IP Library Granted Patent US 9,268,980
Granted Patent B2
US 9,268,980 · App. 14/449,331 · Granted Feb 23, 2016

Wireless tag communication device and wireless tag communication program

Inventors: Sunao Tsuchida (Shizuoka-ken, JP); Kouichi Sano (Shizuoka-ken, JP); Jun Yaginuma (Shizuoka-ken, JP)
Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
G06K7/10217G06K7/10089
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,268,980
App. No.
14/449,331
Granted
Feb 23, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to one embodiment, a wireless tag communication device which communicates with a wireless tag includes a communication unit that designates a target wireless tag to read tag information stored in the wireless tag; a read-state determination unit that determines a read state of the tag information read by the communication unit; an output adjustment unit that varies a radio wave output to be transmitted to the wireless tag in response to the result of the determination by the read-state determination unit; a signal strength detection unit that detects the signal strength of a reply signal received from the wireless tag via the communication unit; and a control unit that switches the operation mode of the communication unit between a long-distance mode to communicate with the wireless tag while the output adjustment unit varies the radio wave output and a near-field mode to communicate with the wireless tag while the signal strength detection unit detects the signal strength.

Claims (17)

1. A wireless tag communication device which communicates with a wireless tag, comprising:

a communication unit that designates a target wireless tag to read tag information stored in the wireless tag;

a read-state determination unit that determines a read state of the tag information read by the communication unit;

an output adjustment unit that varies a radio wave output to be transmitted to the wireless tag in response to the result of the determination by the read-state determination unit;

a signal strength detection unit that detects the received signal strength indicator of a reply signal received from the wireless tag via the communication unit; and

a control unit that switches the operation mode of the communication unit between a long-distance mode to communicate with the wireless tag while the output adjustment unit varies the radio wave output and a near-field mode to communicate with the wireless tag while the signal strength detection unit that detects the signal strength.

2. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a notification unit that notifies the read state of the wireless tag in response to the signal strength detected by the signal strength detection unit in the near-field mode.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit switches the operation mode from the long-distance mode to the near-field mode when the radio wave output adjusted by the output adjustment unit reaches a preset threshold.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the signal strength of the reply signal from the wireless tag is also detected in the long-distance mode and the control unit switches the operation mode from the long-distance mode to the near-field mode when the signal strength detected by the signal strength detection unit is larger than a preset threshold.

5. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage unit which stores the signal strength detected by the signal strength detection unit,

wherein the signal strength of the reply signal from the wireless tag is also detected in the long-distance mode and the control unit switches the operation mode from the long-distance mode to the near-field mode when the difference between the signal intensities stored in the storage unit during a predetermined period is equal to or smaller than a preset value.

6. A non-transitory storage medium encoded with a computer readable program to communicate with a wireless tag, and read and process tag information stored in the wireless tag, the program causing a computer to execute:

a communication function adapted to designate a target wireless tag to read tag information stored in the wireless tag;

a read-state determination function adapted to determine a read state of the tag information;

an output adjustment function adapted to vary a radio wave output to be transmitted to the wireless tag in response to the result of the determination of the read state;

a signal strength detection function adapted to detect the signal strength of a reply signal received from the wireless tag; and

a control function adapted to switch the read operation mode in the communication function between a long-distance mode to communicate with the wireless tag while the radio wave output is varied and a near-field mode to communicate with the wireless tag while the signal strength of the reply signal is detected.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 1, 2014
From: TSUCHIDA, SUNAO; SANO, KOUICHI; YAGINUMA, JUN
To: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 033443/0927 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2013-162237 · Aug 5, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150035651A1 · Feb 5, 2015