RFID reader/writer and diagnosis processing program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9760746-B2
Application number	US-201414561583-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2014
Priority date	Dec 24, 2013
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

One aspect of the present invention provides an RFID reader/writer and a diagnosis processing program for outputting correct diagnostic information on communication between the RFID reader/writer and an RF tag. The RFID reader/writer includes a communication unit configured to conduct communication with the RF tag and a communication diagnostic unit configured to diagnose the communication when the communication is successfully conducted. The communication diagnostic unit includes a characteristic acquisition unit configured to acquire a characteristic of the communication from a communication signal with the RF tag, a comparator configured to compare a value indicated by the acquired characteristic to a threshold used to determine a communication margin, and an output control unit configured to cause an output unit to output information on the communication margin from a comparison result.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An RFID reader and writer comprising:
a processor; and
a memory having instructions stored thereon, the instructions when executed causing the processor to perform operations including:
conducting communication with an RF tag; and
diagnosing the communication when normal communication is successfully conducted, wherein it is determined that the normal communication is successfully conducted through normal communication processing based on a received response signal;
acquiring at least one characteristic of the communication from a communication signal with the RF tag;
determining a communication margin from characteristic values including noise quantity, signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio, and reception power, based on predetermined criteria; and
outputting information on the communication margin,
wherein the information output comprises a notification based on the at least one characteristic and a coping item of increasing the communication margin, wherein the coping item includes an adjustment of a communication distance and removal of a noise source.

2. The RFID reader and writer according to claim 1 , the operations further including comparing the value of the at least one characteristic to a predetermined threshold, and
outputting the information on the communication margin from a comparison result.

3. The RFID reader and writer according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic comprises the noise quantity generated around the RFID reader and writer, and
the operations further include:
acquiring the noise quantity generated around the RFID reader and writer; and
acquiring the reception power from a reception signal.

4. The RFID reader and writer according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic comprises the S/N ratio of a reception signal, and the operations further include:
calculating the S/N ratio from the reception power of the reception signal and the noise quantity.

5. The RFID reader and writer according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic expresses reception of a response signal when a predetermined level of transmission power is indicated,
the predetermined criterion indicates whether the reception is successfully performed, and the operations further include:
determining the communication margin based on whether the response signal is successfully received when the predetermined level of transmission power is indicated.

6. The RFID reader and writer according to claim 5 , wherein the predetermined level of transmission power indicates weak transmission power at which it is determined that the RFID reader and writer is able to conduct stable communication.

7. The RFID reader and writer according to claim 5 , wherein the predetermined level of transmission power indicates a level that corresponds to each segment when a range from weak transmission power to maximum power at which it is determined that the RFID reader and writer is able to conduct stable communication is divided into a plurality of segments.

8. The RFID reader and writer according to claim 1 , the operations further including enabling or disabling a diagnostic function of the processor.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with an executable computer program that performs diagnostic processing of communication with an RF tag and that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
acquiring at least one characteristic of the communication from a communication signal with the RF tag when normal communication is successfully conducted, wherein it is determined that the normal communication is successfully conducted through normal communication processing based on a received response signal;
determining a communication margin from characteristic values including noise quantity, signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio, and reception power, based on predetermined criteria; and
outputting information on the communication margin,
wherein the information output comprises a notification based on the at least one characteristic and a coping item of increasing the communication margin, wherein the coping item includes an adjustment of a communication distance and removal of a noise source.

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Koezuka Yahiro
• Matsui Shuichi

Classifications

• G06K7/10009 Primary

  sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves · CPC title

• G06K7/10118

  the sensing being preceded by at least one preliminary step · CPC title

• G06K7/01 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• G06K7/0008

  General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer · CPC title