# US 2018/0025187 A1 · Reading device, server device, and program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0025187 A1 - Document ID: US20180025187A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/626,654 - Filed: 2017-06-19 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-21 - Assignees: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Shigeaki SUZUKI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180025187A1 ## CPC - G06K 7/10009: {sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves} - G06F 11/10: Adding special bits or symbols to the coded information, e.g. parity check, casting out 9's or 11's - G06K 7/10376: {the interrogation device being adapted for being moveable} - G06Q 20/208: {Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing} - G07G 1/009: {the reader being an RFID reader} - G08C 17/02: using a radio link - H03M 13/09: Error detection only, e.g. using cyclic redundancy check [CRC] codes or single parity bit - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - 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 - G08C: TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS (fluid pressure transmitting systems F15B; mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member into a different variable G01D5/00; mechanical control systems G05G) - H03M: CODING; DECODING; CODE CONVERSION IN GENERAL (using fluidic means F15C4/00; optical analogue/digital converters G02F7/00; coding, decoding or code conversion, specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. G01D, G01R, G06F, G06T, G09G, G10L, G11B, G11C, H04B, H04L, H04M, H04N; ciphering or deciphering for cryptography or other purposes involving the need for secrecy G09C) ## Abstract A reading apparatus includes a control unit and an interface through which the control unit transmits an output request to an electronic tag and receives tag information output from the electronic tag in response to the output request. The control unit is configured to read the tag information received by the reception unit and extract an identifying code from the tag information, store the identifying code in association with a number corresponding to a total number of times tag information including the identifying code has been read by the controller in response to the output request, and output a stored identifying code or information associated with the stored identifying code if the number associated with the stored identifying code meets or exceeds a threshold value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A reading apparatus, comprising: a control unit; and an interface through which the control unit transmits an output request to an electronic tag and receives tag information output from the electronic tag in response to the output request, wherein the control unit is configured to read the tag information received by the reception unit and extract an identifying code from the tag information, store the identifying code in association with a number corresponding to a total number of times tag information including the identifying code has been read by the controller in response to the output request, and output a stored identifying code or information associated with the stored identifying code if the number associated with the stored identifying code meets or exceeds a threshold value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interface is a connection interface to which a point-of-sale (POS) terminal is connected, and the control unit transmits the stored identifying code or information associated with the stored identifying code to the POS terminal through the connection interface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronic tag is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronic tag is attached to an item of merchandise and the identifying code is a merchandise code. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tag information includes a merchandise code corresponding to a type of merchandise to which the electronic tag is attached and a tag code that identifies to the electronic tag. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tag information output by the electronic tag is accompanied by an error detection and correction code, and the control unit performs an error detection and correction process on tag information using the error detection and correction code. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interface is an antenna, and the control unit wirelessly transmits the output request to the electronic tag through the antenna and wirelessly receives the tag information output from the electronic tag in response to the output request through the antenna. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The reading apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: a table including a merchandise placement area from which the antenna wirelessly receives the tag information and to which the antenna wirelessly transmits the output request. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The reading apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the antenna is configured to receive tag information only from electronic tags inside the merchandise placement area. ### Claim 10 A server device, comprising: a communication interface configured to receive tag information transmitted from an electronic tag reading device, each instance of received tag information including an identifying code; a storage unit configured to store the received tag information; and a controller configured to: store, in an interim table, the identifying code of received tag information in association with a number corresponding to a number of times tag information including the identifying code has been received from the electronic reading device, and output a stored identifying code or information associated with the stored identifying code if the number of times associated with the stored identifying code meets or exceeds a threshold value. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The server device according to claim 10, wherein the electronic tag reading device is portable. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The server device according to claim 10, wherein the electronic tag reading device is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The server device according to claim 10, wherein the communication interface is configured to receive tag information from a plurality of electronic tag reading devices. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The server device according to claim 10, wherein the electronic tag reading device performs an error detection and correction process on the tag information before transmitting the tag information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The server device according to claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to: register, in a stock registration table, the stored identifying code or the information associated with the stored identifying code if the number associated with the stored identifying code in the interim table meets or exceeds the threshold value. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program instructions that when executed by a processor causes to a reading apparatus to: receive tag information output from an electronic tag in response to an output request; store, in an interim table, an identifying code included in the received tag information in association with a number corresponding to a number of times tag information including the identifying code has been received, and output a stored identifying code or information associated with the stored identifying code if the number of times associated with the stored identifying code meets or exceeds a threshold value. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the tag information output by the electronic tag is accompanied by an error detection and correction code, and to the program instructions further cause the processor to perform an error detection and correction process using the error detection and correction code. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the electronic tag is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the stored identifying code or information associated with the stored identifying code is not output if the number of times associated with the stored identifying code is less than the threshold value. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the stored identifying code or information associated with the stored identifying code is output to a point-of-sale terminal.