Contactless communication devices and contactless communication systems

Abstract

This invention provides a contactless communication device that can transmit its own physical state to a reader / writer. [Solution] A contactless communication device configured to enable contactless communication, comprising an IC tag having an IC chip and an antenna connected to the IC chip, is configured to allow the state of the IC tag to be changed to two or more different states.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a contactless communication device, and more particularly to a contactless communication device having a contactless communication tag. A contactless communication system using this contactless communication device will also be referred to.

Background Art

[0002] RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), an automatic recognition technology for reading and writing information of an IC tag without contact using radio waves, is widely used in various fields. As described in Patent Document 1, an IC tag has a basic structure in which an electrically connected IC chip and an antenna are arranged on a sheet-like substrate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As general purposes of using RFID, authentication, logistics management, traceability, etc. are common. In any case, the basic operation is contactless communication between the IC tag and the R / W (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "R / W") by bringing the IC tag close to the reader / writer.

[0005] When considering applying RFID to a wider range of fields, various possibilities will arise if the physical state on the IC tag side can be reflected in the system ahead of the R / W. However, at present, no method that enables such a thing is known.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a contactless communication device that can transmit its own physical state to a reader / writer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention is a contactless communication device configured to enable contactless communication, comprising an IC tag having an IC chip and an antenna connected to the IC chip. This contactless communication device is configured to allow the state of the IC tag to be changed between two or more different states.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is a contactless communication system comprising a contactless communication device according to the first aspect, a reader / writer capable of communicating with the contactless communication device, and hardware connected to the reader / writer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, a contactless communication device can be provided that can transmit its own physical state to a reader / writer. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is an exploded view showing a figure of a contactless communication device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows the top surface of the inlet that will be incorporated into the figure. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the underside of the inlet. [Figure 4] This is a bottom view showing the support plate used for the figure. [Figure 5] This is a plan view showing the base for the contactless communication device. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a system configuration using the same figure. [Figure 7] This table shows an example of the correspondence between the combination of terminals included in a closed circuit and the orientation of the figure. [Figure 8]It is a diagram showing a modified example of the same figure. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing an example of an attachment related to the figure of the modified example. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing an example of a figure having a plurality of attachments. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing a roulette which is a non-contact communication device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing an enlarged view of the number cells of the same roulette. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing a non-contact communication device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing one form during the use of the same non-contact communication device. [Figure 15] It is a diagram showing the initial state of the non-contact communication device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] It is a diagram showing the upper part of the main body related to the same non-contact communication device. [Figure 17] It is a diagram showing the state of the cap related to the same non-contact communication device as viewed from below. [Figure 18] It is a diagram showing one form during the use of the same non-contact communication device. [Figure 19] (a) shows a modified example of the same non-contact communication device, and (b) shows one form during the use of the same modified example. [Figure 20] It is a diagram showing another modified example of the same non-contact communication device.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] The first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. The non-contact communication device according to the present embodiment is a figure set composed of a figure and a pedestal. FIG. 1 shows a disassembled view of figure 1. Figure 1 includes a main body 10 that defines the outer shape, and an inlet 20 and a support plate 30 attached to the main body 10.

[0012] The main body 10 is formed from resin or the like into a desired shape and has a recess (not shown) at its bottom for accommodating the inlet 20. In this embodiment, the recess is approximately circular in plan view.

[0013] Figure 2 shows the upper surface of the inlet 20, and Figure 3 shows the lower surface of the inlet 20. The inlet 20 comprises a dielectric substrate 21, an IC chip 22 and a coil antenna 23 arranged on the upper surface of the substrate 21, and has a basic structure that is generally similar to that of known IC tags. The substrate 21 according to this embodiment is disc-shaped corresponding to a recess provided in the main body 10 and has a circular hole 21a in the center. There are no restrictions on the material or flexibility of the substrate 21; both flexible and non-flexible substrates can be used. The IC chip 22 and the coil antenna 23 are electrically connected, and the IC chip 22 can communicate non-contact with an external R / W using the coil antenna 23. The antenna provided in the inlet 20 is not limited to a coil antenna 23, but may be another antenna such as a dipole antenna.

[0014] As shown in Figure 3, eight terminals 24a to 24h are provided on the underside of the inlet 20. The structure of each terminal is the same as that of a typical general-purpose input / output (GPIO) terminal. The eight terminals 24a to 24h are positioned at equal intervals on the arc of a circle whose center coincides with the hole 21a, and each is connected to the IC chip 22 by wiring (not shown), such as three-dimensional wiring, formed within the substrate 21.

[0015] Figure 4 shows a bottom view of the support plate 30. The support plate 30 has a shape similar to that of the substrate 21, with a large circular hole 31 in the center, and also has eight small holes 32 corresponding to the terminals 24a to 24h of the inlet 20, and two screw holes 33. Screw holes (not shown) corresponding to the screw holes 33 are also provided in the recess of the main body 10. When the inlet 20 is placed in the recess of the main body 10 and the support plate 30 is placed below it and secured with screws using the screw holes 33, Figure 1 is formed in which the inlet 20 is positioned between the main body 10 and the support plate 30. Since the substrate 21 of the inlet 20 is provided with notches 21b corresponding to the screw holes, the orientation of the inlet 20 relative to the main body 10, and consequently the arrangement of the terminals 24a to 24h, can be determined in a predetermined manner by aligning the notches 21b with the screw holes of the main body and attaching the support plate 30. In this embodiment, the terminals of the inlet 20 are aligned with the small holes 32 of the support plate, and each terminal is exposed within the small holes 32.

[0016] Figure 5 shows a plan view of the base 50 according to this embodiment, which is used in combination with Figure 1. The base 50 has a disc-shaped body 51 with a peripheral wall 52, and the space within the peripheral wall 52 is sized to allow the support plate 30 of the figure 1 to be placed almost without gap. The body 51 has a projection 53 in the center when viewed from above. The projection 53 is sized to enter the large hole 31 of the support plate 30 and the hole 21a of the inlet 20.

[0017] On the main body 51, two conductive bumps 54 are positioned between the peripheral wall 52 and the projection 53. Each bump 54 is sized to enter into a small hole 32 in the support plate 30 and make contact with the exposed terminals of the inlet 20. The two bumps 54 are electrically connected by wiring 55 arranged on the main body 51 and are positioned so that they can simultaneously enter two of the eight small holes 32 that are a predetermined distance apart.

[0018] The operation of a contactless communication system using Figure 1 and Base 50 configured as described above will be explained. Figure 6 shows the configuration of an example of a contactless communication system (hereinafter simply referred to as "the system"). The system 100 includes a figure set 2 consisting of a figure 1 and a base 50, an R / W 110, a hardware computer 120, and a display 130. The computer 120 has a processing unit such as a CPU and incorporates applications related to the figure. The computer 120 is connected to the R / W 110 and the display 130. The connection can be either wired or wireless.

[0019] Computer 120 runs an application, and an application image based on the execution is displayed on display 130. When the user brings the figure 1, placed on the base 50, close to the R / W 110, contactless communication takes place between the inlet 20 of the figure set and the R / W 110. At this time, two of the terminals 24a to 24h of the inlet 20 are in contact with the bump 54 of the base 50 and are electrically connected to each other by the wiring 55. This forms a closed circuit including the IC chip 22 and the two terminals. During contactless communication between the figure set and the R / W 110, information identifying the type of figure 1 stored in the IC chip 22, as well as information about the terminals included in the closed circuit, are transmitted to the R / W 110.

[0020] When computer 120 receives the content transmitted from figure 1 received by R / W 110, it recognizes that a figure related to the application is present in the surroundings and places the image corresponding to figure 1 within the application image. As a result, the application image, including the image corresponding to figure 1, is displayed on display 130.

[0021] The bump 54 on the base 50 is positioned and positioned to allow access to one of the terminals 24a to 24h of the inlet 20 and two terminals located circumferentially from it. Therefore, there are eight possible combinations of terminals included in the closed circuit, as shown in Figure 7, and each is assigned a display orientation for Figure 1 in the application image. For example, "0°" in Figure 7 represents the front view of Figure 1, and the orientation is achieved by rotating it clockwise by an angle corresponding to the combination of terminals included in the closed circuit.

[0022] When the user moves figure 1 away from the base 50, changes its orientation, and places it back on the base 50, the combination of terminals included in the closed circuit changes. When the changed combination of terminals is received by the computer 120 via the R / W 110, the computer 120 processes the application image and rewrites it, changing the orientation of figure 1 displayed on the display 130. The above operation of System 100 allows the user to manipulate the orientation of Figure 1 in the application image displayed on Display 130 using the figure set. This makes it possible to enjoy games with mechanisms such as enemies appearing around Figure 1, and the amount of damage dealt to or received from enemies increasing or decreasing depending on the orientation, such as facing the enemies directly or showing one's back.

[0023] When adding the above-mentioned functions to devices such as figurines, it is common to incorporate relatively expensive communication modules using Bluetooth® or similar technologies, as well as sensors capable of detecting the orientation and posture of the device, which tends to increase the manufacturing cost of contactless communication devices. On the other hand, since the basic structure of the inlet 20 according to Figure 1 of this embodiment is the same as that of a general IC tag having GPIO, a contactless communication device with equivalent functionality can be constructed at a much lower cost compared to the above-described structure.

[0024] The configuration of the contactless communication system according to this embodiment is not limited to that described above. For example, instead of the computer 120 and display 130, a smartphone or tablet device with the application installed may be used. Also, the application image may not be an image identical to the appearance of figure 1, but an image of a character with a different appearance that is associated with figure 1. Furthermore, when the orientation of figure 1 is changed, an animation that smoothly connects the state before and after the change may be inserted into the application image.

[0025] The figure according to this embodiment may also be given extended functions. Figure 8 shows a modified figure 1A, and Figure 9 shows a ring 60, which is an attachment to figure 1A. Figure 1A has a body 10A instead of a body 10. The body 10A has multiple conductive contacts 12 on its outer surface. The multiple contacts 12 are arranged in a line in the circumferential direction of the body. The inside of the body 10A is hollow, and a second inlet (not shown) having the same configuration as the inlet 20 is attached to its inner surface. Each contact is connected to the IC chip of the second inlet by wiring 13. Since figure 1A has contacts 12, it is preferable that the body 10A is made of an insulator.

[0026] The ring 60 is made of an insulator and has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the part of the main body 10A where the contact 12 is provided. Two pads 62 connected by wiring 61 are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the ring 60. Furthermore, an LED (light-emitting diode) 63 is mounted on the outer circumferential surface of the ring 60, and wiring and pads with the same structure as wiring 61 and pads 62 are provided on the inner circumferential surface on the back side of the LED 63 and connected to the LED 63.

[0027] When the ring 60 is passed through the main body 10A from above and rotated to align the pad 62 and the two contacts 12, a closed circuit is formed including the IC chip of the second inlet, the pad 62 and the contacts 12. When the computer 120 receives information indicating that a closed circuit has been formed via contactless communication between the second inlet and the R / W 110, the application image is rewritten by the processing of the computer 120, and the image of figure 1A displayed on the display 130 changes to, for example, the state in which the ring 60 is attached. At this time, the data of the character associated with figure 1A within the application may also be changed. Furthermore, by including an energy harvesting terminal in contact 12, the LED 63 can be illuminated without providing a power supply to figure 1A or ring 60. In other words, when a closed circuit including the pad connected to the LED 63 is formed, the LED 63 can be illuminated by sending a signal from the computer 120 to figure 1A via R / W 110. In such modified cases, it is possible to promote the sale of applications and related products by selling the ring 60 separately or distributing it at events, etc.

[0028] Figure 10 shows an example configuration in which, in addition to ring 60, rings 60A and 60B with different inner diameters are prepared, resulting in three attachments. Since the three rings can engage with the main body 10B at different heights and form a closed circuit, a wider variety of control and effects can be achieved in applications and application images by combining the states of each ring. The form of the attachment is not limited to the ring described above. For example, it may be configured to be attachable and detachable to multiple positions on the main body by using a temporary fastening structure such as a magnet or hook-and-loop fastener.

[0029] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. In the following description, components similar to those already described will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0030] Figure 11 shows a roulette wheel 200, which is a contactless communication device in this embodiment. The roulette wheel 200 consists of a roulette wheel 210 equipped with an inlet 20 and a steel ball 220. The roulette wheel 210 has the same form as a normal roulette wheel and has multiple numbered cells 211 into which the steel ball 220 can enter.

[0031] Figure 12 shows a magnified view of one of the number cells 211. The number cell 211 has six bumps 212a to 212f on its bottom surface. The six bumps are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the arc of the same virtual circle.

[0032] The inlet 20 (not shown) according to this embodiment has six terminals 24a to 24f. Bump 212a in each number cell corresponds to terminal 24a. Similarly, bumps 212b to 212f correspond to terminals 24b to 24f, respectively. Each terminal is electrically connected to the corresponding bump in each number cell 211 by branching wiring, but some are intentionally left unconnected. These unconnected bumps become dummy bumps that cannot conduct electricity with the IC chip 22.

[0033] When the iron ball 220 is placed on the roulette wheel 210 and lands in one of the number cells 211, the iron ball 220 stabilizes with its lower part positioned within the circle formed by the bumps 212a to 212f. At this time, all of the bumps 212a to 212f come into contact with the iron ball 220, forming a closed circuit including the IC chip 22. However, the terminals corresponding to the dummy bumps are not connected to the IC chip 22, so even if they come into contact with the iron ball 220, they are not included in the closed circuit. If we define the terminals corresponding to bumps included in the formed closed circuit as being in the ON state, and the terminals corresponding to bumps not included in the closed circuit as being in the OFF state, then depending on the ON / OFF state of terminals 24a to 24f, 2 6 This means that 64 different states can be represented. A typical roulette wheel has a total of 37 number cells 211, numbered from 0 to 36, as shown in the diagram. By assigning one of the 64 on / off states to each number cell 211 without overlap, it becomes possible to transmit information identifying the number cell 211 containing the iron ball 220 to the computer 120 via contactless communication through the R / W 110.

[0034] By using the contactless communication system according to this embodiment, it becomes possible to operate a roulette wheel that appears in an application such as a game using a roulette wheel 200 held in the user's hand, rather than on a screen, thereby improving interactivity and realism. The roulette 200 according to this embodiment can also be constructed using an inlet with GPIO terminals, and does not require expensive communication modules or sensors. Therefore, it can be manufactured at an extremely low cost while having the same functionality as devices that use communication modules and sensors.

[0035] A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 13 and 14. Figures 13 and 14 show a switch 300, which is a contactless communication device according to this embodiment. The switch 300 comprises a sheet-like body 310 and a slider 320 disposed on the body 310.

[0036] The main body 310 is rectangular in plan view, and a peripheral wall 311 is provided along its periphery. The main body 310 has an inlet 20, and terminals electrically connected to the IC chip 22 are provided on the upper surface of the main body 310 within the area surrounded by the peripheral wall 311. The terminals provided on the main body 310 consist of three types: the GPIO terminals used in the first and second embodiments, plus a ground terminal and an energy harvest terminal. Each terminal extends roughly parallel to the long side of the rectangle that forms the plan view shape of the main body 310. There are eight GPIO terminals, numbered 312a to 312h, and they are arranged in a row in the center of the short side of the main body 310. The energy harvest terminal 313 and the ground terminal 314 are both linear in shape and extend in the long side direction, and are arranged near both ends of the short side of the main body 310, flanking the row of GPIO terminals.

[0037] The slider 320 has a frame 321 and a wiring section 322 arranged within the frame 321. The frame 321 is a rectangular frame-shaped member in plan view. The dimension of the long side of the frame 321 is slightly shorter than the short side of the area enclosed by the peripheral wall 311 of the main body 310. As a result, when the frame 321 is positioned within the area enclosed by the peripheral wall 311 with its long side parallel to the short side of the main body 310, it can slide in the short side direction with almost no play in the long side direction. The wiring section 322 is a rectangular member in plan view and has dimensions such that it can slide within the frame 321 in the direction of its long side with virtually no play in the direction of its short side. The wiring section 322 has a conductor layer (not shown) on at least its lower surface. The slider 320, consisting of a frame 321 and a wiring section 322, has a roughly rectangular shape in plan view, with the length of its shorter side being roughly equivalent to that of one GPIO terminal.

[0038] When using the switch 300, the frame 321 is slid within the peripheral wall 311 to align with the desired GPIO terminal. Furthermore, the wiring section 322 is slid within the frame 321 to move to one side of the main body 310 in the short-side direction. Then, the conductive layer provided on the underside of the wiring section 322 electrically connects the aligned GPIO terminal with either the energy harvest terminal 313 or the ground terminal 314. Figure 14 shows, as an example, a state in which the GPIO terminal 312d and the ground terminal 314 are electrically connected.

[0039] A GPIO terminal forms a closed circuit regardless of whether it is connected to the energy harvest terminal 313 or the ground terminal 314. However, the voltage of the GPIO terminal in the closed circuit changes depending on which terminal it is connected to. Therefore, in switch 300, it is possible to represent two different states for a single GPIO terminal, and the switch 300 as a whole can represent 16 different states by multiplying each of the eight elements by two states.

[0040] The switch 300 can control various elements of an application by transmitting information about the GPIO terminals and their voltages included in a closed circuit to the computer 120 via contactless communication between the inlet 20 provided on the main body 310 and the R / W 110. In application control operations, a control panel displayed on the screen is often used. However, in systems using smartphones, the control panel often obstructs the view of the main screen. On the other hand, if the control panel is made smaller to mitigate this, it can become difficult to operate. In such cases, applying a contactless communication system using the switch 300 according to this embodiment makes it possible to perform a certain degree of control operation without hindering the visibility of the main screen.

[0041] A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 20. Figure 15 shows a button 400, which is a communication device according to this embodiment. The button 400 comprises a cylindrical body 410 and a cap 420 attached to the top of the body 410. The main body 410 of this embodiment is made of an insulator. Layered first wiring 411 made of a conductor is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the main body 410. An inlet is located inside the main body 410, and the first wiring 411 extends from the lower end of the main body 41 toward the inner circumferential surface and is connected to the inlet.

[0042] The cap 420 is cylindrical with an opening only on the bottom and is made of an insulator. The inner diameter of the cap 420 is only slightly larger than the outer diameter of the main body 410, and it is attached by fitting it over the top of the main body 410.

[0043] Figure 16 shows the top of the main body 410 with the cap 420 not attached. The top surface 415 of the main body 410 is donut-shaped with a hole 415a in the center, and a second wiring 412 is formed therein, extending from the hole 415a to near the end of the first wiring 411. The second wiring 412 extends into the interior of the main body 410 through the hole 415a and is connected to the inlet.

[0044] Figure 17 shows the cap 420 viewed from below. A layered connector 421 made of conductors is provided on the inner surface of the cap 420. The dimensions of the connector 421 in the axial direction of the cylindrical shape of the cap 420 are longer than the distance between the first wiring 411 and the second wiring 412.

[0045] The operation of button 400 when used will now be explained. The inlet located inside the main body 410 has a structure that is generally similar to the inlets in each embodiment described so far, but differs in that it does not have a GPIO terminal, and the first wire 411 and the second wire 412 constitute part of the wiring that connects the IC chip 22 and the coil antenna 23. As shown in Figure 16, the first wire 411 and the second wire 412 are not connected, so in the initial state of button 400 shown in Figure 15, the inlet circuit is not complete and contactless communication with R / W cannot be performed.

[0046] When a user pushes the cap 420 downwards on the initial state of the button 400, the cap 420 moves downward relative to the body 410, as shown in Figure 18. Then, a connector 421 provided on the inner surface of the cap 420 comes into contact with the first wire 411 and the second wire 412, and the first wire 411 and the second wire 412 are electrically connected by the connector 421. Therefore, the pressed-down button 400 shown in Figure 18 can perform contactless communication with the R / W. The button 400 can also be configured to automatically return from the pressed-down state to the initial state when the finger is released, by placing an elastic body such as a spring between the top surface 415 of the body and the cap 420.

[0047] Thus, the contactless communication device according to this embodiment enables contactless communication only when it is in a predetermined state. In other words, the fact that "this contactless communication device has performed contactless communication" includes the information that "the contactless communication device is in a predetermined state."

[0048] One example of a system using Button 400 is a digital stamp rally where Button 400 is used as a stamp. In a typical stamp rally, different stamps are placed at multiple spots, and participants with a stamp book collect multiple types of stamps by stamping their paper stamp book at each spot. In contrast, in a digital stamp rally, for example, a participant with a device that has a compatible app installed approaches a spot and communicates wirelessly with the R / W installed at the spot, adding a digital stamp to a digital stamp book within the app or elsewhere. However, in this type of digital stamp rally, a digital stamp is added even if participants simply pass by a spot without actually stopping at it, making it difficult for them to feel like they are "collecting stamps."

[0049] Therefore, buttons 400, designed to resemble stamps, are placed in designated spots, and signs such as "Please press the stamp here" are provided to encourage participants to press the buttons 400. The compatible app monitors for a predetermined time whether contactless communication has occurred between the participant's device and the R / W installed at the spot. Only if contactless communication between the button 400 and the R / W occurs within the predetermined time, a digital stamp is added to the digital stamp book. With this setup, digital stamps are not added simply by passing near a spot; they are only added when the button 400 is pressed. This allows participants to enjoy the digital stamp rally with a feeling similar to collecting stamps in a paper stamp book, which can contribute to increased satisfaction with the event, especially when there are many child participants. Furthermore, since the action using the button 400 is merely a simulated action and does not involve the use of paper or ink, there is no risk of participants' hands or spots getting dirty, and maintenance of spots and the overall operation of the stamp rally can be made extremely simple. The fact that the button 400 can be manufactured at an extremely low cost is the same as with the contactless communication devices according to previous embodiments.

[0050] Figures 19 and 20 show modified examples of the contactless communication device according to this embodiment. The contactless communication device shown in Figure 19 is a lip balm 500, which comprises a body 510 and a cap 520, as shown in (a). The body 510 and cap 520 have a similar structure to the body 410 and cap 420 of the button 400, including the first and second wiring and the inlet. The difference from the button 400 is that instead of pressing the cap 520, the cap 520 moves relative to the body 510 by rotating the cap 520 around its axis relative to the body 510, and this rotational movement causes the contents (solid cream) 530 to be dispensed from the body 510, as shown in (b) of Figure 19.

[0051] When Lip Balm 500 is shipped, it is in its initial state and cannot communicate wirelessly. However, as the purchaser uses the product, the cap 520 gradually moves closer to the bottom of the main body 510 as the contents are consumed. When the cap 520 moves a predetermined distance, the first and second wires are connected by a connector on the cap 520, and Lip Balm 500 becomes capable of wireless communication. The manufacturer's host computer, which receives wireless communication via R / W, can send a notification to the purchaser's smartphone or other device stating that "the contents 530 are almost gone" and provide information on how to access a repurchase site, thereby encouraging the purchase of additional products. In this way, the manufacturer of Lip Balm 500 can use a contactless communication system that utilizes Lip Balm 500 to understand how customers are using the product and to promote sales.

[0052] In the lip balm 500, by using a GPIO terminal at the end of the second wire and arranging multiple terminals at different distances from the bottom of the main unit, the consumption of the contents 530 can be obtained in more detail via contactless communication. In this case, wiring that switches the enable or disable of contactless communication itself, such as the first wire 411 and second wire 412 of the button 400, does not necessarily need to be provided.

[0053] Furthermore, in a contactless communication system using the lip balm 500, as shown in Figure 20, an LED 540 can be provided on the lip balm 500, and an energy harvest terminal can be combined with the wiring to light up the LED 540 at a predetermined timing according to the amount of lip balm 500 used, as received via contactless communication via R / W. In this configuration, the timing for additional purchases can be made clearer to the purchaser. The notification means used is not limited to LEDs; a buzzer that emits a predetermined sound can also be used.

[0054] The contents of the contactless communication device according to this embodiment are not limited to the lip balm described above, but can also be applied to lipstick, glue sticks, etc. The shape of the main body and cap are not limited to the cylindrical shape described above, and may be changed as appropriate.

[0055] Although each embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and modifications and combinations of the configuration are also included without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0056] For example, the state quantities of the contactless communication device used in the present invention are not limited to those described above. For instance, if a plurality of capacitors with different capacitances are provided as capacitors to adjust the resonant frequency of the inlet, and the contactless communication device is configured such that the connected capacitors change in response to physical changes in the contactless communication device, then information indicating that the contactless communication device is in a predetermined state can be transmitted by a change in the communication frequency. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 2 Figure Set (Contactless Communication Device) 20 Inlets (IC tags) 22 IC chips 23 Coil Antenna 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e, 24f, 24g, 24h terminals (general-purpose input / output terminals) 100 Contactless Communication Systems 110 Reader / Writer 120 Computers (Hardware) 200 Roulette (Contactless Communication Device) 300 Switches (Contactless Communication Devices) 312a, 312b, 312c, 312d, 312e, 312f, 312g, 312h terminals (general-purpose input / output terminals) 313 Energy Harvest Terminal 314 Ground terminal 400 Buttons (Contactless Communication Devices) 500 Lip balm (contactless communication device)

Claims

1. A contactless communication device configured to enable contactless communication, comprising an IC tag having an IC chip and an antenna connected to the IC chip, The state of the IC tag is configured to be changeable between two or more types. Contactless communication device.

2. The aforementioned state is any of the following: the configuration of the closed circuit including the IC chip, whether or not the IC chip is connected to the antenna, and the communication frequency of the antenna. The contactless communication device according to claim 1.

3. The IC chip further comprises terminals connected to the aforementioned IC chip, The aforementioned state is a configuration of a closed circuit including the IC chip and the terminals. The contactless communication device according to claim 2.

4. The terminals are provided in multiple locations. The aforementioned state is the presence or absence of the closed circuit, and the number and combination of terminals included in the closed circuit. The contactless communication device according to claim 3.

5. The terminal includes at least one of a general-purpose input / output terminal, a ground terminal, and an energy harvest terminal. The contactless communication device according to claim 3.

6. A contactless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, A reader / writer capable of communicating with the aforementioned contactless communication device, Hardware connected to the aforementioned reader / writer, A contactless communication system equipped with [a specific feature / feature].

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