Data writing device and processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10832018-B2
Application number	US-201916430643-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2019
Priority date	Jul 5, 2018
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

A data writing device includes a reader and a processor. The reader receives a radio wave from a wireless tag for storing a first identifier and a second identifier and measures a radio wave intensity of the radio wave received from the wireless tag. The processor determines the radio wave intensities of the radio waves received from the plurality of wireless tags by acquiring the first identifiers from the plurality of wireless tags through the reader, and determines the radio wave intensities of the radio waves received from the plurality of wireless tags. A reading threshold is set between a strongest radio wave intensity and a next strongest radio wave intensity among the radio wave intensities, and the second identifiers are acquired from the wireless tags having the radio wave intensities exceeding the set reading threshold through the reader.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data writing device comprising:
a reader configured to receive a radio wave from a wireless tag that stores a first identifier and a second identifier, the reader measuring a radio wave intensity of the radio wave received from the wireless tag; and
a processor configured to:
determine the radio wave intensities of the radio waves received from a plurality of the wireless tags by acquiring the respective first identifiers from the plurality of wireless tags through the reader,
set a reading threshold between a strongest radio wave intensity and a next strongest radio wave intensity among the radio wave intensities of the radio waves received from the plurality of wireless tags, and
acquire a second identifier from one of the plurality of wireless tags, wherein the one of the plurality of wireless tags has a radio wave intensity exceeding the set reading threshold through the reader,
wherein the first identifier is an electronic product code and the second identifier is an identifier for specifying the wireless tag.

2. The data writing device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor sets an average value of the strongest radio wave intensity and the next strongest radio wave intensity as the reading threshold.

3. The data writing device according to claim 1 , wherein the reader is operable to write on the wireless tag and the processor calculates and sets a writing position at which the reader writes data in the wireless tag based on the acquired second identifier.

4. The data writing device according to claim 3 , further comprising an antenna for wirelessly communicating with the wireless tag, wherein the antenna emits an unmodulated wave to the wireless tag.

5. The data writing device according to claim 4 , wherein the writing position is a position at which the antenna is in contact with a label of the wireless tag when the reader writes data in the wireless tag based on the acquired second identifier.

6. A method for processing data by a processor, the method comprising:
receiving, from a plurality of wireless tags, a plurality of radio waves, each of the plurality of wireless tags storing a first identifier and a second identifier;
determining, by the processor, radio wave intensities of the plurality of radio waves received from the plurality of the wireless tags, wherein determining the radio wave intensities comprises:
acquiring the first identifiers from the plurality of wireless tags through a reader, and
measuring the radio wave intensities of the radio waves received from the plurality of wireless tags;

setting, in the processor, a reading threshold between a strongest radio wave intensity and a next strongest radio wave intensity among the radio wave intensities of the radio waves received from the plurality of wireless tags; and
acquiring a second identifier from one of the plurality of the wireless tags having a radio wave intensities exceeding the set reading threshold through the reader,
wherein the first identifier is an electronic product code and the second identifier is an identifier for specifying the wireless tag.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising writing data in the one of the plurality of the wireless tags based on the second identifier acquired.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein writing data comprises transmitting, via an antenna connected to the processor, the data to the one of the plurality of the wireless tags.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein setting the reading threshold further comprises sorting the radio wave intensities of the radio waves in an order.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising determining a writing position at which data is written in the wireless tag based on the acquired second identifier.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the writing position is a position at which an antenna connected to the processor is in contact with a label of the wireless tag when the reader writes data in the wireless tag based on the acquired second identifier.

12. A system for determining a writing position for a plurality of wireless tags to facilitate data processing, the system comprising:
a motorized conveyer carrying the plurality of wireless tags, each of the plurality of wireless tags having a first identifier and a second identifier;
a reader-writer adjacent the motorized conveyer, the reader-writer operable to receive radio waves from one or more of the plurality of wireless tags carried nearby by the motorized conveyer, the reader-writer configured to read and write data on each of the one or more of the plurality of wireless tags nearby; and
a controller communicatively connected with the motorized conveyer and the reader-writer, wherein the controller includes a processor configured to:
acquire a first identifier from one of the plurality of wireless tags via the reader-writer;
determine a corresponding radio wave intensity of the acquired first identifier from one of the plurality of wireless tags;
set a reading threshold based on the determined radio wave intensity; and
acquire a second identifier from one of the plurality of wireless tags whose radio wave intensity exceeds the set reading threshold,
wherein the first identifier is an electronic product code and the second identifier is an identifier for specifying the wireless tag.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to sort a plurality of radio wave intensities corresponding to a plurality of first identifiers of the plurality of wireless tags and to set the reading threshold below a strongest radio wave intensity and above a next strongest radio wave intensity of the plurality of radio wave intensities.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the processor sorts the plurality of radio wave intensities in an ascending order.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the reading threshold is set as an average of the strongest radio wave intensity and the next strongest radio wave intensity.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality wireless tags includes a memory storing the first identifier and the second identifier, and a communication interface configured to transmit signals of the first identifier and the second identifier to the processor via the reader-writer.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising an antenna coupled with the reader-writer for communication with the communication interface of each of the plurality wireless tags, wherein the reader-writer is configured to write data to the plurality of the wireless tags via the antenna.

18. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a mark sensor transmitting a predetermined signal to the controller when a mark of one of the plurality of wireless tags is read; and
a print head operable to print an image on a label including one of the plurality of wireless tags.

Assignees

• Toshiba Tec Kk

Inventors

• Koike Yuki

Classifications

• G06K7/10128 Primary

  the step consisting of detection of the presence of one or more record carriers in the vicinity of the interrogation device · CPC title

• B41J3/4075

  Tape printers; Label printers · CPC title

• G06K7/10475

  arrangements to facilitate interaction with further interrogation devices, e.g. such that at least two interrogation devices may function and cooperate in a network of such devices · CPC title

• G06K19/07773

  Antenna details (antennas for wireless devices, e.g. RFID tags, in general H01Q1/22) · CPC title

• G06K19/0723

  the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs · CPC title