JP2008145355A - Position orientation device of wireless tag - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for orienting the position of a wireless tag mounted on a moving body or an object to be carried or whose location is moved, by arranging dispersedly a plurality of wireless tag readers. <P>SOLUTION: The wireless tag readers 22a, 22b and antennas 223a, 223b are installed at a location where an object moving body normally exists, or along a route along which the moving body moves frequently; sensor networks 31a, 31b and antennas 313a, 313b are connected, and the information read out from a radio tag 21 is dispatched toward a sensor network 411 and an antenna 413 on an accumulation point 41; and the information is stored and processed in time series by a control means 412. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a position locating device for discretely arranging a plurality of wireless tag readers and estimating or locating the position of a wireless tag attached to a moving object or an object to be moved or carried. .

FIG. 3 shows an example of a conventional “signal transmission device” described in Patent Document 1. In FIG. 3, the transmitter 221b of the tag reader 22 emits a relatively high-power electromagnetic wave signal in the 27 MHz band, for example, and is radiated into the liquid from the small loop antenna 223a. The electromagnetic wave signal is rectified by the rectifier / receiver and converted into DC power, and the electromagnetic wave signal is detected to receive the read signal from the tag reader 22.
The electromagnetic wave signal transmitted from the transmitter 222 is received and detected by the receiver 212 a of the tag reader 22, the identification information of the passive tag 21 is detected by the control unit 223, and is output to the outside by the RS232C interface 224. .

Here, if the frequency of the electromagnetic wave signal transmitted from the tag reader 22 is 27 MHz, for example, and the transmitted power is 1 watt, it is possible to identify the passive tag 21 at a position about 10 m away or detect the identification code. In order to determine the position of the passive tag 21, when the transmission power must be set relatively low, the readable range is limited, and a large number of tag readers 2 are necessarily arranged discretely. Therefore, it is difficult to make all the areas readable by the tag reader, and it is difficult to collect information read from the passive tag 21 in one place.

Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-306404

In the present invention, since a plurality of wireless tag readers are discretely arranged with an emphasis on economy for the purpose of locating a wireless tag mounted on a moving object or an object to be moved or carried, the service area It was made to solve problems such as difficulty in reading by the wireless tag reader in the entire area and difficulty in collecting information read from the wireless tag in one place.

The wireless tag position locating device according to the present invention accumulates information on wireless tags read by a plurality of wireless tag readers in a time series via a sensor network, and uses the information accumulated in the time series to collect the wireless tags. Estimate or present the current position from the information accumulated in the past, taking into account the habits or characteristics of the object to be moved or moved, or the past movements A range of the wireless tag readers is limited, or a moving speed of the wireless tag is calculated from a time during which the wireless tag passes through an interval between the wireless tag readers, or the mobile tag or the place is moved by the wireless tag readers. Or a wireless tag using means such as installation at a point where a carried object frequently passes during movement It can be estimated or orientation of the current position.

In the conventional RFID tag system, it is used for the purpose of reading information stored in the RFID tag, and since the reading range of the RFID tag reader is limited, a large number of RFID tag readers are used for locating the RFID tag. The problem is that the equipment cost and the installation work cost become high due to the distributed arrangement.
In the wireless tag position locating device of the present invention, information from a large number of discretely arranged wireless tag readers is collected at an integration point by a sensor network and accumulated in a time series, and the purpose is obtained from the information accumulated in the time series. By estimating or locating the current position of the wireless tag to be performed, there is an effect that the equipment cost and the installation work cost can be suppressed at a low cost.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wireless tag position locating device according to the present invention is configured such that a plurality of wireless tag readers 22a and 22b determine the position of a wireless tag 21 attached to a moving object or an object to be moved or carried. A sensor network provided at an information accumulation point 41 by being distributed in a discrete manner at locations necessary for orientation and connecting the information of the wireless tag 21 read by the wireless tag readers 22a and 22b to the sensor networks 31a and 31b. 411, and is stored in time series by the control means 412. By estimating the current position from the past information of the radio tag 21 stored in the time series, the position of the radio tag 21 is estimated. Can be standardized.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which a liquid is used as a transmission medium. In FIG. 1, 21 is a wireless tag, 213 is an antenna of the wireless tag 21, 22a and 22b are wireless tag readers, 223a and 223b are antennas of the wireless tag readers 22a and 22b, 226a and 226b are reading ranges of the wireless tag readers 22a and 22b, 31a Is a sensor network, 313a, 313b is an antenna of the sensor network, 41 is an integration point, 411 is a sensor network installed at the integration point 41, 412 is a control means installed at the integration point 41, 414 is from the integration point 41 to the outside A connection point 111 for outputting information is a water surface or a liquid surface.
A case where the wireless tag 21 is attached to an underwater creature will be described.
The wireless tag readers 22a and 22b and the antennas 223a and 223b are installed along the place where the target organism normally lives or the route where it frequently moves due to the behavior of the creatures in the water, and the sensor networks 31a and 31b and the antennas 313a and 313b are connected. Then, the information read from the wireless tag 21 is transmitted toward the sensor network 411 and the antenna 413 of the integration point 41.
Since the reading range of the wireless tag readers 22a and 22b is limited to a relatively narrow range as shown by 226a and 226b, it is difficult to cover the entire movement range of the living thing, and the wireless tag 21 exists outside the area. Cases arise.

Therefore, the plurality of wireless tag readers 22a and 22b are spaced apart from each other beyond the respective readable ranges 226a and 226b, and the wireless tag is formed in the service area formed by the plurality of wireless tag readers 22a and 22b. 21 is moved, the information of the wireless tag 21 read by the plurality of wireless tag readers 22a and 22b is read by the control means 412 of the integration point 41 via the sensor networks 31a and 31b. In addition, a time stamp is added together with the identification numbers of the wireless tag readers 22a and 22b and stored in time series.
Since the positions of the wireless tag readers 22a and 22b are stored in the database in advance, the information read from the wireless tag 21 is compared along the time series, and the habits of the underwater creatures to which the wireless tag 21 is attached are taken into account. Thus, the current position of the wireless tag 21 can be estimated.
In the above description, the case where the transmission medium is a liquid and the wireless tag 21 is attached to a living organism in water has been described. However, the transmission medium is another transmission medium, and other mobile objects or places are moved or carried. The same effect can be obtained when it is attached to an object.
Further, the wireless tag reader is installed at a point where the moving object or the object to be moved or the object to be carried always passes or has a high probability of passing when moving. You can get well.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a control program showing another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, the program control procedure starts control at step 101 and ends at steps 109 to 111.
When started in step 101, information is acquired in step 102 and the acquired information is time-stamped and stored in a memory. Information is acquired from the sensor network via the RS232C in step 103.
When the acquisition of information is completed, in step 104, a flag is monitored whether there is a request for positioning of a specific wireless tag. If the flag is set, the process proceeds to step 105. If there is no flag, the process ends in step 111. To do.
If there is a request for position determination of the wireless tag, the information related to the wireless tag is read out in step 105, and it is determined in step 106 whether information that is closest in time exists.

If there is the latest information, the position of the wireless tag is determined based on the information acquired in step 107, the result is answered, and the process ends in step 109.
If there is no latest information, the current position is estimated from the past information and the habit or characteristic of the moving object equipped with the wireless tag, or the past movement route, and the result is answered.
The above program does not prescribe the whole, and does not prevent the production of various improved programs.

In the above description, the case where the antenna of the wireless tag reader is installed in water has been described. However, the same effect can be obtained even if it is installed in air, seawater, or an object.
Moreover, although the case where the antenna which radiates | emits or receives a high frequency signal was used was described, an ultrasonic signal was transmitted using an ultrasonic transducer or an ultrasonic transmitter, an ultrasonic transducer or an ultrasonic receiver was used. The same effect can be obtained by using the photodiode to receive an ultrasonic signal, or transmitting a light signal using a light emitting diode or a laser diode, and receiving a light signal using a photodiode. In the present application, the ultrasonic transducer or ultrasonic transducer and the light emitting diode, laser diode or photodiode are collectively referred to as a transducer. Even when only the transmitter or receiver of the transmitter / receiver is used, it is described as a transmitter / receiver.
In addition, information can be transmitted to an integration point using a communication line instead of the sensor network, or a wide area network can be configured by connecting the communication line to the sensor network.
In addition, an internet network can be connected to the tip of the control means to accept a request for positioning of the wireless tag.
In addition to the biotelemetry described above, examples of practical systems include a product management system in which a wireless tag is attached to a product, and a wireless tag reader is installed at the entrance / exit of the warehouse or a transportation route, or is carried by an elderly person or an elementary school student. In addition, a location system where a wireless tag reader is installed on a power pole or the like can be considered, but not limited to this example, various application examples can be considered.
In addition, it applies to any case where the wireless tag is an active tag that transmits a high-frequency signal by its own energy or a passive tag that receives a high-frequency signal transmitted from a wireless tag reader and responds as energy. it can.

Since the present invention is configured as described above, information from a large number of wireless tag readers that are discretely distributed is collected at an integration point by a sensor network, accumulated in a time series, and accumulated in the time series. By estimating or locating the target wireless tag from the information, the route to move is almost determined, repeated, or when the behavior or characteristics of the mobile is known, etc. A wireless tag can be carried or attached to an object to be moved or carried around.

1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart of the control program which shows the other Example of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the conventional Example.

Explanation of symbols

10 50 MHz band transmitter 11 Antenna 12 Antenna 13 50 MHz band receiver 21 Transmission means or passive tags 21a, 21b Wireless tag 22 Reception means or tag readers 22a, 22b Wireless tag readers 31a, 31b Sensor network 41 Information integration point 111 Water surface or liquid surface 211 Control unit 212 27 MHz band transmitter 213 Loop antenna 214 Antenna switch 215 Rectifier / receiver 221 Control unit 222, 222a 27 MHz band receiver 222b 27 MHz band transmitter 223, 223a, 223b Loop antenna 224 Interface unit 225 Connection terminal 313a 313b Antenna 411 Sensor network 412 Control means 413 Antenna 414 Connection point

Claims (8)

In a system for locating a position using an ultrasonic signal, a high-frequency signal or an optical signal,
A wireless tag attached to a moving object or an object to be moved or carried; and
A wireless tag reader for transmitting an ultrasonic signal, a high-frequency signal, or an optical signal to the wireless tag, and receiving an ultrasonic signal, a high-frequency signal, or an optical signal retransmitted or reflected from the wireless tag;
A sensor network connected to the wireless tag reader and transmitting information received by the wireless tag reader toward the center or an information accumulation point;
It is composed of control means for locating the position of the wireless tag from the information accumulated by the sensor network,
The wireless tag reader is discretely arranged at a plurality of locations according to the accuracy of locating the wireless tag, and the timing at which the wireless tag readers arranged at the plurality of locations transmit ultrasonic signals, high-frequency signals, or optical signals is Controlled by the sensor network,
Information on the wireless tag and information on the wireless tag reader that has read the information are accumulated in the control means by the sensor network,
A wireless tag position locating device that estimates or locates the position of an individual wireless tag from the accumulated information
The plurality of wireless tag readers are spaced apart from each other so that the wireless tag readers are spaced apart from each other, and the wireless tags move between discrete service areas formed by the plurality of wireless tag readers. 2. The wireless tag position locating device according to claim 1, wherein the position of the wireless tag is estimated or determined based on information of the wireless tag accumulated in the control means via a tag reader.
The control means receives the information of the wireless tags read by a plurality of wireless tag readers and accumulates them in time series, determines the position of the current time point of the wireless tags from the information accumulated in the time series, or accumulated in the past 2. The radio tag position locating device according to claim 1, wherein the position of the current time point is estimated from the information or limited to a limited range.
When estimating the current position of the wireless tag or limiting the existing range, it is characterized by taking into account the habits or characteristics of the object to be moved or carried, or the past movement results The wireless tag position locating device according to claim 3.
An interval between the plurality of wireless tag readers is determined and arranged, a moving speed of the wireless tag is calculated from a time during which the wireless tag passes through the interval, and is used for estimation of a current position of the wireless tag. The wireless tag position locating device according to claim 3.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of wireless tag readers are installed at a point where the moving object or the place to be moved or the object to be carried always passes or has a high probability of passing. Wireless tag location device
2. The wireless tag according to claim 1, wherein the wireless tag is attached to a living organism or an object existing in water, and at least an antenna or a transducer of the wireless tag reader is disposed in the water. Positioning device
  The wireless tag is an active tag that emits an ultrasonic signal, a high-frequency signal, or an optical signal by its own energy, and / or the wireless tag receives an ultrasonic signal, a high-frequency signal, or an optical signal that is transmitted from the wireless tag reader. The position locating device for a wireless tag according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the device is a passive tag that responds as energy.

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