Item Manager

Abstract

Shielding of radio waves emitted by communication devices equipped with energy harvesting technology Increase communication responsiveness to presence or absence. One aspect of the present invention is a communication control method for a communication device, comprising: (i) a communication device; A metal-containing member is placed close to a communication antenna among the multiple antennas of the device, or one of the antennas is placed close to the communication antenna. Covering the part with a metal-containing member to block communication with the wireless device of the communication device, i) The communication device may communicate with the wireless device of the communication device or not. The energy harvested by the chair's energy harvesting antenna is used to charge the capacitor. (iii) Maintaining the voltage of the capacitor above a predetermined value; (iv) Using a metal-containing member in the communication antenna; If the proximity or partial covering with a metal-containing member is removed, communication and resuming communication with the wireless device.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication control method for a communication device, an article management device, and an article management system. do. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been methods for converting energy present in the environment, such as sunlight, vibration, heat, and electromagnetic fields, into electricity. Energy harvesting is known as a technology that can achieve this. For example, see FIG. 3 of Patent Document 1. In order to achieve this, the antenna is used for energy harvesting, converting the surrounding electromagnetic field into electricity. Converts an input electromagnetic field of a predetermined frequency into a usable AC voltage, and The voltage is rectified to generate a DC output, and the generated DC output is converted into a charge It is described that the data is supplied to a storage unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2020-525928 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Generally, a metal-containing member containing a metal substance is used for a communication device such as a wireless tag. By placing a metal-containing member in close proximity to the communication device or by covering the communication device with a metal-containing member, The radio waves transmitted through the metal-containing member are blocked by the metal-containing member, making communication impossible. The inventors have implemented an energy harvesting technology that converts ambient electromagnetic fields into electricity. By shielding or not shielding the radio waves emitted by communication devices with metal-containing components The idea was to detect specific events. For example, a communication device Events that indicate a lid being placed on an item with a sensor attached, or events that indicate a device connected to a communication device An event that indicates that a purchased item has been picked up.

[0005] However, as the inventors continued to study event detection, they discovered that energy harvesting Event detection using communication devices that implement networking technology has problems with responsiveness. In other words, it was found that the radio waves emitted by the communication device are blocked by the metal-containing member. If the shielding by the metal-containing member is removed after the It takes time for the radio waves to be emitted from the sensor, and the occurrence of an event cannot be detected in a timely manner. This is a problem.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides a method for detecting a signal emitted by a communication device that implements energy harvesting technology. The purpose is to improve the responsiveness of communications to the presence or absence of radio wave obstruction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is to provide a communication antenna for communicating with a wireless device, and a a plurality of antennas including an energy harvesting antenna for obtaining energy; a capacitor that is charged based on the energy obtained by the energy acquisition antenna. a communication device that communicates with the wireless device when the voltage of the capacitor is equal to or greater than a predetermined value; This is a communication control method for the device. This method is A metal-containing member is placed close to the communication antenna among the plurality of antennas, or By covering at least a part of the communication antenna with the metal-containing member, interrupting communication with the wireless device; Regardless of whether the communication device can communicate with the wireless device, the communication device The capacitor is charged based on the energy obtained by the energy harvesting antenna. to maintain the voltage of the capacitor at or above the predetermined value, The metal-containing member is placed close to the communication antenna, or the communication antenna When the covering of at least a part of the communication device with the metal-containing member is released, and resuming communication with the wireless device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, a communication device implementing energy harvesting technology This can improve the response of communication to whether or not the radio waves emitted by the device are blocked. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an application example of a product management system according to an embodiment, showing a state in which products are placed on a product shelf. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of products placed on a product shelf in the system application example shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a cord winding tool in a product management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views of the cord winding device shown in FIG. 3 in a state where the cord is not pulled out and a state where the cord is pulled out. [Figure 5] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating the shape of a housing member. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the positional relationship between an IoT tag and a storage member when the code is not pulled out and when the code is pulled out in a product management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cross section BB of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating the positional relationship between an IoT tag and a housing member containing a metal-containing member of a different shape from that shown in FIG. 6, in a state where the cord is not pulled out and a state where the cord is pulled out. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of each device of the product management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating the positional relationship between an IoT tag and a housing member containing a metal-containing member of a different shape from that shown in FIG. 6, in a state where the cord is not pulled out and a state where the cord is pulled out. [Figure 11] This figure explains the positional relationship between the IoT tag and the housing member when the cord is not pulled out and when the cord is pulled out, when an IoT tag arranged in a different orientation from Figure 8 is placed on a plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In this disclosure, "article" refers to, for example, a commodity, a product, a semi-finished product (an intermediate stage in the manufacturing process), In the following embodiments, examples of articles include: Here are some promotional items (also known as POSM (Point of Sale Material)): In the present disclosure, the term "metal-containing member" is not limited to a member containing a single metal element, but also includes a metal It also includes materials containing compounds containing elements.

[0011] In the following, an example of the product management system according to an embodiment will be described, taking an electric shaver as an example product. This will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings. In one embodiment, the product management system distributes promotional merchandise (POSM) to stores so that they can be sampled. By automatically measuring the time and frequency at which customers pick up promotional products, The system is designed to efficiently acquire marketing information. Sales promotion products (hereinafter simply referred to as "products") are not limited to those that customers pick up and use. It is preferable that the product is something that people want to try, such as an electric shaver or a digital camera. These include, but are not limited to, cameras, video cameras, smartphones, etc. Stationery such as brushes, perfume, cosmetics such as lipstick and foundation, portable game consoles, handheld It can be widely applied to home appliances such as detergents, laundry softeners, and even fragrance samples. do.

[0012] Figure 1 shows six electric shaver POSM products 7-1 to 7-6 available for trial on shelf 3. 2 shows the state in which products are displayed on the product shelf 3. This is a side view. In the following explanation, when referring to products 7-1 to 7-6 in common, It will be written as "Product 7". As shown in FIG. 1, recesses H-1 to H-6 are provided in the holder 30 of the product shelf 3. Six products 7-1 to 7-6 are stored in each holder, and there are shelves near each holder for explaining the products to customers. In the following description, the labels PL1 to PL6 are common to the recesses H-1 to H-6. When referring to it, it is written as "recess H".

[0013] In FIG. 2, one product 7 is shown in a state where the product 7 is not held by the holder 30 (solid line ) and the state where it is removed from the holder 30 (phantom lines). As shown in FIG. 2, the product shelf 3 includes legs 34, a base 33 supported by the legs 34, and a base 33. and a holder 30 fixed on 33. The holder 30 has a support portion 31 formed with a recess H for supporting the bottom of the product 7, and a back portion The backrest 32 is a plate-like member that extends upward from the support 31. , the rear portion of the product 7 can be supported.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, one end of a cord 15 (an example of a linear member) is attached to the bottom of the product 7. The other end of the cord 15 is wound around a cord winding tool 10 (an example of an article attachment tool). In one embodiment, the cord winding device 10 is attached to the base 3 of the product shelf 3. 3, but the fixing method is not limited, and for example, it can be by double-sided tape, adhesive or screws. Any known fixing method, such as fastening by a screw, can be used. The cord 15 and the cord winding tool 10 are provided for each product 7. 1, when six products 7 are displayed, six sets of codes 15 and A cord winding device 10 is provided.

[0015] The cord winding device 10 is capable of retractably pulling out and winding the cord 15. The length of the cord 15 is such that a customer can sample the product 7 sufficiently when picking it up. When a customer picks up the product 7 in the holder 30, The cord 15 is pulled out from the cord winding tool 10 and attached. When the product 7 is returned to the holder 30, The cord 15 is wound by the cord winding tool 10.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, Code 15 contains an IoT (Internet of Things) tag T (a communication device A plate 5 on which a chair (an example of a chair) is attached is fixed. The IoT tag T has the capacity to collect radio waves from the surrounding environment, convert them into electricity, and store the electricity. This is an example of an energy-harvesting communication device that has a built-in power supply and does not have a battery. In the explanation, IoT tag T will be simply referred to as tag T. The tag T is a tag I that is different for each product 7 connected to the cord 15 to which the tag T is attached. The tag ID is identification information of the tag T.

[0017] The maximum communication distance of the tag T is not limited, but is, for example, in the range of 3 to 10 meters. T is configured to perform low-power wireless communication, and an example of the communication protocol is , Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy (hereinafter referred to as BLE), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), etc. In the following, we will explain the case where communication is performed using BLE as an example. do. If the tag T complies with the BLE standard, it will transmit data at predetermined intervals (for example, every 1 to 10 seconds). Broadcast advertising packets (hereinafter simply referred to as "packets") every The packet sent by tag T contains at least the tag ID.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, near the product shelf 3, there are tags T that communicate with each product 7 through BLE. As will be described later, the wireless device 2 transmits the time stamp via the network. The wireless device 2 is a gateway device that can communicate with a gateway management server (described later). As shown in the figure, when there is no product in each holder, the packets sent from each tag are received. In other words, the wireless device 2 is placed in a position where it can receive radio waves from each tag. will be done. As shown in FIG. 1, the wireless device 2 is shown by a virtual line. It can be set.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, a reference tag Tref is preferably placed on the product shelf 3. Tref is a reference tag and is a device with the same configuration as the tag T corresponding to each product 7. do. The reference tag Tref determines whether the products 7-1 to 7-6 are held in the corresponding holders. Regardless of the location, the tag may be placed anywhere as long as it can communicate with the wireless device 2. Tref is provided to determine whether the wireless device 2 is operating normally. As will be described later, when all of the products 7-1 to 7-6 are held in the holders, Since there are cases where wireless device 2 cannot receive radio waves transmitted from tag T corresponding to 7, If there is no reference tag Tref, it is difficult to determine whether the system is operating normally. Therefore, regardless of whether the products 7-1 to 7-6 are held in the corresponding holders, By providing a reference tag Tref that can communicate with the line device 2, the system is operating normally. You can judge whether it is or not.

[0020] Next, the configuration of the cord winding tool 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 shows a plan view and an AA cross-sectional view of the cord winding device 10. As shown, the cord winding device 10 is substantially disk-shaped and is used to pull out and wind the cord 15. A protrusion 10d having a through hole 10da for scraping is provided on the periphery. As shown in the AA cross section, the cord winding device 10 comprises a lower case 11 and an upper case 12. In the storage space formed by the coil 2, a cord winding portion 13 and a spiral spring 14 (a biasing portion) are installed. The cord winding section 13 is provided at the center of the bottom of the lower case 11. The cord 15 is configured to be rotatable around a spring support portion 11c protruding from the cord 15. The cord 15 is wound around the cord winding section 13. An outer peripheral groove 13d is formed for scraping off the dust.

[0021] One end of the power spring 14 is supported by the spring support portion 11c, and the cord winding portion 13 When the power spring 14 rotates around the spring support portion 11c and the cord 15 is pulled out, Therefore, when the cord 15 is pulled out, the cord 15 is wound up in the direction As shown in FIG. 2, the biasing force acts from the bottom of the product 7 to the cord. This is the direction toward the protruding portion 10d of the reel 10 (an example of the first direction). Figure 4 shows the cord with cord 15 unplugged and with cord 15 plugged. 4 is a plan view of the cord winding tool 10. Note that FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cord winding tool 10. As shown in Figure 4, when the cord 15 is not pulled out, the The spring 14 is not wound up, and the restoring force of the spring 14 does not act on the cord 15. On the other hand, when the cord 15 is pulled out, The spring 14 is pulled out and wound up, and the restoring force F of the spring 14 is equal to code 1. It acts in the direction of winding 5.

[0022] Next, the configuration of the housing member 9 (an example of a device housing section) will be described with reference to FIG. 5. 5 includes a plan view, an arrow view, and a partially cutaway cross-sectional view of the housing member 9. The receiving member 9 is a member for receiving the plate 5 to which the tag T is attached. As shown in Figure 1, cord 15 is inserted. As shown in the plan view and the arrow view of FIG. 5, the housing member 9 is in the form of a flat plate. A cavity 9H capable of accommodating the plate 5 is formed inside the accommodating member 9. The tag T is attached to the accommodating member 9. The plate 5 is provided with an opening 91a for entering or exiting the cavity 9H, and a cord 15. The main body 91 of the housing member 9 has a bottom 9 11 and the top 912 are joined together, thereby forming a cavity 9H. The upper portion 912 is made of, for example, resin, and is joined by, for example, welding.

[0023] As can be clearly seen in the partially cutaway cross-sectional view of FIG. 5, the cavity 9H is The bottom portion 911 and the top portion 912 are each provided with a metal-containing member 92. As can be seen from the arrow view, the metal-containing member 92 is disposed near the center between the bottom portion 911 and the top portion 912. An example of placement is shown. The metal-containing member 92 may be, for example, a transparent PET film, an aluminum vapor deposition layer (film), a substrate, or the like. The metal-containing member 92 is a name paper in which a material and an adhesive are laminated in this order. It may be a sheet with foil paper attached or aluminum foil. The metal-containing member 92 is a member that is attached to the tab of the plate 5 when the plate 5 is housed in the housing member 9. The communication antenna 42 of the tag T is selectively blocked from communication, and an electromagnetic shielding function is applied. It is provided for this purpose.

[0024] In the case of the housing member 9 shown in FIG. 5, the height of the cavity 9H is generally uniform. The opening 91a and its neighboring portions are formed so that the plate 5 can be smoothly accommodated in the cavity 9H. The height of the cavity 9H in the portion may be made higher than the other portions to widen the opening 91a.

[0025] Next, in the product management system 1, the plate 5 to which the tag T is attached and the containing member The relationship with 9 will be explained with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the cord 15 is not pulled out from the cord winding tool 10 and a state in which the cord 15 is not pulled out from the cord winding tool 10. 6 shows the positional relationship between the tag T and the storage member 9 when the storage member 5 is pulled out. The material 9 is shown with the upper part 912 of the main body 91 removed so that the inside can be seen clearly. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the cross section BB of FIG.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 6, the cord 15 is attached with a plate 5. The method of attaching the cord 15 is not important, but as shown in the figure, a pair of plates 5 The cord 15 may be fixed to the hole, or the cord 15 may be attached to one surface of the plate 5 with adhesive tape or the like. It may also be fixed. A tag T is attached to one side of the plate 5. The plate 5 is designed to accommodate the tag T smoothly. The material is hard cardboard or a relatively rigid material so that it can enter the interior of the member 9 and exit from the receiving member 9. It is preferable that the substrate is made of a highly durable plastic.

[0027] The tag T comprises a communication antenna 42 formed of a conductive metal foil with a predetermined pattern and a pair of harvesting antennas 43 and IC chips electrically connected to each antenna. Each antenna and IC chip of the tag T are mounted on a film-like substrate. An adhesive is applied to the plate 5, and the plate 5 is attached to the plate 5 by the adhesive. In FIG. 7, only the communication antenna 42 is shown as the tag T. The communication antenna 42 is for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the wireless device 2 in accordance with the BLE standard. The harvesting antenna 43 receives surrounding radio waves for energy harvesting. This is an antenna for energy harvesting and is an example of an energy harvesting antenna. The cord winding device 10, the tag T, and the storage member 9 constitute an article management device according to one embodiment. Configure.

[0028] When the product 7 is held in the holder 30, the cord 15 is wound around the cord winding tool 10. In this state, the cord 15 is wound up and not pulled out. As shown in FIG. 1, the cord 15 is wound by the restoring force of the cord winding tool 10. The attached plate 5 is housed in the housing member 9. The restoring force acting on the plate 5 The receiving member 9 is drawn to the protruding portion 10 d of the cord winding tool 10 . As shown in FIG. 6, when the plate 5 is housed in the housing member 9, the communication adapter of the tag T is The antenna 42 overlaps with the metal-containing member 92, but the harvesting antenna 43 of the tag T It does not overlap with the metal-containing member 92. As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 is covered by the metal-containing member 92 with the plate 5 in between, and is in a state of being in close proximity to the metal-containing member 92. Therefore, the electromagnetic shielding function of the metal-containing member 92 is effectively prevented from It selectively acts only on the communication antenna 42 of the vesting antenna 43. .

[0029] On the other hand, when the product 7 is removed from the holder 30, the cord is wound from the cord winding tool 10. In this state, the plate 5 attached to the cord 15 is pulled out. The metal-containing portion 9 exits the receiving member 9, and the tag T on the plate 5 is exposed. The electromagnetic shielding function of the material 92 does not affect the communication antenna 42 of the tag T, and the tag T is Communication with device 2 becomes possible.

[0030] 8 shows the cord winding device 10 with the cord 15 not yet pulled out, similar to FIG. 6. 8 shows the positional relationship between the tag T and the containing member 9 in a state where the tag T is in the closed state and a state where the cord 15 is pulled out. 8 is different from the housing member 9 in FIG. 6 in that the metal-containing member 92A of the housing member 9 in FIG. The width is wider than that of the metal-containing member 92. In FIG. In other words, in a state where the plate 5 is accommodated in the accommodation member 9A, one of the tags T A portion of the pair of harvesting antennas 43 overlaps with the metal-containing member 92A. However, a part of the pair of harvesting antennas 43 of the tag T overlaps with the metal-containing member 92A. Even if the signal is transmitted multiple times, the reception performance of the harvesting antenna 43 will not be significantly degraded. do not have.

[0031] Next, the configuration of each device in the product management system 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of each device in the product management system 1 of this embodiment. .

[0032] As shown in FIG. 9, the product management system 1 is connected to a wireless device 2 and a network The network includes a tag management server 6 (an example of a measurement device) that can communicate via the network NW. The NW is not limited to, but may be, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), k), mobile communication networks, the Internet, etc. The wireless device 2 receives packets from the tag T and the reference tag Tref via BLE communication. It functions as a BLE wireless terminal. When wireless device 2 receives a packet from each tag, The tag ID included in the received packet is transmitted to the tag management server 6. In a situation where packets can be transmitted normally, the tag T and the reference tag Tref are In response to this, the wireless device 2 also transmits the tag ID to the tag management server 6 at predetermined intervals. Send to.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 9, the tag T includes a control unit 41, a communication antenna 42, a harvesting antenna 43, and a The power supply includes an antenna 43, a harvesting unit 44, a voltage control unit 45, and an RF communication unit 46. The IC chip contains a control unit 41, a harvesting unit 44, a voltage control unit 45, an RF communication unit, and The configuration of the tag T will be explained below, but the configuration shown in FIG. The reference tag Tref (not shown) has the same structure as the tag T.

[0034] The control unit 41 has a microprocessor and a memory 411 and controls the entire tag T. The memory 411 may be a RAM (Random Access Memory) and / or a ROM (Read Only Memory). ) that contains the program executed by the microprocessor as well as a unique identifier for the tag T. The tag ID, which is another piece of information, is stored.

[0035] The harvesting unit 44 receives radio waves from the surrounding environment through the harvesting antenna 43. The energy harvesting is performed based on the surrounding radio waves (for example, radio waves from wireless communication in the surrounding area), and the electricity obtained by the power generation is The power is stored in an internal capacitor 442. In this embodiment, the harvesting unit 44 For example, a radio signal received by the harvesting antenna 43 is converted into a DC signal by a voltage multiplier 441. The voltage multiplier 441 converts the voltage into a voltage and stores it in a capacitor 442. The voltage multiplier 441 may be, for example, but not limited to, For example, a Dickson voltage multiplier (charge pump) is used. It can be constructed on a chip (i.e., an on-die capacitor) or on a semiconductor chip. It may be formed separately from the cup.

[0036] The radio waves received by the harvesting antenna 43 for power generation cover a wide range of frequency bands. For example, mobile communications such as 3G to 5G Radio waves from wireless communications in the frequency bands used by the system, Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi- Fi (registered trademark) and other wireless communication standards, such as ZigBee ( 2.4GHz band wireless communication protocols such as IEEE 802.11b / s (registered trademark) and Thread Waves, frequency bands used in RFID (e.g., 900 MHz band, 13.56 MHz band) ) radio waves transmitted via wireless communication.

[0037] The voltage control unit 45 supplies an operating voltage to the control unit 41 and the RF communication unit 46, and The voltage of the capacitor 442 is monitored, and the power mode is switched depending on the monitoring result. For example, if the voltage on capacitor 442 is below a predetermined value, the power mode is set to minimum. In the first mode, only the circuit is operated. In this mode, the control unit 41 and the RF communication unit 46 No packets are generated, no wireless signals are transmitted, etc. When the battery is charged, the power mode is changed to the second mode in which the normal processing routine is executed. At this time, the control unit 41 and the RF communication unit 46 perform various operations including packet generation and transmission of radio signals. Processing is carried out.

[0038] The RF communication unit 46 performs a predetermined digital conversion on the packet (baseband signal) to be transmitted. After modulation (e.g., GFSK (Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying)), quadrature modulation is performed. The high-frequency signal (in the case of BLE, the signal is in the 2.4 GHz frequency band) is transmitted through the communication antenna 42. Send to. The communication antenna 42 receives high-frequency radio signals (packets) sent by the RF communication unit 46. Send a message. The tag T may have a sensor that detects the movement of the tag T or the ambient temperature. The packet transmitted from the tag T to the wireless device 2 includes the detection data of the sensor.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 9, the wireless device 2 includes a control unit 21, an antenna 22, an RF communication unit 23, and and a communication unit 24. The control unit 21 is mainly configured with a microprocessor and controls the entire wireless device 2. For example, when the control unit 21 acquires the tag ID from the packet received from the tag T, The communication unit 24 is controlled to transmit the acquired tag ID to the tag management server 6. If the tag T contains the sensor detection data, the tag ID and the detection data are compatible. The data is transmitted to the tag management server 6 in association with the tag. The RF communication unit 23 detects the radio signal received from the tag T by the antenna 22 and transmits it to the baseband. The RF communication unit 2 converts the received signal into a digital signal, performs a predetermined digital demodulation, and receives the packet. 3, for example, a base station with a predetermined pattern for transmitting a beacon signal from the antenna 22. The band signal is quadrature modulated and sent to the antenna 22 . The communication unit 24 functions as a communication interface for communicating with the tag management server 6. do.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 9, the tag management server 6 includes, for example, a control unit 61, a storage 62, and , and a communication unit 63. The control unit 61 is mainly composed of a microprocessor and controls the entire tag management server 6. Control. The storage 62 includes a large-scale storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), and stores tag data. The tag database stores the tag ID of tag T and the tag ID of the tag. The product code of the product 7 held in the recess H corresponding to the tag T is associated with the product code. The storage 62 also stores the tag ID of the reference tag Tref. The communication unit 63 functions as a communication interface for communicating with the wireless device 2.

[0041] The control unit 61 executes the server program to transmit the tag T and the reference tag Tref. When wireless device 2 receives a packet containing a tag ID, The ID is obtained from the wireless device 2. Each time the control unit 61 acquires a tag ID included in the tag database from the wireless device 2, The acquired tag ID and the time when the tag ID was acquired are stored as a tag detection log in storage 62. That is, the control unit 61 records the tag T by the wireless device 2 in accordance with the passage of time. Based on this tag detection log, the control unit 61 The number of times the tag was detected is tallied, and the frequency with which a specific product code was picked up by a customer is calculated. At that time, the product code corresponding to the tag ID is identified by referring to the tag database. will be done. The timing of the aggregation process can be set arbitrarily. For example, the timing of the daily business hours of a store Then, the result of whether or not communication with the tag T by the wireless device 2 is possible over time is recorded as a tag detection log. The data is recorded and then tabulated based on the tag detection log after business hours have passed. That is, the control unit 61 determines whether the wireless device 2 can communicate with the tag T based on the result of whether the wireless device 2 can communicate with the tag T. The frequency with which tag T can communicate (i.e., the frequency with which the corresponding product 7 is picked up by a customer) It functions as a measuring device to measure the frequency of

[0042] Similarly, every time the control unit 61 acquires the tag ID of the reference tag Tref from the wireless device 2, The acquired tag ID and the time when the tag ID was acquired are stored as a tag detection log in storage 62. Record in. As shown in Figure 1, the reference tag Tref is not blocked, so the wireless device 2 Unless the reference tag Tref is faulty, the reference tag Tr The tag ID of the reference tag Tref can be obtained at regular intervals. If the wireless device 2 does not have a fault, the control unit 61 determines that the wireless device 2 has a fault and sends a Notify.

[0043] Next, referring again to FIG. 6, the operation of the article management device of the embodiment will be described. As described above, when the product 7 is held in the holder 30, the cord winding device The cord 15 is wound around the cord 10 and is not pulled out. In this state, the electromagnetic shielding function of the metal-containing member 92 is It selectively acts only on the communication antenna 42 of the harvesting antenna 43. Therefore, even if the tag T transmits a packet from the communication antenna 42, the tag T is not affected by the metal-containing member 92. However, the harvesting antenna is shielded or the transmission frequency is significantly reduced. Since the antenna 43 is not shielded, the harvesting antenna 43 picks up the surrounding radio waves. By receiving the signal, the capacitor 442 (see FIG. 9) can maintain a voltage above a predetermined value, and the normal processing loop can be executed. This can be the second mode of running the chin.

[0044] When the product 7 held in the holder 30 is removed from the holder 30, the cord winding The cord 15 is pulled out from the tool 10, and the tag T on the plate 5 is exposed. In this case, the voltage of the capacitor 442 has been kept constant since the tag T was housed in the housing member 9. Since the threshold value is maintained, packets are transmitted immediately after tag T on plate 5 is exposed. In other words, the communication antenna 42 can be made of a metal-containing material. After the covering with the material 92 is removed, the tag T is wirelessly activated in a short time that does not cause any practical problems. Communication with device 2 can be resumed.

[0045] As described above, the communication control method for the tag T in one embodiment includes the following steps. (i) Placing the metal-containing member 92 close to the communication antenna 42 among the multiple antennas of the tag T Alternatively, by covering at least a part of the communication antenna 42 with the metal-containing member 92, the tag Cutting off communication with T's wireless device 2 (ii) Regardless of whether tag T can communicate with wireless device 2, tag T The capacitor 442 is charged based on the energy obtained by the antenna 43. Maintain the voltage of the inverter 442 at a predetermined value or higher. (iii) Bringing the metal-containing member 92 close to the communication antenna 42, or When the metal-containing member 92 is removed from covering at least a portion of the antenna 42, the tag Resuming communication with T's wireless device 2

[0046] In this way, only the communication antenna 42 among the multiple antennas of the tag T is selectively made of metal. Since the shielding is performed by the insulating member 92, the communication antenna 42 can be The voltage of the capacitor 442 is kept at a predetermined value or more, and the normal processing routine is executed. Therefore, the communication antenna 42 made of the metal-containing member 92 can maintain the temperature T. After the blocking is removed, the packet can be sent to the wireless device 2 immediately. According to the communication control method of the tag T, the communication response to the presence or absence of shielding of the radio wave emitted by the tag T is It can improve sexuality.

[0047] If the tag T is equipped with a sensor, the sensor will detect the presence of the communication antenna 42 while it is shielded. The sensor should operate and store the detected data in memory at each detection time. After the shielding of the receiver antenna 42 is removed, the communication antenna 42 is removed while it is shielded. It is preferable to transmit a packet including the obtained detection data and the detection time to the wireless device 2.

[0048] The metal-containing member provided on the housing member can have various forms. FIG. 10 shows a housing member 9B including a metal-containing member 92B having a different shape from that shown in FIG. The tag T and the storage member 9B in a state where the cord is not pulled out and a state where the cord is pulled out. The metal-containing member 92B shown in FIG. 10 is in the shape of the communication antenna 42 of the tag T. When the plate 5 is housed in the housing member 9B, It is configured to cover only the antenna 42. As shown in FIG. 10, various configurations can be adopted depending on the configuration of the communication antenna of the tag T. This can be done.

[0049] The arrangement of the tag T on the plate 5 is adjusted to effectively cover the communication antenna 42 of the tag T. For example, in FIG. 11, the IoT tag is placed on the plate 5 in a different orientation from that in FIG. When placed, Io with the cord unplugged and with the cord plugged The positional relationship between the T tag and the storage member is shown. The plate 5 shown in FIG. 11 is stored in the storage member 9A. In this state, the belt-shaped metal-containing member 92A does not cover the harvesting antenna 43. The communication antenna 42 can be effectively covered. From the viewpoint of effectively covering the cracks, it is advisable to adjust the position where the tag T is attached on the plate 5 as appropriate.

[0050] As described above, the communication control method for a communication device, the article management appliance, and the article management system of the present invention Although the above embodiment has been described, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The embodiments can be improved or modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0051] In the above-described embodiment, a POSM is used as an example of an article, and the POSM is used by a customer. The system for measuring the frequency of a call taken by a user has been described. Examples of application of the control method are not limited to this. For example, a tag is attached to the lid of a container, and when the lid is closed, When the tag is turned on, only the communication antenna of the tag is selectively covered with the metal-containing member. It can also be applied to a system that accurately measures the frequency and timing of container use. In addition, if the tag is equipped with a temperature sensor, the temperature data when the container is used can be collected. It is also possible.

[0052] In the above-described embodiment, the metal-containing member is placed close to the communication antenna 42 of the tag T, or By covering at least a part of the communication antenna 42 with a metal-containing member, the wireless device of the tag T Although the above explanation is given for the case where communication with 2 is blocked, this is not the case. Instead of the metal member, a radio wave shielding member is placed close to the communication antenna 42 of the tag T, or By covering at least a part of the antenna 42 with a radio wave shielding material, the tag T can be connected to the radio device 2. The same effect can be achieved by cutting off communication. The radio wave shielding member is used only to shield the radio waves emitted from the communication antenna 42 of the tag T. Alternatively, it may be a radio wave absorber that absorbs radio waves emitted from the communication antenna 42. The radio wave absorber is not limited, but for example, a combination of carbon and polystyrene foam ( A radio wave absorbing material based on expanded polystyrene and utilizing the ohmic loss of carbon, ferrite and inorganic materials (electromagnetic wave absorbers that utilize the magnetic loss of ferrite), a combination of polyethylene foam and magnetic material, a combination of synthetic rubber (e.g. For example, synthetic rubber mixed with ferrite powder or synthetic rubber mixed with carbonyl iron powder. sintered ferrite, glass cloth reinforced aluminum foil and conductive adhesive layer , and those utilizing layers of dielectric materials. The electromagnetic shielding member is a member that shields the frequency of the radio waves emitted from the communication antenna 42 from the wireless device. The antenna 4 may be a component that uses an unintended frequency that prevents communication with the device 2. 2 is a component that superimposes noise on the radio waves emitted from the radio device 2, which interferes with communication with the radio device 2. It's okay to have it. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1...Product management system 2...Wireless device 21...Control unit 22...Antenna 23...RF communication section 24…Communications Department 3…Product shelf 30...Holder H-1~H-6...Concave 31...Support part 32...Backrest 32h…hole 33...Base 34...legs 5...Plate 6...Tag management server 61...Control unit 62…Storage 63…Communications Department T…IoT tag Tref...Reference tag 41...Control unit 411…Memory 42...Communication antenna 43...Harvesting antenna 44...Harvesting section 441...Voltage multiplier 442...Capacitor 45...Voltage control section 46...RF communication section 7-1~7-6…Products 9, 9A, 9B...housing member 91...Main body 91a, 91b...Aperture 92, 92A, 92B...Metal-containing members 10...Cord winding tool 10d...Protruding part 10da...Through hole 11...Lower case 11c...Spring support part 12...Upper case 13...Cord winding section 13d...Peripheral groove 14...Power spring 15...Code PL1~PL6...Label NW...Network

Claims

1. A communication antenna for communicating with wireless devices and a power supply for obtaining energy from surrounding radio waves. a plurality of antennas including an energy harvesting antenna, a capacitor that is charged based on the energy obtained by the generator, A communication control method for a communication device that communicates with the wireless device when the pressure is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. So, A metal-containing member is placed close to the communication antenna among the plurality of antennas, or By covering at least a part of the communication antenna with the metal-containing member, interrupting communication with the wireless device; Regardless of whether the communication device can communicate with the wireless device, the communication device The capacitor is charged based on the energy obtained by the energy harvesting antenna. to maintain the voltage of the capacitor at or above the predetermined value, The metal-containing member is placed close to the communication antenna, or the communication antenna When the covering of at least a part of the communication device with the metal-containing member is released, resuming communication with the wireless device of the A communication control method for a communication device.

2. The communication device has a sensor that detects the movement of the communication device or the ambient temperature. 、 The method includes the step of: the wireless device communicating with the communication device to receive the detected data from the sensor; including obtaining data A communication control method for a communication device according to claim 1.

3. The communication between the communication device and the wireless device is performed using Bluetooth® L conducted in accordance with the Law of Energy, A communication control method for a communication device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A communication antenna for communicating with wireless devices and a power supply for obtaining energy from surrounding radio waves. a plurality of antennas including an energy harvesting antenna, a capacitor that is charged based on the energy obtained by the generator, A communication control method for a communication device that communicates with the wireless device when the pressure is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. So, A radio wave shielding member is placed close to the communication antenna among the plurality of antennas, or By covering at least a part of the communication antenna with the radio wave shielding member, interrupting communication with the wireless device; Regardless of whether the communication device can communicate with the wireless device, the communication device The capacitor is charged based on the energy obtained by the energy harvesting antenna. to maintain the voltage of the capacitor at or above the predetermined value, The radio wave shielding member is placed close to the communication antenna, or the communication antenna When the radio wave shielding member is removed from covering at least a part of the communication device, resuming communication with the wireless device of the A communication control method for a communication device.

5. The radio wave shielding member is a radio wave absorber. A communication control method for a communication device according to claim 4.

6. a linear member having one end attached to an object, and a force applied to the linear member from the one end in a first direction; an article attachment tool having an urging member for attaching the article to the article attachment tool; a communication device attached to the linear member; A device capable of housing the communication device and having a metal-containing member fixed therein. a storage section, The communication device A communication antenna for communicating with wireless devices and a power supply for obtaining energy from surrounding radio waves. a plurality of antennas including an energy harvesting antenna for a capacitor that is charged based on the energy obtained by the tena, a device that communicates with the wireless device when the voltage is equal to or greater than a predetermined value; The communication device resists the biasing force of the biasing member in the first direction against the article. When no external force is applied, the device is accommodated in the device accommodating section, and the biasing force is applied to the article. When an external force that resists the biasing force of the member in the first direction is applied, the member is released from the device accommodating portion. It becomes possible, When the communication device is accommodated in the device accommodation section, The communication antenna is close to the metal-containing member, or at least the communication antenna is and is configured so that a portion of the metal-containing member is covered with the metal-containing member. Materials management equipment.

7. An article management device according to claim 6; a wireless device that wirelessly communicates with the communication device; The wireless device acquires a result of whether communication with the communication device is possible over time. , the frequency with which the wireless device can communicate with the communication device based on the result of the communication availability. and a measuring device for measuring Inventory management system.

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