Reading device

Abstract

To provide a reading device capable of expanding a readable range without impairing operability. [Solution] The RFID reader 1, which is a reading device, comprises an RFID unit 10 having an antenna 12 for reading information from an RF tag, a portable information terminal 20 that acquires information from the RFID unit 10, and an extendable and contractible rod 30 that holds the RFID unit 10 and the portable information terminal 20, the extendable rod 30 having a unit holding part 32 that holds the RFID unit 10, and a terminal holding part 34 provided on a handle part 33 held by a user and that holds the portable information terminal 20, the extendable rod 30 being extendable and contractible to lengthen or shorten the distance between the unit holding part 32 and the handle part 33.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a reading device. [Background technology]

[0002] Barcode readers have traditionally been used as reading devices for reading information from items, and in recent years, RFID readers have been used in a variety of operations, including logistics management, production management, accounting processing in stores, and inventory management. These reading devices include stationary reading devices that are used in a fixed position, and portable reading devices that are carried around, and the type of reading device used is appropriate for the application.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a portable RFID reader. The RFID reader includes a main body, a grip extending downward from the main body, and an antenna. In the RFID reader, the antenna is located inside the tip of the main body, so that even if the RFID reader is dropped, the main body or the grip will strike the ground, reducing damage to the antenna. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4692285 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] A portable RFID reader, such as that described in Patent Document 1, is easy to use because it can be operated by the user at hand, but the readable range is limited by the output strength of the radio signal (electromagnetic induction, radio waves) output from the reader, so the user must move if the RF tag is located outside the output range of the reader's radio signal. For example, if a product is displayed on the top shelf of a relatively high display shelf that is out of reach of the user in a store and information is to be read from the RF tag attached to the product, if the product is outside the output range of the RFID reader's radio signal, a stand or a stepladder must be used. In this way, it is time-consuming to read information from an RF tag that is located outside the output range of the radio signal.

[0006] This occurs not only when reading information from an RF tag, but also when reading information from a symbol such as a barcode.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a reading device that can expand the readable range without compromising operability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the reading device of the present invention comprises a sensor unit having a sensor for reading information from a machine-readable medium, a portable information terminal that acquires information from the sensor unit, and an extendable telescopic rod that holds the sensor unit and the portable information terminal, the telescopic rod having a holding portion that holds the sensor unit, and a terminal holding portion that is provided on a handle portion held by a user and holds the portable information terminal, and the telescopic rod is extendable and contractible to lengthen or shorten the distance between the sensor holding portion and the handle portion. Effect of the Invention

[0009] The reading device of the present invention can expand the readable range without compromising operability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1A is a plan view of an RFID reader according to an embodiment of the present invention in an extended state; FIG. 1B is a plan view of an RFID reader according to a first embodiment in a retracted state; [Diagram 2] Block diagram of the RFID unit included in the RFID reader [Diagram 3] (a) is a side view of a reader / writer holding portion of the reading device, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the side view. [Figure 4] (a) is a side view of the terminal holder of the reading device, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of the side view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] An embodiment of the present invention will be described taking an RFID reader that reads information from an RF tag as an example.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the RFID reader 1 of this embodiment is a portable reading device that reads information from an RF tag attached to, for example, a product displayed in a store, and includes an RFID unit 10, a portable information terminal 20, and an extendable rod 30.

[0013] The RFID unit 10 is a unit that transmits and receives information to an RF tag, and as shown in FIG. 2, an antenna 12, a control module 14, and a Bluetooth (registered trademark) module 13 are housed in a flat housing 16 (FIGS. 1 and 3).

[0014] The antenna 12 outputs radio waves, which are wireless signals for communicating with RF tags attached to products, and is typically a long-distance wireless antenna such as a UHF band antenna, but may also be a short-distance wireless antenna such as an LF band antenna or an HF band antenna. A control module 14 is connected to the antenna 12 by wire.

[0015] The control module 14 is a module that controls the antenna 12 to transmit and receive information, and includes a transmission circuit and a reception circuit connected to the antenna 12, a modulation circuit connected to the transmission circuit, a demodulation circuit connected to the reception circuit, a D / A conversion circuit connected to the modulation circuit, an A / D conversion circuit connected to the demodulation circuit, and a microcomputer connected to the D / A conversion circuit and the A / D conversion circuit. A signal output from the microcomputer is D / A converted and modulated, and then output from the antenna 12 via the transmission circuit. A signal received from the antenna 12 is demodulated and A / D converted via the reception circuit, and then input to the microcomputer. The microcomputer of this RFID unit 10 is connected to a Bluetooth module 13, and wirelessly transmits information read from an RF tag to the mobile information terminal 20 via the Bluetooth module 13.

[0016] The antenna 12, the control module 14, and the Bluetooth module 13 are operated by power supplied from a secondary battery (not shown) provided in the housing 16.

[0017] 1 is an information terminal such as a known smartphone or tablet terminal, and includes a touch panel display, a Bluetooth module, a Wi-Fi module, a CPU, and a memory. In the memory of this embodiment, an application for managing product inventory in a store based on information acquired from the RFID unit 10 via the Bluetooth module is pre-installed. The application is executed by the CPU to manage inventory in the store based on product information received from the RFID unit 10.

[0018] In this embodiment, an extendable rod 30 that holds the RFID unit 10 and the mobile information terminal 20 is provided, and the extendable rod 30 has an extendable portion 31 .

[0019] 1, the telescopic section 31 is formed to be telescopic in multiple stages by fitting a plurality of rods with different diameters (in this embodiment, the first rod 311 to the fourth rod 314) in order of diameter size. In this embodiment, the diameters increase in the order of the first rod 311 to the fourth rod 314, and the third rod 313 is fitted retractably into the fourth rod 314, the second rod 312 is fitted retractably into the third rod 313, and the first rod 311 is fitted retractably into the second rod 312.

[0020] A unit holding part 32 is provided at the tip of the extension part 31 (the tip of the first rod 311). The unit holding part 32 is a part that holds the RFID unit 10, and is composed of an insertion part 321 through which the first rod 311 of the extension part 31 is inserted, a flat base part 322 extending over the insertion part 321, and a pair of locking parts 323 that protrude upward from both sides of the base part 322, as shown in Fig. 3 for example. The base part 322 is formed to have the same width dimension as the RFID unit 10, and the RFID unit 10 placed thereon is held by having both sides locked by the pair of locking parts 323.

[0021] 1 and 4, a handle 33 is provided at the rear end of the expandable part 31 (the rear end of the fourth rod 314). The handle 33 is a part to be held (grip) by a user who uses the RFID reader 1 of this embodiment, and is formed in a rod shape. A terminal holding part 34 is provided at the handle 33.

[0022] Terminal holding part 34 is a part that holds portable information terminal 20, and is composed of ring part 341 into which handle part 33 is inserted, flat base part 342 extending on ring part 341, and a pair of locking parts 343 protruding upward from both sides of base part 342. Base part 342 is formed to have the same width dimension as portable information terminal 20, and portable information terminal 20 placed on it is locked at both sides by the pair of locking parts 343, thereby holding portable information terminal 20.

[0023] In the RFID reader 1 of this embodiment, the distance between the RFID unit 10 and the handle part 33 can be increased or decreased by extending or retracting the extension part 31. Therefore, the RFID unit 10 can be placed not only at the user's hand but also at a position away from the user's hand, so that the readable range can be expanded without impairing operability.

[0024] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and may be modified in the following manner, for example.

[0025] <Variation 1> While the above embodiment includes an RFID unit 10 having an antenna 12 and a control module 14 for reading information from an RF tag, which is a machine-readable medium, the present invention may also include a sensor unit having a sensor for reading information from other machine-readable media.

[0026] For example, it may be a camera unit equipped with an image sensor that captures a one-dimensional symbol or a two-dimensional symbol that is a machine-readable medium. In addition to the image sensor, the camera unit includes a lens arranged in front of the camera unit that forms an image on the image sensor, and a control module that generates an image based on a signal output from the image sensor. The image generated by the control module is transmitted to the mobile information terminal 20 via a Bluetooth module provided in the camera unit. The mobile information terminal 20 analyzes the image received via the Bluetooth module to obtain information about the symbol.

[0027] <Variation 2> The manner in which the unit holder 32 holds the RFID unit 10 and the manner in which the terminal holder 34 holds the mobile information terminal 20 are not limited to the above embodiment. For example, a magnet may be provided at the tip of the extendable rod 30 and a metal may be used for the housing of the RFID unit 10, so that the RFID unit 10 is attracted to the magnet. In this modified embodiment, the magnet functions as the unit holder. Also, a magnet may be provided at the handle 33 and a thin metal plate may be provided on the back side of the housing of the mobile information terminal 20, so that the mobile information terminal 20 is attracted to the magnet.

[0028] <Variation 3> The telescopic rod 30 included in the RFID reader 1 of the above embodiment may have a joint at the tip of the telescopic part 31, at the middle part of the telescopic part 31, or at the rear end of the telescopic part 31. The joint provided at the tip of the telescopic part 31 connects the first rod 311 and the unit holding part 32, and connects the first rod 311 and the unit holding part 32 in a manner that allows the position (direction) of the unit holding part 32 to be changed and held. The joint provided at the middle part of the telescopic part 32 connects the second rod 312 and the third rod 313, for example, and connects the second rod 312 and the third rod 313 in a manner that allows the position (direction) of the second rod 312 to be changed and held. The joint provided at the rear end of the telescopic part 32 connects the fourth rod 314 and the handle part 33, and connects the fourth rod 314 and the handle part 33 in a manner that allows the position (direction) of the fourth rod 314 to be changed and held. By providing a joint in the telescopic rod 30 in this way, it is possible to change the direction of the radio waves output from the antenna 12.

[0029] <Modification 4> In the above-mentioned modified example 3, the direction of the radio waves output from the antenna 12 can be changed by providing a joint to the telescopic rod 30, but the telescopic part 31 of the telescopic rod 30 may be bendable. For example, the first rod 311 of the telescopic part 31 may be formed in a corrugated tube shape and configured to be bent in any direction desired by the user. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 1 RFID reader 10 RFID unit (sensor unit) 12 Antenna (sensor) 20. Portable Information Terminals 30 Telescopic Rod 32 Unit holder 33 Handle part 34 Terminal holder

Claims

[Claim 1] a sensor unit having a sensor for reading information from a machine-readable medium; A portable information terminal that acquires information from the sensor unit; a telescopic rod for holding the sensor unit and the mobile information terminal; Equipped with The telescopic rod is A unit holder that holds the sensor unit; a terminal holding section provided in a handle section to be held by a user and holding the portable information terminal; having The reading device, wherein the extendable rod is extendable so as to increase or decrease the distance between the sensor holding portion and the handle portion.

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