State recognition tag
View Patent ↗A state recognition tag is configured to include a tag main body, and a tag fragment separable from the tag main body, and each of the tag main body and the tag fragment is provided with an information holding unit storing therein information to be transmitted, a separation-state recognizing unit which recognizes a separation state between the tag main body and the tag fragment, a control unit which exercises transmission control for transmitting the information from the information holding unit based on the separation state, and an electric power supplying unit which supplies electric power to the information holding unit, the separation-state recognizing unit, and the control unit. Regardless of whether the tag main body and the tag fragment are connected to each other or separated from each other, both the tag main body and the tag fragment can function as tags as needed. Furthermore, different information can be provided to a user according to the separation state between the tag main body and the tag fragment.
1. A state recognition tag comprising:
a tag main body recognizable by a tag reader/writer;
a tag fragment separable from the tag main body and recognizable by the tag reader/writer;
a tag-main-body information holding unit that is provided in the tag main body, for storing information to be transmitted to the tag reader/writer for recognizing the tag main body;
a tag-fragment information holding unit that is provided in the tag fragment, for storing information to be transmitted to the tag reader/writer for recognizing the tag fragment;
a tag-main-body separation-state recognizing unit that is provided in the tag main body, for recognizing a separation state of the tag main body and the tag fragment;
a tag-fragment separation-state recognizing unit that is provided in the tag fragment, for recognizing the separation state of the tag main body and the tag fragment;
a tag-main-body control unit that is provided in the tag main body, for determining whether the tag main body is separated from or connected with the tag fragment based on the separation state recognized by the tag-main-body separation-state recognizing unit, and depending upon a request received from the tag reader/writer, transmitting the separation state recognized by the tag-main-body separation-state recognizing unit to the tag reader/writer or overwriting the information in the tag-main-body information holding unit with information received from the tag reader/writer;
a tag-fragment control unit that is provided in the tag fragment, for determining whether the tag main body is separated from or connected with the tag fragment based on the separation state recognized by the tag-fragment separation-state recognizing unit, and depending upon a request received from the tag reader/writer, transmitting the separation state recognized by the tag-fragment separation-state recognizing unit to the tag reader/writer or overwriting the information in the tag-fragment information holding unit with information received from the tag reader/writer;
a tag-main-body electric power supplying unit that is provided in the tag main body, for supplying electric power to the tag-main-body information holding unit, the tag-main-body separation-state recognizing unit, and the tag-main-body control unit; and
a tag-fragment electric power supplying unit that is provided in the tag fragment, for supplying electric power to the tag-fragment information holding unit, the tag-fragment separation-state recognizing unit, and the tag-fragment control unit.
2. The state recognition tag according to claim 1 , wherein,
at least one additional tag fragment that include functions similar to functions of the tag fragment is separably connectable to the tag main body or the tag fragment.
3. The state recognition tag according to claim 2 , wherein a break at which the tag main body and the tag fragment are separable from each other is provided in a portion in which the tag main body is separated from the tag fragment or a portion in which the tag fragment is separated from the additional tag fragment.
4. The state recognition tag according to claim 2 , wherein an engagement structure that includes a first engagement unit and a second engagement unit is provided in a portion in which the tag main body is separated from the tag fragment or a portion in which the tag fragment is separated from the additional tag fragment, the first engagement unit that includes one piece of the portion, the second engagement unit includes being separably engageable with the first engagement unit, reconnectable after separation, and including the other piece of the portion.
5. A container comprising:
a container main body in which the state recognition tag according to claim 2 is arranged; and
a cap that is separably connected to the container main body and in which the other one of the tag main body and the tag fragment is arranged, wherein
when the cap is connected to the container main body, the tag main body is connected to the tag fragment, and
when the cap is separated from the container main body, the tag main body is separated from the tag fragment.
6. The state recognition tag according to claim 1 , wherein a break at which the tag main body and the tag fragment are separable from each other is provided in a portion in which the tag main body is separated from the tag fragment.
7. The state recognition tag according to claim 1 , wherein an engagement structure that includes a first engagement unit and a second engagement unit is provided in a portion in which the tag main body is separated from the tag fragment, the first engagement unit that includes one piece of the portion, the second engagement unit includes being separably engageable with the first engagement unit, reconnectable after separation, and including the other piece of the portion.
8. A container comprising:
a container main body in which the state recognition tag according to claim 1 is arranged; and
a cap that is separably connected to the container main body and in which the other one of the tag main body and the tag fragment is arranged, wherein
when the cap is connected to the container main body, the tag main body is connected to the tag fragment, and
when the cap is separated from the container main body, the tag main body is separated from the tag fragment.