Registers – Records – Templates and guides
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-30
2002-04-16
Frech, Karl D. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Records
Templates and guides
C235S487000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06371380
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a non-contacting-type information storing device, and more particularly, is suitably applied to a non-contacting-type commodity-identifying tag which is used in the process of distribution, stock control and such.
2. Description of the Related Art
A label printed a bar code indicating the stated identification data of a commodity (hereinafter, this is referred to as a bar-code label) has been used as a non-contacting type commodity-identifying tag of this kind; by reading the identification data written in the bar code, when necessary in the process of distribution, stock control and such, the commodity to which this bar-code label has been stuck can easily be identified.
In such a commodity identifying method that uses a bar-code label, because of very small storage capacity, 32 byte in general, of a bar code, the amount of information that can be allocated to one commodity is limited to, for instance, the identification (ID) number, manufacture data and such of the commodity. As a result, the applicability is limited to only simple systems of the process of distribution, stock control and such.
Therefore, recently, in complex systems of distribution process, stock control and such, a non-contacting-type tag that includes a memory integrated circuit (IC) is used as a, commodity-identifying tag (hereinafter, this is referred to as a memory-IC tag).
In comparison with a bar code label, a memory-IC tag has such higher storage capacity: 1k byte, that it is able to greatly increase the amount of information that can be allocated to one commodity; as a result, there is such an advantage that it is also applicable enough to complex systems of distribution process, stock control and such.
In addition, the data contents of a memory-IC tag can be rewritten any number of times; therefore, the memory-IC tag can be recycled efficiently: the memory-IC tag is peeled away from the commodity at the time of transportation or the time of sale, and then the identification data of the different commodity is newly written in it.
Practically, in the process of distribution, stock control and such, a data read/write system
1
shown in
FIG. 1
is constructed so that the stated identification data is read from a memory-IC tag
3
stuck to a commodity
2
, or new identification data is written in the memory-IC tag
3
.
As the-memory-IC tag
3
that can be applied to such a data read/write system
1
, there is one known wherein a memory IC
4
is built almost in the center of a substrate (hereinafter, this is referred to as a tag substrate)
3
A that has a multi-layer structure for instance, and a wiring (hereinafter, this is referred to as a tag antenna)
5
is placed along the marginal inner side of the tag substrate
3
A so that it forms a loop of an approximately square shape.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, the memory-IC tag
3
has an antenna board
3
AA provided with a memory IC
4
almost in the center of its underside surface, and the tag antenna
5
extended from the memory IC
4
has been attached to the marginal inside portion of the surface.
To the under surface of this antenna board
3
AA, a reinforcing plate
3
AB made of polyethylene telephthalate (PET) is stuck, so as to protect the memory IC
4
and the tag antenna
5
. This reinforcing plate
3
AB has a thickness that is more than or equal to the height of the memory IC
4
, and a penetrating hole
3
ABH whose size is slightly larger than that of the memory IC is formed almost in the center of the reinforcing plate
3
AB.
When the reinforcing plate
3
AB has been stuck to the antenna substrate
3
AA, the memory IC
4
is contained in the penetrating hole
3
ABH of the reinforcing plate
3
AB, and so the memory IC
4
is able to avoid jutting from the reinforcing plate
3
AB.
One surface of a pressure-sensitive adhesive film
3
AC is glued to the reinforcing plate
3
AB; to the other surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film
3
AC, a releasable paper
3
AD is stuck in a manner that it can be peeled away as necessary. On the other hand, one surface of a pressure-sensitive adhesive film
3
AE is glued to the top surface of the antenna substrate
3
AA; to the other surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive film
3
AE, a cover paper
3
AF is stuck.
Thus, the operator can write the characters, the signs and such regarding a commodity
2
on the cover paper
3
AF that lies on one side of the tag cover
3
A, and able to stick the memory-IC tag
3
on the surface of the commodity
2
, by pressing the pressure-sensitive adhesive film
3
AC onto the surface of the commodity
2
with the releasable paper
3
AD peeled away from the other side of the tag substrate
3
A.
A data read/write device
6
of the data read/write system
1
(
FIG. 1
) includes a read/write antenna division
7
for causing electromagnetic induction between itself and the memory-IC tag
3
, and a read/write module
8
for sending and receiving various data via the read/write antenna division
7
.
In the read/write antenna division
7
, a loop coil of approximately square shape (hereinafter, this is referred to as a read/write antenna)
9
is formed on one side of a read/write antenna substrate
7
A that is made from, for instance, glass epoxy resin material, so that its position corresponds to the position of the tag antenna
5
formed in the memory-IC tag
3
, when it is opposed to the memory-IC tag
3
.
One end and the other end of this read/write antenna
9
are connected to the read/write module
8
via a connector
10
and a harness
11
in succession. In a state that the read/write antenna division
7
is opposed to the memory-IC tag
3
, the read/write module
8
feeds a current to the read/write antenna
9
from the stated AC power supply, via the harness
11
and the connector
10
in succession.
As a result, a magnetic field modulated in response to the change of the given current is generated around the read/write antenna
9
, so that an induction voltage is generated in the tag antenna
5
that is formed in the memory-IC tag
3
in response to the modulated magnetic-field. The degree of coupling of electromagnetic induction concerning the read/write antenna
9
and the tag antenna
5
of this time varies in response to the mutual relationship of position.
The memory IC
4
rectifies the induction voltage inputted through the tag antenna
5
, and then performs reading or writing of the identification data on the basis of the AC components that appear in the obtained voltage.
After rectification of the induction voltage inputted via the tag antenna
5
, the memory IC
4
is able to obtain power-supply voltage on the basis of the DC components that appear in the obtained voltage, and so able to start up in response to the power-supply voltage even though a power source such as a battery is not provided in the memory-IC tag
3
.
When the identification data is read, in the memory-IC tag
3
, by mutual induction, a modulated magnetic-field is generated from the tag antenna
5
to the read/write antenna
9
, such that it cancels the modulated magnetic-field generated from the read/write antenna
9
to the tag antenna
5
.
At this time, because the input impedance between the both terminals of the tag antenna
5
varies in response to the identification data that has been read from the memory IC
4
, the varied amount is added to the modulated magnetic-field that generate from the tag antenna
5
to the read/write antenna
9
.
Hence, the impedance between the both terminals of the read/write antenna
9
which is opposed to the tag antenna
5
varies in like manner, and so the induction voltage generated in the read/write antenna
9
also varies to the same extent. Therefore, by demodulating the generated varied amount of the induction voltage, the read/write module
8
is able to read the identification data obtained from the memory IC
4
.
However, when such a memory-IC tag
3
is stuck on the adherent surface
2
A made of metal of a commodity
2
and then the identification data is read fr
Frech Karl D.
Frommer William S.
Frommer Lawrence & Haug LL
Ryan Matthew K.
Sony Corporation
LandOfFree
Non-contacting-type information storing device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Non-contacting-type information storing device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Non-contacting-type information storing device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2854891