Information processing system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

When a determination is made by using RSSI, the present invention appropriately makes a determination with respect to passage of a door by means of an RFID tag. The information processing system includes: a plurality of antennas; a weight calculation unit that calculates, for each of the antennas, a weight on the basis of the sum of the number of read RFID tags and the RSSI range; a score calculation unit that calculates a score on the basis of a value obtained by weighting the RSSI range of each of the antennas for the target tag with a weight corresponding to the antenna, and the number of antennas that receive information on the target tag; and a passage determination unit that determines whether or not the target tag has passed through the door, using a result of the comparison between the prescribed threshold value and the score.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to information processing systems, information processing methods, and procedures. Background Technology

[0002] Various technologies related to radio frequency identifier (RFID) tags have been proposed. For example, PTL 1 discloses a technique that uses the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the signal from the RFID tag to determine whether the RFID tag has passed through a door.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] PTL 1: JP 2022-140078 A Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical issues

[0007] When using RSSI to determine whether an RFID tag passes through a door, false determinations may occur if there are RFID tags that are only present around the door but do not actually pass through it. Such false determinations can be suppressed by preparing a physical environment, such as using a radio wave absorber or providing a restricted area. However, providing such an environment requires a sufficient area for the door to be installed. Therefore, methods other than the aforementioned environmental maintenance are needed to properly determine whether an RFID tag passes through a door. Therefore, the object of the exemplary embodiments disclosed in this specification is to provide a novel technique for properly determining whether an RFID tag passes through a door using RSSI.

[0008] Solution to the problem

[0009] The information processing system according to the first aspect includes:

[0010] Multiple antennas are distributed throughout the door and receive signals from RFID tags to read information from the RFID tags;

[0011] A weighting calculation device is used to calculate the weight of each antenna in the antenna array based on the number of RFID tags read by the antenna in a specific time period and the sum of the RSSI range of each RFID tag read by the antenna in the specific time period.

[0012] A score calculation device for calculating a score based on a value obtained by weighting the RSSI range of each antenna of the RFID tag for the target object using weights associated with the antenna, and the number of antennas that have received information from the RFID tag for the target object; and

[0013] The determination device is used to determine whether the RFID tag of the determined object has passed through the gate by comparing the score with a predetermined first threshold.

[0014] The information processing methods according to the second aspect include:

[0015] For each of a plurality of antennas distributed in a door and receiving signals from RFID tags to read information from RFID tags, the antenna weight is calculated based on the number of RFID tags read via the antenna in a specific time period and the sum of the RSSI range of each RFID tag read via the antenna in a specific time period.

[0016] A score is calculated based on a value obtained by weighting the RSSI range of each antenna in the RFID tag for the target object using weights associated with the antenna, and the number of antennas that have received information from the RFID tag for the target object; and

[0017] The RFID tag of the target object is determined by comparing the score with a predetermined first threshold.

[0018] The computer is instructed to execute the procedure according to the third aspect:

[0019] The weighting step calculates the antenna weight for each of a plurality of antennas distributed in the door and receiving signals from RFID tags to read information from the RFID tags, based on the number of RFID tags read via the antenna in a specific time period and the sum of the RSSI range of each of the RFID tags read via the antenna in a specific time period.

[0020] The score calculation step is based on a value obtained by weighting the RSSI range of each antenna in the RFID tag for the target object using weights associated with the antenna, and the number of antennas that have received information from the RFID tag for the target object; and

[0021] The determination step involves using a comparison between a score and a predetermined first threshold to determine whether the RFID tag of the object has passed through the gate.

[0022] Beneficial effects of the present invention

[0023] Based on the above aspects, a novel technique can be provided for properly performing a determination when using RSSI to determine whether an RFID tag passes through a gate. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of an information processing system according to the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of an information processing system according to the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the door as viewed from the side.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram used to illustrate the sensor, and it is a view of the door from above.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a time period of data used by information processing equipment.

[0029] Figure 6 This is a graph comparing a typical change in RSSI for a door-crossing RFID tag with a typical change in RSSI for an outside-door RFID tag.

[0030] Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of an information processing device.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a table summarizing the RSSI data of ten RFID tags read by the reading device during the data collection period and the number of times the reading device read the tags during the data collection period.

[0032] Figure 9 It is a table summarizing the number of tags, the sum of RSSI ranges, and the antenna weights calculated based on these for each antenna.

[0033] Figure 10 It is a table summarizing the weighted range values, the sum of the weighted range values, the number of detection antennas, the scores, and the comparison results between the scores and predetermined thresholds of the ten RFID tags read by the reading device during data collection.

[0034] Figure 11A This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of an information processing system according to this disclosure.

[0035] Figure 11B This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of an information processing system according to this disclosure.

[0036] Figure 12 It is shown in the figure. Figure 11B A flowchart detailing the processing in step S110.

[0037] Figure 13 It is shown in the figure. Figure 11B A flowchart detailing the processing in step S112.

[0038] Figure 14 It is shown in the figure. Figure 11B A flowchart detailing the processing in step S113.

[0039] Figure 15 It is shown in the figure. Figure 11B A flowchart detailing the processing in step S114.

[0040] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device. Detailed Implementation

[0041] <Overview of Example Implementations>

[0042] Before a detailed description of the example embodiments, an overview of the example embodiments will be described. Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of an information processing system 1 according to the present disclosure. Information processing system 1 is a system for determining whether an RFID tag has passed through a door, and includes, for example... Figure 1 The diagram shows multiple antennas 2, weight calculation unit 3, score calculation unit 4, and pass / fail determination unit 5.

[0043] Multiple antennas 2 are distributed throughout the door. Each antenna 2 receives signals from RFID tags in order to read information from the RFID tags. Each antenna 2 can read information from multiple RFID tags.

[0044] Weighting calculation unit 3 calculates the weight for each antenna 2. For each antenna 2, weighting calculation unit 3 calculates the weight based on the number of RFID tags read via antenna 2 during a specific time period and the sum of the RSSI ranges of the RFID tags read via antenna 2 during the specific time period. Here, the RSSI range is the difference between the maximum and minimum RSSI values ​​of the signal from an RFID tag received by one antenna 2. That is, the RSSI range is the difference between the maximum and minimum RSSI of the antenna 2 of interest for the RFID tag of interest.

[0045] The score calculation unit 4 calculates the score based on the value obtained by weighting the RSSI range of each antenna 2 for the RFID tag of the judgment object using the weight associated with the antenna 2, and the number of antennas 2 that have received information from the RFID tag of the judgment object.

[0046] The determination unit 5 determines whether the RFID tag of the object to be determined has passed through the gate by comparing the score with a predetermined first threshold.

[0047] As described above, in information processing system 1, the passage of an RFID tag through a door is determined not by simply comparing the RFID tag's RSSI range with a threshold, but by comparing an RSSI range weighted by a weight associated with antenna 2 with a threshold. Therefore, even when RFID tags that have not passed through the door are present around the door, the passage of the RFID tag is properly determined compared to cases where this determination method is not used.

[0048] <Details of the example embodiment>

[0049] The details of the example embodiments will now be described. Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of an information processing system 10 according to the present disclosure. In addition to the information processing system 10, Figure 2 The diagram also shows RFID tag 80.

[0050] The information processing system 10 determines whether the RFID tag 80 has passed through the gate 90 by using the results of the transmission and reception of signals between the antenna 102 and the RFID tag 80. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of door 90 as viewed from the side surface. Figure 3 In the illustration, besides door 90, a person 70 (RFID tag 80) passing through door 90 is also shown. For example, door 90 is installed in a store selling product 81. An RFID tag 80, recording identification information, is attached to product 81, and a person 70, acting as a customer, passes through door 90 along with the product 81 to be purchased. As a result, the RFID tag 80 passes through door 90. Figure 3 In the illustrated example, a person 70, carrying a basket 82 containing one or more products 81 with RFID tags 80, moves in the direction indicated by the arrow and passes through a door 90. The information processing system 10 then specifies which RFID tag 80 has passed through door 90. In such a use case, the information processing system 10 determines whether an RFID tag 80 has passed through door 90 so that the product 81 that the person 70, as a customer, intends to purchase can be identified. However, the above use case is merely an example, and the information processing system 10 can be used in other applications. For example, the object to which the RFID tag 80 is attached is not limited to a product and can be any item. The RFID tag 80 does not necessarily have to be attached to an item.

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the information processing system 10 includes a reading device 100, a sensor 200, and an information processing device 300.

[0052] Reading device 100 is a device for communicating with RFID tag 80 and reading information stored in RFID tag 80, and includes an RFID reader 101 and an antenna 102. Reading device 100 is connected to information processing device 300 to enable communication with it via wired or wireless means. RFID tag 80 is, for example, a passive RFID tag. In RFID tag 80, an Electronic Product Code (EPC) and a Tag Identifier (TID) are pre-recorded. The EPC is a unique number assigned to RFID tag 80, and RFID tag 80 can be uniquely identified by the EPC. For this reason, the EPC can be referred to as tag identification information. The TID is information that can identify the type of RFID tag 80 and can be referred to as tag type identification information. Reading device 100 reads these information fragments stored in RFID tag 80. Reading device 100 can also read further information stored in RFID tag 80.

[0053] RFID reader 101 serves as a control circuit, communicating with RFID tag 80 via antenna 102 according to a predetermined communication protocol and reading information stored in RFID tag 80. RFID reader 101 measures the RSSI of the signal received from RFID tag 80 by antenna 102. RFID reader 101 outputs the information read from RFID tag 80 and the RSSI of the signal from RFID tag 80 to information processing device 300. As a result, information processing device 300 acquires the received RSSI of the signal used to read RFID tag 80.

[0054] In this example embodiment, as an example, door 90 includes a first side surface 91a and a second side surface 91b, and a person 70 passes between the first side surface 91a and the second side surface 91b together with an RFID tag 80. The length of door 90 in the passage direction, i.e., the length of the passage of door 90, is, for example, 120 cm, but is not limited thereto. The distance between the first side surface 91a and the second side surface 91b, i.e., the width of the passage, is, for example, 90 cm, but is not limited thereto.

[0055] Multiple antennas 102 are distributed within the gate 90. Antennas 102 receive signals from RFID tags 80 to read information from the RFID tags 80. Specifically, antennas 102 transmit radio waves toward and receive radio waves transmitted by the RFID tags 80. The transmission of radio waves from antennas 102 is repeated. Therefore, a response from the same RFID tag 80 can occur multiple times. That is, antennas 102 can receive radio waves (signals) from the same RFID tag 80 multiple times. Therefore, the RFID reader 101 can perform multiple reading processes and RSSI measurement processes for the same RFID tag 80.

[0056] Specifically, in this example embodiment, gate 90 is provided with antennas 102_1, 102_2, 102_3, and 102_4. The number of antennas 102 is merely an example and is not necessarily four. In the following text, unless otherwise specifically mentioned, antennas 102_1, 102_2, 102_3, and 102_4 will be referred to as antennas 102.

[0057] In this example embodiment, antennas 102 are distributed at the entrance and exit of door 90. More specifically, as Figure 3 As illustrated, antennas 102 are distributed on both sides of the entrance and exit of door 90. Antenna 102_1 is positioned on one side of a predetermined first point on the entrance side of door 90 (specifically, on the first side surface 91a), and antenna 102_2 is positioned on the other side of the first point on the entrance side of door 90 (specifically, on the second side surface 91b). Similarly, antenna 102_3 is positioned on one side of a predetermined second point on the exit side of door 90 (specifically, on the first side surface 91a), and antenna 102_4 is positioned on the other side of the second point on the exit side of door 90 (specifically, on the second side surface 91b).

[0058] Door 90 is equipped with a sensor 200 for detecting the passage of a person 70. In this example embodiment, specifically, sensors 200_1 and 200_2 are provided. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specifically mentioned, sensors 200_1 and 200_2 will be referred to as sensor 200.

[0059] Sensor 200_1 is a sensor that detects the time point at which person 70 has passed through the entrance of door 90. Sensor 200_2 is a sensor that detects the time point at which person 70 has passed through the exit of door 90. More specifically, sensor 200_1 detects the time point at which person 70 has passed the point closest to antennas 102_1 and 102_2 (i.e., the first point mentioned above) on the entrance side of the passage of door 90. When passing through door 90, sensor 200_2 detects the time point at which person 70 has passed the point closest to antennas 102_3 and 102_4 (i.e., the second point mentioned above) on the exit side. Figure 3 In this example, sensor 200_1 is positioned above the second side surface 91b and immediately above antenna 102_2, and sensor 200_2 is positioned above the second side surface 91b and immediately above antenna 102_4. However, the mounting location of sensor 200 is not limited to this. Sensor 200 is connected to information processing device 300 to enable wired or wireless communication with it and to transmit information indicating the time point in time that person 70 has passed to information processing device 300.

[0060] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the sensor 200 according to this example embodiment, and is a view of the door 90 from above. Figure 4 As illustrated, in this example embodiment, sensor 200 is an infrared sensor that illuminates infrared light 210 in a direction intersecting with the passage of person 70 at door 90, and detects the timing of person 70's passage by reflecting light. Figure 4 The diagram shows a broken line arrow, but this broken line arrow indicates the maximum RSSI acquisition period, which will be described later. An example of the movement range of person 70 (RFID tag 80) is determined based on the passing time point of person 70 detected by sensor 200.

[0061] Sensor 200 can detect the point in time when a person 70 has passed a specific point by detecting the traffic flow of the person 70. In this case, sensor 200 can detect the traffic flow of the person 70 by illuminating each section of the area where the door 90 is positioned with infrared light and determining which section the person 70 has passed by based on the reflected light from each infrared beam. Sensor 200 can be any known sensor capable of determining the point in time when a person 70 has passed a predetermined point in the door 90, and the specific configuration is not limited to the configuration described above. For example, a camera capturing the door 90 can be used as sensor 200.

[0062] Information processing device 300 is communicatively connected to reader 100 and sensor 200. Information processing device 300 determines whether an RFID tag 80 read by reader 100 is a tag that has passed through the door or a tag that has not yet passed through the door 90, based on the detection results of sensor 200 and RSSI measured by reader 100.

[0063] Because RFID tags 80 that pass through gate 90 approach antenna 102 and then move away from antenna 102, RFID tags 80 that pass through gate 90 generally tend to have relatively high RSSI and relatively large RSSI range. On the other hand, since RFID tags 80 that do not pass through gate 90 do not move with the passing RFID tags 80, there is a tendency for them to have relatively low RSSI and a relatively small RSSI range. By using such characteristics, it is possible to determine whether the RFID tag 80 of the target has passed through. However, since the RSSI of radio signals may vary due to various factors, there is a possibility that the above characteristics may not be exhibited. Therefore, simply comparing the maximum RSSI with a threshold or comparing the RSSI range with a threshold cannot make an appropriate determination, and there is a possibility that erroneous determination may occur. Therefore, in this example embodiment, in order to suppress such erroneous determination, the information processing device 300 performs the determination by the process described below.

[0064] First, the time period during which the information processing device 300 uses data will be described in this example embodiment. In this example embodiment, the information processing device 300 uses a data acquisition period. The data is collected during the period defined below. Specifically, for the maximum RSSI, the information processing device 300 collects data during the maximum RSSI period. Using RSSI, the maximum RSSI acquisition period It is the time period defined as follows. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a time period of data used by the information processing device 300.

[0065] like Figure 5 As illustrated in the figure, in this example embodiment, the data collection period is... It is the time period from the first time point to the second time point. The first time point is from the second time point. Rewind the scheduled time The second time point is from the time point. The scheduled time has already passed The point in time. Here, the point in time. The time point when person 70 passed through was detected by sensor 200_1 on the entrance side, and the time point... The time point at which person 70 passes through is detected by sensor 200_2 on the exit side. By using data from such a time period, data can be appropriately collected when person 70 and RFID tag 80 pass through door 90.

[0066] Maximum RSSI acquisition period It is defined as the data collection period A portion of the time period within the time frame, and related to a specific time point. or time point The relevant scheduled time period. Maximum RSSI acquisition period. Based on time point or time point The scheduled time for the center (2) (e.g., time period). Figure 5 The diagram shows the time points. Defined maximum RSSI acquisition period Known as the maximum RSSI acquisition period Time point Defined maximum RSSI acquisition period This is called the maximum RSSI acquisition period. In this example embodiment, as an example, =1 second =0.5 seconds and =0.25 seconds (2 =0.5 seconds), but these are just examples and other values ​​can be used.

[0067] Utilizing data collection periods and the maximum RSSI acquisition period This definition refers to the data collection period. This refers to the time period from the time a person (RFID tag 80) enters near the entrance of door 90 to the time a person leaves near the exit of door 90. Maximum RSSI collection period. This is the time period related to the period when person 70 (RFID tag 80) is closest to antenna 102 (see [link]). Figure 4 (The broken line arrow in the middle).

[0068] Figure 6 This is a graph comparing a typical RSSI change of an RFID tag 80 that has passed through door 90 with a typical RSSI change of an RFID tag 80 that has not passed through door 90. In the following text, an RFID tag 80 that has actually passed through door 90 may be referred to as a passed tag, and an RFID tag 80 that has actually not passed through door 90 may be referred to as a failed tag. Figure 6 The graph shown is a graph illustrating the time change of the maximum RSSI among the RSSI measured via antenna 102. Figure 6 In the diagram, the graph indicated by solid lines shows an example of the transition of RSSI through the label, and the graph indicated by broken lines shows an example of the transition of RSSI without the label.

[0069] like Figure 6 As shown in the diagram, the RSSI of the RFID tag 80 that actually passes through the door 90 tends to be at the time point when the RFID tag passes through the antenna 102. and The RSSI peaks at the point of maximum RSSI. On the other hand, this trend is not observed in the 80 failed RFID tags, and the RSSI changes irregularly. Therefore, by collecting data from the period of maximum RSSI... or Extracting the maximum RSSI from the data can reduce the likelihood of extracting a large value as the maximum RSSI of the failed RFID tag. As a result, such as... Figure 6 As illustrated, this also reduces the likelihood of calculating large values ​​as the RSSI range for tags that failed to pass. In other words, it can suppress erroneous determinations that an RFID tag 80 that actually failed to pass through gate 90 is a tag that did pass through gate 90. As described above, in this example embodiment, the RSSI range is determined by a specific time period (data acquisition period). A portion of the time period within ) (maximum RSSI collection period) The maximum RSSI and specific time period (data acquisition period) in ) The minimum RSSI definition in ).

[0070] Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of an information processing device 300. For example... Figure 7 As shown in the figure, the information processing device 300 includes a communication control unit 301, a reading control unit 302, a data acquisition unit 303, a weight calculation unit 304, a threshold setting unit 305, a score calculation unit 306, and a pass / fail determination unit 307.

[0071] The communication control unit 301 communicates with other devices, transmitting and receiving information from them. Specifically, the communication control unit 301 collects information stored in the RFID tag 80 from the RFID reader 101 of the reading device 100. The communication control unit 301 collects the RSSI from the RFID reader 101 of the reading device 100. As described above, for the same RFID tag 80, the collection of stored information and RSSI is repeated while the reading device 100 is operating. The communication control unit 301 collects detection results from the sensor 200.

[0072] The read control unit 302 controls the start and end of the operation of the read device 100. For example, the read control unit 302 transmits control signals to the read device 100 to start or terminate the operation of the read device 100. In response to the activation of the read device 100, the transmission and reception of radio waves through the antenna 102 begins. In this example embodiment, the operation of the read device 100 is remotely controlled from the information processing device 300, but remote control may not be necessary. In this case, the read control unit 302 may be omitted from the information processing device 300.

[0073] The data acquisition unit 303 performs data processing required for acquiring information received from another device by the communication control unit 301, the processing of which will be described later. Specifically, the data acquisition unit 303 processes data based on time points. and During the data collection period Data is collected during the process. To determine the maximum RSSI, the data acquisition unit 303 uses time points... and From the data collection period Extracting the maximum RSSI acquisition period from the data. The RSSI data. For each RFID tag 80 read, the data acquisition unit 303 collects data during the data acquisition period. Minimum RSSI and maximum RSSI acquisition periods The RSSI range is calculated using the maximum RSSI in the data acquisition unit 303. The data acquisition unit 303 calculates the data acquisition period for each RFID tag 80 read from the RFID tags 80. The average RSSI is the average value of the RSSI measured in each antenna 102. Although the processing of the data acquisition unit 303 has been described above, some or all of the above processing may be performed in any of the other components included in the information processing device 300.

[0074] The weight calculation unit 304 calculates a weight for each antenna 102. Specifically, the weight calculation unit 304 calculates a weight based on the number of tags. The sum of RSSI range To calculate the weight of antenna 102_i Here, in this example embodiment, i = 1, 2, 3, and 4. The number of tags. During the aforementioned data collection period The number of RFID tags 80 read via antenna 102_i. The total RSSI range. During the data collection period The weighting unit 304 calculates the sum of the RSSI ranges of the RFID tags 80 read by antenna 102_i. More specifically, the weighting unit 304 calculates the sum of the RSSI ranges. Divide by the number of labels To calculate the weight of antenna 102_i That is, the weight of each antenna 102_i is calculated using the following expression (1). .

[0075] …(1)

[0076] As described above, the weight calculation unit 304 calculates the weight by summing the RSSI range. Divide by the number of labels To calculate the weight of antenna 102_i. The weight is calculated each time person 70 passes through gate 90.

[0077] Here, a specific example of how the weights are calculated will be described. Figure 8 This is a summary of the data acquisition period by the reading device 100. The RSSI data of 80 RFID tags read from the middle and the data collected by the reading device 100 during the data collection period. The table shows the number of times RFID tags were read. In the example shown here, five RFID tags 80 (tags 1 to 5 in the table) are tags that actually passed through door 90. The remaining five RFID tags 80 (tags 6 to 10 in the table) are tags that did not actually pass through door 90. Figure 8 The illustrated table shows the maximum RSSI, minimum RSSI, and RSSI range calculated from the maximum and minimum RSSI in antenna 102_i for each RFID tag 80. As described above, Figure 8 The minimum RSSI in the data acquisition period is from The minimum RSSI value is extracted from the data, but the maximum RSSI value is only relevant to the data acquisition period. Maximum RSSI acquisition period The maximum value of RSSI is extracted from the data in the dataset. Figure 8 In the illustrated table, RFID tag 80 where both the maximum and minimum RSSI values ​​detected by antenna 102_i are 0 indicates that reading via antenna 102_i has failed. Therefore, for example, antennas 102_1 and 102_4 can receive signals from the tag labeled 10, but antennas 102_2 and 102_3 cannot receive signals.

[0078] In obtaining such Figure 8 In the case of the data illustrated, the weight calculation unit 304 calculates the weight for each antenna 102, such as... Figure 9 The table shown in the figure. Figure 9 This is the number of tags summarized for each antenna (102). The sum of RSSI ranges And the weights of antenna 102_i calculated based on these. The table. In this example, the maximum weight is calculated for antenna 102_3.

[0079] Next, the threshold setting unit 305 will be described. In this disclosure, the RFID tag 80 used to determine whether an object's RFID tag has passed through the gate 90 is also referred to as the object tag.

[0080] The threshold setting unit 305 sets a maximum RSSI threshold according to the type of the object tag. Here, the maximum RSSI threshold is a threshold used for comparison with the maximum RSSI of the object tag. The reading distance of the RFID tag 80 varies depending on the power consumption of the chip constituting the RFID tag 80, the configuration of the antenna of the RFID tag 80, etc. That is, the RFID tag 80 has different reading distances depending on the type of tag. Here, the reading distance refers to the maximum distance between the RFID tag 80 and the antenna 102 that receives the response signal from the RFID tag 80, provided that the RFID tag 80 can respond when a signal is output from the antenna 102 of the reading device 100 to the RFID tag 80 at a predetermined transmission power. The reading distance can also be referred to as the communicable distance or the responsive distance.

[0081] The characteristics of the RFID tag 80 relative to its reading distance can be determined by the TID stored in the RFID tag 80. Therefore, in this example embodiment, the threshold setting unit 305 sets the maximum RSSI threshold of the object tag based on the TID read from the object tag. The information processing device 300 stores the maximum RSSI threshold for each TID. For example, the maximum RSSI threshold for each TID is stored in a storage device such as the memory 351 described later in the information processing device 300. Here, as the reading distance of the RFID tag 80 determined based on the TID increases, a higher maximum RSSI threshold is stored associated with the TID. Therefore, as the reading distance of the RFID tag 80 increases, the threshold setting unit 305 sets a higher value as the maximum RSSI threshold. The specific value of the maximum RSSI threshold for each TID is determined experimentally in advance based on the installation environment of the gate 90.

[0082] Threshold setting unit 305 sets the threshold according to the data collection period. The total number of times the object tag is read, n, sets the RSSI range threshold. Here, the RSSI range threshold is a threshold used for comparison with the RSSI range of the object tag. During the data acquisition period... The total number of times n is read from a certain RFID tag 80 during the data collection period via antenna 102_i. The total number of times n is read from the RFID tag 80. That is, in this example embodiment, In the following text, during the data collection period... The total number of times a certain RFID tag is read is also referred to as the number of reads.

[0083] More specifically, if during the data collection period If the total number of times the object tags are read, n, exceeds a reference value R, then the threshold setting unit 305 determines to use a threshold higher than the threshold used when the total number of reads, n, does not exceed the reference value R, as the RSSI range threshold. Specifically, if the total number of object tags, n, exceeds the reference value R, then the threshold setting unit 305 determines to use the higher of two predetermined different thresholds as the RSSI range threshold. On the other hand, if the total number of object tags, n, does not exceed the reference value R, then the threshold setting unit 305 determines to use the lower of two predetermined different thresholds as the RSSI range threshold. These two thresholds are stored in advance in the information processing device 300. For example, the two thresholds used as the RSSI range thresholds are stored in a storage device such as the memory 351 of the information processing device 300, which will be described later. The specific values ​​of these two thresholds are determined experimentally in advance based on the installation environment of the gate 90.

[0084] In this example embodiment, the reference value R mentioned above is a reference value defined as follows (2).

[0085] …(2)

[0086] Here is the number of reads of the RFID tag 80 having the largest number of reads among all the RFID tags 80 read during the data acquisition period

[0087] Here, a specific example of setting the RSSI range threshold will be described. Assume that during the data acquisition period obtained within Figure 8 the data shown in the figure Figure 8 The figure shows how many times each RFID tag 80 is read by the reading device 100. In this case, consider the RSSI range threshold used when the object tag is Figure 8 the RFID tag 80 with label number 3 in the table Figure 8 In the example shown, the RFID tag 80 having the largest number of reads is Figure 8 the tag with label number 1 in the table and the number of reads is 180 times. Therefore, in this case

[0088] In the above example, the reference value R is defined according to expression (2), but the reference value R can be any reference value for determining whether the number of reads n of the object tag is large or small, and its definition is not limited to expression (2). For example, the average value of the number of reads of each tag read during the data acquisition period can be used to define the reference value R, or a fixed value identified through experiments can be used

[0089] Next, the score calculation unit 306 will be described. The score calculation unit 306 calculates a score for determining whether each object tag has passed through the gate 90. In the present exemplary embodiment, the score calculation unit 306 uses the weight calculated by the weight calculation unit 304 to calculate the score ​More specifically, the score calculation unit 306 first calculates the RSSI range of the object label for antenna 102_i for all antennas 102 and the weight calculated for that antenna 102_i. The product of the values ​​is used. As a result, a weighted range value is calculated, which is obtained by weighting the RSSI range of each antenna 102 for the target tag using weights associated with the antenna 102. Then, the score calculation unit 306 calculates a score by dividing the sum of the weighted range values ​​of each antenna 102 by the number of antennas 102 that have received information about the target tag. In other words, the score calculation unit 306 calculates the score by normalizing the sum of the weighted range values ​​of each antenna 102 using the number of antennas 102 that have received information about the object tag. In other words, scores Defined by the following expression (3). Here, the RSSI range of the object tag for antenna 102_i is The weights for antenna 102_i are The weighted range value of the object label for antenna 102_i is The number of antennas 102 that have received information about the object tag is . Indicates i The sum of .

[0090] …(3)

[0091] in

[0092] Here, the fractions will be described. A specific example of the calculation. Assume it's during the data acquisition period. Internal acquisition Figure 8 The data shown in the figure. As described above, the weight calculation unit 304 calculates the weight for each antenna 102, such as... Figure 9 The table shown in the illustration. In this case, as... Figure 10 The table shown in the image calculates a score of 80 for each RFID tag. . Figure 10 This is a summary of the data acquisition period by the reading device 100. The weighted range value of 80 from ten RFID tags read in the middle , The sum Number of antennas 102 ,Fraction and scores A table showing the comparison results between the target threshold and the predetermined threshold. Figure 10 In the example shown, the predetermined threshold value is 45.

[0093] Next, the determination unit 307 will be described. The determination unit 307 determines whether the object tag has passed through the gate 90. In this example embodiment, the determination unit 307 uses the results of the first comparison, the second comparison, the third comparison, and the fourth comparison to determine whether the object tag has passed through the gate 90.

[0094] Here, the first comparison is between the maximum RSSI threshold set by the threshold setting unit 305 according to the tag type and the maximum RSSI of the target tag. Here, the maximum RSSI of the target tag refers to the maximum RSSI among the RSSIs measured by antenna 102 for the target tag during the period of interest. That is, as defined below... , , and The maximum value among them. Here, (Where i = 1, 2, 3, and 4) represents the maximum RSSI value of the object tag measured via antenna 102_i during the time period of interest. The time period of interest mentioned here specifically refers to the maximum RSSI acquisition period described above in this example embodiment. However, the period of interest only needs to be a specific period (e.g., the data collection period). The time period within the specified time period can be a time period that matches a specific time period. As described above, in this example embodiment, the determination unit 307 determines whether the object tag has passed through the gate 90 by comparing the maximum RSSI in the time period of interest included in the specific time period of the object tag with a threshold set according to the tag type. Based on the first comparison, a threshold related to the reading distance of the object tag can be used to determine whether the object tag has passed through the gate 90. Therefore, even when using various RFID tags 80 with different reading distances, it is possible to properly determine whether the object tag has passed through the gate 90.

[0095] The second comparison is between the score calculated by the score calculation unit 306 and a predetermined threshold. The predetermined threshold is determined in advance through experiments based on the installation environment of the gate 90. As described above, in this example embodiment, the determination unit 307 determines whether the object tag has passed through the gate 90 by using the comparison result between the score calculated by the score calculation unit 306 based on the weight of each antenna 102 and the predetermined threshold.

[0096] In this example embodiment, the reasons for making such a determination will be described. The inventors have discovered the following from data collected when RFID tag 80 passes through door 90. That is, the inventors have discovered that during the data collection period... In this study, the following trend emerged: the RSSI range detected for missed tags is unlikely to increase relative to antenna 102, where the number of reads for missed tags is relatively small. That is, it has been found that for antenna 102 with a relatively small number of missed tag reads, such as... Figures 8 to 10 The illustrated antenna 102_3 tends to obtain the ideal RSSI range for a failed tag. Therefore, by focusing on the RSSI range associated with antenna 102 where the reads of failed tags are relatively small and comparing a threshold with the RSSI range, passed tags and failed tags can be more appropriately distinguished. That is, by applying a large weight to the RSSI range associated with antenna 102 where the reads of failed tags are relatively small, and then comparing a threshold with the RSSI range, passed tags and failed tags can be more appropriately distinguished. Therefore, in this example embodiment, the weight calculation unit 304 calculates the weight indicated by the above expression (1) for each antenna 102. As described above, the sum of the RSSI ranges in expression (1) During the data collection period The sum of the RSSI ranges of the RFID tags 80 read by antenna 102_i. As mentioned above, the RSSI range tends to be relatively large for passing tags and relatively small for non-passing tags. Therefore, as the percentage of passing tags among those read by antenna 102_i increases, the sum... It becomes a larger value. In other words, when the percentage of tags that did not pass through among the tags read by antenna 102_i is small, the sum becomes larger. This becomes a larger value. Among the antennas 102_i that received fewer reads without passing the tag, the sum... Increase. Therefore, the weights calculated in this example embodiment... The number of failed tags read by antenna 102 increases. As a result, in the determination using the results of the second comparison, the detection results of the RSSI range associated with the antenna 102 with fewer failed tags are emphasized to determine the target tag, and the possibility of erroneous determination is reduced.

[0097] By using the results of a second comparison, for example, a passing tag where the ideal RSSI range as a passing tag cannot be obtained—that is, an RFID tag 80 that has actually passed through gate 90 but has a relatively small detected RSSI range—can be distinguished from a failing tag. It is difficult to distinguish between passing tags and failing tags based on RSSI range alone (especially failing tags where an RSSI range different from the ideal RSSI range for failing tags is obtained). In other words, it is generally difficult to set a threshold to distinguish between the two. On the other hand, when comparing a weighted score with a threshold, by giving a large weight to the detection result by the antenna capable of obtaining the ideal RSSI range for failing tags, it is easier to set a threshold that can distinguish between the two.

[0098] Here, we will refer to Figures 8 to 10 The illustrated example is used to describe the second comparison. From Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown in the table, antenna 102_3 during a certain data acquisition period... The system reads many passed tags and very few failed tags. Therefore, during the data collection period... In the data collection process, antenna 102_3 was assigned the highest weight compared to other antennas 102. As a result, the scores of RFID tags 80 labeled 1 to 10 were as follows: Figure 10 The calculation is illustrated in the diagram. When these scores are compared to a predetermined threshold (specifically, 45), labels 1 to 5, which are considered pass labels, can be appropriately determined as pass labels, and labels 6 to 10, which are considered fail labels, can be appropriately determined as fail labels. In particular, label 3, whose ideal RSSI range as a pass label cannot be obtained, can be appropriately distinguished from fail labels.

[0099] Next, the third comparison described above will be described. The third comparison is a comparison between the RSSI range threshold set by the threshold setting unit 305 based on the number of times the object tag is read, and the RSSI range of the object tag within a specific time period. In this example embodiment, as described above, the RSSI range of the object tag within a specific time period is specifically based on the data acquisition period. Minimum and maximum RSSI acquisition periods The RSSI range is calculated based on the maximum RSSI value. Here, the RSSI range of the object tag refers to the maximum RSSI range among the RSSI ranges of each antenna 102 of the object tag. In other words, it is... , , and The maximum value among them. Here, (where i = 1, 2, 3, 4) is the RSSI range of antenna 102_i of the object tag. As described above, in this example embodiment, the determination unit 307 determines whether the object tag has passed through gate 90 by comparing the RSSI range of the object tag in a specific time period with a threshold set according to the number of reads.

[0100] In this example embodiment, the reason for making such a determination will be described. The inventors have discovered the following from data on RFID tag 80 passing through gate 90. That is, the inventors have discovered that, with a large number of reads, passing tags tend to have a large RSSI range. Therefore, by comparing a threshold related to the number of reads with the RSSI range, passing tags and non-passing tags can be more appropriately distinguished. Specifically, the threshold setting unit 305 sets a strict threshold (a threshold with a relatively large value) for object tags with a number of reads greater than the reference value R, and a lenient threshold (a threshold with a relatively small value) for object tags with a number of reads not greater than the reference value R. For example, by using the result of the second comparison, even with a small number of reads, it is expected that an appropriate determination will be made for passing tags that have already acquired a certain RSSI range. Even with a large number of reads, it is expected that an appropriate determination will be made for non-passing tags that have not yet acquired a sufficient RSSI range.

[0101] In this example embodiment, if the first comparison results in an object tag having a maximum RSSI higher than a maximum RSSI threshold, the determination unit 307 determines that the object tag is a pass tag. If such a comparison result cannot be obtained in the first comparison, the determination unit 307 performs a second comparison on the object tag. If the second comparison results in a score calculated by the score calculation unit 306 greater than a predetermined threshold, the determination unit 307 determines that the object tag is a pass tag. If such a comparison result cannot be obtained in the second comparison, the determination unit 307 performs a third comparison on the object tag. If the third comparison does not result in an object tag having an RSSI range greater than an RSSI range threshold, the determination unit 307 determines that the object tag is a fail tag.

[0102] If the RSSI range of the object label is greater than the RSSI range threshold in the third comparison, the determination unit 307 can determine that the object label is a passed label. However, in this case, an object label that is actually not a passed label may be incorrectly determined as a passed label. Therefore, in this example embodiment, a fourth comparison is performed to reduce such erroneous determinations.

[0103] The fourth comparison is the number of times the object label is read compared to a predetermined threshold. The fourth comparison is the average RSSI of the object labels compared to a predetermined threshold. The comparison between the values ​​is performed. The threshold for the fourth comparison is determined experimentally in advance based on the installation environment of the gate 90. In this example embodiment, if the comparison result obtained in the third comparison is that the RSSI range of the object tag is greater than the RSSI range threshold, then the fourth comparison is performed on the object tag by the determination unit 307. Then, if the number of times the object tag is read is greater than a predetermined threshold... Furthermore, the average RSSI of the object labels is higher than a predetermined threshold. If the object label is deemed to be a valid label by the determination unit 307, then the object label is deemed to be a invalid label.

[0104] Since the tag passes near each antenna 102, the number of reads by antenna 102 increases, and the detected RSSI tends to increase. Therefore, according to the fourth comparison, object tags whose number of reads does not exceed a threshold or whose average RSSI does not exceed a threshold are classified as failing tags, thus making the criteria for classifying a tag as passing more stringent. Therefore, the possibility of incorrectly classifying failing tags as passing tags can be reduced.

[0105] In the fourth comparison, only one of the comparison of the number of times the object tag was read and the comparison of the average RSSI can be performed. The fourth comparison can be performed to make a more accurate determination. However, as mentioned above, if the object tag was not determined to be a failed tag in the third comparison, the object tag can be determined to be a passed tag without performing the fourth comparison. The fourth comparison can be performed regardless of the result of the third comparison. The pass determination unit 307 can make a determination by arbitrarily combining the first to fourth comparisons, or by comparing only a portion of these comparisons. When making a determination by performing only a portion of the first to fourth comparisons, the processing related to unused comparisons or the components of the information processing system 10 that perform such processing can be omitted.

[0106] In this example embodiment, the weights calculated by the weight calculation unit 304 are used to calculate the score of the second comparison, but they can be used in other applications. As described above, the sum increases as the percentage of tags read by the antenna 102_i increases. The sum becomes a larger value. As the percentage of tags not accessed by the antenna 102_i increases, the total... The weight becomes smaller. Therefore, the weight of an antenna 102 that reads many tags is large, and the weight of an antenna 102 that reads many tags that do not pass is small. Here, if there is an antenna 102 with a weight that is too small, it is assumed that the installation of the antenna 102 has been erroneous, or that the RFID tag 80 has been left near or inside the door 90. That is, if the calculated weight is too small, there is a possibility that an anomaly has occurred. Therefore, a weight can be calculated to detect the anomaly. In this case, for example, if the calculated weight is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the weight calculation unit 304 can output a notification to indicate that an anomaly has occurred.

[0107] Next, the operation process of the information processing system 10 will be described. Figure 11A and 11B This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the information processing system 10. The operation flow will be described below with reference to the flowchart.

[0108] In step S100, the read control unit 302 of the information processing device 300 activates the read device 100 and begins reading the RFID tag 80. Specifically, radio waves are transmitted from the antenna 102, and the response signal from the RFID tag 80 is received by the antenna 102. Then, the communication control unit 301 of the information processing device 300 receives the information and RSSI stored in the RFID tag 80 from the read device 100.

[0109] In response to person 70 entering door 90 along with RFID tag 80, in step S101, sensor 200_1 on the entrance side of door 90 detects the passage of person 70, and information indicating the time point at which person 70 has passed through the entrance side is transmitted to information processing device 300. Then, communication control unit 301 of information processing device 300 receives this information.

[0110] Subsequently, in step S102, the sensor 200_2 on the exit side of the door 90 detects the passage of person 70, and information indicating the time point at which person 70 has passed the point on the exit side is transmitted to the information processing device 300. Then, the communication control unit 301 of the information processing device 300 receives this information. As described above, in this example embodiment, since the information processing system 10 includes the sensor 200, the time point at which person 70 has passed a specific point of the door 90 can be easily detected.

[0111] Next, in step S103, the data acquisition unit 303 of the information processing device 300 acquires data from the data acquired in step S100 based on the information acquired in steps S101 and S102 during the data acquisition period. The data in the middle.

[0112] Next, in step S104, the data acquisition unit 303, based on the information acquired in steps S101 and S102, extracts data from the data acquisition period. Data extraction during the period of maximum RSSI acquisition. The data in the middle.

[0113] Next, in steps S105 to S109, the data acquisition unit 303 calculates the time during the data acquisition period. The RSSI range of each RFID tag 80 read from the RFID tags 80. That is, the loop processing as shown in steps S105 to S109 is performed on each RFID tag 80.

[0114] First, in step S106, the data acquisition unit 303 acquires data from the period of maximum RSSI. The data extraction process involves calculating the maximum RSSI of RFID tags within the RSSI range of 80.

[0115] Next, in step S107, the data acquisition unit 303 starts from the data acquisition period. The data extraction process involves calculating the minimum RSSI of RFID tags within the RSSI range of 80.

[0116] Then, in step S108, the data acquisition unit 303 calculates the RSSI range by calculating the difference between the maximum RSSI obtained in step S106 and the minimum RSSI obtained in step S107.

[0117] If targeting the data collection period The RSSI range of all RFID tags 80 read in the process is calculated (i.e., if the loop processing from step S105 to step S109 ends, the process proceeds to step S110).

[0118] In step S110, the weight calculation unit 304 calculates the weight for each antenna 102. Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating the details of step S110. Figure 11B In step S110 shown in the figure, the following steps are performed: Figure 12 The diagram illustrates the process from step S200 to step S202.

[0119] First, in step S200, the weight calculation unit 304 calculates the weight for each antenna 102 from the data acquisition period. The data in the data determines the number of tags detected. .

[0120] Next, in step S201, the weight calculation unit 304 calculates the sum of the RSSI ranges of the detected RFID tags 80 for each antenna 102. .

[0121] Next, in step S202, the weight calculation unit 304 calculates the weight for each antenna 102 based on the number of detected tags. The sum of RSSI range To calculate weights .

[0122] After the processing in step S110, that is, after the processing in steps S200 to S202 above, the data acquisition period is processed. All 80 RFID tags read are sequentially classified into RFID tags as either passed or failed tags. That is, in... Figure 11B In this process, a loop processing is performed on each RFID tag 80 as illustrated in steps S111 to S118.

[0123] First, in step S112, the first comparison described above is performed by the determination unit 307. That is, the determination unit 307 determines whether the maximum RSSI of the object tag is higher than the threshold. Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating the details of step S112. In step S112, the following steps are performed: Figure 13 The diagram illustrates the process from step S300 to step S302.

[0124] First, in step S300, the threshold setting unit 305 determines the TID of the object tag based on the information received from the object tag.

[0125] Next, in step S301, the threshold setting unit 305 sets the threshold (maximum RSSI threshold) for object labels based on the TID.

[0126] Next, in step S302, the determination unit 307 compares the threshold set in step S301 with the maximum RSSI of the object label. If the maximum RSSI is higher than the threshold, the process proceeds to step S116; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S113.

[0127] In step S113, the second comparison described above is performed by the determination unit 307. That is, the determination unit 307 determines whether the score of the object label is greater than the threshold. Figure 14 This is a flowchart illustrating the details of step S113. In step S113, the following steps are performed: Figure 14 The diagram illustrates the process from step S400 to step S403.

[0128] First, in step S400, the score calculation unit 306 calculates the RSSI range of the antenna 102_i of the target tag and the weights calculated for that antenna 102_i. The weighted range value for each antenna 102 is calculated by multiplying the products.

[0129] Next, in step S401, the score calculation unit 306 determines the number of antennas 102 that have detected the object tag.

[0130] Then, in step S402, the score calculation unit 306 normalizes the sum of the weighted range values ​​of each antenna 102 using the number of antennas 102 that have detected the object tag, thereby calculating the score of the object tag.

[0131] Next, in step S403, the determination unit 307 compares a predetermined threshold with the score of the object label. If the score is greater than the threshold, the process proceeds to step S116; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S114.

[0132] In step S114, the third comparison described above is performed by the determination unit 307. That is, the determination unit 307 determines whether the RSSI range of the object tag is greater than the threshold. Figure 15 This is a flowchart illustrating the details of step S114. In step S114, the following steps are performed: Figure 15 The diagram illustrates the process from step S500 to step S503.

[0133] First, in step S500, the threshold setting unit 305 determines the threshold from the data acquisition period. Read the data collection period from the data in the middle. The number of times the object tag is displayed.

[0134] Next, in step S501, the threshold setting unit 305 sets a threshold (RSSI range threshold) for the object tags based on the number of times the object tags are read. Specifically, if the number of times the object tags are read exceeds a reference value, the threshold setting unit 305 sets a threshold higher than the threshold set when the number of times the object tags are read does not exceed the reference value as the threshold for the object tags. As described above, in this example embodiment, the threshold setting unit 305 calculates the threshold for the data acquisition period. The reference value is half the number of reads of the RFID tag 80 with the highest number of reads among all the RFID tags 80 read in the process.

[0135] Next, in step S502, the determination unit 307 determines the maximum RSSI range of the target tag's RSSI range for each antenna 102.

[0136] In step S503, the determination unit 307 compares the maximum RSSI range, which is the RSSI range determined in step S502, with the threshold set in step S501. If the maximum RSSI range is greater than the threshold, the process proceeds to step S115; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S117.

[0137] In step S115, the fourth comparison described above is performed by the determination unit 307. That is, the determination unit 307 determines whether the number of times the object tag is read and the average RSSI are greater than a threshold. Specifically, in step S115, the determination unit 307 compares the number of times the object tag is read by the reading device 100 with a predetermined threshold. The comparison is performed, and the average RSSI of the object labels is compared with a predetermined threshold. The comparison is performed. If the number of reads is greater than the threshold and the average RSSI of the object labels is greater than the threshold, then step S116 is executed; otherwise, step S117 is executed.

[0138] In steps S116 and S117, the determination unit 307 determines whether the object tag is a passed tag or a failed tag. In step S116, the determination unit 307 determines that the object tag is a passed tag. That is, the determination unit 307 determines that the object tag has passed through door 90. On the other hand, in step S117, the determination unit 307 determines that the object tag is a failed tag. That is, the determination unit 307 determines that the object tag has not yet passed through door 90.

[0139] The example embodiments have been described above. According to this example embodiment, even when an RFID tag 80 that has not passed through door 90 appears around door 90, the passage of the RFID tag 80 through door 90 is properly determined compared to the case where the determination method of this example embodiment is not used.

[0140] The information processing device 300 described in the above example embodiments can be configured as a computer. Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 300. For example... Figure 16 As shown in the figure, the information processing device 300 includes a communication interface 350, a memory 351, and a processor 352.

[0141] The communication interface 350 is used to communicate with other devices. For example, the communication interface 350 includes an interface for communicating with the reading device 100 and an interface for communicating with the sensor 200.

[0142] The memory 351 is configured as, for example, a combination of volatile and non-volatile memory. The memory 351 is used to store software (computer programs) including one or more instructions executed by the processor 352, data for various processes of the information processing device 300, etc.

[0143] Processor 352 reads from memory 351 and executes software (computer program) to perform... Figure 7 The processing of each component element illustrated herein. Processor 352 may be, for example, a microprocessor, a microprocessor unit (MPU), or a central processing unit (CPU). Processor 352 may include multiple processors.

[0144] In this manner, the information processing device 300 can function as a computer. Other devices in the information processing system 10, such as the reading device 100, may also include a processor and memory, and have computer functions. In this manner, those skilled in the art will understand that the functions of the information processing system 10 can be implemented in various forms, and are not limited to any one of them, through hardware only, software only, or combinations thereof.

[0145] The program includes a set of commands (or software code) for causing the computer to perform one or more functions described in the example embodiments when the program is loaded into the computer. The program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium or tangible storage medium. By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable media or tangible storage media include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drives (SSDs) or other memory technologies, CD-ROMs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), Blu-ray discs or other optical disc storage, magnetic cartridges, magnetic tapes, disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices. The program may be transmitted via a transient computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example, and not limitation, transient computer-readable media or communication media include electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagation signals.

[0146] This disclosure is not limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments and can be appropriately modified without departing from the essential points. For example, in the above-described exemplary embodiments, data acquisition periods are used. The data can be used, but it is not mandatory to use data from such a time period. Maximum RSSI focuses only on the period during which the maximum RSSI was collected. The data can be extracted, but the maximum value of RSSI does not necessarily have to be determined from this period.

[0147] Some or all of the above example embodiments may be represented by the following supplementary notes, but are not limited to them. Some or all of the elements (e.g., configuration and functionality) described in Supplementary Notes 2 to 12 that depend on Supplementary Note 1 may also depend on Supplementary Notes 13 and 14 through the same dependencies as Supplementary Notes 2 to 12. Some or all of the elements described in any of the supplementary notes may be applied to various types of hardware components, software components, recording devices, systems, and methods for recording software components.

[0148] (Supplementary Note 1)

[0149] An information processing system, comprising:

[0150] Multiple antennas are distributed throughout the door and receive signals from RFID tags to read information from the RFID tags;

[0151] A weighting calculation device is used to calculate the weight of each of the antennas based on the number of RFID tags read via the antenna in a specific time period and the sum of the RSSI range of each RFID tag read via the antenna in the specific time period.

[0152] A score calculation device is configured to calculate a score based on a value obtained by weighting the RSSI range of each antenna of the RFID tag for the judgment object using weights associated with the antenna, and the number of antennas that have received information from the RFID tag of the judgment object; and

[0153] The passing determination device is used to determine whether the RFID tag of the object to be determined has passed through the gate by using a comparison result between the score and a predetermined first threshold.

[0154] (Supplementary Note 2)

[0155] The information processing system described in Supplementary Note 1 includes a threshold setting device, which is used to set a second threshold based on the total number of times the RFID tag of the target object is read during the specific time period.

[0156] The determination device further uses a comparison between the RSSI range of the RFID tag of the determination object and the second threshold during the specific time period to determine whether the RFID tag of the determination object has passed through the gate.

[0157] (Supplementary Note 3)

[0158] According to the information processing system described in Supplementary Note 2, the passing determination device determines whether the RFID tag of the object has passed through the gate by using at least one of the comparison results between the number of times the RFID tag of the object being determined is read and a predetermined third threshold or the comparison results between the average RSSI range of the RFID tag of the object being determined and a predetermined fourth threshold.

[0159] (Supplementary Note 4)

[0160] The information processing system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3 includes a threshold setting device for setting a fifth threshold based on the type of the RFID tag of the determined object.

[0161] The passing determination device further uses the comparison result between the maximum RSSI of the RFID tag of the determination object in the time period of interest included in the specific time period and the fifth threshold to determine whether the RFID tag of the determination object has passed through the gate.

[0162] (Supplementary Note 5)

[0163] According to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4, in the information processing system, wherein,

[0164] The antennas are distributed at the entrance and exit of the door, and

[0165] The specific time period is the period from a first time point to a second time point. The first time point is a predetermined first time point back from the time when the person has passed through the entrance of the door, and the second time point is a predetermined second time point after the time when the person has passed through the exit of the door.

[0166] (Supplementary Note 6)

[0167] According to the information processing system described in Supplementary Note 5, the antennas are distributed on both sides of the entrance and on both sides of the exit.

[0168] (Supplementary Note 7)

[0169] The information processing system according to Supplementary Note 5 or 6 includes a sensor that detects the point in time when a person has passed through the entrance or exit of the door.

[0170] (Supplementary Note 8)

[0171] According to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 7, in the information processing system, wherein,

[0172] The RSSI range is defined by the maximum RSSI in a portion of the specific time period and the minimum RSSI in the specific time period.

[0173] The time periods are predetermined time periods related to the point in time when a person has passed through the entrance of the door and predetermined time periods related to the point in time when the person has passed through the exit of the door.

[0174] (Supplementary Note 9)

[0175] According to the information processing system described in Supplementary Note 4, the period of interest is a portion of the specific period, and is a predetermined period related to the time when a person has passed through the entrance of the door and a predetermined period related to the time when the person has passed through the exit of the door.

[0176] (Supplementary Note 10)

[0177] According to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 9, in the information processing system wherein the weight calculation device calculates the weight of the antenna by dividing the sum of the RSSI ranges of each of the RFID tags read via the antenna during the specific time period by the number of the RFID tags read via the antenna during the specific time period.

[0178] (Supplementary Note 11)

[0179] According to the information processing system described in Supplementary Note 2, if the total number of times the RFID tag of the determined object is read during the specific time period exceeds a reference value, the threshold setting device sets a higher threshold than the threshold set when the total number of reads does not exceed the reference value as the second threshold.

[0180] (Supplementary Note 12)

[0181] According to the information processing system described in Supplementary Note 4, as the reading distance of the RFID tag increases, the threshold setting device sets a higher value as the fifth threshold.

[0182] (Supplementary Note 13)

[0183] For each of a plurality of antennas that are distributed in a door and receive signals from RFID tags to read information from the RFID tags, the weight of the antenna is calculated based on the number of RFID tags read via the antenna in a specific time period and the sum of the RSSI range of each of the RFID tags read via the antenna in the specific time period.

[0184] A score is calculated based on a value obtained by weighting the RSSI range of each antenna of the RFID tag for the target object using weights associated with the antenna, and the number of antennas that have received information from the RFID tag for the target object; and

[0185] The RFID tag of the target object is determined to have passed through the gate by comparing the score with a predetermined first threshold.

[0186] (Supplementary Note 14)

[0187] A program used to make a computer execute:

[0188] The weighting calculation step, for each of a plurality of antennas distributed in the door and receiving signals from RFID tags to read information from the RFID tags, calculates the weight of the antenna based on the number of RFID tags read via the antenna in a specific time period and the sum of the RSSI range of each of the RFID tags read via the antenna in the specific time period.

[0189] A score calculation step, wherein the score is calculated based on a value obtained by weighting the RSSI range of each antenna of the RFID tag for the target object using weights associated with the antenna, and the number of antennas that have received information from the RFID tag of the target object; and

[0190] The determination step involves using a comparison between the score and a predetermined first threshold to determine whether the RFID tag of the determined object has passed through the gate.

[0191] The weighting calculation step involves calculating the weight of each of the multiple antennas distributed in the door based on the number of RFID tags read by the antenna in a specific time period and the sum of the RSSI range of each RFID tag read by the antenna in a specific time period, and receiving signals from the RFID tags to read the information of the RFID tags.

[0192] While this disclosure has been specifically shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, this disclosure is not limited to these exemplary embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure as defined by the claims. Furthermore, each exemplary embodiment may be appropriately combined with other exemplary embodiments.

[0193] Each accompanying drawing is merely an example for illustrating one or more exemplary embodiments. Each drawing is not associated with only one specific exemplary embodiment, but may be associated with one or more other exemplary embodiments. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, various features or steps described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings may be combined with features or steps illustrated in one or more other drawings, for example, to create exemplary embodiments not explicitly illustrated or described. All features or steps illustrated in any of the accompanying drawings used to explain illustrative exemplary embodiments are not necessarily mandatory, and some features or steps may be omitted. The order of steps described in any of the accompanying drawings may be appropriately changed.

[0194] This application is based on and claims the priority benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-038141, filed on March 10, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0195] Reference tag list

[0196] 1. Information Processing System

[0197] 2 antennas

[0198] 3 weight calculation units

[0199] 4 Fraction Calculation Unit

[0200] 5. Through the decision unit

[0201] 10 Information Processing System

[0202] 70 people

[0203] 80 RFID tags

[0204] 81 products

[0205] 82 baskets

[0206] 90 doors

[0207] 91a First side surface

[0208] 91b second side surface

[0209] 100 Reading Device

[0210] 101 RFID reader

[0211] 102 antenna

[0212] 200 sensors

[0213] 210 Infrared

[0214] 300 Information Processing Equipment

[0215] 301 Communication Control Unit

[0216] 302 Read Control Unit

[0217] 303 Data Acquisition Unit

[0218] 304 Weight Calculation Unit

[0219] 305 Threshold Setting Unit

[0220] 306 Fraction Calculation Unit

[0221] 307 passes the decision unit

[0222] 350 communication interface

[0223] 351 memory

[0224] 352 processor

Claims

1. An information processing system, comprising: Multiple antennas are distributed throughout the door and receive signals from RFID tags to read information from the RFID tags; A weighting calculation device is used to calculate the weight of each of the antennas based on the number of RFID tags read via the antenna in a specific time period and the sum of the RSSI range of each RFID tag read via the antenna in the specific time period. A score calculation device is configured to calculate a score based on a value obtained by weighting the RSSI range of each antenna of the RFID tag for the determination object using the weight associated with the antenna, and the number of antennas that have received information from the RFID tag of the determination object. as well as The passing determination device is used to determine whether the RFID tag of the object to be determined has passed through the gate by using a comparison result between the score and a predetermined first threshold.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a threshold setting device, the threshold setting device being used to set a second threshold based on the total number of times the RFID tag of the target being judged is read during the specific time period. in, The passage determination device also uses a comparison result between the RSSI range of the RFID tag of the object to be determined and the second threshold during the specific time period to determine whether the RFID tag of the object to be determined has passed through the gate.

3. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein, The pass determination device determines whether the RFID tag of the target object has passed through the gate by using at least one of the comparison results between the number of times the RFID tag of the target object is read and a predetermined third threshold, or the comparison results between the average RSSI range of the RFID tag of the target object and a predetermined fourth threshold.

4. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a threshold setting device for setting a fifth threshold based on the type of the RFID tag of the determined object. in, The pass determination device determines whether the RFID tag of the target object has passed through the gate by comparing the maximum RSSI of the RFID tag of the target object in the time period of interest included in the specific time period with the fifth threshold.

5. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The antennas are distributed at the entrance and exit of the door, and The specific time period is the period from a first time point to a second time point. The first time point is a predetermined first time point back from the time when the person has passed through the entrance of the door, and the second time point is a predetermined second time point after the time when the person has passed through the exit of the door.

6. The information processing system according to claim 5, wherein, The antennas are distributed on both sides of the entrance and on both sides of the exit.

7. The information processing system according to claim 5 or 6, comprising a sensor that detects the time point at which a person has passed through the entrance or exit of the door.

8. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The RSSI range is defined by the maximum RSSI in a portion of the specific time period and the minimum RSSI in the specific time period. The time periods are predetermined time periods related to the point in time when a person has passed through the entrance of the door and predetermined time periods related to the point in time when the person has passed through the exit of the door.

9. The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein, The period of interest is a portion of the specific period, and is a predetermined period of time related to the point in time when a person has passed through the entrance of the door and a predetermined period of time related to the point in time when the person has passed through the exit of the door.

10. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The weight calculation device calculates the weight of the antenna by dividing the sum of the RSSI ranges of each RFID tag read via the antenna during the specific time period by the number of RFID tags read via the antenna during the specific time period.

11. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein, If the total number of times the RFID tag of the determined object is read during the specific time period exceeds a reference value, the threshold setting device sets a higher threshold than the threshold set when the total number of reads does not exceed the reference value as the second threshold.

12. The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein, As the RFID tag's reading distance increases, the threshold setting device sets a higher value as the fifth threshold.

13. An information processing method, comprising: For each of a plurality of antennas that are distributed in a door and receive signals from RFID tags to read information from the RFID tags, the weight of the antenna is calculated based on the number of RFID tags read via the antenna in a specific time period and the sum of the RSSI range of each of the RFID tags read via the antenna in the specific time period. A score is calculated based on the value obtained by weighting the RSSI range of each antenna of the RFID tag for the target object using weights associated with the antenna, and the number of antennas that have received information from the RFID tag for the target object. as well as The RFID tag of the target object is determined to have passed through the gate by comparing the score with a predetermined first threshold.

14. The information processing method according to claim 13, further comprising: A second threshold is set based on the total number of times the RFID tag of the identified object is read during the specific time period; as well as The determination of whether the RFID tag of the determined object has passed through the gate is made by also using the comparison result between the RSSI range of the RFID tag of the determined object and the second threshold during the specific time period.

15. The information processing method according to claim 14, further comprising: Whether the RFID tag of the target object has passed through the gate is determined by using at least one of the following: a comparison between the number of times the RFID tag of the target object is read and a predetermined third threshold, or a comparison between the average RSSI range of the RFID tag of the target object and a predetermined fourth threshold.

16. The information processing method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, further comprising: A fifth threshold is set based on the type of the RFID tag of the object being judged; as well as Whether the RFID tag of the target object has passed through the gate is determined by comparing the maximum RSSI of the RFID tag of the target object in the time period of interest included in the specific time period with the fifth threshold.

17. The information processing method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein, The antennas are distributed at the entrance and exit of the door, and The specific time period is the period from a first time point to a second time point. The first time point is a predetermined first time point back from the time when the person has passed through the entrance of the door, and the second time point is a predetermined second time point after the time when the person has passed through the exit of the door.

18. The information processing method according to claim 17, wherein, The antennas are distributed on both sides of the entrance and on both sides of the exit.

19. The information processing method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein, The method further includes: detecting by a sensor the time point at which a person has passed through the entrance or exit of the door.

20. A program for causing a computer to perform: The weighting calculation step, for each of a plurality of antennas distributed in the door and receiving signals from RFID tags to read information from the RFID tags, calculates the weight of the antenna based on the number of RFID tags read via the antenna in a specific time period and the sum of the RSSI range of each of the RFID tags read via the antenna in the specific time period. The score calculation step is based on a value obtained by weighting the RSSI range of each antenna of the RFID tag for the judgment object using weights associated with the antenna, and the number of antennas that have received information from the RFID tag of the judgment object. as well as The determination step involves using a comparison between the score and a predetermined first threshold to determine whether the RFID tag of the determined object has passed through the gate.

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