Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – With particular system function
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-17
2002-06-11
Pope, Daryl (Department: 2736)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
With particular system function
C340S870030, C455S001000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06404335
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of issuing information storage media to be attached to commodities or articles for processing them, and more particularly to a wireless information storage medium which can be read from and written into by radio and an apparatus and method for issuing the storage medium.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently attention has been paid to a wireless information storage medium that can communicate by radio transmissions and read information from an internal storage device, such as an IC memory, or write information into the storage device.
This type of a wireless information storage medium has been attached as a wireless tag to objects for the purpose of preventing shoplifting or used as a ski lift ticket in. In addition, an attempt has been made to incorporate the storage medium into a commuter's pass for a wireless automatic ticket inspecting system.
A system employing such wireless information storage media (cards, tags, or the like) allows predetermined processing to be performed without inserting or otherwise connecting the media into a processing machine. The lack of a required contact between the storage media and the processing machine produces a convenience that conventional systems lack.
A wireless information storage medium, such as a wireless tag, usually lacks an image display that can be seen by people. Certain applications (i.e. shoplifting preventive system) for a storage medium, however, do not require a system in which information concerning commodities or goods is shown visually to persons or customers.
In addition to the system described below, a variety of systems that use wireless tags have been proposed. For example, information contained in tags attached to goods a customer purchases can be read by radio and used for accounting purposes. This will provide a more efficient accounting process than that which is employed currently. In this case, however, it is necessary for the customers to be able to confirm the prices of the goods themselves.
In the field of distribution of goods, a system can use wireless tags attached to goods to acquire information particular to each good at each distribution point and, thereby control the flow of goods. Moreover, wireless tags can be used for managing manufacturing processes by attaching wireless tags for manufacture management by attaching wireless tags to articles during the manufacturing process itself. In such a system, it will be essential for a site worker or manager to be able to confirm visually the information corresponding to an article for the purpose of dealing with unexpected accidents such as tag damage, communications failures, etc.
To solve this problem, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 4-368894 discloses a built-in noncontact recording medium which has a noncontact recording means and a surface with a rewritable visible information recording area consisting of a heat-reversible material. In other words, the recording area that permits visible information to be recorded by heat in a rewritable manner is formed on the surface of the noncontact recording medium which has a built-in noncontact recording means.
The above-described wireless information storage media are portable but are relatively poor in flexibility. Thus, various restraints may arise in attaching them to articles as price tags, article tags, and manufacture process management tags.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 9-104189 discloses an information storage medium in which an electronic component such as a noncontact recording means, is fixed to the surface of a paper-like base member. A printing medium is also attached to allow repeated printing of visible information. Thus, although the information storage medium has good flexibility, the electronic component maybe subject to breaking due to the mechanical stress.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 9-104189 also discloses a storage medium issuing apparatus for issuing the information storage medium, that is equipped with a writing/printing unit for writing and printing ID information into and onto an ID tag as an information storage medium. The writing/printing unit has a transmitter/receiver unit, an ID tag stacker, a printer, a feed mechanism for feeding ID tags to the printer, an eject mechanism for ejecting the ID tags after printing, a printer controller, and a main controller for controlling these components.
The printer has printing means for printing information on the ID tag rewritable paper and erasing means for erasing printed information. The transmitter/receiver unit has an antenna for make communications with the ID tag and a transmitter/receiver circuit for modulating and demodulating information.
The main controller enters data to be written from a host computer through a host interface and controls the printer controller, the printer, and the transmitter/receiver unit for controlling the writing and printing of the ID information. To this end, the main controller has an MPU for such control and a memory for storing data that is entered through the host interface.
The issuing apparatus has means for deciding whether or not ID information has been recorded on an ID tag. If the ID information has already been recorded, it is erased and new ID information is written. The number of times ID information is written is handled as part of the ID information. The number of write operations is printed or the ID information printed position is changed according to the number of write operations.
In issuing a wireless information storage medium, the issuing apparatus, as described above writes given information into the information storage unit and prints the visible information onto the visible information recording area. However, because a semiconductor circuit forming the information storage unit is generally an IC or LSI component, the circuit may be damaged due to the mechanical stress exerted at the time of printing visible information. In particular, when a recording head is in contact with an information recording medium, as in a printing system, in which a thermal head is used as the recording head, the thermal or mechanical stress may be imposed on the IC or LSI built into the information storage medium. Such a stress causes the wireless information storage medium, that has malfunctioning semiconductor circuit, to issued, resulting in low yields.
Sometimes it is necessary to issue wireless information storage media in large quantities. In this case, it is necessary to store the same information into and print the same visible information on a large number of wireless information storage media. Thermal printing, however, takes a very long time compared to storing wireless information. The time required to issue one wireless information storage medium depends greatly on the time required to print visual information. It is therefore, difficult to reduce the processing time.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an issuing method and apparatus which permits wireless information storage media to be issued without damaging a built-in electronic component.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an issuing method and apparatus which permits wireless information storage media to be issued in large quantities with a good yield.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a method of issuing a wireless information storage medium provided with a wireless information storage unit that has a memory section for storing information, a wireless transmitter/receiver section for transmitting and receiving information by radio, and an image recording unit for displaying visual information comprising the steps writing the information into the memory section by transmitting predetermined information to be stored into the memory section to the wireless transmitter/receiver section by radio and printing visual information corresponding at least part of the information to be stored into the memory section on the image r
Ohno Tadayoshi
Yokota Tsuneshi
Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP
Pope Daryl
LandOfFree
Apparatus for issuing wireless information storage media does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus for issuing wireless information storage media, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus for issuing wireless information storage media will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2974916