Image reading device and IC tag information access method

Abstract

To solve the problem in impossibility to judge in advance whether or not a carrier sheet is included in a medium bundle.SOLUTION: An image reading device includes: a feeding tray 11 on which a medium is placed; an identification part 15 that identifies the medium; and a control part 14, is capable of conveying a carrier sheet 30 including an IC tag 21 as the medium, and is capable of identifying the carrier sheet 30 including the IC tag 21 by the identification part. When the medium is placed on the feeding tray 11, the control part 14 is configured to write first information to the identification part 15 by increasing a radio wave intensity of writing from a first level to a second level.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image reading device and an IC tag information access method. [Background technology]

[0002] The image reading device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has an NFC reader that reads IC tags arranged in the medium transport path. The image reading device discloses a configuration in which the NFC reader reads identification information provided on the IC tag of the carrier sheet, thereby determining whether the medium being transported is a carrier sheet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-69637 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When an NFC reader reads an IC tag, if it is along the transport path, there is only one medium being transported, so there are no multiple IC tags and it is possible to read it. However, the IC tag can only be read once the medium has been transported, and it is not possible to determine in advance whether or not the media stack contains a carrier sheet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention is an image reading device that comprises a feed tray for placing a medium, an identification unit (IC tag reader / writer) for identifying the medium, and a control unit, and is capable of transporting a carrier sheet equipped with an IC tag as the medium, and is capable of identifying the carrier sheet equipped with the IC tag using the identification unit, and the control unit is configured to increase the writing radio wave strength for the identification unit from a first level to a second level and write first information when the medium is placed on the feed tray.

[0006] Furthermore, in a method for accessing IC tag information in such an image reading device, when the medium is placed on the feed tray, the radio wave strength for writing to the identification unit is increased from a first level to a second level and the first information is written. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic block diagram of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an IC tag and an IC tag reader / writer. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a carrier sheet in which an IC tag is embedded. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of a scanner body, which is an image reading device, and an IC tag reader / writer. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart of a process for reading IC tag information from a carrier sheet. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart of a process for reading IC tag information from a carrier sheet. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing how the radio wave output is gradually increased in a reading process. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart of a process for updating the number of times the carrier sheet has been passed; [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart of a process for outputting a file using a carrier sheet as an interleaf. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a document containing blank pages when the blank page removal function is turned off. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a document containing blank pages when the blank page removal function is on. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of processing when a document is placed in a carrier sheet. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an optical carrier sheet. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an optical carrier sheet reading mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This image reading device 10 is equipped with a feed tray 11 on which media, which are originals to be read, are placed, and the media placed on the feed tray 11 are transported one sheet at a time along a predetermined path by a feed unit 12. A line sensor of a reading unit 13 is located along the path, and reads images from the front and back sides of the media and outputs them as electronic data. A control unit 14 controls the feed unit 12 and the reading unit 13 to transport the media on the feed tray 11 one sheet at a time, receive the electronic data, and convert it into image data. The image data is sent to the outside via an input / output unit 16 at a predetermined timing. The feed tray 11 is provided with an identification unit 15 made up of an IC tag reader / writer.

[0009] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing an IC tag and an IC tag reader / writer. An IC tag is a general name for an RFID tag. In this specification, it will simply be referred to as an IC tag. The IC tag 21 has an antenna 21b equipped with a power generation circuit 21a. When the antenna 21b generates power through electromagnetic induction, the power generation circuit 21a supplies power to a control circuit 21c, which can then communicate via radio waves via the antenna 21b. A memory 21d is connected to the control circuit 21c, and the control circuit 21c writes predetermined information to the memory 21d via communication, or reads and transmits the contents stored in the memory 21d. The IC tag reader / writer 22 receives power from an external power supply source, and a control circuit 22a supplies power to and communicates with the IC tag 21 via an antenna 22b. The content of communication and the radio wave output during communication can be controlled by the control unit 14, etc.

[0010] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a carrier sheet in which an IC tag is embedded. The carrier sheet 30 is made of a light-transmitting material and is capable of sandwiching and holding non-standard sized documents. The carrier sheet 30 is transported by the feeding unit 12 and passes through the reading unit 13, where it is used to convert the held document into image data. An IC tag 31 is embedded at the leading end of the carrier sheet 30, and the control unit 14 can read and write information from the IC tag 31 via the identification unit 15.

[0011] In this way, the identification unit 15 having the IC tag reader / writer 22 can read and write predetermined information by communicating with the IC tag embedded in the medium placed on the feed tray 11. As described above, the radio wave output of the IC tag reader / writer 22 can be changed under the control of the control unit 14.

[0012] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the scanner body, which is an image reading device, and the IC tag reader / writer. In the figure, the scanner main body 17 has a top cover 17a that covers the lower part of the feed tray 11 and can be opened and closed around a hinge as a rotation fulcrum. The above-mentioned IC tag reader / writer 22 is installed on a part of the underside of the lower part of the feed tray 11 covered by the top cover 17a. That is, communication with the IC tag 21 of the carrier sheet 30 placed on the feed tray 11 can be performed via this IC tag reader / writer 22. In this manner, the recognition unit 15 is disposed on the placement surface of the feeding tray 11 .

[0013] 5 is a flowchart showing the process of reading the IC tag information of the carrier sheet. Specifically, this is the process of updating the number of times the carrier sheet has been passed. The control unit 14 executes processing in accordance with this flowchart. In step S100, the control unit 14 determines whether an original medium has been set on the feed tray 11. The feed tray 11 is also called an ADF. The control unit 14 does not start processing until an original medium is placed and set on the feed tray 11. When an original is placed on the feed tray 11, the control unit 14 executes carrier sheet information acquisition processing in step S105.

[0014] 6 is a flowchart showing the process of reading IC tag information from a carrier sheet. This process corresponds to the carrier sheet information acquisition process. In step S200, the control unit 14 executes an IC tag information acquisition process. Specifically, the IC tag reader / writer 22, which is the recognition unit 15, communicates with all of the IC tags 21 on the carrier sheets 30 included in the documents placed on the feed tray 11, and acquires the information stored in the memory 21d. Here, it is necessary to be able to communicate with all of the IC tags 21, and information is read collectively from at least the stack of documents placed on the feed tray 11. Therefore, the radio wave output transmitted by the IC tag reader / writer 22 only needs to have a certain strength required to read information collectively. Note that the method of communicating collectively with multiple IC tags 21 is well known, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0015] Here, when the control unit 14 reads information from the IC tag 21 of the medium on the feed tray 11, it sets the reading radio wave strength for the identification unit 15 to a certain third level, and reads the second information, which is the paper pass count counter described below. By setting the radio wave intensity to this predetermined level, information on all media on the feed tray 11 can be acquired at once.

[0016] In step S205, the control unit 14 determines whether the IC tag information has been acquired. Normally, it should be able to communicate with all IC tags 21 and acquire IC tag information. The IC tag 21 of the carrier sheet 30 has an ID that can identify each individual carrier sheet 30, as well as a paper pass count counter area that records the number of times the carrier sheet 30 has been read by the image reading device 10. The control unit 14 reads the value of this paper pass count counter from the IC tag 21 as part of the IC tag information, and in step S210 determines whether any carrier sheet has reached its lifespan of paper passes. Because the carrier sheet 30 is subject to mechanical fatigue with each paper pass, it is normally designed to last approximately 3,000 times.

[0017] It is difficult to individually manage the number of times that a carrier sheet 30 is used, but in the present invention, as will be described later, it is possible to update the paper pass count counter of the IC tag 21 embedded in each carrier sheet 30, and when it is determined that there is a carrier sheet in the stack of documents that has reached its lifespan of paper passes, the control unit 14 outputs a warning in step S215 saying, "We recommend replacing carrier sheets that have exceeded their lifespan of paper passes."

[0018] In this way, the control unit 14 can identify the carrier sheet 30 using the IC tag 21 and update the number of times the carrier sheet has been passed through.The identification unit 15 reads the number of times the carrier sheet 30 has been passed through stored in the IC tag 21 of the carrier sheet 30 placed on the feed tray 11, and notifies the outside if the number of times exceeds a predetermined number. This makes it clear when to replace the carrier sheet 30, improving convenience.

[0019] Furthermore, communication is established with all the IC tags 21 on the stack of documents placed on the feed tray 11, and information is read out all at once, so that the number of IC tags 21 can also be identified at this point. The number of IC tags 21 is the number of carrier sheets 30. That is, the feed tray 11 has a loading surface on which the media to be fed is placed, and the control unit 14 can determine the number of carrier sheets contained in the stack of media placed on the loading surface by reading the IC tag contained in the stack of media placed on the loading surface using the identification unit 15.

[0020] Next, FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a reading process in which the radio wave output is gradually increased.

[0021] In obtaining IC tag information with variable radio wave output, the control unit 14 communicates with the IC tag 21 in the document placed on the feed tray 11 as follows. In step S300, the control unit 14 reduces the radio wave output to the minimum level. When the radio wave output is at the minimum level, the strength is so weak that communication with the IC tag 21 inside the document placed on the feed tray 11 is not possible.

[0022] In this way, the control unit 14 first sets the first level in step S300, but because the strength is so weak that communication is not possible, the identification unit 15 cannot read information from the IC tag 21 or write information to the IC tag 21.

[0023] Next, in step S305, the control unit 14 acquires IC tag information. In this process, the IC tag reader / writer 22, which is the identification unit 15, attempts to communicate with the IC tag 21 at the set radio wave strength. Because the radio wave output starts at the lowest level, when it is determined in the subsequent step S310 whether the IC tag information has been acquired, the IC tag information has not been acquired. Therefore, in step S315, the control unit 14 increases the radio wave output by one level, returns to step S305, and attempts to acquire the IC tag information. In other words, the radio wave output is gradually increased from the lowest level.

[0024] This means that when the medium is placed on the feed tray 11, the control unit 14 increases the reading radio wave strength for the identification unit 15 from a predetermined first level to a second level higher than the first level, and reads the predetermined first information contained in the IC tag 21.

[0025] In this way, communication becomes possible starting with the IC tag 21 closest to the IC tag reader / writer 22 among the carrier sheets 30 placed on the feed tray 11. If it is determined in step S310 that IC tag information has been acquired first, the control unit 14 identifies the newly read information in step S320. IC information can be acquired starting with the IC tag 21 closest to the IC tag reader / writer 22, but due to the characteristics of IC tags, information on all IC tags with which communication is possible can be acquired. Therefore, as the radio wave output becomes stronger, more IC tag information can be acquired, and by comparing the information with previously acquired information and identifying the newly acquired information, the control unit 14 can identify the IC tag information acquired in order starting from the IC tag 21 closest to the IC tag reader / writer 22.

[0026] This allows reading from specific media rather than all at once. In step S325, the control unit 14 determines whether all the IC tag information has been read, and in step S315, increases the radio wave output by one step, and repeats the process of attempting to obtain the IC tag information in step S305, until all the IC tag information has been read. In this way, the order of the carrier sheets 30 placed on the feed tray 11 corresponds to the value of the paper pass counter, so it is possible to identify the carrier sheet 30 for which the value of the paper pass counter has reached the end of its life. Therefore, in step S215, a warning can be issued pointing out a specific carrier sheet 30, such as "We recommend replacing the xxth carrier sheet."

[0027] This series of decisions can be made before the scan begins. Returning to FIG. 5, in step S110, the control unit 14 determines whether scanning has started, and if a scan start operation is received from another device via a scan start button (not shown) or a network, the control unit 14 determines that scanning has started and starts the following processing. In step S115, the control unit 14 executes a paper passing count update process.

[0028] That is, when the control unit 14 receives a command to start feeding paper, it reads or writes information from the IC tag 21 of the medium on the feed tray 11.

[0029] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the process of updating the number of times the carrier sheet has been passed. A stack of documents has been placed on the feed tray 11 and an instruction to start scanning has been issued, so it is necessary to increase the number of times each carrier sheet 30 has passed through. This is the paper pass number update process.

[0030] In step S400, the control unit 14 reduces the radio wave output to the minimum level. In step S405, the control unit 14 acquires IC tag information, and in step S410, it determines whether the IC tag information has been acquired. If the IC tag information has not been acquired, in step S420, the control unit 14 increases the radio wave output by one level, and then returns to step S405 to acquire the IC tag information.

[0031] In this way, the process of gradually increasing the radio wave output from the lowest level until IC tag information can be acquired for the first time is similar to the process of steps S300 to S315 described above, and as a result, it is possible to communicate only with the IC tag 21 of the carrier sheet 30 closest to the IC tag reader / writer 22 on the feed tray 11.

[0032] When communication with the nearest IC tag 21 becomes possible, the control unit 14 increments the number of paper passes value of the IC tag 21 of the acquired carrier sheet 30 by "1" and writes the updated value in step S415. The radio wave intensity at the time of writing is the one that has already been set, and writing can be performed on the nearest IC tag 21.

[0033] As described above, the image reading device of the present invention includes a feed tray 11 for placing a medium thereon, an identification unit 15 for identifying the medium, and a control unit 14, and is capable of conveying a carrier sheet 30 equipped with an IC tag 21 as the medium, and is capable of identifying the carrier sheet 30 equipped with the IC tag 21 by the identification unit 15. When the medium is placed on the feed tray 11, the control unit 14 increases the radio wave strength for writing to the identification unit 15 from a predetermined first level to a second level higher than the first level, and writes the first information, which is the number of times the medium has been passed through. This processing procedure can be said to be a method for accessing IC tag information in an image reading device.

[0034] By gradually increasing the radio wave strength, it becomes possible to write to specific media rather than all at once.

[0035] The background to this will be explained below. The reading and writing characteristics of the IC tag 21, which is an IC tag chip, and the identification unit 15, which is an IC tag reader / writer, are determined by the distance and radio wave strength. If the distance between the IC tag 21 and the reader is short, it can be read with weak radio waves, and conversely, if it is farther away, it can only be read with strong radio waves. As an actual example of use, if multiple carrier sheets with IC tags are set in the document ADF (feed tray 11) at once, and the tag information is read with strong radio waves, the tag information of all the set carrier sheets can be read at once. In reality, it may even be possible to read the IC tag information of a carrier sheet 30 placed on a nearby desk, for example.

[0036] In the present invention, the desired information is the IC tag information of the carrier sheet 30 to be scanned next. Therefore, the procedure is to first lower the radio wave strength to the lowest level to make it unreadable, and then gradually increase the radio wave strength level. The first IC tag information read is then determined to be the carrier sheet that is closest to being scanned. However, whether or not the IC tag information is actually the document to be scanned next requires the following method of determination. That is, before actually feeding the paper, the level is lowered again, and if it can be read at the default level, the number of uses, etc., can be written on that carrier sheet 30.

[0037] 5, after the control unit 14 executes the paper pass count update process in step S115, it feeds one page of the document and executes the scanning process in step S120. This scanning process is repeated as long as it is determined in the next step S125 that the document is present in the feed tray. 9 is a flowchart showing the process of outputting a file using a carrier sheet as an interleaf. In other words, if the scanned document is a carrier sheet, the image data that has been read up to that point is collected and output as a single file.

[0038] In step S500, the control unit 14 determines whether the document is an IC tag-embedded carrier sheet 30. In the case of a normal document that is not a carrier sheet 30, in step S525, it determines whether an image is included, and if it is not blank, in step S510, the image data is added to the temporary storage area. In this way, for normal documents, multiple pages of the document are added and saved one after another in the temporary storage area. Note that if the document is blank, in step S530, the control unit 14 determines whether the blank page removal function is on, and if the removal function is on, the document is not added and saved to the temporary storage area, but if the removal function is not on, the document is added and saved to the temporary storage area without being removed, even if it is blank. Removing blank pages can prevent the number of pages from changing.

[0039] On the other hand, if the carrier sheet 30 has an embedded IC tag 21, it can be identified by the identification unit 15, and in step S505 the control unit 14 determines whether an image is included. This is because the carrier sheet 30 is not only used as an insert sheet to separate file output, but may also be used as a normal carrier sheet 30 to hold an irregularly sized document for reading. If an image is included, the control unit 14 adds the image data to a temporary storage area in step S510.

[0040] In this way, when a medium is inserted into the carrier sheet 30, the control unit 14 does not output a file, but adds the image data of the inserted medium to a temporary memory area, and continues to read the image.

[0041] Only when the sheet is blank and does not contain an image is it recognized as a slip-sheet, and in step S520, the control unit 14 collects the image data in the temporary storage area into one file and outputs it from the input / output unit 16. As a result, the image data accumulated up to the front of the carrier sheet 30 is output.

[0042] In this way, when the control unit 14 determines that the medium to be read is a carrier sheet 30 by the recognition unit 15, it outputs the image data read up to the previous page of the carrier sheet 30 as one set in a file.

[0043] Conventionally, blank originals have been used as slip sheets, but there have been cases where blank pages within the originals have been mistakenly recognized. However, by recognizing the carrier sheet 30, it can be used reliably as a slip sheet. As another condition for outputting image data, in step S515, the control unit 14 determines whether or not it is the last page. If it is the last page, that is, if there are no more documents left on the feed tray 11, the image data stored in the temporary storage area must be output. Therefore, if it is the last page, in step S520, the image data in the temporary storage area is collected together as a single file and output from the input / output unit 16. Once the file has been output, the temporary storage area is cleared.

[0044] 10 shows an example of a stack of documents with blank pages when the blank page removal function is off. The stack of documents placed on the feed tray 11 contains three documents, ABC, followed by a carrier sheet 30, documents DE with a blank page between them, and finally documents FG. When the blank page removal function is turned off, after reading the original ABC, the carrier sheet 30 is recognized, and the image data of the previous page 3 of the original ABC is output as file 1.

[0045] Next, after document D, blank paper, and document E are read, the carrier sheet 30 is recognized. Therefore, the image data of the three pages of document D, blank paper, and document E read between the two carrier sheets 30 is output as file 2. Because the blank page removal function is off, image data of the blank paper is also generated as a document. Finally, when document FG is read, there are no documents left on the feed tray 11. That is, document G is recognized as the last page, and therefore image data of two pages of document FG from the end of carrier sheet 30 to the last page is output as file 3.

[0046] In this way, the control unit 14 outputs the scanned image data from the first page of the document to the previous page of the carrier sheet 30 as one set to a file, outputs the scanned image data between the two carrier sheets 30 as one set to a file, and outputs the scanned image data from the next page to the last page of the carrier sheet 30 as one set to a file.

[0047] In this way, compared to when a blank document is used as a slip sheet, a plurality of carrier sheets 30 can be used to reliably identify the slip sheets and output the files.

[0048] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a document with blank pages when the blank page removal function is on. File 1 and file 3 are output with the same contents as the example shown in Fig. 10, but for file 2, when document D, a blank page, and document E are read, the blank page is removed and not added to the temporary storage area. Therefore, the image data of two pages of documents D and E is output as file 2.

[0049] FIG. 12 illustrates an example of processing when a document is placed in a carrier sheet. 10 and 11, instead of a blank sheet of paper, a carrier sheet 30 holding a small document H is placed between documents D and E. In this case, although the carrier sheet 30 is read after document D is read, in step S505 it is determined that the carrier sheet 30 is not blank but contains an image, so the process does not proceed to file output. Instead, in step S510, the image data is added to a temporary storage area, just like a normal document. Then, document E and carrier sheet 30 are read.

[0050] The carrier sheet 30 after the document E is determined to be an IC tag-embedded carrier sheet 30 in step S500, and further determined to contain no image in step S505, so this carrier sheet 30 is recognized as having been inserted as an interleaf, and in step S520, the contents of the temporary storage area, i.e., the contents of page 3 of the document DHE, are output to a file as file 2.

[0051] The method of recognizing the carrier sheet 30 as a slip sheet can also be used with an optical carrier sheet. FIG. 13 shows a plan view of the optical carrier sheet, and FIG. 14 shows a schematic diagram of a reading mechanism for the optical carrier sheet. The optical carrier sheet 40 has a light-transmitting window 41 formed at a predetermined position in a light-opaque area, and this is optically detected by an identification unit 15 consisting of a light emitter 51 and a light receiver 52.

[0052] In this way, the identification unit 15 detects the transparent window 41, which is an identification transparent portion formed in the carrier sheet 40, based on whether or not light is transmitted through it using the identification unit 15 consisting of a light emitter 51 and a light receiver 52, and identifies whether or not it is the carrier sheet.

[0053] In this way, it is possible to reliably determine that the transported medium is the carrier sheet 30. When the IC tag 21 is used, since it is a radio wave type, there is an advantage that performance degradation due to paper powder or dust does not occur.

[0054] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. - Applying mutually replaceable components and configurations disclosed in the above embodiments by appropriately changing their combinations. Although not disclosed in the above embodiments, members and configurations that are publicly known and can be mutually substituted for the members and configurations disclosed in the above embodiments may be appropriately substituted, and their combinations may be changed and applied. Although not disclosed in the above embodiments, members and configurations may be substituted by those skilled in the art based on publicly known techniques as substitutes for the members and configurations disclosed in the above embodiments, and the combinations may be changed and applied. is disclosed as an embodiment of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 10...image reading device, 11...feed tray, 12...feed section, 13...reading section, 14...control section, 15...identification section, 16...input / output section, 17...scanner main body, 17a...top cover section, 21...IC tag, 21a...power generation circuit, 21b...antenna, 21c...control circuit, 21d...memory, 22...IC tag reader / writer, 22a...control circuit, 22b...antenna, 30...carrier sheet, 31...IC tag, 40...carrier sheet, 41...translucent window, 51...light emitter, 52...light receiver.

Claims

1. An image reading device comprising: a feed tray for placing a medium thereon; an identification unit for identifying the medium; and a control unit, wherein the image reading device is capable of conveying a carrier sheet having an IC tag as the medium; and wherein the identification unit is capable of identifying the carrier sheet having the IC tag, The image reading device is characterized in that, when the medium is placed on the feed tray, the control unit increases the writing radio wave strength for the identification unit from a first level to a second level and writes first information.

2. The image reading device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when reading information from the IC tag, the control unit sets the reading radio wave intensity for the identification unit to a third level and reads the second information.

3. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein when the medium is placed on the feed tray, the control unit increases the reading radio wave strength for the identification unit from a first level to a second level to read the first information.

4. 4. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit reads or writes information from or to the IC tag when receiving a command to start paper feeding.

5. 5. The image reading device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit, at the first level, does not allow the identification unit to read information from the IC tag or write information to the IC tag.

6. The image reading device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the control unit determines that the medium to be read is a carrier sheet by the identification unit, it outputs the image data read up to the previous page of the carrier sheet as one set to a file.

7. The image reading device according to claim 6, characterized in that, when a medium is inserted into the carrier sheet, the control unit performs a process of continuously reading the image of the inserted medium without outputting the file.

8. The image reading device described in claim 6, characterized in that the control unit outputs the read image data from the first page of the document to the previous page of the carrier sheet as one set to a file, outputs the read image data between two of the carrier sheets as one set to a file, and outputs the read image data from the next page to the last page of the carrier sheet as one set to a file.

9. 7. The image reading device according to claim 6, wherein the identification unit detects an identification light-transmitting portion formed on the carrier sheet based on whether or not light transmits through the identification light-transmitting portion, and identifies whether or not the carrier sheet is the carrier sheet.

10. the feed tray has a placement surface on which a medium to be fed is placed; The image reading device of claim 6, characterized in that the control unit determines the number of carrier sheets included in the media stack placed on the loading surface by reading the IC tag included in the media stack placed on the loading surface using the identification unit.

11. The image reading device according to claim 10, wherein the identification unit is disposed on the placement surface.

12. The image reading device described in claim 6, characterized in that the control unit identifies the carrier sheet using the IC tag, is capable of updating the number of times the carrier sheet has been passed through, and reads the number of times the carrier sheet has been passed through stored in the IC tag of the carrier sheet placed on the feed tray using the identification unit, and notifies an external party if the number of times exceeds a predetermined number of times.

13. An IC tag information access method for an image reading device that includes a feed tray for placing a medium, an identification unit for identifying the medium, and a control unit, and that is capable of conveying a carrier sheet having an IC tag as the medium, and that is capable of identifying the carrier sheet having the IC tag by the identification unit, comprising: A method for accessing IC tag information in an image reading device, characterized in that when the medium is placed on the feed tray, the writing radio wave strength for the identification unit is increased from a first level to a second level and first information is written.

Images