IC tag communication relay device, IC tag communication relay method

An IC tag communication relay device comprising:

• an antenna section equipped with one or more antennas for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic radiation to and from IC tags;
• lead lines connected to each antenna for transmitting electrical signals corresponding to the transmitted and received electromagnetic radiation;
• an input/output unit arranged outside of the antenna section and connected to the lead lines for inputting and outputting electrical signals to and from an external device through electromagnetic radiation, wherein
• the IC tag communication relay device is provided separately from the external device and the IC tags and relays communication between the external device and the IC tags;
• and
• a rigid long, thin member,
• wherein the antenna section is arranged at the long, thin member, and the input/output unit is positioned at one end of the long, thin member.

An IC tag communication relay device comprising:

• an antenna section equipped with one or more antennas for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic radiation to and from IC tags;
• lead lines connected to each antenna for transmitting electrical signals corresponding to the transmitted and received electromagnetic radiation;
• an input/output unit arranged outside of the antenna section and connected to the lead lines for inputting and outputting electrical signals to and from an external device through electromagnetic radiation, wherein
• the IC tag communication relay device is provided separately from the external device and the IC tags and relays communication between the external device and the IC tags;
• and
• further comprising a long, thin flexible member equipped with a weight at the side of one end,
• wherein the input/output unit is positioned at the side of either end of the flexible member, and
• the antenna section is positioned at the flexible member.

An IC tag communication relay method comprising:

• a loading step of loading small boxes of the same shape equipped with IC tags in at least two tiers on a pallet with one tier having at least 3×3 boxes using a pinwheel course pattern, providing a gap at the periphery of small boxes not having surfaces exposed to the outside at the time of completion of loading, and with each tier being stacked up with the small boxes having the same positional relationship;
• an insertion step of inserting a rigid long, thin member of an IC tag communication relay device into the gap from above, the IC tag communication relay device comprising:
• an antenna section equipped with one or more antennas for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic radiation to and from IC tags;
• lead lines connected to each antenna for transmitting electrical signals corresponding to the transmitted and received electromagnetic radiation;
• an input/output unit arranged outside of the antenna section and connected to the lead lines for inputting and outputting electrical signals to and from an external device through electromagnetic radiation, wherein
• the IC tag communication relay device is provided separately from the external device and the IC tags and relays communication between the external device and the IC tags;
• and
• the rigid long, thin member,
• wherein the antenna section is arranged at the long, thin member, and the input/output unit is positioned at one end of the long, thin member;
• and
• a communication step of connecting to the input/output unit using the external device and communicating with IC tags provided at the small boxes that are not externally visible.

An IC tag communication relay method comprising:

• a loading step of loading small boxes of the same shape equipped with IC tags in at least two tiers on a pallet with one tier having at least 3×3 boxes using a pinwheel course pattern, providing a gap at the periphery of small boxes not having surfaces exposed to the outside at the time of completion of loading, and with each tier being stacked up with the small boxes having the same positional relationship;
• an insertion step of inserting the flexible member of an IC tag communication relay device into the gap from above, the IC tag communication relay device comprising:
• an antenna section equipped with one or more antennas for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic radiation to and from IC tags;
• lead lines connected to each antenna for transmitting electrical signals corresponding to the transmitted and received electromagnetic radiation;
• an input/output unit arranged outside of the antenna section and connected to the lead lines for inputting and outputting electrical signals to and from an external device through electromagnetic radiation, wherein the IC tag communication relay device is provided separately from the external device and the IC tags and relays communication between the external device and the IC tags;
• and
• a long, thin flexible member equipped with a weight at the side of one end, wherein the input/output unit is positioned at the side of either end of the flexible member, and the antenna section is positioned at the flexible member;
• and
• a communication step of connecting to the input/output unit using the external device and communicating with IC tags provided at the small boxes that are not externally visible.

An IC tag communication relay method comprising:

• an installation step of installing a rigid long, thin member of an IC tag communication relay device upright in a vertical direction at the upper surface of a pallet, the IC tag communication relay device comprising:
• an antenna section equipped with one or more antennas for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic radiation to and from IC tags;
• lead lines connected to each antenna for transmitting electrical signals corresponding to the transmitted and received electromagnetic radiation;
• an input/output unit arranged outside of the antenna section and connected to the lead lines for inputting and outputting electrical signals to and from an external device through electromagnetic radiation, wherein
• the IC tag communication relay device is provided separately from the external device and the IC tags and relays communication between the external device and the IC tags;
• and
• the rigid long, thin member,
• wherein the antenna section is arranged at the long, thin member, and the input/output unit is positioned at one end of the long, thin member;
• a loading step of loading small boxes of the same size equipped with IC tags on the pallet in tiers of at least 3×3 boxes to a height of at least two tiers so that small boxes with no outer surfaces exposed are in close contact with the long, thin member so as to be in a pinwheel course pattern when loading is complete;
• and
• a communication step of connecting to the input/output unit using the external device and communicating with IC tags provided at the small boxes that are not externally visible.