US 2006/0220859 A1 · RFID tag reader/writer · patentgrep

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Abstract

An RFID tag reader/writer having a high degree of stability of communication with only a desired RFID tag. The frequency of a carrier wave to be transmitted from the RFID tag reader/writer is set on the basis of a resonance frequency of an antenna of the RFID tag located within a predetermined nearby communication area, which resonance frequency changes due to mutual coupling between the antenna of the RFID tag and an antenna of the RFID tag reader/writer. According to this setting, the RFID tag located within the nearby communication area has a high degree of sensitivity, and the RFID tag located outside the nearby communication area has a low degree of sensitivity, so that it is possible to effectively prevent an interference between the communication of the RFID tag reader/writer with the selected RFID tag and the communication of the reader/writer with the other or non-selected RFID tag.

Claims45

Dependent claims

An RFID tag reader/writer communicable with an RFID tag circuit element which has an IC circuit portion storing predetermined information, and an antenna connected to the IC circuit portion and arranged to effect transmission and reception of information, said RFID tag reader comprising:

an access-information generating portion operable to obtain access to RFID tag information of said IC circuit portion, for reading and writing said predetermined information, by communication with said RFID tag circuit element;
a carrier-wave generating portion operable to generate a carrier wave for obtaining access to said RFID tag information of said IC circuit portion;
a carrier-wave modulating portion operable to modulate the carrier wave generated by said carrier-wave generating portion, by using access information generated by said access-information generating portion;
a modulated-wave amplifying portion operable to amplify the carrier wave modulated by said carrier-wave modulating portion;
and
an antenna for transmitting an output of said modulated-wave amplifying portion to said IC circuit portion, for obtaining access to said RFID tag information, by non-contact radio communication with said IC circuit portion, by using a radio frequency,
and wherein a frequency of the carrier wave to be generated by said carrier-wave generating portion is set on the basis of a resonance frequency of the antenna of said ratio-tag circuit element located within a predetermined nearby communication area, which resonance frequency changes due to mutual coupling between the antenna of said RFID tag circuit element and the antenna of said RFID tag reader/writer.

4 more elements

An RFID tag reader/writer comprising:

an RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion for accommodating a plurality of RFID tag circuit elements such that the RFID tag circuit elements can be successively taken out, each of said plurality of RFID tag circuit elements including an IC circuit portion for storing desired information, and a tag-side antenna connected to the IC circuit portion and operable for transmission and reception of information;
an access-information generating portion operable to obtain access to RFID tag information of said IC circuit portion;
a carrier-wave generating portion operable to generate a carrier wave for obtaining access to said RFID tag information of said IC circuit portion;
a carrier-wave modulating portion operable to modulate the carrier wave generated by said carrier-wave generating portion, by using the access information generated by said access-information generating portion;
a modulated-wave amplifying portion operable to amplify the carrier wave modulated by said carrier-wave modulating portion;
a device-side antenna for transmitting an output of said modulated-wave amplifying portion to said IC circuit portion, for obtaining access to said RFID tag information, by non-contact radio communication with said IC circuit portion, by using a radio frequency in a UHF band;
and
an RFID tag circuit-element holding portion for holding each of said RFID tag circuit elements successively taken out from said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion, in a predetermined accessible area in which said device-side antenna obtains access to said RFID tag information,
and wherein said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion is positioned such that said tag-side antenna of each of the RFID tag circuit elements accommodated in said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion is located in an area in which a sensitivity of said device-side antenna is relatively low.

6 more elements

An RFID tag reader/writer comprising:

an RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion for accommodating a plurality of RFID tag circuit elements such that the RFID tag circuit elements can be successively taken out, each of said plurality of RFID tag circuit elements including an IC circuit portion for storing desired information, and a tag-side antenna connected to the IC circuit portion and operable for transmission and reception of information;
an access-information generating portion operable to obtain access to RFID tag information of said IC circuit portion;
a carrier-wave generating portion operable to generate a carrier wave for obtaining access to said RFID tag information of said IC circuit portion;
a carrier-wave modulating portion operable to modulate the carrier wave generated by said carrier-wave generating portion, by using the access information generated by said access-information generating portion;
a modulated-wave amplifying portion operable to amplify the carrier wave modulated by said carrier-wave modulating portion;
a device-side antenna for transmitting an output of said modulated-wave amplifying portion to said IC circuit portion, for obtaining access to said RFID tag information, by non-contact radio communication with said IC circuit portion, by using a radio frequency in a UHF band;
and
an RFID tag circuit-element holding portion for holding each of said RFID tag circuit elements successively taken out from said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion, in a predetermined accessible area in which said device-side antenna obtains access to said RFID tag information,
and wherein said device-side antenna is positioned such that a sensitivity of said tag-side antenna of each of the RFID tag circuit elements accommodated in said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion is relatively low.

6 more elements

An RFID tag reader/writer comprising:

an RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion for accommodating a plurality of RFID tag circuit elements such that the RFID tag circuit elements can be successively taken out, each of said plurality of RFID tag circuit elements including an IC circuit portion for storing desired information, and a tag-side antenna connected to the IC circuit portion and operable for transmission and reception of information;
an access-information generating portion operable to obtain access to RFID tag information of said IC circuit portion;
a carrier-wave generating portion operable to generate a carrier wave for obtaining access to said RFID tag information of said IC circuit portion;
a carrier-wave modulating portion operable to modulate the carrier wave generated by said carrier-wave generating portion, by using the access information generated by said access-information generating portion;
a modulated-wave amplifying portion operable to amplify the carrier wave modulated by said carrier-wave modulating portion;
a device-side antenna for transmitting an output of said modulated-wave amplifying portion to said IC circuit portion, for obtaining access to said RFID tag information, by non-contact radio communication with said IC circuit portion, by using a radio frequency in a UHF band;
and
an RFID tag circuit-element holding portion for holding each of said RFID tag circuit elements successively taken out from said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion, in a predetermined accessible area in which said device-side antenna obtains access to said RFID tag information,
and wherein said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion and said device-side antenna are disposed such that a plane of polarization of said tag-side antenna of each of the RFID tag circuit elements accommodated in said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion, and a plane of polarization of said device-side antenna are inclined with respect to each other.

6 more elements

An RFID tag reader/writer comprising:

an RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion for accommodating a plurality of RFID tag circuit elements such that the RFID tag circuit elements can be successively taken out, each of said plurality of RFID tag circuit elements including an IC circuit portion for storing desired information, and a tag-side antenna connected to the IC circuit portion and operable for transmission and reception of information;
an access-information generating portion operable to obtain access to RFID tag information of said IC circuit portion;
a carrier-wave generating portion operable to generate a carrier wave for obtaining access to said RFID tag information of said IC circuit portion;
a carrier-wave modulating portion operable to modulate the carrier wave generated by said carrier-wave generating portion, by using the access information generated by said access-information generating portion;
a modulated-wave amplifying portion operable to amplify the carrier wave modulated by said carrier-wave modulating portion;
a device-side antenna for transmitting an output of said modulated-wave amplifying portion to said IC circuit portion, for obtaining access to said RFID tag information, by non-contact radio communication with said IC circuit portion, by using a radio frequency in a UHF band;
and
an RFID tag circuit-element holding portion for holding each of said RFID tag circuit elements successively taken out from said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion, in a predetermined accessible area in which said device-side antenna obtains access to said RFID tag information,
and wherein said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion is positioned such that said tag-side antenna of each of the RFID tag circuit elements accommodated in said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion is located in an area in which a sensitivity of said device-side antenna is relatively low, and
said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion and said device-side antenna are disposed such that a plane of polarization of said tag-side antenna of each of the RFID tag circuit elements accommodated in said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion, and a plane of polarization of said device-side antenna are inclined with respect to each other.

7 more elements

An RFID tag reader/writer comprising:

an RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion for accommodating a plurality of RFID tag circuit elements such that the RFID tag circuit elements can be successively taken out, each of said plurality of RFID tag circuit elements including an IC circuit portion for storing desired information, and a tag-side antenna connected to the IC circuit portion and operable for transmission and reception of information;
an access-information generating portion operable to obtain access to RFID tag information of said IC circuit portion;
a carrier-wave generating portion operable to generate a carrier wave for obtaining access to said RFID tag information of said IC circuit portion;
a carrier-wave modulating portion operable to modulate the carrier wave generated by said carrier-wave generating portion, by using the access information generated by said access-information generating portion;
a modulated-wave amplifying portion operable to amplify the carrier wave modulated by said carrier-wave modulating portion;
a device-side antenna for transmitting an output of said modulated-wave amplifying portion to said IC circuit portion, for obtaining access to said RFID tag information, by non-contact radio communication with said IC circuit portion, by using a radio frequency in a UHF band;
and
an RFID tag circuit-element holding portion for holding each of said RFID tag circuit elements successively taken out from said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion, in a predetermined accessible area in which said device-side antenna obtains access to said RFID tag information,
and wherein said device-side antenna is positioned such that a sensitivity of said tag-side antenna of each of the RFID tag circuit elements accommodated in said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion is relatively low, and
said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion and said device-side antenna are disposed such that a plane of polarization of said tag-side antenna of each of the RFID tag circuit elements accommodated in said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion, and a plane of polarization of said device-side antenna are inclined with respect to each other.

7 more elements

An RFID tag reader/writer comprising:

an RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion for accommodating a plurality of RFID tag circuit elements such that the RFID tag circuit elements can be successively taken out, each of said plurality of RFID tag circuit elements including an IC circuit portion for storing desired information, and a tag-side antenna connected to the IC circuit portion and operable for transmission and reception of information;
an access-information generating portion operable to generate access information for obtaining access to RFID tag information of said IC circuit portion;
a directional antenna for transmitting said access information generated by said access-information generating portion, to said tag-side antenna, for obtaining access to said RFID tag information of said IC circuit portion, by non-contact radio communication with said tag-side antenna;
and
an RFID tag circuit-element holding portion for holding each of said RFID tag circuit elements successively taken out from said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion, in a predetermined accessible area in which said directional antenna obtains access to said RFID tag information,
said RFID tag reader/writer being wherein said RFID tag circuit-element holding portion is spaced from said directional antenna in a direction of directivity of the directional antenna, while said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion is spaced from said directional antenna in a direction opposite to said direction of directivity.

3 more elements

An RFID tag reader/writer comprising:

an RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion for accommodating a plurality of RFID tag circuit elements such that the RFID tag circuit elements can be successively taken out, each of said plurality of RFID tag circuit elements including an IC circuit portion for storing desired information, and a tag-side antenna connected to the IC circuit portion and operable for transmission and reception of information;
an access-information generating portion operable to generate access information for obtaining access to RFID tag information of said IC circuit portion;
a directional antenna for transmitting said access information generated by said access-information generating portion, to said tag-side antenna, for obtaining access to said RFID tag information of said IC circuit portion, by non-contact radio communication with said tag-side antenna;
an RFID tag circuit-element holding portion for holding each of said RFID tag circuit elements successively taken out from said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion, in a predetermined accessible area in which said directional antenna obtains access to said RFID tag information;
and
a shielding portion for reducing an intensity of a radio communication signal,
said RFID tag reader/writer being wherein:
said RFID tag circuit-element holding portion is spaced from said directional antenna in a direction of directivity of the directional antenna;
said shielding portion is spaced from said RFID tag circuit-element holding portion in the direction of directivity of said directional antenna;
and
said RFID tag circuit-element accommodating portion is spaced from said shielding portion in the direction of directivity of said directional antenna.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/350,965Filed 10 Feb 2006
Priority: JP 2003-32768719 Sep 2003
Published: 5 Oct 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

B41J 3/50
Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms having dual functions or combined with, or coupled to, apparatus performing other functions:…
G06K 7/0008
Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns: general problems related to the reading of electronic memory…
G06K 7/10069
Resolving collision on the communication channels between simultaneously or concurrently interrogated record carriers.: the collision being…
G06K 17/0025
Arrangements or provisions for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device: the arrangement consisting of a wireless…

Family

Application11/350,965Continuation in part · filed 10 Feb 2006
US 8,111,137 B2Related patent
US 2006/0220859 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Timeline

Citations

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