in the first storage area.

In the wireless tag processing device according to the fifth invention of the present application, when communicating with the wireless tag, the first information and the second information (before update) are read together by the first information reading means, and the first information (after the update) is read. The information is written together with the second information by the information writing means. Thus, by performing both reading and writing of both the first information and the second information, the control in the communication processing is simplified, and the smoothness and reliability of the communication can be improved.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention based on the first aspect, the device antenna substantially includes predetermined information on the IC circuit unit, and a third print formed in the variable print area and the predetermined information. The information processing means reads and obtains the predetermined information as the print-related information from the IC circuit unit via the device antenna. Second information reading means, and identifier reading means for reading and obtaining the identifier as the print related information stored in the IC circuit section via the device antenna, and the print processing means includes the identifier Depending on whether the identifier acquired by the reading means is a match index value or a non-match index value, as the print erasure process, the first of the reversible print area A second print formation that substantially erases the print and forms a fourth print in the reversible printable area corresponding to the predetermined information acquired by the second information reading means as the print formation process It is a means.

In the wireless tag processing device according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, a wireless tag including a wireless tag circuit element and a reversible printable area is a processing target. Predetermined information is stored in the IC circuit unit provided in the wireless tag circuit element. A third print has already been formed in the reversible print area.

In the IC circuit portion of the RFID circuit element, an identifier indicating whether or not the predetermined information substantially matches the third print is also stored. This identifier is acquired by the identifier reading means via the device antenna. The predetermined information is acquired by the second information reading unit via the device antenna.

At this time, the identifier read by the identifier reading means is in advance either a match index value indicating a substantial match or a mismatch index value indicating a substantial mismatch. When the identifier is a match index value, the content of the third print in the reversible printable area substantially matches the content stored in the IC circuit portion of the RFID circuit element. . On the other hand, when the identifier is a mismatch index value, the content of the third print in the reversible printable area and the content stored in the IC circuit portion of the RFID circuit element are not substantially matched. It has become. The reason for this state is that it was in the above-mentioned matching state at first, but only the information in the IC circuit unit was changed by communication with the RFID circuit element after that, and printing of the reversible printing area was performed. It is possible that has not been changed.

In response to such a situation, in the sixth invention of the present application, the second print forming means performs the third printing of the reversible printable area depending on whether the identifier is the match index value or the mismatch index value. A fourth print can be formed by erasing (corresponding to the read predetermined information). As a result, when the identifier is a mismatch index value, the display content of the reversible printable area can be matched with the storage content of the IC circuit unit by deleting the third print and forming the fourth print. It becomes possible.

Thereby, the printing corresponding to the stored information of the IC circuit unit is always displayed in the reversible printable area of the wireless tag. Therefore, since the user can always confirm the information stored in the wireless tag by visual observation, the convenience can be improved.

In a seventh aspect based on the sixth aspect, when the identifier acquired by the identifier reading means is the match index value, the third printing of the reversible printable area of the wireless tag is substantially performed. And when the identifier acquired by the identifier reading means is the non-matching index value, the third printing of the reversible printing area of the wireless tag received by the transport means is substantially performed. And a print control means for controlling the second print forming means so as to form a fourth print having contents corresponding to the predetermined information in the reversible printable area. .

When the identifier is a match index value, the display content of the reversible print area matches the storage content of the IC circuit unit (the display content of the reversible print area need not be changed). Therefore, in such a case, the third print is held as it is. Thereby, the printing corresponding to the information stored in the IC circuit unit can always be surely displayed in the reversible printing area of the wireless tag.

In an eighth aspect based on the seventh aspect, in the seventh aspect, the print control for erasing the third print by the second print forming means when the identifier acquired by the identifier reading means is the non-matching index value. In conjunction with the control of the means, there is provided an identifier writing means for writing the identifier of the match index value to the IC circuit section via the device antenna.

Based on the fact that the identifier is a non-matching index value, the print control means controls the second print forming means, so that the print display content of the reversible print area changes to the fourth print, and the stored contents of the IC circuit unit To match. Accordingly, by setting the identifier value as the matching index value by the identifier writing means accordingly, it is confirmed that the printing content of the reversible printable area of the wireless tag is consistent with the storage information of the IC circuit unit thereafter. It can be shown reliably.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the apparatus according to the eighth aspect further comprises transport means for receiving and transporting the wireless tag, and the apparatus antenna is provided upstream of the second print forming means along the transport direction of the transport means. It is characterized by being.

Thus, when processing is performed with the transport of the transport unit that receives the wireless tag, the identifier of the identifier reading unit can be acquired before the erasing / print forming operation of the second print forming unit. Accordingly, the operation of the second print forming unit can be reliably controlled based on the identifier value acquired by the identifier reading unit.

In a tenth aspect based on the ninth aspect, the RFID tag is transported to an upstream transport position where the RFID circuit element is located near the device antenna, and the identifier is acquired and the predetermined information is acquired. And after the writing of the match index value, the transport means, the wireless tag is further transported downstream in the transport direction, and the third print is erased and the fourth print is formed. It has a cooperation control means for controlling the identifier reading means, the second information reading means, the identifier writing means, and the second print forming means in cooperation.

In the tenth invention of the present application, under the control of the cooperation control unit, first, at the upstream transport position, the identifier is read by the identifier reading unit and the predetermined information is acquired by the second information reading unit via the device antenna. Further, the identifier of the coincidence index value is written by the identifier writing means via the device antenna (= linked in a form prior to the operation of the second print forming means). Thereafter, the wireless tag is conveyed downstream by the conveying means, and the third printing erasing and the fourth printing are performed by the second printing forming means. Thus, each process can be smoothly performed in a series of flows along the transport direction.

In an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in any one of the second to tenth aspects, the first or second print forming unit is configured to provide a reversible thermosensitive recording unit provided in the wireless tag as the reversible print area. It is at least one thermal head that performs erasure of the first print or the third print and formation of the second print or the fourth print.

By heating the reversible thermosensitive recording portion with a thermal head, the first print or the third print can be erased by making the arrangement of the thermosensitive particles uniform, and by arranging the thermosensitive particles in a desired form. Second printing or fourth printing can be formed.

In a twelfth aspect based on the eleventh aspect, the first or second print forming means performs both erasure of the first or third print and formation of the second or fourth print. It is a thermal head.

Since one thermal head has both the erasing function and the print forming function, space can be saved and cost can be reduced as compared with the case where a total of two heads are provided for erasing and printing.

In a thirteenth aspect based on the twelfth aspect, the first printing is erased while the wireless tag is conveyed in the first direction, and when the first printing is completed, the wireless tag is moved away from the first distance by a predetermined distance. The second print is formed while transporting in the second direction opposite to the direction and transporting the wireless tag in the first direction when transport in the second direction of the predetermined distance is completed. It has a 1st control means which controls a conveyance means and the said erasing / formation thermal head in cooperation.

Based on the control of the first control means, the first printing is performed by, for example, one erasing / forming thermal head provided in the direction perpendicular to the carrying direction (the width direction of the wireless tag) while carrying the wireless tag in the first direction. Erasing is performed sequentially from one end of the conveying direction to the other. When the first print has been erased to the other end in the transport direction (since the erasure / formation thermal head is positioned on the other side in the transport direction of the reversible print area at this point), a new second print is made. Is printed from the one side in the transport direction of the reversible printing area, the wireless tag is transported by a predetermined distance in the second direction. As a result, the erasing / forming thermal head can be made to face a portion (printing start portion) corresponding to one end portion in the transport direction of the second printing in the reversible printing area. Thereafter, the wireless tag is transported again in the first direction, whereby the second print can be sequentially formed from the one end portion in the transport direction to the other end portion by the erasing / forming thermal head.

In a fourteenth aspect based on the eleventh aspect, the first or second print forming means forms the thermal print head for erasing the first or third print and the second or fourth print. And a thermal head for forming.

¡Erase performance and print formation performance can be improved by providing dedicated heads dedicated for erasure and print formation, respectively, without having both the erase function and print formation function with one thermal head. In addition, for the portion of the reversible printable area where the first print or the third print has been erased by the erasing thermal head (without waiting for the completion of the erase of the other portions of the first print or the third print) ) The second print or the fourth print can be formed immediately with the forming thermal head. Therefore, it is not necessary to switch the transport direction such as the first direction → the second direction → the first direction as in the case of using one thermal head, and transport can be performed in only one direction.

In a fifteenth aspect based on the fourteenth aspect, the first print is erased by the erasing thermal head while the wireless tag is conveyed in one direction, and the second printing is formed by the forming thermal head. It is characterized by having the 2nd control means which controls the said conveyance means, the said erasing thermal head, and the said formation thermal head in cooperation so that it may perform.

Based on the control of the second control means, while the wireless tag is transported in one direction, for example, an erasing thermal head provided in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction (the width direction of the wireless tag), and rearward from the front end in the transport direction of the first print Erase sequentially to the side. Thus, the second print is sequentially formed by the forming thermal head (without waiting for the completion of the erasure of the other portions of the first print) to the portion of the reversible printable area where the first print has been erased. I will do it. In this way, the first print erasure and the second print formation can be performed collectively in conjunction with the movement of the reversible printable area in one direction by the conveyance of the wireless tag.

In order to achieve the first and third objects, the sixteenth invention of the present application is a wireless tag processing including a wireless tag communication device that performs communication with a wireless tag and a wireless tag printing device that performs printing with respect to the wireless tag. In the system, the RFID tag communication device includes an RFID circuit element having an IC circuit unit that stores information and a tag antenna that transmits and receives information, and forms a third print in a reversible print area. A first transport means for receiving and transporting the wireless tag, and predetermined information is stored in the IC circuit unit, and an identifier relating to substantial matching between the predetermined information and the third print is stored in the IC circuit unit. The device antenna for transmitting and receiving information by wireless communication to the wireless tag circuit element of the wireless tag stored in the device, and the identification from the IC circuit unit via the device antenna Identifier reading means for reading and obtaining the second information reading means for reading and obtaining the predetermined information from the IC circuit section via the device antenna, and the wireless tag printing device includes the wireless tag Whether the identifier acquired by the second transport means for receiving and transporting the wireless tag carried out from the communication device and the identifier reading means of the wireless tag communication device is a match index value or a non-match index value Accordingly, the content corresponding to the predetermined information acquired by the second information reading means is substantially erased from the reversible printable area of the wireless tag received by the second transport means. And a second printing forming means capable of forming the fourth printing in the reversible printing area.

The wireless tag processing system according to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention includes a wireless tag communication device and a wireless tag printing device. The wireless tag communication device receives a wireless tag including a wireless tag circuit element and a reversible printable area, and is transported by the first transport means. Predetermined information is stored in the IC circuit unit provided in the wireless tag circuit element. A third print has already been formed in the reversible print area. In addition, an identifier indicating whether or not the predetermined information substantially matches the third print is also stored in the IC circuit portion of the RFID circuit element. This identifier is acquired by the identifier reading means via the device antenna. The predetermined information is acquired by the second information reading unit via the device antenna.

Corresponding to such a situation, in the sixteenth invention of the present application, the wireless tag printer is provided with second print forming means. When the second carrying means accepts the wireless tag carried out from the wireless tag communication device, the second print forming means determines whether the identifier is the match index value or the mismatch index value for the received wireless tag. Accordingly, the third print in the reversible printable area can be erased (corresponding to the read predetermined information) to form the fourth print. As a result, when the identifier is a mismatch index value, the display content of the reversible printable area can be matched with the storage content of the IC circuit unit by deleting the third print and forming the fourth print. It becomes possible.

In order to achieve the first and second objects, the seventeenth invention is a tag medium configured in a sheet shape or a card shape, and an IC circuit unit arranged on the tag medium and storing information, and transmission / reception of information. A wireless tag circuit element including a tag antenna that performs a plurality of storage areas, wherein the IC circuit unit includes a plurality of storage areas, and the plurality of storage areas are provided on one surface of the tag medium. Among the areas, a reversible printable area capable of overwriting printing each time printing corresponding to information stored in one of the storage areas selected each time is provided.

The wireless tag of the seventeenth invention of the present application has a wireless tag circuit element having a plurality of storage areas in the IC circuit section. Then, the print contents of the reversible print area correspond to the storage information of one storage area selected each time among the plurality of storage areas (in addition, other contents not selected in the above). The storage area does not correspond to the print contents, but information is stored and is available at the next selection). Thus, for example, a commercial information card capable of accumulating purchase information such as points and miles at a plurality of stores by printing and displaying the latest stored information while storing different information in each of a plurality of storage areas. (Service card) can be realized. As a result, user convenience can be improved.

In order to achieve the first and third objects, the eighteenth invention is a tag medium configured in a sheet shape or a card shape, and an IC circuit unit arranged on the tag medium and storing information, and transmission / reception of information. A wireless tag circuit element including a tag antenna for performing the above and a reversible printable area that is provided on one surface of the tag medium and that can be repeatedly overwritten and printed. In addition to being stored in the IC circuit unit, an identifier relating to substantial matching between the predetermined information and the predetermined printing formed in the reversible printable area is stored in the IC circuit unit.

The tag medium of the wireless tag according to the eighteenth aspect of the present invention includes a wireless tag circuit element and a reversible printing area. Information can be stored in the IC circuit portion of the RFID circuit element, and overprinting can be repeatedly performed on the reversible printing area. In such a case, if the contents printed in the reversible printable area substantially match the contents stored in the IC circuit portion of the RFID tag circuit element, the user can always visually check the information stored in the RFID tag. It can be confirmed by convenient. However, because information can be written to the IC circuit section and printing can be separately performed on the reversible print area, the print contents of the reversible print area and the IC circuit section of the RFID circuit element can be used for some reason. The stored contents may not substantially match. The reason is considered that only the information in the IC circuit unit is changed by communication with the RFID circuit element and the printing of the reversible printable area is not changed.

In response to such a situation, in the eighteenth aspect of the present invention, an identifier relating to substantial matching between the stored information of the IC circuit unit and the print formed in the reversible printable area is stored in the IC circuit unit. ing. As a result, wireless communication is performed with respect to the wireless tag, and by reading this identifier, it is easily detected whether the stored information of the IC circuit portion substantially matches the print formed in the reversible printable area. It becomes possible to do. As a result, if they do not match, the print of the reversible print area is erased by an appropriate second print forming means, and stored in the information stored in the IC circuit unit (for example, obtained by reading separately). By newly forming the corresponding print, the display content of the reversible printable area can be matched with the storage content of the IC circuit unit.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve the convenience of the user regarding the information content of the RFID circuit element and the print content of the reversible printable area.

According to the invention described in claim 2 and claim 17, it is possible to improve the convenience of the user by holding the storage contents of the storage area not corresponding to the print contents of the reversible printable area without erasing them. Can do.

According to the invention of claim 6, claim 16, and claim 18, the stored information of the wireless tag can always be visually confirmed, and the convenience for the user can be improved.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the wireless tag processing device of the present invention is applied to a card processing device for writing and printing information on purchase points acquired at the time of purchase of goods at a store on an IC card. .

The card processing device (wireless tag processing device) 100 is connected to a register device (not shown) at each store. When a user purchases a product at each store, the store name and the number of purchase points corresponding to the purchase price are input from the register device, and the card processing device 100 stores the input data and the like in the IC card 200. On the other hand, writing is performed by wireless communication (including non-contact signal transmission / reception such as electromagnetic induction, etc.), and corresponding printing (printing) is formed. As shown in FIG. 1, the card processing apparatus 100 has an insertion slot 101 for inserting an IC card 200 formed on the front surface thereof, a display provided above the insertion slot 101, and configured by a liquid crystal panel or the like. Part 102. The display unit 102 displays various information such as a store name, a purchased product name, a purchase price, and the number of purchase points.

The IC card 200 (wireless tag) includes an RFID circuit element To including an IC circuit unit 150 for storing information and a tag antenna 151 configured in a loop coil shape for transmitting and receiving information. The above-described point data and the like are stored in the IC circuit unit 150. Further, the IC card 200 has a reversible printing area S in which printing can be formed / erased by a thermal head (

thermal heads

120 and 121 described later), and when the IC card 200 is inserted into the card processing apparatus 100. The print R is formed on the reversible print area S.

The IC card 200 is configured such that the reversible print area S and the arrangement area of the RFID circuit element To do not overlap in the card thickness direction. Thereby, the RFID circuit element To can be protected from heat by the thermal head.

The functional configuration of the card processing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the arrow shown in a figure shows an example of the flow of a signal, and does not limit the flow direction of a signal.

The card processing apparatus 100 is capable of transporting the IC card 200 carried in from the insertion slot 101 in the forward direction (left direction in FIG. 2; second direction) and in the reverse direction (right direction in FIG. 2; first direction). A conveyance roller 110 (conveyance means), a conveyance motor (for example, a pulse motor) 111 that drives the plurality of conveyance rollers 110, a motor drive circuit 112 that controls driving of the conveyance motor 111, and conveyance of the IC card 200 An erasing thermal head 120 (first erasure) that is provided along the direction perpendicular to the direction (the width direction of the IC card 200) and that substantially erases the print R formed in the reversible print area S of the IC card 200. Print forming means, print processing means) and a thermal head 121 for forming a predetermined print R in the reversible print area S (first print forming means, print processing means) The loop antenna 130 for transmitting and receiving information between the print drive circuit 122 that controls energization of the

thermal heads

120 and 121 and the RFID circuit element To provided in the IC card 200 by wireless communication such as HF band. (Device antenna), a transmission circuit 131 and a reception circuit 132 for accessing (reading and writing) the RFID circuit element To via the loop antenna 130, the motor drive circuit 112, the print drive circuit 122, A control circuit 140 that controls the transmission circuit 131, the reception circuit 132, and the like, and an insertion sensor 150 that optically detects that the IC card 200 has been inserted into the insertion slot 101 and outputs a detection signal to the control circuit 140. And a display unit 102 for performing the various displays described above. The control circuit 140 is a so-called microcomputer and is connected to the register device described above via an input / output interface (not shown).

Note that the substantial erasure of the print R performed by the erasure thermal head 120 is to completely erase the print R due to functional restrictions of the erasure thermal head 120 and the reversible thermosensitive recording layer 204 (described later). Although it cannot be performed, it includes erasing to the extent that there is no problem in using the IC card 200. In addition, when the print R is formed by the forming thermal head 121 after erasure, there is a case where there is an overlapping area between the formed print R and the print R before erasure.

The transmission circuit 131 generates a carrier wave for accessing (reading / writing) the RFID circuit element To via the loop antenna 130, and based on a control signal input from the control circuit 140, The carrier wave is modulated and an interrogation wave is output. The receiving circuit 132 demodulates a response wave (response signal) received from the RFID circuit element To via the loop antenna 130 and outputs the demodulated signal to the control circuit 140. The transmission /

reception circuits

131 and 132 and the loop antenna 130 are connected via an antenna duplexer 133.

The loop antenna 130 is abbreviated as the RFID circuit element To of the IC card 200 when the IC card 200 is transported to a predetermined access position (position where information is transmitted / received; the position shown in FIG. 2) by the transport roller 110. It is provided at a position facing directly.

In the above description, information is transmitted and received by one loop antenna using the antenna duplexer 133. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and two loop antennas are provided corresponding to the transmission circuit 131 and the reception circuit 132. It may be. In addition to the optical sensor, the insertion sensor 150 may be a sensor that performs mechanical detection such as a mechanical switch, a sensor that performs magnetic detection, or the like.

The overall structure of the IC card 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that FIG. 4 is a conceptual cross-sectional view for illustrating the layer configuration of the IC card 200, and therefore, the dimensions in the thickness direction are enlarged.

3 and 4, the IC card 200 has a five-layer structure. That is, from the back side (lower side in FIG. 4) to the front side (upper side in FIG. 4), a card base layer 201 (tag medium) made of an appropriate base material and configured in a card shape, an appropriate pressure-sensitive adhesive An adhesive layer 202 composed of an appropriate base material, a card base material layer 203 composed of a suitable base material, and a reversible thermosensitive recording layer 204 capable of reversibly forming and erasing the print R by heating (reversible thermosensitive recording). Part) and a protective layer 205 which protects the reversible thermosensitive recording layer 204 and constitutes the surface of the IC card 200. The RFID circuit element To is provided in the card base layer 201 and the adhesive layer 202, and the label printing R (in this example) corresponding to the storage information of the RFID circuit element To is provided on the reversible thermosensitive recording layer 204. The store name “ABC Denki” and the letters “120p” indicating the number of purchase points) are formed.

When the reversible thermosensitive recording layer 204 is heated to a predetermined temperature by the erasing thermal head 120, the arrangement of the thermosensitive particles becomes uniform and the print R can be erased. In addition, when the predetermined arrangement portion is heated to a predetermined temperature by the forming thermal head 121, the heat-sensitive particles are arranged in a desired manner so that the print R can be formed.

Although the reversible thermosensitive recording layer 204 is provided over the entire surface of the IC card 200, as described above, in order to avoid overlapping with the arrangement area of the RFID circuit element To, the

thermal heads

120 and 121 are provided. In this example, only the central portion in the longitudinal direction on the surface of the IC card 200 is a reversible printing area S in which printing can be formed and erased by the

thermal heads

120 and 121 described above. Yes.

The functional configuration of the RFID circuit element To will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the arrow shown in a figure shows an example of the flow of a signal, and does not limit the flow direction of a signal.

In FIG. 5, the RFID circuit element To includes a tag antenna 151 that transmits and receives signals without contact with the loop antenna 130 on the card processing apparatus 100 side, and the IC circuit unit 150 connected to the tag antenna 151. have.

The IC circuit unit 150 includes a rectification unit 152 that rectifies the interrogation wave received by the tag antenna 151, a power supply unit 153 that accumulates the energy of the interrogation wave rectified by the rectification unit 152, and uses it as a drive power source. A clock extraction unit 154 that extracts a clock signal from the interrogation wave received by the tag antenna 151 and supplies the clock signal to the control unit 157; a memory unit 155 that can store a predetermined information signal; and a modulation / demodulation connected to the tag antenna 151 And a controller 157 for controlling the operation of the RFID circuit element To via the rectifier 152, the clock extractor 154, the modem 156, and the like.

The modulation / demodulation unit 156 demodulates the interrogation wave received from the tag antenna 151 from the loop antenna 130 of the card processing apparatus 100, modulates the reply signal from the control unit 157, and responds from the tag antenna 151. Send as.

The clock extraction unit 154 extracts a clock component from the received signal, and supplies a clock corresponding to the frequency of the clock component to the control unit 157.

The control unit 157 interprets the received signal demodulated by the modulation / demodulation unit 156, generates a return signal based on the information signal stored in the memory unit 155, and transmits the return signal to the tag antenna by the modulation / demodulation unit 156. Basic control such as control returned from 151 is executed.

As shown in FIG. 6, the memory unit 155 of the IC circuit unit 150 has addresses as a plurality of storage areas, and each address stores data relating to the store name and the number of purchased points. (FIG. 6 shows a state where data is not yet stored). When data related to a new store is written to the IC card 200, the data is sequentially stored at the smallest address among the addresses where no data is stored. That is, data is written to the address “01” at the time of the first data writing, and data is sequentially written to the addresses “02”, “03”,. On the other hand, when data relating to the same store is written, the data stored at the corresponding address is updated.

The control content performed by the control circuit 140 of the card processing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, in step S5, the control circuit 140 determines whether or not the IC card 200 is inserted from the insertion slot 101 based on the detection signal from the insertion sensor 150. This step is repeated until the IC card 200 is inserted, and when inserted, the process proceeds to step S10.

In step S10, the control circuit 140 outputs a control signal to the motor drive circuit 112, and drives the transport motor 111 to drive the plurality of transport rollers 110 in the normal direction. Thereby, the IC card 200 is conveyed in the forward direction (left direction in FIG. 2). When the IC card 200 is transported to the access position described above, the control circuit 140 outputs a control signal to the motor drive circuit 112, stops the transport motor 111, and stops the plurality of transport rollers 110. As a result, the RFID circuit element To of the IC card 200 faces the loop antenna 130 on the card processing apparatus 100 side.

Thereafter, in step S15, the control circuit 140 outputs a control signal to the transmission circuit 131, and acquires information stored in the RFID circuit element To (specifically, the memory unit 155 of the IC circuit unit 150; the same applies hereinafter). As an inquiry signal, the interrogation wave subjected to predetermined modulation is transmitted to the RFID tag circuit element To to be read through the loop antenna 130. The reply signal returned from the RFID tag circuit element To to be read in response to the inquiry signal is received via the loop antenna 130 and taken in via the receiving circuit 132. Then, based on the received reply signal, information (including a tag ID, an address, a store name, and the number of purchase points) stored in the RFID circuit element To is acquired. The store name and the number of purchase points in the acquired information are respectively associated with the corresponding addresses.

Then, the process proceeds to step S20, and the control circuit 140 determines an address for updating data from a plurality of addresses in the information read from the RFID circuit element To in the step S15. Specifically, if there is a corresponding store name in the information read from the RFID circuit element To in step S15, the address is determined as an update address. On the other hand, if there is no corresponding store name in the information read from the RFID circuit element To, as described above, the address with the smallest number among the addresses where no data is stored is used as the update address for storing new data. Determine as.

Thereafter, in step S25, the control circuit 140 inputs the store name and the number of purchase points from the register device described above.

Then, the process proceeds to step S30, and the control circuit 140 creates update data for writing to the RFID circuit element To. Specifically, if there is a corresponding store name in the information read from the RFID circuit element To in step S15, the purchase point before update stored in the update address (determined in step S20) is stored. Update data is created by adding new purchase points. On the other hand, if there is no corresponding store name in the information read from the RFID circuit element To, update data is created by storing the store name and the number of purchase points at the update address (determined in step S20 above). To do.

Thereafter, in step S35, the control circuit 140 outputs a control signal to the transmission circuit 131, designates the tag ID read in step S15, and uses a predetermined modulation as a signal to write the update data created in step S30. The interrogated wave is transmitted to the RFID circuit element To as the information writing target via the loop antenna 130, and the information is written.

Then, the process proceeds to step S40, and the control circuit 140 creates print data (store name and purchase point number in the update address) corresponding to the update data created in step S30.

Thereafter, in step S45, the control circuit 140 outputs a control signal to the motor drive circuit 112 to drive the transport motor 111 to drive the plurality of transport rollers 110 in the reverse direction. Thereby, conveyance of the IC card 200 in the reverse direction (right direction in FIG. 2) is started.

Then, the process proceeds to step S50, where the control circuit 140 outputs a control signal to the print drive circuit 122, and performs print erasure / formation processing using the erasing thermal head 120 and the forming thermal head 121. That is, when printing has already been formed in the reversible printing area S of the inserted IC card 200, the erasing thermal head 120 from the end of one side (right side in FIG. 2) of the IC card 200 in the transport direction. The printing is sequentially erased to the other side (left side in FIG. 2), and the printing corresponding to the printing data created in step S40 is sequentially formed by the forming thermal head 121 on the erased portion. On the other hand, if printing has not yet been formed in the reversible printing area S of the inserted IC card 200, the erasing thermal head 120 is generated in step S40 by the forming thermal head 121 without generating heat. A print corresponding to the print data is formed.

Thereafter, in step S55, the control circuit 140 outputs a control signal to the motor drive circuit 112, and continues the reverse rotation driving of the transport roller 110 started in step S45, thereby discharging the IC card 200 from the insertion slot 101. .

Then, the process proceeds to step S60, and the control circuit 140 determines whether or not to end the process. Specifically, when the card processing apparatus 100 is powered off, it is determined that the process is finished. If the process is not terminated, the same procedure is repeated by returning to the previous step S5. On the other hand, when the process end operation as described above is performed, the determination is satisfied and this flow is ended.

In the above, step S15 functions as the first information reading means described in the claims, step S35 functions as the information writing means, and these steps S15, S35, and S30 serve as information forming means. In addition to functioning, it also functions as information processing means.

Further, Step S20 constitutes a storage area determining means, and Step S45 and Step S50 constitute a second control means.

Note that the flowchart does not limit the present invention to the procedure shown in the above flow, and the procedure may be added / deleted / changed without departing from the spirit and technical idea of the invention. For example, the order of step S35 and step S40 may be reversed.

Next, an example of the contents stored in the print R of the IC card 200 and the RFID circuit element To when the user uses the IC card 200 at a plurality of stores will be described with reference to FIGS. In the examples shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a case where 1% of the purchase amount is given to the user as a purchase point will be described as an example.

8A to 8C, the case where the user purchases a product at a new store that has not been used before will be described. First, FIG. 8A shows an example in which a user purchases a product of 12,000 yen at a store “ABC Denki”. In the reversible printable area S of the IC card 200 processed by the card processing apparatus 100, FIG. A print R of “ABC Electric 120p” representing the store name and the number of acquired purchase points is formed. Further, the corresponding store name and the number of purchased points are written in the address “01” of the RFID circuit element To (specifically, the memory unit 155 of the IC circuit unit 150; the same applies hereinafter).

FIG. 8B shows an example in which the user purchases a product of 5000 yen at the new store “DEF camera” from the state of FIG. 8A, and the IC processed by the card processing device 100. In the reversible printable area S of the card 200, a print R of “DEF camera 50p” representing the store name and the number of acquired purchase points is formed. The corresponding store name and the number of points purchased are written in the address “02” of the RFID circuit element To.

In the case shown in FIG. 8B, the address “01” corresponds to the first storage area described in each claim, and the store name “ABC electric machine” stored in the address “01” and The number of purchase points “120p” corresponds to the first information stored in the first storage area. The address “02” corresponds to the second storage area, and the store name “DEF camera” and the number of purchase points “50p” written to the address “02” correspond to the second information to be written to the second storage area. To do.

FIG. 8C shows an example in which a user purchases a product of 20000 yen at the new store “GHI Musen” from the state of FIG. 8B, and the IC processed by the card processing apparatus 100 In the reversible printable area S of the card 200, a print R of “GHI musen 200p” representing the store name and the acquired number of purchase points is formed. The corresponding store name and the number of purchase points are written in the address “03” of the RFID circuit element To.

In the case shown in FIG. 8C, the addresses “01” and “02” correspond to the first storage areas described in the claims, and are stored in these addresses “01” and “02”. The store name “ABC Denki” “DEF camera” and the number of purchase points “120p” “50p” correspond to the first information stored in the first storage area. The address “03” corresponds to the second storage area, and the store name “GHI musen” and the number of purchase points “200p” written to the address “03” correspond to the second information to be written to the second storage area. To do.

On the other hand, the case where a user purchases a product again at a store that the user has used before will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B. FIG. 9A is for comparison with FIG. 9B described later, and shows the same state as FIG. 8C.

FIG. 9B shows an example in which a user newly purchases a product of 10000 yen at the store “DEF camera” that the user has used before from the state of FIG. In the reversible print area S of the IC card 200 processed at 100, a print R of “DEF camera 150p” representing the store name and the updated number of purchased points is formed. In addition, the contents stored in the RFID circuit element To are updated to 150p in which the number of purchased points of the corresponding address “02” is obtained by adding the newly acquired number of points 100p to the number of points 50p before the update.

In the case shown in FIG. 9B, since the data corresponding to the addresses “01” and “03” is not changed, the data stored in these addresses “01” and “03” is substantially retained. ing.

In the case shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the addresses “01” and “03” correspond to the first storage areas described in the respective claims, and these addresses “01” and “03”. The store name “ABC Denki” “GHI Musen” and the number of purchase points “120p” “200p” stored in “” correspond to the first information stored in the first storage area. The address “02” corresponds to the second storage area, and the store name “DEF camera” and the number of purchase points “50p” stored in the address “02” are stored in the second storage area before the update. The store name “DEF camera” and the number of purchase points “150p” written in the address “02” after the data update correspond to the updated second information written in the second storage area. .

FIG. 9C shows an example in which a user newly purchases a product of 5000 yen from the state shown in FIG. 9B at a store “ABC Denki” that the user has used before. In the reversible printable area S of the IC card 200 processed at 100, a print R of “ABC ELECTRIC 170p” representing the store name and the updated number of purchase points is formed. In addition, the contents stored in the RFID circuit element To are updated to 170p, in which the number of purchased points of the corresponding address “01” is obtained by adding the newly acquired number of points 50p to the number of points 120p before the update.

In the case shown in FIG. 9C, since the data corresponding to the addresses “02” and “03” is not changed, the data stored in these addresses “02” and “03” is substantially retained. ing.

In the cases shown in FIGS. 9B and 9C, the addresses “02” and “03” correspond to the first storage areas described in the respective claims, and these addresses “02” and “03”. The store name “DEF camera”, “GHI musen”, and the number of purchase points “150p” “200p” correspond to the first information stored in the first storage area. Further, the address “01” corresponds to the second storage area, and the store name “ABC Denki” and the purchase point number “120p” stored in the address “01” are stored in the second storage area before the update. The store name “ABC Denki” and the number of purchase points “170p” written to the address “01” after the data update correspond to the updated second information written to the second storage area. .

In the first embodiment described above, each time a user purchases a product at a store, the reversible printable area S of the IC card 200 corresponds to update data newly written from the print R before data update. The printed R is rewritten. As a result, in the reversible print area S of the IC card 200, the print corresponding to the most recently written data for any one of the plurality of addresses of the RFID circuit element To is always displayed. . Therefore, the user can always visually check the latest stored information among the plurality of addresses of the IC card 200.

At this time, the stored contents of other addresses where the latest information has not been written (in other words, stored information that does not correspond to the print contents of the reversible print area S) are retained without being erased. As a result, these stored contents can be read and used at an appropriate timing, and the convenience for the user can be improved. In this example, the information held at each address as described above is utilized, information is selectively written to one of a plurality of addresses, and the stored contents are updated. A display corresponding to the updated information can be performed on the print area S. As a result, the IC card 200 can be used as a commercial information card or the like for displaying the latest stored information among them while storing separate and independent information at each of the plurality of addresses of the RFID circuit element To. Convenience is improved.

In the first embodiment, in particular, when the IC card 200 is received by the transport roller 110 of the card processing apparatus 100, the control circuit 140 is configured for a plurality of addresses of the IC circuit unit 150 provided in the RFID circuit element To. In step S20, the address to be updated is automatically determined. As a result, when the user goes to one of a plurality of stores and inserts the IC card 200 into the card processing device 100 installed in the store, it corresponds to the store where the device is installed among the plurality of addresses. An address can be determined. As a result, data corresponding to the store or the like is written to the update address (or written to update the stored contents), and the data of the store or the like is printed and displayed on the reversible printable area S. Can do. That is, regardless of where you go to a plurality of stores, etc., the data of the stores you have visited is automatically written to the corresponding address (the data stored at other addresses related to other stores etc. is retained) In addition, the display of the reversible printable area S can be automatically changed to a display corresponding to the store or the like that performed.

In the first embodiment, in particular, after the card processing apparatus 100 reads data corresponding to all addresses of the RFID circuit element To and communicates with the IC card 200 and updates the data in the update address portion. Then, data corresponding to all addresses is written to the RFID circuit element To as update data again. By performing both reading and writing in this way, including both addresses that update data and addresses that are not updated, control in communication processing is simplified, and smoothness and reliability of communication can be improved. it can.

In the first embodiment, the card processing apparatus 100 includes the erasing thermal head 120 for erasing the print R and the forming thermal head 121 for forming the print R. As described above, the erasing performance and the print forming performance can be improved by providing dedicated heads dedicated for erasing and printing without using both the erasing function and the printing forming function with one thermal head. it can. In addition, for the portion of the reversible printable area S where the erasure of the print R has been completed by the erasure thermal head 120, the formation thermal head 121 is immediately updated without waiting for the erasure of the other portions of the print R to be completed. The print R corresponding to the data can be formed. Therefore, it is not necessary to switch the transport direction such as reverse direction → forward direction → reverse direction of the IC card 200 as in the case of using one thermal head, and transport can be performed in only one direction.

In the first embodiment, particularly, the IC card 200 is conveyed in one direction, and the erasing thermal head 120 sequentially erases from the front end in the conveyance direction of the printing R to the rear side. In this way, the printing thermal head 121 sequentially forms the printing R corresponding to the update data on the portion of the reversible printing area S where the printing R has been erased. In this way, the erasure of the print R before update and the formation of the print R after update can be collectively performed in conjunction with the movement of the reversible print area S in one direction by the conveyance of the IC card 200. it can.

In addition, the said 1st Embodiment is not restricted to said aspect, A various deformation | transformation is possible within the range which does not deviate from the meaning and technical idea. Hereinafter, such modifications will be described in order.

(1-1) Case of having one thermal head capable of printing erasure / formation In the first embodiment, the card processing apparatus 100 has two erasure thermal heads 120 and a thermal head 121 for formation. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and one thermal head that performs both erasure of printing and formation of printing may be provided.

The functional configuration of the card processing device 100A according to the present modification will be described with reference to FIG. In this modification, the same parts as those in FIG. In addition, the arrow shown in a figure shows an example of the flow of a signal, and does not limit the flow direction of a signal.

The card processing apparatus 100 </ b> A is provided along a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the IC card 200 (the width direction of the IC card 200), and substantially includes the printing R formed in the reversible printing area S in the IC card 200. An erasure / formation thermal head 123 (first print formation means, print processing means) that performs both erasure and formation of a predetermined print R, and a conveyance roller 110 associated with print erasure / formation by the erasure / formation thermal head 123. Control circuit 140 </ b> A having a function of performing cooperative control (see FIG. 11 described later). The erasing / forming thermal head 123 is energized by the print driving circuit 122 as in the first embodiment.

The contents of control performed by the control circuit 140A of the present modification will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the procedure similar to FIG. 7, and description is abbreviate | omitted.

Steps S5 to S45 are the same as those in FIG. 7 described above, and when the IC card 200 is inserted, the control circuit 140A drives the transport roller 110 to rotate forward to transport the IC card 200 to the access position. Information is read from the circuit element To. Then, an address for updating data is determined from a plurality of addresses in the read information, and a store name and a purchase point number are input from the register device, and update data for writing in the RFID circuit element To is created. . Thereafter, the update data is written into the RFID circuit element To, print data corresponding to the created update data is created, and the transport roller 110 is driven in the reverse direction so that the IC card 200 is rotated in the reverse direction (right direction in FIG. 10) Start transporting to

Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S 51, where the control circuit 140 A outputs a control signal to the print drive circuit 122, and erases the print using the erase / formation thermal head 123.

In step S52, the control circuit 140A outputs a control signal to the motor drive circuit 112 to drive the transport motor 111 to drive the plurality of transport rollers 110 in the normal direction. As a result, the IC card 200 is conveyed so as to return backward in the forward direction (leftward in FIG. 10) again. When the erasing / forming thermal head 123 is transported at a predetermined distance (a distance until the erasing / forming thermal head 123 reaches at least the printing start position (right end in FIG. 10) of the reversible printing area S), the control circuit 140A A control signal is output to the motor drive circuit 112, the transport motor 111 is stopped, and the plurality of transport rollers 110 are stopped.

Thereafter, in step S53, the control circuit 140A outputs a control signal to the motor drive circuit 112 in the same manner as in step S45, and drives the transport motor 111 to drive the plurality of transport rollers 110 in the reverse direction. Thereby, conveyance of the IC card 200 in the reverse direction (right direction in FIG. 10; first direction) is started again.

Then, the process proceeds to step S54, and the control circuit 140A outputs a control signal to the print drive circuit 122, and forms a print corresponding to the print data created in step S40 using the erasing / forming thermal head 123.

The subsequent steps S55 and S60 are the same as those in FIG.

By performing the control as described above, the IC card 200 is first transported in the reverse direction, and the erasing / forming thermal head 123 is used to transfer the print from one end (right side in FIG. 10) to the other side (see FIG. 10). When the printing has been erased to the other end in the transport direction, the erasing / forming thermal head 123 is moved to the other side in the transport direction of the reversible print area S at this point. Therefore, the IC card 200 is conveyed by a predetermined distance in the forward direction (left direction in FIG. 10; second direction) in order to newly print from one side in the conveyance direction of the reversible printing area S. To do. Thus, the erasing / forming thermal head 123 can be made to face a portion (printing start portion) corresponding to one end portion in the printing conveyance direction in the reversible printing area S. Thereafter, the IC card 200 is again conveyed in the reverse direction (right direction in FIG. 10; first direction), so that the print is sequentially formed from one end portion in the conveyance direction to the other side by the erasing / forming thermal head 123. Can continue.

In the above, step S45, step S51, step S52, step S53, and step S54 constitute the first control means described in the claims.

Note that the flowchart does not limit the present invention to the procedure shown in the above flow, and the procedure may be added / deleted / changed without departing from the spirit and technical idea of the invention.

According to this modification, since one thermal head 123 serves both as an erasing function and a print forming function, the number of heads can be reduced compared with the case where a total of two heads are provided for erasing and printing as in the first embodiment. Space saving and cost reduction can be achieved.

(1-2) Others In the above, only the case where the user purchases a product and acquires a new purchase point has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, for example, even when the product is not purchased (when there is no purchase point to be newly acquired), when the IC card 200 is inserted into the card processing device 100, the purchase point corresponding to the store from the RFID circuit element To. The number may be read out and printed on the reversible print area S. Thereby, when the user wants to confirm the number of points acquired at a predetermined store, the IC card 200 is inserted into the card processing device 100 at the store, thereby corresponding to the store in the reversible print area S. The number of points can be displayed.

In the above, the card processing apparatus 100 is configured to process the IC card 200 inserted from the insertion slot 101 provided on the front surface and then eject the IC card 200 from the same insertion slot 101. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, a configuration may be adopted in which a discharge port is provided on the back surface of the card processing apparatus 100 and the IC card 200 inserted from the insertion port 101 provided on the surface is processed and then discharged from the discharge port on the back surface. In this case, since the IC card 200 only needs to be transported in one direction, transport control by the transport roller 110 can be facilitated.

In the above, the card processing apparatus 100 includes the transport roller 110 and transports the inserted IC card 200 (in the forward direction and the reverse direction). However, it is not always necessary to transport the card. That is, in this case, in the card processing apparatus 100, when the user inserts the IC card 200 into the insertion slot 101, the RFID circuit element To and the loop antenna 130 are positioned substantially opposite to each other, information is transmitted / received, and erase / Printing erasure / formation of the reversible printing area S is performed in a state where the IC card 200 is stopped by the forming thermal head 123. Then, the user may pull out the IC card 200 after the process is completed. With such a configuration, the card processing apparatus 100 does not require the transport roller 110 or transport drive control, and the configuration and control can be simplified (modification (2-1) of the second embodiment to be described later). The example is the same).

Although not specifically described above, the card processing apparatus 100 may be provided with a function of displaying all (or a part of) stored contents of the IC card 200 as a storage history. In this case, for example, in the example of the first embodiment, the user can confirm purchase points of all three stores at once, and the convenience can be further improved. Further, all (or part) of the storage history may be printed on the reversible print area S.

Further, in the above, at the time of communication with the IC card 200, data corresponding to all addresses of the RFID circuit element To is read together, the data in the update address portion is updated, and then the data corresponding to all addresses is again used as update data. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and only the data corresponding to the update address may be read, and only that portion of the data may be updated and written.

Furthermore, as described above, as an application example of the present invention, the case where the purchase points in a plurality of stores are stored in an IC card has been described, but the present invention also stores, for example, acquired miles in a plurality of airlines, The present invention can be applied to a wide variety of cases, such as using a single card as a cash card corresponding to a plurality of financial institutions or a credit card corresponding to a plurality of credit companies (second embodiment and its later described). The same applies to the modified example).

A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. This embodiment also applies the RFID tag processing device of the present invention to a card processing device for writing and printing information on an IC card, as in the first embodiment. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 12, the card processing apparatus 2100 of the present embodiment is provided with a discharge port 103 (see FIG. 13) formed on the rear surface for discharging the IC card 200 inserted from the insertion port 101. Yes.

The functional configuration of the card processing device 2100 will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the arrow shown in a figure shows an example of the flow of a signal, and does not limit the flow direction of a signal.

Similar to the card processing apparatus 100 of the first embodiment, the card processing apparatus 2100 includes a plurality of transport rollers 110 (transport means) that can transport the IC card 200 in the forward direction (left direction in FIG. 13), and a transport motor. (For example, a pulse motor) 111, a motor drive circuit 112, an erasing thermal head 120 (second print forming means), a forming thermal head 121 (second print forming means), and a print drive circuit 122. Yes. In addition to this, a loop antenna 130 (device antenna), a transmission circuit 131, a reception circuit 132, a control circuit 140, an insertion sensor 150, and a display unit 102 are provided as described above.

In this embodiment, the loop antenna 130 is arranged on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the IC card 200 by the conveyance roller 110 (in other words, on the insertion port 101 side, closer to the right side in FIG. 13). The erasing thermal head 120 and the forming thermal head 121 are arranged close to each other in this order on the downstream side in the transport direction of the IC card 200 (in other words, the discharge port 103 side, the left side in FIG. 13). The arrangement position of the loop antenna 130 is a so-called access position where information is transmitted / received. At the time of information transmission / reception, the IC card 200 is positioned at the access position so that the RFID circuit element To faces the loop antenna 130 substantially. .

The IC card 200 has a five-layer structure similar to that shown in FIG. 4 in the first embodiment, and the RFID circuit element To is provided in the card base layer 201 and the adhesive layer 202. Further, as shown in FIG. 14, a print R (character “ABCD” in this example) corresponding to information stored in the RFID circuit element To is formed on the reversible thermosensitive recording layer 204. The functional configuration of the RFID circuit element To is the same as that shown in FIG.

Here, as described above, in the IC card 200, normally, the information stored in the IC circuit unit 150 and the print R correspond to each other and match the contents. The feature of the card processing device 2100 of the second embodiment is that, when this matchability is lost for some reason, the content of the print R is changed in accordance with the stored content of the IC circuit unit 150, thereby the matchability. Is to ensure. Hereinafter, the contents will be sequentially described.

FIG. 15A shows the initial state of creation of the IC card 200, for example. In addition to the tag ID, predetermined information “abcd” is stored in the IC circuit unit 150 of the wireless tag circuit element To. In the reversible printable area S, a print R “ABCD” having a content substantially corresponding to the stored information “abcd” of the IC circuit unit 150 is formed.

On the other hand, FIG. 15B shows another state. That is, in addition to the tag ID, the information “klmn” is stored in the IC circuit unit 150, whereas the reversible printable area S has a print R “ABCD” that does not match the information “klmn” of the IC circuit unit 150. Is formed. In the state of FIG. 15B, after the creation of the IC card 200, for some reason, only the information in the IC circuit unit 150 is changed by communication with the RFID circuit element To, and the printing R of the reversible printing area S is performed. This can happen if the is not changed. As described above, when the state in which the print R in the reversible print area S does not match the information stored in the RFID circuit element To may occur, even if the user sees the print R display, Does not necessarily confirm the stored information of the RFID circuit element To, and the convenience of the IC card 200 is reduced.

Therefore, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, information stored in the IC circuit section 150 of the RFID tag circuit element To of the IC card 200 and reversible printing A flag F (identifier) indicating whether or not the print R (third print) formed in the region S matches is stored in the IC circuit unit 150. In this example, the value of this flag is F = when the stored information of the IC circuit unit 150 and the print R of the reversible print area S substantially correspond to each other as shown in FIG. 0 (match index value). If the content does not correspond, F = 1 (non-match index value) as shown in FIG.

As described above, in the second embodiment, the consistency between the print content and the stored content is represented by a flag value. When the card processing device 2100 reads information from the IC circuit unit 150 of the RFID circuit element To, when the flag is F = 1 (FIG. 17A), the reversible print area S The print R (third print) is (substantially) erased to form a print R (fourth print) corresponding to the information stored in the IC circuit unit 150 (FIG. 17B). At this time, F = 0 is written in the flag. As a result, it is possible to always match the display content of the reversible print area S with the storage content of the IC circuit unit 150.

The contents of control executed by the control circuit 140 of the card processing device 2100 to realize the above method will be described with reference to FIG. The same steps as those in FIG. 7 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

First, in step S5 similar to FIG. 7, the control circuit 140 determines whether or not the IC card 200 is inserted. When the IC card 200 is inserted, the process proceeds to step S10. Thereafter, in step S10 similar to FIG. 7, the control circuit 140 drives the transport motor 111 to drive the plurality of transport rollers 110 in the normal direction, so that the IC card 200 is transported in the forward direction (left direction in FIG. 13). Let When the IC card 200 is transported to the above-described access position for a predetermined distance, the control circuit 140 stops the transport motor 111 to stop the plurality of transport rollers 110, and the RFID tag circuit element To of the IC card 200 is moved. The card processing device 2100 is made to face the loop antenna 130 on the side.

Then, the process proceeds to step S215, and the control circuit 140 outputs a control signal to the transmission circuit 131 and transmits the interrogation wave to the RFID circuit element To. Then, the response signal returned from the RFID circuit element To in response to the inquiry signal is received via the loop antenna 130 and taken in via the receiving circuit 132. Then, based on the received response signal, predetermined information stored in the RFID circuit element To is acquired together with the tag ID and the value of the flag F (as second information reading means, identifier reading means, and information processing means). Function of).

Thereafter, in step S220, the control circuit 140 determines whether or not the flag F = 1 in the information read from the RFID circuit element To in step S215. When the content of information stored in the IC circuit unit 150 and the content of the third print R formed in the reversible printable area S of the IC card 200 substantially match, the flag F = Since it is 0, the determination is not satisfied, and this routine is finished as it is (without rewriting the print R of the reversible print area S).

On the other hand, when the content of the information stored in the IC circuit unit 150 and the content of the third print R formed in the reversible print area S of the IC card 200 do not substantially match, the flag is set as described later. Since F = 1, the determination is satisfied, and the routine goes to Step S225.

In step S225, the control circuit 140 outputs a control signal to the transmission circuit 131, designates the tag ID read in step S215, and transmits the interrogated wave that has undergone predetermined modulation via the loop antenna 130 to the RFID circuit element. “0” is assigned to the flag transmitted to To and stored in the IC circuit unit 150 (function as identifier writing means). Thereby, the process of writing flag = 0 to the IC circuit unit 150 is completed, and the process proceeds to step S230.

In step S230, the control circuit 140 outputs a control signal to the motor drive circuit 112, drives the conveyance motor 111, rotationally drives the plurality of conveyance rollers 110, and resumes conveyance of the IC card 200.

Thereafter, in step S235, the control circuit 140 outputs a control signal to the print drive circuit 122, and performs print erasure / formation processing using the erasing thermal head 120 and the forming thermal head 121. That is, the print R formed in the reversible print area S of the IC card 200 by the erasing thermal head 120 is transferred from one end (left side in FIG. 13) to the other side (right side in step S202) of the IC card 200. The print R (fourth print) corresponding to the predetermined information read in step S215 is sequentially formed by the forming thermal head 121 on the erased portion. When this print erasure / formation process ends, this flow ends.
In the above, step S220 and step S235 constitute the print control means described in each claim. In addition, Step S10, Step S215, Step S220, Step S225, Step S230, and Step S235, including Step S220 and Step S235, constitute the cooperation control means described in each claim.

As described above, in the second embodiment, the flag indicating whether the information stored in the IC circuit unit 150 of the RFID circuit element To and the print R substantially match each other is the IC circuit unit 150. To remember. When the flag F is 1 when reading is performed on the RFID circuit element To (the contents of the print R in the reversible printable area S and the contents stored in the IC circuit unit 150 do not substantially match). In the case), the thermal head 120 erases the print R in the reversible print area S, and the thermal head 121 forms the print R corresponding to the information acquired by the reading.

Thereby, the display content of the reversible printable area S can be matched with the storage content of the IC circuit unit 150. As a result, the print R corresponding to the stored information of the IC circuit unit 150 is always displayed in the reversible print area S of the IC card 200. Therefore, the user can always confirm the stored information visually by the printing R of the IC card 200, so that convenience can be improved.

In the second embodiment, in particular, the loop antenna 130 is provided upstream of the erasing thermal head 120 and the forming thermal head 121 along the transport direction. As a result, when the IC card 200 is carried and processed, the identifier is acquired by wireless communication using the loop antenna 130 rather than the erasing / printing forming operation by the erasing thermal head 120 and the forming thermal head 121. Can be done first. Therefore, the operations of the erasing thermal head 120 and the forming thermal head 121 can be reliably controlled based on the acquired identifier value.

In the second embodiment, in particular, after the print display content of the reversible print area S is changed to the print R (matched with the content of the stored information of the IC circuit unit 150) as described above, By setting F = 0, it is possible to reliably indicate that the print content of the reversible printable area S of the IC card 200 matches the stored information of the IC circuit unit 150 thereafter.

In the second embodiment, in particular, the print R is erased by the thermal head 120 and the print R is formed by the thermal head 121 in the reversible print area S of the IC card 200. That is, the thermal head 120 can be a dedicated head specialized for erasing, and the thermal head 121 can be a dedicated head specialized for printing, so that one thermal head has both an erasing function and a printing forming function. Unlike the above, the erasing performance and the print forming performance can be improved. Further, it is possible to immediately form a print on the portion of the reversible printing area S that has been erased by the thermal head 120 (without waiting for the other portion to be erased) to be erased. Accordingly, it is not necessary to switch the transport direction such as the first direction → the second direction → the first direction as in the case of using one thermal head (refer to a modification of (2-1) described later), and transport in only one direction is possible. can do. Then, in conjunction with the movement of the reversible print area S in one direction by the conveyance of the IC card 200 as described above, the erasure of the print R and the formation of the print R can be performed collectively.

In addition, the said 2nd Embodiment is not restricted to said aspect, A various deformation | transformation is possible within the range which does not deviate from the meaning and technical idea. Hereinafter, such modifications will be described in order.

(2-1) Case of having one thermal head capable of printing erasure / formation In the second embodiment, the card processing device 2100 has two thermal heads, ie, the thermal head for erasure 120 and the thermal head 121 for formation. Although it was set as the structure, it is not restricted to this, You may provide one thermal head which performs both erasing of printing and formation of printing.

The functional configuration of the card processing apparatus 100A of the present modification is the same as that of FIG. 10 in the modification (1-1) of the first embodiment. That is, the card processing apparatus 100A performs the erasure / formation thermal head 123 (second) that performs both substantial erasure of the print R formed in the reversible print area S of the IC card 200 and formation of the predetermined print R. Print forming means) and a control circuit 140A.

As shown in FIG. 10 described above, the erasing / forming thermal head 123 is arranged on the insertion port 101 side (in other words, on the upstream side along a series of conveyance paths to be described later), and the erasing / forming thermal head. The loop antenna 130 is arranged on the side opposite to the insertion slot 101 from 123 (in other words, on the downstream side along a series of conveyance paths described later).

The arrangement position of the loop antenna 130 is an access position where the RFID tag circuit element To of the IC card 200 is substantially directly opposed when information is transmitted / received. The card insertion slot 101 also serves as an outlet for the IC card 200, and the forward direction (left direction in FIG. 10; the second direction in FIG. 10) and the opposite direction with respect to the IC card 200 inserted from the card insertion slot 101. The reciprocating conveyance in the direction (right direction in FIG. 10, first direction) is performed twice, and the card 200 is discharged from the card insertion slot 101. Then, tag reading processing is performed by wireless communication via the loop antenna 130 on the upstream side in the transport direction in the reciprocal transport of the IC card 200, and erasure / deletion is performed on the downstream side in the transport direction of the IC card 200. The print thermal eraser 123 performs print erasure and print formation.

That is, in this modification, when the content of the stored information in the IC circuit unit 150 and the content of the print R (third print) in the reversible print area S do not match, the IC card 200 is moved in the reverse direction ( While transferring in the right direction in FIG. 10, the erasing / forming thermal head 123 sequentially erases the print R (third print) from one side (right side in FIG. 10) to the other side (left side in FIG. 10). I will go. When the printing R has been erased to the other end in the transport direction in this way (at this time, the erasing / forming thermal head 123 is positioned on the other side in the transport direction of the reversible print area S (left side in FIG. 10). In order to newly print the print R (fourth print) corresponding to the stored information of the IC circuit unit 150 from one side (the right side in FIG. 10) of the reversible print area S, the IC card 200 is It is conveyed by a predetermined distance in the forward direction (left direction in FIG. 10). As a result, the erasure / formation thermal head 123 is made to face the portion (printing start portion) corresponding to the end portion of the reversible printing area S on the one side (right side in FIG. 10) in the printing conveyance direction, and then the IC card. 200 is conveyed again in the reverse direction (right direction in FIG. 10), and printing R (fourth printing) is performed by the erasing / forming thermal head 123 from one end (right side in FIG. 10) to the other side (FIG. 10). 10 to the left).

Referring to FIG. 19, the contents of control performed by the control circuit 140A of the present modification to realize the above behavior will be described. The same steps as those in the first embodiment and the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted or simplified as appropriate.

In FIG. 19, steps S5, S10, and S315 (functioning as second information reading means, identifier reading means, and information processing means), step S320, and step S325 (functioning as identifier writing means) are described above. 18 steps S5, S10, S215, S220, and S225 are almost the same. That is, when the IC card 200 is inserted, the control circuit 140A drives the transport roller 110 in the normal direction to transport the IC card 200 to the access position, and reads information from the RFID circuit element To. Then, the flag in the read information is determined (if flag F = 1, then the flag is rewritten to F = 0).

In step S330, the control circuit 140 outputs a control signal to the motor drive circuit 112 to drive the transport motor 111 to drive the plurality of transport rollers 110 in the reverse direction. Thereby, the reverse conveyance which conveys IC card 200 to a reverse direction (right direction in FIG. 10) is started.

Thereafter, in step S335, the control circuit 140A outputs a control signal to the print drive circuit 122, and erases the print R (third print) using the thermal head 123 for erasure / formation.

Then, the process proceeds to step S340, and the control circuit 140A outputs a control signal to the motor drive circuit 112, and drives the transport motor 111 to drive the plurality of transport rollers 110 in the normal direction. Thereby, the IC card 200 is conveyed again in the forward direction (left direction in FIG. 10). Such a change in the transport direction is necessary because the single thermal head 123 erases the print R (third print) and forms the print R (fourth print) on the same reversible print area S. Because it does. When the erasing / forming thermal head 123 is transported at a predetermined distance (a distance until the erasing / forming thermal head 123 reaches at least the printing start position (right end in FIG. 10) of the reversible printing area S), the control circuit 140A A control signal is output to the motor drive circuit 112, the transport motor 111 is stopped, and the plurality of transport rollers 110 are stopped.

In the next step S345, the control circuit 140A outputs a control signal to the motor drive circuit 112 in the same manner as in step S330, and drives the transport motor 111 to drive the plurality of transport rollers 110 in the reverse direction. Thereby, the reverse conveyance of the IC card 200 in the reverse direction (right direction in FIG. 10) is started again.

In the next step S350, the control circuit 140A outputs a control signal to the print drive circuit 122, and print R (fourth print) corresponding to the predetermined information read in step S315 using the erase / formation thermal head 123. Form. Thereby, this flow is complete | finished.

In the above, step S320, step S335, and step S350 constitute the print control means described in each claim. In addition, step S10, step S315, step S320, step S325, step S330, step S335, step S340, step S345, and step S350, including step S320, step S335, and step S350, are associated control means described in each claim. Configure.

As described above, the same effects as those of the second embodiment can be obtained in this modified example. In addition to this, since one thermal head 123 has both an erasing function and a print forming function, space saving can be achieved as compared with a case where a total of two heads are provided for erasing and printing as in the second embodiment. And cost reduction can be aimed at.

(2-2) Others Note that the card processing device to which the wireless tag processing device of the present invention is applied has a function of communicating with the IC card 200 (function as a wireless tag communication device) and printing on the IC card 200. The function to be performed (function as a wireless tag printing apparatus) is included, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, it can be systemized as a card processing system (wireless tag processing system) provided as a separate device for each function (including a wireless tag communication device and a wireless tag printing device).

In this case, although not shown in the figure, the RFID tag communication device includes a RFID circuit element To having an IC circuit unit 150 that stores information and a tag antenna 151 that transmits and receives information, and a reversible printable area. The first transport means for receiving and transporting the IC card 200 on which the third print R is formed on S, the predetermined information is stored in the IC circuit unit 150, and the predetermined information and the third print R are substantially A device antenna for transmitting / receiving information to / from the RFID tag circuit element To of the IC card 200, in which a flag related to conformity is stored in the IC circuit unit 150, and a flag from the IC circuit unit 150 via the device antenna. The second information reading unit that reads and acquires the predetermined information from the IC circuit unit 150 via an identifier reading unit that reads and acquires the information and the device antenna. It takes a configuration in which a means (information processing means).

Further, the RFID tag printing apparatus has a match index value (the second flag means that receives and conveys the IC card 200 carried out from the RFID tag communication apparatus and the flag acquired by the identifier reading means of the RFID tag communication apparatus). The third print R of the reversible print area S of the IC card 200 received by the second transport means is substantially erased depending on whether it is “0”) or a non-matching index value (“1”). And a second print forming unit capable of forming a fourth print having contents corresponding to the predetermined information acquired by the second information reading unit in the reversible print area S.

Even with such a card processing system, the same effects as the card processing apparatus of the second embodiment can be obtained. That is, by always displaying the print R corresponding to the information stored in the IC circuit unit 150 in the reversible print area S of the IC card 200, the user can always visually check the information stored in the IC card 200. Therefore, convenience can be improved.

In the above description, a card has been described as an example of a tag medium on which the RFID circuit element To is arranged. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a label-like or sheet-like tag medium may be used.

In addition to those already described above, the techniques according to the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the modified examples may be used in appropriate combination.

Other than that, although not exemplified one by one, the present invention is implemented with various modifications within a range not departing from the gist thereof.

It is a perspective view showing the whole structure of the card processing apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram showing the functional structure of a card processing apparatus. It is a top view showing the whole structure of an IC card. FIG. 4 is a side sectional view taken along the line IV-IV ′ in FIG. 3. It is a functional block diagram showing the functional structure of a wireless tag circuit element. It is a figure which represents notionally the memory content of the memory part of the IC circuit part of a RFID circuit element. It is a flowchart showing the control content performed by the control circuit of a card processing apparatus. It is a figure showing an example of the printed content of an IC card, and the memory | storage content of a wireless tag circuit element at the time of purchasing goods in the new store which the user has not used before. It is a figure showing an example of the printed content of an IC card, and the memory | storage content of a wireless tag circuit element when a user purchases goods again in the store which the user has used before. It is a functional block diagram showing the functional structure of the card processing apparatus in the modification which has one thermal head in which printing erasure | elimination and formation are possible. It is a flowchart showing the control content performed by the control circuit in the modification which has one thermal head in which printing erasure | elimination and formation are possible. It is a perspective view showing the whole structure of the card processing apparatus of 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram showing the functional structure of a card processing apparatus. It is a top view showing the whole structure of an IC card. It is explanatory drawing shown notionally by contrasting the printing of an IC card, and the memory content of an IC circuit part. It is explanatory drawing shown notionally by contrasting the printing of an IC card, and the memory content of an IC circuit part. It is explanatory drawing which shows notionally the process when the printing of an IC card and the memory content of an IC circuit part do not correspond. It is a flowchart showing the control content performed by a control circuit. It is a flowchart showing the control content performed by a control circuit.

Explanation of symbols

100 Card processing device (wireless tag processing device)
100A card processing device (wireless tag processing device)
110 Conveying roller (conveying means)
120 Thermal head for erasure (first print forming means; second print forming means, print processing means)
121 Thermal head for forming (first print forming means, second print forming means, print processing means)
123 Thermal head for erasing / forming (first print forming means, second print forming means, print processing means)
130 Loop antenna (device antenna)
150 IC circuit unit 151 Tag antenna 200 IC card (wireless tag)
201 Card base material layer (tag medium)
204 Reversible thermosensitive recording layer (reversible thermosensitive recording part)
F identifier S reversible printable area To RFID circuit element

Claims

The RFID tag (200) having an RFID circuit element (To) having an IC circuit section (150) for storing information and a tag antenna (151) for transmitting and receiving information and a reversible printing area (S). A device antenna (130) for transmitting and receiving information to and from the wireless tag circuit element (To) by wireless communication;
Via the device antenna (130), reading the print related information related to the print contents of the reversible print area (S) to the IC circuit part (150) of the RFID circuit element (To) or Information processing means for writing (S15, S35, S30; S215; S315);
Print processing means (120, 121; 123) for executing print formation processing or print erasure processing in the reversible printable area in accordance with the contents of the reading or writing by the information processing means. RFID tag processing apparatus (100; 100A; 2100).
The wireless tag processing device according to claim 1,
The device antenna (130)
Perform transmission / reception of information with the RFID circuit element (To) having the IC circuit unit (150) having the first storage area and the second storage area for storing the first information and the second information, respectively;
The information processing means includes
Writing the second information as the print-related information in the second storage area while substantially holding the first information stored in the first storage area via the device antenna (130); Information forming means (S15, S35, S30);
The print processing means includes
As the print erasure process, the first print of the content corresponding to the first information formed in the reversible print target area (S) is substantially erased, and the print formation process is performed as the second print process. A wireless tag processing device (100; 100A), characterized in that it is a first print forming means (120, 121; 123) for forming a second print of content corresponding to information in the reversible printable area (S). ).
The wireless tag processing device according to claim 2,
A transport means (110) for receiving and transporting the wireless tag (200);
The conveying means (110)
The first information is stored in the first storage area, the second information before update is stored in the second storage area, and the first print is formed in the reversible print area (S). , Carrying the wireless tag (200),
The information forming means (S15, S30, S35)
First information reading means (S15) for reading at least the second information before update stored in the second storage area;
Information writing means (S35) that updates the second information before update read by the first information reading means (S15) to new second information and writes the updated second information to the second storage area. A wireless tag processing device (100; 100A).
The wireless tag processing device according to claim 3,
When the wireless tag (200) is received by the transport means (110),
Storage area determination means (S20) for determining a storage area to be the first storage area and the second storage area from the plurality of storage areas provided in the IC circuit unit (150),
The first information reading means (S15)
Read at least the second information before update stored in the second storage area determined by the storage area determination means (S20),
The information writing means (S35)
The RFID tag processing apparatus (100; 100A), wherein the updated second information is written in the second storage area determined by the storage area determination means (S20).
The wireless tag processing device according to claim 4,
The first information reading means (S15)
Read the second information before update stored in the second storage area and the first information stored in the first storage area;
The information writing means (S35) writes the updated second information to the second storage area and writes the first information read by the first information reading means (S15) to the first storage area. A wireless tag processing device (100; 100A).
The wireless tag processing device according to claim 1,
The device antenna (130)
In the IC circuit unit (150), predetermined information and an identifier (F) relating to substantial matching between the third printing formed in the variable printable area (S) and the predetermined information, Sending / receiving information to / from the stored RFID tag circuit element (To),
The information processing means includes
Second information reading means (S215; S315) for reading and obtaining the predetermined information as the print-related information from the IC circuit unit (150) via the device antenna (130), and the device antenna (130) An identifier reading means (S215; S315) for reading and acquiring the identifier (F) as the print related information stored in the IC circuit unit (150) via
The print processing means includes
Depending on whether the identifier (F) acquired by the identifier reading means (S215; S315) is a match index value or a non-match index value, the reversible printable area (S) is selected as the print erasure process. The third print is substantially erased, and the fourth print having the content corresponding to the predetermined information acquired by the second information reading means (S215; S315) as the print formation process is performed in the reversible printable area. The wireless tag processing device (2100), which is the second print forming means (120, 121; 123) formed in (S).
The wireless tag processing device according to claim 6,
When the identifier (F) acquired by the identifier reading means (S215; S315) is the match index value, the third printing of the reversible print area (S) of the wireless tag (200). When the identifier (F) acquired by the identifier reading means (S215; S315) is the non-matching index value, the wireless tag (200) received by the transport means Substantially erasing the third print of the reversible printable area (S), and forming a fourth print of contents corresponding to the predetermined information in the reversible printable area (S), Print control means (S220, S235; S320, S335, S350) for controlling the second print formation means (120, 121; 123)
A wireless tag processing device (2100), comprising:
The wireless tag processing device according to claim 7,
When the identifier (F) acquired by the identifier reading means (S215; S315) is the non-matching index value, the second print forming means (120, 121; 123) erases the third print. The identifier (F) of the match index value is written into the IC circuit unit (150) via the device antenna (130) in conjunction with the control of the print control means (S220, S235; S320, S335, S350). An RFID tag processing apparatus (2100) comprising an identifier writing means (S225; S325).
The wireless tag processing device according to claim 8, wherein
A transport means for receiving and transporting the wireless tag (200);
The apparatus antenna (130) is provided upstream of the second print forming means (120, 121; 123) along the transport direction of the transport means. ).
The wireless tag processing device according to claim 9, wherein
The RFID tag (200) is conveyed to an upstream conveyance position where the RFID circuit element (To) is located in the vicinity of the device antenna (130), the identifier (F) is obtained, and the predetermined information After obtaining and writing the match index value, the wireless tag (200) is further transported downstream in the transport direction so that the third print is erased and the fourth print is formed. Conveying means, the identifier reading means (S215; S315), the second information reading means (S215; S315), the identifier writing means (S225; S325), and the second print forming means (120, 121; 123) Cooperation control means (S10, S215, S220, S225, S230, S235; S10, S315, S320, S325, S330, S) 35, S340, S345, S350) a radio tag processing apparatus characterized by having a (2100).
The wireless tag processing device according to any one of claims 2 to 10,
The first or second print forming means includes:
For the reversible thermosensitive recording unit (204) provided as the reversible printable area (S) in the wireless tag (200), the erasure of the first print or the third print and the second print or the second print A wireless tag processing device (100; 100A; 2100), characterized in that it is at least one thermal head (120, 121; 123) that performs the formation of four prints.
The wireless tag processing device according to claim 11, wherein
The first or second print forming means includes:
A wireless tag processing device (100A), which is an erasing / forming thermal head (123) that performs both erasing of the first or third printing and formation of the second or fourth printing.
The wireless tag processing device according to claim 12,
The first print is erased while transporting the wireless tag (200) in the first direction, and when the first print is erased, the wireless tag (200) is opposite to the first direction by a predetermined distance. The transport means is configured to transport in the second direction and form the second print while transporting the wireless tag (200) in the first direction when transport in the second direction for the predetermined distance is completed. A wireless tag processing device (100A) comprising first control means (S45, S51, S52, S53, S54) for controlling (110) and the erasing / forming thermal head (123) in cooperation with each other.
The wireless tag processing device according to claim 11, wherein
The first or second print forming means (120, 121)
An erasing thermal head (120) for erasing the first or third printing;
An RFID tag processing apparatus (100; 2100), comprising: a forming thermal head (121) for forming the second or fourth print.
The wireless tag processing device according to claim 14, wherein
While the wireless tag (200) is transported in one direction, the first printing is erased by the erasing thermal head (120), and the second printing is formed by the forming thermal head (121). And a second control means (S45, S50) for controlling the conveying means (110), the erasing thermal head (120), and the forming thermal head (121) in cooperation with each other. Tag processing device (100; 2100).
A wireless tag processing system including a wireless tag communication device that performs communication with a wireless tag (200) and a wireless tag printing device that performs printing with respect to the wireless tag (200).
The wireless tag communication device includes:
A wireless tag circuit element (To) having an IC circuit unit (150) for storing information and a tag antenna (151) for transmitting / receiving information is arranged, and the third print is formed in the reversible print area (S). First transport means for receiving and transporting the wireless tag (200);
The wireless circuit that stores predetermined information in the IC circuit unit (150) and stores an identifier (F) regarding substantial matching between the predetermined information and the third print in the IC circuit unit (150). A device antenna (130) for transmitting and receiving information by wireless communication to the RFID circuit element (To) of the tag (200);
Identifier reading means (S215; S315) for reading and acquiring the identifier (F) from the IC circuit unit (150) via the device antenna (130);
Second information reading means (S215; S315) for reading and obtaining the predetermined information from the IC circuit unit (150) via the device antenna (130);
The wireless tag printer is
Second transport means for receiving and transporting the wireless tag (200) unloaded from the wireless tag communication device;
Depending on whether the identifier (F) acquired by the identifier reading means (S215; S315) of the RFID tag communication apparatus is a match index value or a non-match index value, the second transport means accepts the The third printing of the reversible printable area (S) of the wireless tag (200) is substantially erased, and the content corresponding to the predetermined information acquired by the second information reading means (S215; S315) A wireless tag processing system comprising: a second print forming unit capable of forming a fourth print in the reversible print target area (S).
A tag medium (201) configured in the form of a sheet or card;
A wireless tag (200) which is disposed on the tag medium (201) and has a wireless tag circuit element (To) provided with an IC circuit unit (150) for storing information and a tag antenna (151) for transmitting and receiving information. Because
The IC circuit unit (150) includes a plurality of storage areas,
On one side of the tag medium (201),
A reversible printable area (S) capable of overwriting each time printing of content corresponding to information stored in one of the plurality of storage areas is selected. The wireless tag (200).
A tag medium (200) configured in the form of a sheet or card;
An RFID circuit element (To) disposed on the tag medium (200) and comprising an IC circuit unit (150) for storing information and a tag antenna (151) for transmitting and receiving information;
A wireless tag (200) provided on one surface of the tag medium (200) and having a reversible printable area (S) that can be repeatedly overwritten and printed,
Predetermined information is stored in the IC circuit unit (150), and an identifier (F) relating to substantial matching between the predetermined information and the predetermined printing formed in the reversible printable area (S). A wireless tag (200) stored in the IC circuit unit (150).