Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-03
2001-01-23
Pitts, Harold I. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
C235S472010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176422
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information storage device capable of reading and writing information thereon in a wireless manner, a scanner and an information storage and reproducing apparatus incorporating the information storage device and the scanner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer-based electronic management systems are today in widespread use in a diversity of application fields. In the management of products, for example, each product is associated with a label bearing a known bar code that designates its model name, date of manufacture, lot number and the like, and a computer is used to manage the product history and other related data. Magnetic cards are used as membership cards for a variety of clubs and credit cards, in which required information is stored in the magnetic cards to manage the information about their users.
In the product management that employs the known bar code, however, managing the product history for each product on an individual basis is difficult. Namely, it is difficult to tag each individual product with its bar code for identifying it. Even if such an identifying bar code can be attached to the product, encoding its product history information into its bar code and attaching it to the product is very difficult, if not impossible. To manage each product on an individual basis, therefore, a host computer must store history information of each product, and entry of such individual information is time-consuming. Furthermore, the bar code labels attached to the products naturally age, sometimes to the extent that the bar code is illegible.
When the information of the users is managed using the magnetic cards, the magnetic card age and thus have to be periodically renewed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an information storage device, a scanner and an information storage and reproducing apparatus which allow the information of each product, users and the like to be easily managed.
To achieve the above object of the present invention, an information storage device for reading information in a wireless manner, in its first aspect, comprises a receiving antenna, a transmitting antenna, a rectifier circuit for generating a predetermined DC current based on the current induced in response to the electromagnetic wave at a first frequency input to the receiving antenna, a semiconductor memory operating from the DC current output from the rectifier circuit, a central processor unit operating from the DC current output from the rectifier circuit, for reading information stored in the semiconductor memory, and a high-frequency transmitting module operating from the DC current output from the rectifier circuit, for feeding the information read by the central processor unit as a high-frequency signal at a second frequency to the transmitting antenna.
When the receiving antenna receives the first frequency electromagnetic wave from outside the information storage device, the rectifier circuit rectifies the input current induced in response to the electromagnetic wave, resulting in a DC current. The DC current is supplied to the semiconductor memory, central processor unit and high-frequency transmitting module. While the first frequency electromagnetic wave is received, namely, while the DC current is fed from the rectifier circuit, the central processor unit reads the information stored in the semiconductor memory. The high-frequency transmitting module feeds the read information at the second high-frequency signal to the transmitting antenna, where the second high-frequency signal is transmitted on an electromagnetic wave. The stored information in the storage device is transmitted on the second frequency electromagnetic wave at almost the same time the first frequency electromagnetic wave is transmitted. Thus, the stored information is acquired by receiving the second frequency electromagnetic wave. The information storage device needs no internal power supply, thus permitting a semi-permanent use in a maintenance-free fashion.
An information storage device of present invention in its second aspect comprises a detector circuit connected to the receiving antenna, for detecting the current induced in response to the first frequency electromagnetic wave input to the receiving antenna, whereby said central processor unit reads the information stored in the semiconductor memory according to a predetermined read command contained in the signal coming in from the detector circuit.
When the receiving antenna receives the first frequency electromagnetic wave from outside the information storage device, the rectifier circuit rectifies the input current induced in response to the electromagnetic wave, resulting in a DC current. The DC current is supplied to the semiconductor memory, central processor unit and high-frequency transmitting module. The detector circuit detects the current induced in response to the first frequency electromagnetic wave input to the receiving antenna, and the detected signal is fed to the central processor unit. While the first frequency electromagnetic wave is received, namely, while the DC current is fed from the rectifier circuit, the central processor unit reads the information stored in the semiconductor memory in response to the read command contained in the signal coming in from the detector circuit. The high-frequency transmitting module feeds the read information at the second high-frequency signal to the transmitting antenna, where the second high-frequency signal is transmitted on an electromagnetic wave.
Therefore, the stored information in the storage device is transmitted on the second frequency electromagnetic wave at almost the same time the information read command is transmitted at the first frequency electromagnetic wave. The stored information is acquired by receiving the second frequency electromagnetic wave. The information storage device needs no internal power supply, thus permitting a semi-permanent use in a maintenance-free fashion.
An information storage device of the present invention in its third aspect comprises a detector circuit connected to the receiving antenna, for detecting the current induced in response to the first frequency electromagnetic wave input to the receiving antenna, whereby said central processor unit reads the information stored in the semiconductor memory according to a predetermined read command contained in the signal coming in from the detector circuit while writing, according to a predetermined write command contained in said signal, information coming in succession to the write command onto a predetermined address in the semiconductor memory.
When the receiving antenna receives the first frequency electromagnetic wave from outside the information storage device, the rectifier circuit rectifies the input current induced in response to the electromagnetic wave, resulting in a DC current. The DC current is supplied to the semiconductor memory, central processor unit and high-frequency transmitting module. The detector circuit detects the current induced in response to the first frequency electromagnetic wave input to the receiving antenna, and the detected signal is fed to the central processor unit.
While the first frequency electromagnetic wave is received, namely, while the DC current is fed from the rectifier circuit, the central processor unit reads the information stored in the semiconductor memory in response to the read command contained in the signal coming in from the detector circuit. The high-frequency transmitting module feeds the read information at the high-frequency signal at the second frequency to the transmitting antenna, where the high-frequency signal is transmitted on the second frequency electromagnetic wave.
When receiving the write command contained in the signal coming in from the detector circuit, the central processor unit stores the information coming in succession to the write command onto the predetermined address in the semicon
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Pitts Harold I.
The Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd.
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