JP2003132330A - RFID label printer - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To detect and notify an RFID label in which a read / write error has occurred electrically after printing by a thermal head. SOLUTION: An antenna of a reader / writer 28 of an RFID label printer 10 is arranged on an upstream side (40) and a downstream side (46) of a printing section 30 along a label transport section.

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a label incorporating a non-contact read / write IC (RFID) for transmitting and receiving data in a non-contact manner with a transceiver (reader / writer). The present invention relates to an RFID label printer which performs electrical writing on the IC while transporting the IC, prints the information on the IC, and records visible information on the label surface. 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a non-contact read / write IC (hereinafter, referred to as an IC) which incorporates an IC chip, an antenna, a communication means, etc., and electrically reads / writes the IC chip in a non-contact manner.
"RFID") has been developed. The RFID can record a large amount of information on an IC chip, can transmit and receive information wirelessly (electromagnetically) without contact, and has excellent security because it is difficult to forge. [0004] However, since the contents stored in the IC chip cannot be read by human eyes or a conventional bar code reader, an RFID integrated with a label or tag is used.
An application form in which a character or a bar code printed on the surface of an ID label can be read by human vision, an OCR, a bar code reader, or the like is expanding. [0005] A label printer for printing on this RFID label is provided with a non-contact communication means (reader / writer) for communicating with the RFID in addition to the printing means, and the reader / writer has a communication antenna. R using antenna
It communicates with the FID antenna to write information to the IC chip and read information recorded on the IC chip. [0006] By the way, some RFID ICs are susceptible to static electricity and impact, and may be damaged during or before use and become unusable. For this reason, IC
When writing an electrical signal to a chip, it is necessary to read the written content and verify whether the write signal has been written reliably. On the other hand, inside the label printer, RFI
When the D label is transported, the RFID label slides into contact with rubber rollers and guide members, and heat and pressure are applied from the thermal head and platen roller of the printing unit. Could be [0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems,
An object of the present invention is to provide an RFID label printer capable of verifying RFID writing at the time of printing and issuing an RFID label. [0009] In order to solve the above problems,
The features of the configuration adopted by the present invention include a printing unit that records visible information on the surface of an RFID label, a transport unit that supplies the RFID label to the printing unit, and an upstream side of the printing unit with respect to the transport unit. That is, a non-contact type reader / writer antenna is provided on the downstream side. According to the above configuration, the contents written to the RFID from the upstream antenna can be read from the downstream antenna and verified, so that the RF writing can be verified without back-feeding the label after printing. Further, since the antenna is provided on the downstream side of the printing section, the RFID damaged at the time of printing can be immediately eliminated. Further, by recording and managing the issuance history, the required number of copies can be issued accurately even if a defective label is mixed. Preferred embodiments of a label printer according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, RF for printing with a label printer
The ID label will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a label paper 12 wound in a roll shape. As shown in the figure, the label paper 12 is configured by temporarily attaching a large number of RFID labels 14, 14,... At predetermined intervals to a base paper (release paper) 16 formed in a band shape. The RFID label 14 is formed by
4A and a lower layer 14B, and an upper layer 14A and a lower layer 14B.
The IC chip 22 and the antenna 24 are disposed between the two. On the other hand, the mount 16 is formed with perforations 20 for cutting the RFID labels 14 one by one, and detection marks (not shown) are printed on the back surface at predetermined intervals. FIG. 1 is an example of the label paper 12, and the configuration of the label paper 12 is not limited to this. For example, a label sheet in which the perforations 20 are not formed on the backing sheet 16 or a label sheet in which the RFID labels 14 are continuously connected may be used. Next, the label printer of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic structure of the printer 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 mainly includes a supply unit 26, an RFID reader / writer (RFID read / write control circuit) 28, and a printing unit 3.
0, a communication interface (communication I / F) 32 and the like. A label paper 12 wound in a roll is mounted on the shaft of the supply means 26. Label paper 12
Is fed from the axis of the supply unit 26 by rotating and driving the platen roller 36 of the printing unit 30, and is transferred to the printing unit 30 through writing by the reader / writer 28.
Reference numeral 34 denotes a label detection sensor provided immediately downstream of the supply means 26. The label detection sensor 34 detects a detection mark (not shown) on the mount 16. And the printing means 30
Printing is started based on the timing at which the sensor 34 detects the detection mark. The printing means 30 comprises a platen roller 36 and a thermal head (print head) 38 which are arranged to face each other. The label paper 12 fed from the supply means 26 is supplied between the platen roller 36 and the thermal head 38. Then, by causing a heating element (not shown) of the thermal head 38 to generate heat, the label paper 12 is thermally colored to print. The printed label paper 12 is taken out of the outlet 48. The printing method of the printing means 30 is not limited to the thermosensitive coloring method, but may be a thermal transfer method or an ink jet method. On the other hand, the RFID reader / writer 28 has two antennas 40 and 46. One of the antennas 40 is disposed between the supply unit 26 and the printing unit 30 on the upstream side of the printing unit, and the other antenna 46 is provided just outside the outlet 48 on the downstream side of the printing unit 30, respectively. The label paper 12 is provided near the conveyance path. The RFID reader / writer 28 communicates with the IC chip 22 via the antennas 40 and 46 and the antenna 24 of the RFID label 14 to write information on the IC chip 22 and read information from the IC chip 22. FIG. 3 shows the printer 10 and the RFID label 14.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a main part of FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, a CPU 52 constituting a control unit main body of the printer 10 has a ROM 54 via a bus 54.
56, and a RAM 58. The ROM 56 stores a program for performing processing shown in a flowchart (FIG. 4) to be described later, and the RAM 58 has various memory areas. The CPU 52 is connected to a thermal head application circuit (head controller) 60, and controls the thermal head 38 using the thermal head application circuit 60. The CPU 52 is connected to a label transport circuit (drive controller) 62 via a bus 54, controls a motor driver by the label transport circuit 62, and drives a pulse motor (both not shown). The label paper 12 is transported. The label transport circuit 62
Is connected to the sensor 34 via an eye mark detection circuit 68, and drives the pulse motor based on the timing at which the sensor 34 detects a detection mark (not shown) on the mount 16. The CPU 52 is connected to an antenna 40.46 via an RFID reader / writer (RFID read / write control circuit) 28, and transmits and receives signals from the antennas 40 and 46 to the antenna 24 of the RFID label 14. On the other hand, the RFID label 14 has a microprocessor (MPU) 74, and this MPU 74
From the antenna 24 via the communication means 75
Signals are transmitted / received to / from the 0 antennas 40 and 46. A communication interface (communication I / F) 32 transmits and receives print data and issuance history data to and from the host computer 78.
Reference numeral 80 denotes a liquid crystal display and operation key control circuit including a keyboard controller, an LCD controller, and the like, which is connected to an operation panel 82 provided with a keyboard and a liquid crystal display, and both are connected to the CPU 52 via the bus 54. Next, the operation performed by the label printer 10 will be described with reference to FIG. First, the operation is started by turning on a power switch (not shown), and a hardware check such as a memory and a CPU and a paper position are transferred to a home position.
Is read into the RAM 58 to be executable. Next, the RFID label 14 is fed to a position where it can communicate with the antenna 40 on the upstream side, and waits for reception (step 1). In the next step 2, the RFID write data received from the host computer 78 via the communication I / F 32 is written from the reader / writer 28 to the RFID 14 (step 2). Next, the label (label corresponding to printing) 14 on which electrical writing has been performed on the RFID is conveyed to the printing unit 30, and visual and optical information is obtained using the thermal head 38.
(Characters, bar codes, two-dimensional codes, etc.) are written (step 3). Next, the label 14 is connected to the antenna 4 on the downstream side.
6 to a position where it can communicate with the
And the content written on the RFID chip
An inquiry is made to collate the data read from the ID 14 to determine whether or not the electrical writing has been successful (step 5). Here, in the case of YES (Y), one RFI
The processing for the D label 14 is terminated, and all the processing is terminated as it is, or when there is an RFID label to be electrically written and printed on the front surface, the process returns to step 1 described above. On the other hand, if the result of step 5 is NO (N),
Move to step 6. In this step, it is notified that there is an RFID label 14 in which an electrically read / write error has occurred. In this case, a buzzer sounds, an error is displayed on the liquid crystal display of the operation panel 82, and the printer is temporarily stopped. At this time, the issuance history of the RFID 14 can be transferred to the host computer 78 via the communication I / F. For example, the serial number of a normally issued RFID may be transferred to the host computer 78. A reissue is performed each time an error occurs.
Alternatively, the operator can select a process such as re-issuing an error portion collectively. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the antennas 40 and 46 of the RFID reader / writer 28 are arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side of the printing unit 30 along the label transporting unit. Then, the RFID label 14 which has caused an electrical read / write error after the removal can be eliminated as a defective label.
Relieved from the trouble of feeding or back-feeding the FID, the label slips and skews in the transport unit,
It is also possible to reduce the possibility of occurrence of printing failure due to gear backlash or the like. Further, by transferring the RFID label issuance history to the host computer, various effects such as a shortage of the number of copies due to the incorporation of the defective label and an easy determination of the authenticity of the counterfeit label can be achieved. In the above embodiment, the upstream antenna 40 and the downstream antenna 46 have been described as writing and reading, respectively. However, they are not dedicated ones and can perform both transmission and reception. It is. Therefore, the printer 10 has the following four operation modes depending on the transmission and reception operation states of the upper and lower antennas. (1) RF writing, thermal printing, RF reading (2) RF reading, thermal printing, RF writing (3) RF writing, thermal printing, RF writing (4) RF reading, thermal printing, RF reading In the above embodiment, the case of (1) has been described. However, if reading is performed by the upstream antenna as in (2) and (4), even if a host computer is not used,
It is also possible to read data from an unprinted RFID label on which data is recorded in advance and print the data on the label surface. If writing is performed by the downstream antenna as in (2) and (3), after the thermal printing is performed by the printing unit, data already stored in the RFID is deleted or the file attribute ( Various effects are exhibited, such as a change of a hidden file or a read-only file. As described above, according to the present invention, the RFID
Since the reader / writer antenna is arranged on the upstream and downstream sides of the printing unit along the label transporting unit, the RFID is not fed or back-fed between the printing unit and the antenna. An RFID label that has caused a read / write error can be detected and eliminated, and in this case, the label slips, skews,
It is possible to reduce the possibility of occurrence of printing failure due to gear backlash or the like. Further, by transferring the RFID label issuance history to the host computer, it is possible to easily determine the number of copies to be issued due to the incorporation of a defective label and to judge the authenticity of a forged label. Further, the RFID is read by the upstream antenna and printed on the surface of an unprinted RFID label on which data is recorded in advance, or written to the RFID label after thermal printing by the printing unit from the downstream antenna. Various effects are exhibited, such as deleting stored data and changing file attributes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an RFID which performs printing with a printer according to the present embodiment.
It is a perspective view showing a label. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic structure of an embodiment of a printer according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a control unit of the printer in FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process performed by the printer of FIG. 2; [Description of Symbols] 10 printer, 12 label paper, 14 RFID label, 22 IC chip, 24 antenna, 26 supply means, 28 communication means (RFID reader / writer), 30
Printing means, 34: sensor, 36: platen roller, 38
... thermal head (print head), 40 ... upstream antenna, 46 ... downstream antenna

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. An RFID label printer for printing on an RFID label having a built-in IC that is readable / writable in a non-contact state via an antenna, wherein visible information is recorded on a surface of the RFID label. A printing section, and an RF
An RFID label printer, comprising: a transport unit for supplying an ID label; and non-contact type reader / writer antennas provided upstream and downstream of the printing unit with respect to the transport unit.