# US 10,872,210 B2 · Reading apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,872,210 B2 - Document ID: US10872210B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/274,023 - Filed: 2019-02-12 - Published: 2019-08-15 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-15 - Assignees: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Seiya Kishimoto; Sadatoshi Oishi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872210B2 ## CPC - G06K 7/10346: {the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles} - G06K 7/10376: {the interrogation device being adapted for being moveable} - G06K 7/10415: {the interrogation device being fixed in its position, such as an access control device for reading wireless access cards, or a wireless ATM (banking machines in general G07F19/00)} - G06Q 20/20: Point-of-sale [POS] network systems - G06Q 20/208: {Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing} - G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions - G07G 1/0045: {with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader} - G07G 1/009: {the reader being an RFID reader} - H01Q 1/2216: {used in interrogator/reader equipment} - H01Q 15/002: {said selective devices being reconfigurable or tunable, e.g. using switches or diodes} - H01Q 15/14: Reflecting surfaces; Equivalent structures {(electromagnetic shields H01Q1/526)} - G06K 7/10425: {the interrogation device being arranged for interrogation of record carriers passing by the interrogation device} - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G07G: REGISTERING THE RECEIPT OF CASH, VALUABLES, OR TOKENS - H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72) ## Abstract A reading apparatus is configured to communicate with a wireless tag attached to an object. The reading apparatus includes a container having a plurality of side walls and an opening such that the object can be placed through the opening, an antenna at a bottom of the container, configured to transmit and receive radio waves to and from the wireless tag, and a plurality of reflective elements arranged in the side walls so that the radio waves radiated from the antenna and reflected by the reflective elements do not leak through the opening to the outside. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A reading apparatus configured to communicate with a wireless tag attached to an object, the reading apparatus comprising: a container having a plurality of side walls and an opening such that the object can be placed through the opening, each of the side walls including an inner wall and an outer wall; an antenna at a bottom of the container, configured to transmit and receive radio waves to and from the wireless tag; a plurality of support members arranged on an inner surface of the outer wall of each side wall; and a plurality of reflective elements arranged on the support members and between the outer and inner walls of each side wall so that the radio waves radiated from the antenna and reflected by the reflective elements do not leak through the opening to the outside. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each side wall is made of a conductor, and each reflective element is electrically connected to the side wall via a switch. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each side wall is made of a conductor, and each reflective element is electrically connected to the side wall via a capacitor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reflective elements are electrically connected to each other via a switch. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reflection elements are electrically connected to each other via a capacitor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the container has a bottom wall at the bottom of the container, and the bottom wall includes an inner wall and an outer wall. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The reading apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising: a plurality of first support members on an inner surface of the outer wall of the bottom wall, and a plurality of first reflective elements arranged on the first support members and between the outer and inner walls of surface of the bottom wall. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The reading apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the bottom wall is made of plastic. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is a directional antenna having an upward directivity. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the support members is an insulator. ### Claim 11 A point of sale (POS) system comprising: a POS terminal configured to register a commodity; and a reading apparatus configured to read a wireless tag attached to the commodity, the reading apparatus comprising: a container having a plurality of side walls and an opening such that the object can be placed through the opening, each of the side walls including an inner wall and an outer wall; an antenna at a bottom of the container, configured to transmit and receive radio waves to and from the wireless tag; a plurality of support members arranged on an inner surface of the outer wall of each side wall; and a plurality of reflective elements arranged on the support members and between the outer and inner walls of each side wall so that the radio waves radiated from the antenna and reflected by the reflective elements do not leak through the opening to the outside. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system according to claim 11, wherein each side wall is made of a conductor, and each reflective element is electrically connected to the side wall via a switch. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system according to claim 11, wherein each side wall is made of a conductor, and each reflective element is electrically connected to the side wall via a capacitor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system according to claim 11, wherein the reflective elements are electrically connected to each other via a switch. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system according to claim 11, wherein the reflection elements are electrically connected to each other via a capacitor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system according to claim 11, wherein the container has a bottom wall at the bottom of the container, and the bottom wall includes an inner wall and an outer wall. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system according to claim 16, wherein the reading apparatus further comprises: a plurality of first support members on an inner surface of the outer wall of the bottom wall, and a plurality of first reflective elements arranged on the first support members and between the outer and inner walls of the bottom wall. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein the bottom wall is made of plastic. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The system according to claim 11, wherein the antenna is a directional antenna having an upward directivity. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The system according to claim 11, wherein each of the support members is an insulator.