Wireless tag reader and program

Abstract

To improve the accuracy of determining a position of a wireless tag.SOLUTION: A wireless tag reading apparatus includes an antenna, a tag information acquisition unit, a tag position determination unit, and a notification unit. The tag information acquisition unit acquires tag information stored in a wireless tag and radio wave information related to received radio waves, on the basis of the radio waves from the wireless tag received by the antenna in each of multiple positions. The tag position determination unit performs determination processing to determine whether the wireless tag is to be read or not, on the basis of information on a position of the wireless tag output from a model according to an input of the radio wave information related to the radio waves received by the antenna, using the model in which parameters are determined so as to output information on the position of the wireless tag in accordance with the input of the radio wave information. The notification unit performs notification to a user when reliability of information included in the information on the position of the wireless tag output from the model is less than a threshold determined in advance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a wireless tag reader and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known techniques for reading tag information, which contains information about an article to which a wireless tag is attached, from a wireless tag such as an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag. For example, there is a technique for measuring the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) value and phase of radio waves transmitted from a wireless tag while changing the relative positions of an antenna and the wireless tag, and determining whether the wireless tag that emitted the received radio waves is located within a predetermined area based on the measured phase and RSSI value.

[0003] However, there are many types of wireless tags, and the RSSI value and phase of the radio waves from a wireless tag change not only depending on the distance between the wireless tag and the antenna, but also depending on the surrounding environment, such as the presence of radio wave reflectors or scatterers. Therefore, depending on the radio wave environment, it may not be possible to correctly determine whether the wireless tag is located within a predetermined area. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to improve the accuracy of determining the position of a wireless tag. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A wireless tag reading device according to an embodiment includes an antenna, a tag information acquisition unit, a tag position determination unit, and an alarm unit. The antenna is configured to receive radio waves from a wireless tag. The drive unit moves the antenna to multiple positions. The tag information acquisition unit acquires tag information stored in the wireless tag and radio wave information related to the received radio waves based on the radio waves from the wireless tag received by the antenna at each of the multiple positions. The tag position determination unit uses a model whose parameters are determined to output information related to the location of the wireless tag in response to input radio wave information, and performs a determination process to determine whether the wireless tag is a target for reading based on information related to the location of the wireless tag output from the model in response to input radio wave information related to the radio waves received by the antenna. The alarm unit alerts a user when the reliability of the information related to the location of the wireless tag output from the model is less than a predetermined threshold. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a wireless tag reading device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a top view showing an example of a main configuration around the antenna of the wireless tag reader of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the wireless tag reader of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the wireless tag reading device of FIG. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a diagram for explaining how to read tag information from an RFID tag according to the embodiment. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a diagram for explaining how to read tag information from an RFID tag according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of read data acquired from an RFID tag according to the embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining the position of an RFID tag according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a tag position estimation model according to the embodiment. [Figure 9A] FIG. 9A is a diagram illustrating an example of setting an offset according to the inlay type in the preprocessing according to the embodiment. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B is a diagram for explaining an example of setting an offset according to a tag group in the preprocessing according to the embodiment. [Figure 9C] FIG. 9C is a diagram for explaining an example of selecting a tag position estimation model according to a tag group in tag position estimation according to the embodiment. [Figure 9D] FIG. 9D is a diagram for explaining an example of setting an offset according to the influence of metal in the preprocessing according to the embodiment. [Figure 9E] FIG. 9E is a diagram for explaining an example of selecting a tag position estimation model according to the metal influence in tag position estimation according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the wireless tag reading device of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the reading process of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of notification according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, a wireless tag reading device and a program according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0008] The following embodiment will exemplify an embodiment in which tag information is read from a wireless tag attached to an item. Note that in the following embodiment, an example of an item with a wireless tag attached is, for example, a product sold in a store, but the present invention is not limited to this. The item with a wireless tag attached may be any of a variety of items that are managed in sales, logistics, storage, etc.

[0009] (General configuration of a wireless tag reader) The schematic configuration of a radio tag reader 10 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is an external perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the radio tag reader 10 according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a top view showing an example of the configuration of the main parts around the antenna of the radio tag reader 10 of Figure 1.

[0010] The RFID tag reader 10 is installed, for example, at a self-checkout counter. As shown in FIG. 1 , the RFID tag reader 10 moves a pair of antennas 14 and 15 mounted on a moving stage 18 along the Y axis below the mounting table 12. The pair of antennas 14 and 15 are installed below the mounting table 12 along the X axis. The pair of antennas 14 and 15 are installed tilted relative to each other around the Y axis toward the position where the basket 13 will be placed. The basket 13 is placed at a predetermined position on the mounting table 12, for example, inside a placement position marker 16 attached to the mounting table 12. At least one product 22 is contained in the basket 13. Note that the product 22 may be placed directly inside the placement position marker 16 on the mounting table 12. In other words, the basket 13 may not be present.

[0011] 2, the moving stage 18 moves along the rails 21 in the Y-axis direction, i.e., in the direction of arrow A, by the rotational driving force of the drive motor 20. Here, the moving stage 18, the drive motor 20, and the rails 21 are an example of a drive unit.

[0012] While moving in the Y-axis direction, the antennas 14 and 15 transmit radio waves (transmission waves) in a time-division manner to read information (tag information) registered in an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag 24 attached to the product 22. The antennas 14 and 15 also receive radio waves (response waves) from the RFID tag 24. The wireless tag reading device 10 repeatedly transmits and receives such radio waves at predetermined time intervals.

[0013] Since the RFID tag 24 has directionality, the wireless tag reader 10 is provided with two antennas 14, 15 and sends transmission waves from different directions, thereby being able to reliably detect the response waves from the RFID tag 24 regardless of the arrangement of the RFID tag 24 inside the cage 13. The number of antennas is not limited to two.

[0014] The RFID tag 24, also known as an IC tag, has a structure in which an IC chip and a tag antenna (inlay) are embedded in a thin film. The RFID tag 24 receives radio waves (transmission waves) transmitted from the antennas 14 and 15 using the tag antenna. When the RFID tag 24 receives the radio waves, it generates power. When the RFID tag 24 receives radio waves from the antennas 14 and 15 to read information (tag information in this embodiment) stored in a storage medium such as a flash memory in the IC chip, it uses the generated power to transmit tag information as a response wave (radio wave) in response to the transmission wave. The tag information stored in the RFID tag 24 is, for example, a product code (e.g., an EPC (Electronic Product Code)) that can identify the product 22 to which the RFID tag 24 is attached. The RFID tag 24 has, for example, an adhesive surface and is attached to the product 22 by adhesive force. The RFID tag 24 may be attached to the product 22 with a band or the like. The RFID tag 24 may also be attached to the product 22 by being formed as part of the packaging of the product 22, such as by being embedded in the packaging of the product 22. Here, the RFID tag 24 is an example of a wireless tag.

[0015] In addition, in order to prevent the radio wave environment from being disturbed by external foreign objects, the radio tag reading device 10 may be provided with a shield that blocks radio waves on the mounting base 12, surrounding the area corresponding to the mounting position marker 16, for example, the cage 13 placed on the mounting base 12.

[0016] (Hardware configuration of wireless tag reader) The hardware configuration of the wireless tag reader 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the wireless tag reader 10 of Fig. 1.

[0017] 3, the RFID tag reading device 10 has antennas 14, 15, a drive motor 20, a control unit 31, a storage unit 36, a transmission / reception controller 37, a motor driver 38, a display device 40, an operation device 41, and a communication interface 42. The control unit 31, the storage unit 36, the transmission / reception controller 37, the motor driver 38, the display device 40, the operation device 41, and the communication interface 42 are communicatively connected via an internal bus 35 such as an address bus or a data bus. The antennas 14, 15 are communicatively connected to the transmission / reception controller 37. The drive motor 20 is communicatively connected to the motor driver 38.

[0018] The control unit 31 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 32, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 33, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 34. The CPU 32, the ROM 33, and the RAM 34 are communicatively connected via an internal bus 35. The control unit 31 is configured similarly to, for example, a general computer, and is configured to load various programs stored in the ROM 33 and the storage unit 36 ​​into the RAM 34 and execute the loaded programs by the CPU 32, thereby controlling the operation of each unit of the RFID tag reading device 10. The control unit 31 functions as a reader that reads information stored in the RFID tag 24 by cooperating with the transmission / reception controller 37 and the antennas 14 and 15. The control unit 31 may also function as a writer that writes information to the RFID tag 24. The functions realized by the control unit 31 will be described later (see FIG. 4).

[0019] The storage unit 36 ​​is a storage device equipped with a non-volatile storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage unit 36 ​​stores various programs and various data related to the operation of the RFID tag reader 10. As an example, the storage unit stores a control program P, read data D, and a tag position estimation model Mi (i = a, b, c, ...). The control program P is a program for operating the RFID tag reader 10. The read data D is data acquired from the RFID tag 24 while the antennas 14 and 15 are moved. The read data D will be described later (see FIG. 6). The tag position estimation model Mi (i = a, b, c, ...) is a model for estimating the location of the RFID tag 24 that transmitted the received reply wave. The tag position estimation model Mi will be described later (see FIG. 8).

[0020] The transmission / reception controller 37 is configured to transmit and receive radio waves via the antennas 14 and 15 under the control of the control unit 31 .

[0021] The motor driver 38 is configured to drive the drive motor 20 under the control of the control unit 31 to move the moving stage 18 .

[0022] The display device 40 is configured to display the generated screen under the control of the control unit 31. As the display device 40, various display devices such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electroluminescence (EL) display can be appropriately used.

[0023] The operation device 41 is configured to acquire an input operation by an operator and transmit it to the control unit 31. As the operation device 41, for example, an input device such as a touch panel or a keyboard can be used as appropriate.

[0024] The communication interface 42 is an interface for communicating with external devices such as a POS terminal and a store server (not shown) via an electric communication line such as the Internet or an intranet. The wireless tag reader 10 outputs the reading result of the RFID tag 24 to these external devices.

[0025] (Functional configuration of the wireless tag reader) The functional configuration of the wireless tag reader 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the wireless tag reader 10 of Fig. 1.

[0026] The control unit 31 of the wireless tag reading device 10 executes the control program P loaded into the RAM 34, thereby realizing the functions of a transceiver unit 51, a drive control unit 52, a tag information acquisition unit 53, a tag position determination unit 54, an adjustment unit 55, and an alarm unit 56, as shown in Figure 4.

[0027] The transmitter / receiver 51 transmits radio waves and receives response waves from the RFID tag 24 attached to the product 22 in response to the radio waves (transmission waves).

[0028] The drive control unit 52 moves the positions of the antennas 14 and 15 over time. Here, the control unit 31 that realizes the drive control unit 52 is an example of a drive unit.

[0029] The tag information acquisition unit 53 acquires identification information, an RSSI value of the response wave as a time-series signal, and a phase value of the response wave based on the response wave received by the antennas 14 and 15 from at least one RFID tag 24. Here, the RSSI value (Received Signal Strength Indicator) is a value representing the strength of the response wave returning from the RFID tag 24. The phase value is a value representing the phase difference between the transmitted wave and the response wave returning from the RFID tag 24. Based on the phase value, the distance between the antennas 14 and 15 and the RFID tag 24 can be estimated. The RSSI value and the phase value will be described later (see FIG. 5B ). The identification information also includes tag attribute information relating to the attributes of the RFID tag 24 and product attribute information relating to the attributes of the product 22 registered in the RFID tag 24. The tag attribute information is information representing various attributes related to the structure of the RFID tag 24. The product attribute information is information representing various attributes of the product 22 to which the RFID tag 24 is attached. The tag attribute information and the product attribute information will be described later (see FIG. 6). As an example, the tag information acquisition unit 53 associates information for identifying the antennas 14 and 15, the time when the reply wave was received, the RSSI value read from the RFID tag 24, the phase value, the tag attribute information, and the product attribute information, and stores the associated data in the storage unit 36 ​​as read data D.

[0030] The tag position determination unit 54 performs a determination process to determine the position of the RFID tag 24 based on the RSSI value and the phase value. Determining the position of the RFID tag 24 will be described later (see FIG. 7). As an example, when the reliability of the position of the RFID tag 24 is less than a predetermined threshold, the tag position determination unit 54 determines whether the product 22 to which the RFID tag 24 is attached is a target to be read, based on the output of the operation device 41 in response to a user operation. As an example, when the tag position determination unit 54 determines that the RFID tag 24 is located inside the placement position marker 16, or when the user confirms that the product 22 to which the RFID tag 24 is attached is a target to be read, the tag position determination unit 54 outputs the reading result of the RFID tag 24 to an external device.

[0031] The adjustment unit 55 adjusts the determination process by the tag position determination unit 54 based on the identification information. As an example, the adjustment unit 55 performs pre-processing to offset the RSSI value used in the determination process by the tag position determination unit 54 according to the identification information. As an example, the adjustment unit 55 selects the tag position estimation model Mi used in the determination process by the tag position determination unit 54 according to the identification information.

[0032] When the reliability of the position of the RFID tag 24 is less than a predetermined threshold, the notification unit 57 notifies the user, for example, by the display device 40, that the read result may be incorrect.

[0033] (RSSI and phase values) The RSSI value De and phase value Df acquired by the wireless tag reading device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B. Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B are diagrams for explaining reading of tag information from an RFID tag 24 according to an embodiment. Fig. 5A illustrates a top view and a side view showing the wireless tag reading device 10 reading information from an RFID tag 24 attached to a product 22 in a basket 13. Fig. 5B illustrates the relationship between the RSSI value and the phase value.

[0034] 5A, the wireless tag reading device 10 transmits radio waves from each antenna to the basket 13 in a time-division manner while moving the antennas 14 and 15 along the Y axis below the basket 13 placed in a fixed position. Then, the antennas 14 and 15 each receive a response wave from the RFID tag 24 attached to the product 22 in response to the transmission wave transmitted by the antenna itself.

[0035] Since the transmission of radio waves and the reception of reply waves are performed at predetermined time intervals while the antennas 14 and 15 are moving, the RFID tag reader 10 acquires time-series data of RSSI values ​​and phase values ​​shown in FIG. 5B.

[0036] 5B indicates the time t at which the response wave is acquired by the RFID tag reader 10. The horizontal axis in FIG. 5B may be used to indicate the positions of the antennas 14 and 15 in the Y-axis direction.

[0037] The time-series data of the RSSI values ​​indicates a larger value when each of the antennas 14 and 15 is located closer to the RFID tag 24 that returned the response wave. Also, the time-series data of the RSSI values ​​indicates a smaller value when the antenna 14 or the antenna 15 is located farther from the RFID tag 24 that returned the response wave. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5B, the RSSI value indicates a larger value when the antennas 14 and 15 are located closer to the cage 13.

[0038] The time-series data of the phase values ​​indicates values ​​according to the distance between each of the antennas 14, 15 and the RFID tag 24 that returned the reply wave. Fig. 5B shows an example in which the phase value increases as the distance between each of the antennas 14, 15 and the RFID tag 24 that returned the reply wave decreases. Note that the phase values ​​shown in Fig. 5B indicate the results of correcting the phase values ​​that change discontinuously to change continuously.

[0039] (Explanation of information acquired by wireless tag readers) The contents of the read data D acquired by the wireless tag reading device 10 from the RFID tag 24 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the read data D acquired from the RFID tag 24 according to the embodiment.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 6, the read data D stores antenna identification information Da, time information Db, tag attribute information Dc, product attribute information Dd, RSSI value De, and phase value Df in association with each other.

[0041] The antenna identification information Da is information that indicates the antenna that received the reply wave. In the example of Fig. 1, the antenna identification information Da is information that identifies whether the information was received by antenna 14 or antenna 15.

[0042] The time information Db is information indicating the time at which a reply wave from the RFID tag 24 is received. The time information Db is measured by the control unit 31. Note that instead of the time information Db, position information indicating the position of each antenna 14, 15 at the time the reply wave from the RFID tag 24 is received may be stored. The positions of the antennas 14, 15 are identified, for example, by detecting, based on the output of an encoder, that the moving stage 18, which is located at a predetermined home position, has moved in a direction defined by the rotation direction of the drive motor 20 by the number of rotations of the drive motor 20.

[0043] The tag attribute information Dc is information indicating attributes related to the structure of the RFID tag 24. The tag attribute information Dc includes, for example, information related to the inlay type Dca. The RFID tag 24 is formed by an IC tag chip and an RFID tag antenna (inlay), and there are various types of RFID tag antennas (inlays). For example, there are inlays that may affect reading performance. In this way, information indicating the use of an inlay that may affect reading performance is stored in the inlay type Dca.

[0044] The tag attribute information Dc is not limited to information indicating the inlay type Dca (tag type), but may be information indicating a group of tags (tag type) each formed by at least one inlay type.

[0045] The product attribute information Dd is information indicating various attributes of the product 22 to which the RFID tag 24 is attached.

[0046] The product attribute information Dd includes, for example, EPC (Dda), metal content information Ddb, metal influence information Ddc, and dielectric constant information Ddd.

[0047] The EPC (Dda) is a product code that can identify the product 22. The EPC (Dda) is, for example, a JAN code.

[0048] The metal content information Ddb is information indicating whether the product 22 contains metal. If the product 22 contains metal, the impedance matching between the IC tag chip of the RFID tag 24 and the RFID tag antenna will be disrupted, causing the antenna to stop functioning as an antenna, which may result in a deterioration in reading performance. An example of a product 22 that contains metal is a product that contains glitter. In this way, information indicating that the product contains metal is stored in the metal content information Ddb.

[0049] The metal influence information Ddc is information that indicates that a product that contains metal has a particular effect on reading performance. For example, even in a product that contains glitter, the influence of metal varies depending on the thickness and amount of the glitter thread, the way the glitter thread is sewn, etc. Furthermore, even in a product that contains glitter, if the surface is uneven, the distance between the RFID tag 24 and the glitter product may increase, which may reduce the influence on reading performance. In this way, information that indicates that a product that contains metal has a particular possibility of having an effect on reading performance is stored in the metal influence information Ddc.

[0050] The dielectric constant information Ddd is information indicating whether the product 22 has a high dielectric constant. If the product 22 has a high dielectric constant, the performance of the RFID tag antenna may deteriorate. An example of a product 22 with a high dielectric constant is a product containing denim fabric. In this way, information indicating that the dielectric constant of the product may affect reading performance is stored in the dielectric constant information Ddd.

[0051] Although not shown in FIG. 4, products that contain a lot of moisture, such as cosmetics, may also be managed by adding product attribute information Dd, since this may affect reading performance.

[0052] The RSSI value De represents the strength of the response wave returning from the RFID tag 24 .

[0053] The phase value Df represents the phase difference between the transmitted wave and the response wave returning from the RFID tag 24. The phase value Df varies between 0° and 359°. When the phase difference between the transmitted wave and the response wave changes from 359° to 360°, the phase value again indicates 0°. Therefore, the phase value acquired by the RFID tag reading device 10 is discontinuous between 359° and 0°. Therefore, the RFID tag reading device 10 performs a process to correct the acquired phase value. Specifically, when the phase value changes from 359° to 0°, the phase value after the change is corrected to 360°. When the phase value changes from 0° to 359°, the phase value after the change is corrected to -1°. As a result, the phase value Df acquired by the RFID tag reading device 10 exhibits a characteristic of continuously changing with time.

[0054] The read data D has a predetermined bit length. Each piece of information described above is stored in a predetermined specific bit position in the read data D. The wireless tag reader 10 reads multiple pieces of data from multiple RFID tags 24 at different positions of the antennas 14 and 15, so the wireless tag reader 10 acquires multiple pieces of read data D in chronological order.

[0055] (Determining the location of an RFID tag) A method for determining the position of the RFID tag 24 in the wireless tag reader 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining the position of the RFID tag 24 according to the embodiment.

[0056] The time-series change patterns of the RSSI values ​​and phase values ​​(see FIG. 5B) acquired by the wireless tag reading device 10 correspond one-to-one to the positions of the RFID tags 24. FIG. 7 shows an overview of the time-series change patterns of the RSSI values ​​and phase values ​​acquired by the wireless tag reading device 10 when the same RFID tag 24 is placed at multiple positions inside and outside the basket 13.

[0057] When a product 22 with an RFID tag 24 attached is inside the basket 13, the time series change patterns of the RSSI value and phase value acquired by the RFID tag reading device 10 exhibit characteristics with sharp peaks for both the RSSI value and the phase value, as shown in Figure 5B.

[0058] Assume that a product 221 with an RFID tag 24 attached is located outside the basket 13 at the same position as the product 22 in the X-axis direction, but offset in the Y-axis direction to the negative side. In this case, the time-series change pattern of the RSSI value and phase value acquired by the RFID tag reader 10 exhibits a characteristic in which both the RSSI value and the phase value monotonically decrease as the antennas 14 and 15 move in the positive direction of the Y-axis. In this case, no peaks occur in the RSSI value and the phase value.

[0059] Assume that a product 222 with an RFID tag 24 is located outside the basket 13 at the same position as the product 22 in the X-axis direction, but offset in the Y-axis direction to the positive side. In this case, the time-series change pattern of the RSSI value and phase value acquired by the RFID tag reader 10 exhibits a characteristic in which both the RSSI value and the phase value monotonically increase as the antennas 14 and 15 move in the Y-axis positive direction. In this case, no peaks occur in the RSSI value and the phase value.

[0060] Assume that a product 223 with an RFID tag 24 attached is located outside the basket 13, at the same position in the Y-axis direction as the product 22, but offset in the X-axis direction to the negative side. In this case, the time-series change pattern of the RSSI value and phase value acquired by the RFID tag reading device 10 has peaks in both the RSSI value and the phase value, but the peaks that occur are gentler than when the RFID tag 24 is inside the basket 13.

[0061] (About the tag location estimation model) The tag position estimation model Mi (i=a, b, c, ...) will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the tag position estimation model Mi according to the embodiment.

[0062] As described above, the time series patterns of the RSSI values ​​and phase values ​​acquired by the RFID tag reader 10 correlate with the location of the RFID tag 24. For this reason, the parameters of the tag position estimation model Mi according to this embodiment are determined so as to output information related to the location of the RFID tag 24 in response to input of the time series change patterns (radio wave information) of the RSSI values ​​and phase values. Note that the tag position estimation model Mi is, for example, a machine learning model, but may also be calibrated as a lookup table indicating the correspondence between the RSSI values ​​and phase values ​​(parameters) and the location (parameter) of the RFID tag 24.

[0063] The parameters of the tag position estimation model Mi may be determined by using the learning data TD in the RFID tag reading device 10, or may be acquired from outside. Furthermore, the parameters acquired from outside may be updated in the RFID tag reading device 10.

[0064] (Learning the tag location estimation model) As an example, the learning data TD on the output side of the tag position estimation model Mi is a plurality of predetermined positions (x, y). As an example, the learning data TD on the input side is a time-series change pattern of RSSI values ​​and phase values. The learning data TD is collected by placing a specific RFID tag 24 or a specific product 22 with an RFID tag 24 attached at a plurality of predetermined positions (x, y) and reading the response waves with the wireless tag reading device 10. The learning data TD may be collected by the wireless tag reading device 10 or may be obtained externally.

[0065] In addition, for the tag position estimation model Mi, learning data TD is collected for each tag attribute and product attribute, and parameters are determined by learning for each tag attribute and product attribute. In Fig. 8, the learning data TDA and TDB are illustrated as learning data in which at least one of the tag attribute and the product attribute is different.

[0066] As an example, the parameters of the tag position estimation model Mi are determined for each inlay type of the RFID tag 24. As an example, the parameters of the tag position estimation model Mi are determined for each tag group (tag type) of RFID tags 24 formed with at least one inlay type, each of which has a similar degree of influence on reading. As an example, the parameters of the tag position estimation model Mi are determined for each of a product 22 that contains metal and a product 22 that does not contain metal. As an example, the parameters of the tag position estimation model Mi are determined for each classification of the degree of influence on reading of a product 22 that contains metal. As an example, the parameters of the tag position estimation model Mi are determined for each classification of the dielectric constant of the product 22.

[0067] The tag position estimation model Mi is not limited to a case in which parameters are determined for each of the tag attribute and the product attribute. The tag position estimation model Mi may have parameters determined for any combination of the tag attribute and the product attribute, such as for each combination of the inlay type and the classification of the degree of influence on reading of the product 22 containing metal.

[0068] The number of classifications for the degree of influence of the metal-containing product 22 on reading and the number of classifications for the dielectric constant of the product 22 can be any number.

[0069] The determined parameters are stored as a tag position estimation model Mi in the storage unit 36. The tag attributes and / or product attributes corresponding to each tag position estimation model Mi are stored, for example, as header information of each tag position estimation model Mi.

[0070] (Inference using tag location estimation model) The tag position determination unit 54 inputs the RSSI value De and phase value Df of the read data D from the RFID tag 24 to the tag position estimation model Mi, and obtains information (tag position) regarding the position of the RFID tag 24 output from the tag position estimation model Mi in accordance with the input of the RSSI value De and phase value Df.

[0071] The tag location estimation model Mi is configured to be able to output the reliability of the inference result of the tag location. For example, the output layer of the tag location estimation model Mi is provided with a node that outputs a value (reliability) between 0 and 1 that indicates the likelihood of the tag location.

[0072] The tag position determination unit 54 determines that the RFID tag 24 is in the basket 13 when the tag position of the RFID tag 24 output from the tag position estimation model Mi is a value indicating that the tag position is inside the placement position marker 16, that is, within the range where the basket 13 is placed. Note that the tag position determination unit 54 determines that the RFID tag 24 is in the basket 13 when the reliability of the inference result is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold.

[0073] The input data to the tag position estimation model Mi is not limited to numerical information indicating the time series of the RSSI value De and the phase value Df, but may also be image information such as a graph indicating the time series of the RSSI value De and the phase value Df.

[0074] (Preprocessing and model specification) 8, the adjustment unit 55 selects a tag position estimation model Mi based on at least one of the tag attribute information Dc and the product attribute information Dd of the read data D (model designation). Furthermore, the adjustment unit 55 performs preprocessing to correct the RSSI value De based on at least one of the tag attribute information Dc and the product attribute information Dd of the read data D.

[0075] FIG. 9A is a diagram illustrating an example of setting an offset according to the inlay type in the preprocessing according to the embodiment. FIG. 9A illustrates a case where predetermined 4 bits of the read data D indicate the inlay type. Assume that data E1 indicating the relationship between the inlay type and the offset shown in FIG. 9A is predetermined and stored in the storage unit 36. As an example, the adjustment unit 55 corrects the RSSI value De of the read data D with an offset according to the inlay type. For example, the offset is larger the greater the impact of the inlay type on the reading result. In the example of FIG. 9A, when the specific bit position indicating the inlay type of the read data D is "0000", which is inlay A, the adjustment unit 55 does not correct the RSSI value De of the read data D. In addition, when a specific bit position indicating the inlay type of the read data D is inlay B of "0001", inlay C of "0010", or inlay D of "0011", the adjustment unit 55 corrects the RSSI value De of the read data D with an offset of "+2", "+1", or "+2" dB, respectively.

[0076] The offset is not limited to the inlay type, and may be determined according to the tag group (tag type) of the RFID tag 24 formed with at least one inlay type, each of which has a similar effect on reading. FIG. 9B is a diagram for explaining an example of setting an offset according to the tag group in the preprocessing according to the embodiment. FIG. 9B illustrates a case where the 95th and 96th bits of the read data D indicate the tag group. Assume that data E2 indicating the relationship between the tag group and the offset shown in FIG. 9B is predetermined and stored in the storage unit 36. As an example, the adjustment unit 55 corrects the RSSI value De of the read data D with an offset according to the tag group. For example, the offset is larger for tag groups that have a greater effect on the reading result. In the example of FIG. 9B, when the 95th and 96th bits indicating the tag group of the read data D are "00," which indicates tag group 0, the adjustment unit 55 does not correct the RSSI value De of the read data D. In addition, when the 95th and 96th bits indicating the tag group of the read data D are "01" for tag group 1, "10" for tag group 2, and "11" for tag group 3, the adjustment unit 55 corrects the RSSI value De of the read data D with an offset of "+3", "+6", and "+9" dB, respectively.

[0077] FIG. 9C is a diagram illustrating an example of selecting a tag position estimation model Mi according to a tag group in tag position estimation according to the embodiment. FIG. 9C illustrates a case where the 95th and 96th bits of read data D indicate a tag group. Assume that data F1 indicating the relationship between the tag group and the tag position estimation model Mi shown in FIG. 9C is predetermined and stored in the storage unit 36. As an example, the adjustment unit 55 selects a tag position estimation model Mi according to the tag group and specifies the selected tag position estimation model Mi to the tag position determination unit 54. Assume that parameters of the tag position estimation model Mi are determined for at least each tag group. In the example of FIG. 9C, when the 95th and 96th bits indicating the tag group of the read data D indicate tag group 0 ("00"), tag group 1 ("01"), tag group 2 ("10"), and tag group 3 ("11"), the adjustment unit 55 selects tag group-specific models 0, 1, 2, and 3 as the tag position estimation model Mi, respectively. It is to be noted that the tag position estimation model Mi may be selected not only according to the tag group but also according to the inlay type.

[0078] The presence or absence of an offset, the offset value, and the selection of the tag position estimation model Mi may be performed depending on whether or not metal is present. FIG. 9D is a diagram for explaining an example of setting an offset depending on the influence of metal in the preprocessing according to the embodiment. FIG. 9E is a diagram for explaining an example of selecting a tag position estimation model Mi depending on the influence of metal in tag position estimation according to the embodiment. FIGS. 9D and 9E each illustrate a case where the 96th bit of the read data D indicates whether or not metal is present. It is assumed that data E3 indicating the relationship between the presence or absence of metal and the offset shown in FIG. 9D is predetermined and stored in the storage unit 36. It is also assumed that data F2 indicating the relationship between the presence or absence of metal and the tag position estimation model Mi shown in FIG. 9E is predetermined and stored in the storage unit 36. As an example, the adjustment unit 55 corrects the RSSI value De of the read data D with an offset depending on whether or not metal is present. For example, the offset when metal is present is greater than the offset when metal is not present. In the example of FIG. 9D , when the 96th bit indicating the presence or absence of metal in the read data D is “0” indicating no metal inclusion, the adjustment unit 55 does not correct the RSSI value De of the read data D. Furthermore, when the 96th bit indicating the presence or absence of metal inclusion in the read data D is “1” indicating the presence or absence of metal inclusion, the adjustment unit 55 corrects the RSSI value De of the read data D with an offset of “+5” dB. As an example, the adjustment unit 55 selects a tag position estimation model Mi according to the presence or absence of metal inclusion, and specifies the selected tag position estimation model Mi to the tag position determination unit 54. It is assumed that the parameters of the tag position estimation model Mi are determined for at least the presence or absence of metal inclusion. In the example of FIG. 9E , when the 96th bit indicating the presence or absence of metal inclusion in the read data D is “0” indicating no metal inclusion or “1” indicating the presence of metal inclusion, the adjustment unit 55 selects model A and model B as the tag position estimation model Mi, respectively. The presence or absence of an offset, the offset value, and the selection of the tag position estimation model Mi may be performed according to the classification indicating the degree of metal content, the classification of the dielectric constant, or the classification of the degree of influence on reading due to the degree of metal content and / or the magnitude of the dielectric constant. For example, the offset has a larger value as the degree of metal content or the dielectric constant increases.

[0079] (Processing flow performed by the wireless reader) The flow of processing performed by the wireless tag reading device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the wireless tag reading device 10 of Fig. 1. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the reading processing of Fig. 10.

[0080] The tag information acquisition unit 53 performs a reading process of the RFID tag 24 (step S11). In the reading process, the drive control unit 52 moves the antennas 14 and 15 to a start position (step S31). Thereafter, the transceiver unit 51 transmits radio waves from one antenna (e.g., antenna 14) (step S32) and receives a reply wave (step S33). The transceiver unit 51 also transmits radio waves from the other antenna (e.g., antenna 15) (step S34) and receives the reply wave (step S35). The tag information acquisition unit 53 acquires the time at which the reply wave was received, the tag attribute information Dc and the product attribute information Dd contained in the reply wave, and the RSSI value De and the phase value Df of the reply wave (step S36). The drive control unit 52 determines whether the movement of the antennas 14 and 15 has been completed (step S37). On the other hand, when it is determined that the movement of the antennas 14, 15 has not been completed (step S37: No), the drive control unit 52 moves the antennas 14, 15 by a predetermined amount (step S38), and repeats the processes of steps S32 to S38 until it is determined in the process of step S37 that the movement of the antennas 14, 15 has been completed. On the other hand, when it is determined that the movement of the antennas 14, 15 has been completed (step S37: Yes), the flow in Fig. 11 ends, and the process proceeds to step S12 in Fig. 10.

[0081] The adjustment unit 55 determines whether or not the read data D (tag information) includes an attribute that has a large influence on the read result, based on at least one of the tag attribute information Dc and the product attribute information Dd (step S12).

[0082] If the attribute information includes an attribute that has a large effect on the reading result (step S12: Yes), the adjustment unit 55 corrects the RSSI value De with an offset corresponding to at least one of the tag attribute information Dc and the product attribute information Dd (step S13).The adjustment unit 55 also selects a tag position estimation model Mi corresponding to at least one of the tag attribute information Dc and the product attribute information Dd (step S14).

[0083] If the RFID tag 24 does not include any attributes that have a large impact on the reading result (step S12: No), or after step S14, the tag position determination unit 54 performs tag position determination processing to determine the position of the RFID tag 24 as described above with reference to Figure 8, etc. (step S15).

[0084] After the tag position determination process, the notification unit 56 determines whether the reliability of the inference result is less than a predetermined threshold (step S16). If the reliability of the inference result is less than the predetermined threshold (step S16: Yes), the notification unit 56 notifies the user, for example, via the display device 40, that the read result may be incorrect (step S17). Note that the threshold used in the determination in step S16 is smaller than the threshold used by the tag position determination unit 54 to determine that the RFID tag 24 is in the basket 13.

[0085] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a notification according to the embodiment. The notification unit 56 displays a display screen G using, for example, the display device 40. The display screen G includes an in-basket determined product field GA showing the products 22 determined to be located in the basket 13, a subtotal button GB, and a message area GC. In the example of FIG. 12, the in-basket determined product field GA includes a display GAa showing product A and a display GAb showing product B. For example, in the processing of step S16, when it is determined that the reliability of product A is less than a predetermined threshold, the notification unit 56 highlights (hatched in the example of FIG. 12) the display GAa showing product A. Furthermore, the notification unit 56 displays a message in the message area GC such as, "Are you sure that product A is the product you want to purchase? If it is correct, press the subtotal button as is. If it is incorrect, touch product A."

[0086] The notification unit 56 may decide whether to issue a notification based on the product attribute information Dd, not limited to the reliability. As an example, the notification unit 56 issues a notification for a product 22 that contains metal, but does not issue a notification for a product 22 that does not contain metal. As an example, the notification unit 56 issues a notification for a product 22 when the classification of the degree of influence on reading due to the degree of metal content and / or the magnitude of the dielectric constant falls within a predetermined classification.

[0087] The notification is not limited to a screen display on the display device 40, but may also be realized by outputting display information to an external display of the wireless tag reading device 10, such as a POS terminal, or by other modes of display such as turning on / off a dedicated lamp or outputting audio.

[0088] After issuing the notification, the tag position determination unit 54 determines whether the read result was correct based on the result of user confirmation (step S18). The tag position determination unit 54 determines that the read result was not correct when the operation device 41 receives a user operation that selects a highlighted product 22 in the product field GA determined to be in the cart, such as a tap operation on the display GAa, that is, a user operation that denies the read result. The tag position determination unit 54 determines that the read result was correct when the operation device 41 receives a user operation that affirms the read result, such as a tap operation on the subtotal button GB.

[0089] If the user confirmation determines that the read result is correct (step S18: Yes), or if the reliability of the inference result is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (step S16: No), the tag position determination unit 54 determines that the product 22 is to be read (step S19). On the other hand, if the user confirmation determines that the read result is not correct (step S18: No), the tag position determination unit 54 determines that the product 22 is not to be read (step S20). At this time, the user may individually register the product 22 by, for example, scanning the barcode attached to the product 22.

[0090] Thereafter, the tag information acquisition unit 53 determines whether the response waves from all of the read RFID tags 24 have been processed (step S21). If it is not determined that the response waves from all of the read RFID tags 24 have been processed (step S21: No), the flow in Fig. 10 repeats the processes of steps S12 to S21 until it is determined in the process of step S21 that the response waves from all of the read RFID tags 24 have been processed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the response waves from all of the read RFID tags 24 have been processed (step S24: Yes), the flow in Fig. 10 ends. The confirmed read result is transmitted to an external device such as a POS terminal or a higher-level server (not shown), and transaction processing and settlement processing for the product 22 are performed.

[0091] It is not necessary to execute the processes of steps S16 to S18 in Fig. 10. In other words, it may be determined whether or not the document is to be read based on the result of the determination process of step S15.

[0092] In the above embodiment, the inlay type and tag group are exemplified as tag attributes (tag types), but the tag type may be only one of these. Furthermore, the product attribute may be any one of the following: whether or not a metal is contained, the degree of influence of the metal content, and the magnitude of the dielectric constant. Furthermore, in preprocessing and model selection, it is possible that only one of the tag attribute and the product attribute is used.

[0093] In the above embodiment, the case where the product code capable of identifying the product 22 includes tag attribute information and product attribute information has been exemplified, but this is not limiting. The product code capable of identifying the product 22 does not have to include tag attribute information and product attribute information. In this case, it is sufficient that data indicating the correspondence between the product code capable of identifying the product 22 and the tag attribute information and / or product attribute information is determined in advance and stored in the storage unit 36.

[0094] (Effects of the embodiment) Conventionally, in shieldless checkout, an antenna is moved to read the tag, and based on the RSSI value and phase information obtained from the reading, a determination is made as to whether the RFID tag 24 is a target for reading. To improve the accuracy of this determination, a machine learning model is sometimes used. However, because there are various RFID tags 24 on the market with different RFID tag chips and RFID tag antennas (inlays), it is difficult to generate a learning model that can be trained for all types. Even if training were possible, the learning model would be complex, making it difficult to improve the accuracy of the determination.

[0095] In this regard, as described above, the RFID tag reading device 10 according to this embodiment includes the antennas 14 and 15, the drive control unit 52, the tag information acquisition unit 53, the tag position determination unit 54, and the adjustment unit 55. The antennas 14 and 15 are configured to be able to receive radio waves from the RFID tag 24. The drive control unit 52 moves the antennas 14 and 15 to multiple positions. The tag information acquisition unit 53 acquires tag information (tag attribute information and product attribute information, or a product code linked to the tag attribute information and the product attribute information) stored in the RFID tag 24 and radio wave information (RSSI value and phase value) related to the received radio waves, based on the radio waves from the RFID tag 24 received by the antennas 14 and 15 at each of the multiple positions. The tag position determination unit 54 uses the tag position estimation model Mi, parameters of which are determined so as to output information relating to the position of the RFID tag 24 in response to input radio wave information, to perform a determination process to determine whether or not the RFID tag 24 is a target for reading, based on the information relating to the position of the RFID tag 24 output from the tag position estimation model Mi in response to input radio wave information relating to radio waves received by the antennas 14, 15. The adjustment unit 55 adjusts the determination process based on the tag information.

[0096] Furthermore, the control program P of the embodiment causes the computer (control unit 31) of the wireless tag reading device 10, which is equipped with antennas 14, 15 configured to receive radio waves from the RFID tag 24 and a drive control unit 52 that moves the antennas 14, 15 to multiple positions, to acquire tag information (tag attribute information and product attribute information, or product code linked to the tag attribute information and product attribute information) stored in the RFID tag 24 and radio wave information (RSSI value and phase value) related to the received radio waves based on the radio waves from the RFID tag 24 received by the antennas 14, 15 at each of the multiple positions, and performs a determination process to determine whether the RFID tag 24 is a target for reading based on information related to the position of the RFID tag 24 output from the tag position estimation model Mi in response to input of radio wave information related to the radio waves received by the antennas 14, 15, and adjusts the determination process based on the tag information.

[0097] According to this configuration, the determination process for determining whether the RFID tag 24 is a target for reading based on the tag information can be adjusted, and therefore the accuracy of determination regarding the position of the RFID tag 24 can be improved.

[0098] Furthermore, in the wireless tag reading device 10 according to the embodiment, the adjustment unit 55 corrects the RSSI value included in the radio wave information using an offset value corresponding to the tag information. Furthermore, the tag position determination unit 54 inputs the radio wave information with the corrected RSSI value into the tag position estimation model Mi. This configuration can compensate for a decrease in the RSSI value due to the RFID tag 24 or the product 22 to which the RFID tag 24 is attached, thereby reducing the impact of the RFID tag 24 or the product 22 to which the RFID tag 24 is attached on reading.

[0099] Furthermore, in the RFID tag reading device 10 according to the embodiment, the adjustment unit 55 selects a tag position estimation model Mi according to the tag information. Furthermore, the tag position determination unit 54 performs a determination process using the tag position estimation model Mi selected according to the tag information. With this configuration, the determination process can be performed using the tag position estimation model Mi that has been trained on RFID tags 24 or products 22 to which RFID tags 24 are attached that have similar tag attributes and / or product attributes, i.e., that have a similar impact on reading, thereby improving the accuracy of inference by the tag position estimation model Mi.

[0100] Furthermore, in the wireless tag reading device 10 according to the embodiment, the adjustment unit 55 corrects the RSSI value using an offset value according to the tag information, and selects the tag position estimation model Mi according to the tag information. This configuration can improve the inference accuracy by the tag position estimation model Mi while reducing the influence on reading of the RFID tag 24 or the product 22 to which the RFID tag 24 is attached.

[0101] Furthermore, in the wireless tag reading device 10 according to the embodiment, the adjustment unit 55 adjusts the determination process based on at least one of tag attribute information Dc indicating the type of the RFID tag 24 included in the tag information or tag attribute information linked to the product code, and product attribute information Dd indicating the type of the product 22 to which the RFID tag 24 included in the tag information is attached or product attribute information linked to the product code. This configuration makes it possible to appropriately adjust the determination process for determining whether the RFID tag 24 is a reading target based on the tag information.

[0102] Conventionally, shieldless checkout involves moving an antenna to read a tag, and determining whether the RFID tag 24 is a target for reading based on the RSSI value and phase information obtained from the reading. To improve the accuracy of this determination, machine learning models are sometimes used. However, there are limits to the accuracy of determinations made using machine learning models, and there is a need to avoid false positives, especially in accounting applications.

[0103] In this regard, as described above, the RFID tag reading device 10 according to this embodiment includes the antennas 14 and 15, the drive control unit 52, the tag information acquisition unit 53, the tag position determination unit 54, and the notification unit 56. The antennas 14 and 15 are configured to be able to receive radio waves from the RFID tag 24. The drive control unit 52 moves the antennas 14 and 15 to multiple positions. The tag information acquisition unit 53 acquires tag information (tag attribute information and product attribute information, or a product code linked to the tag attribute information and the product attribute information) stored in the RFID tag 24 and radio wave information (RSSI value and phase value) related to the received radio waves, based on the radio waves from the RFID tag 24 received by the antennas 14 and 15 at each of the multiple positions. The tag position determination unit 54 uses the tag position estimation model Mi, parameters of which are determined so as to output information relating to the position of the RFID tag 24 in response to input radio wave information, to perform a determination process to determine whether or not the RFID tag 24 is a read target, based on the information relating to the position of the RFID tag 24 output from the tag position estimation model Mi in response to input radio wave information relating to the radio waves received by the antennas 14, 15. The notification unit 56 notifies the user when the reliability of the information relating to the position of the RFID tag 24 output from the tag position estimation model Mi is less than a predetermined threshold.

[0104] Furthermore, the control program P according to the embodiment causes a computer (controller 31) of the wireless tag reader 10, which includes antennas 14, 15 configured to be able to receive radio waves from the RFID tag 24 and a drive controller 52 that moves the antennas 14, 15 to a plurality of positions, to acquire tag information (tag attribute information and product attribute information, or a product code linked to the tag attribute information and the product attribute information) stored in the RFID tag 24 and radio wave information (RSSI value and phase value) related to the received radio waves, based on the radio waves from the RFID tag 24 received by the antennas 14, 15 at each of the plurality of positions. and using a tag position estimation model Mi whose parameters are determined to output information relating to the position of the RFID tag 24 in response to input of radio wave information, a determination process is performed to determine whether or not the RFID tag 24 is a target for reading, based on information relating to the position of the RFID tag 24 output from the tag position estimation model Mi in response to input of radio wave information relating to radio waves received by the antennas 14 and 15, and when the reliability of the information included in the information relating to the position of the RFID tag 24 output from the tag position estimation model Mi is less than a predetermined threshold, a notification is given to the user.

[0105] According to this configuration, if the reliability of the inference result is low, the user can be prompted to confirm it, thereby improving the accuracy of the determination regarding the position of the RFID tag 24 and suppressing erroneous determinations.

[0106] The RFID tag reading device 10 according to the embodiment further includes an operation device 41 that accepts an input operation of a confirmation result by a user. In the RFID tag reading device 10 according to the embodiment, the tag position determination unit 54 determines whether the RFID tag 24 is a target for reading based on the input operation of the confirmation result by the user. With this configuration, if the reliability of the inference result is low, a confirmation step can be performed by the user, thereby improving the accuracy of determination regarding the position of the RFID tag 24 and suppressing erroneous determination.

[0107] Furthermore, in the wireless tag reading device 10 according to the embodiment, the notification unit 56 can notify the user based on the product attribute information Dd indicating the type of the product 22 to which the RFID tag 24 included in the tag information is attached or the product attribute information linked to the product code. With this configuration, even if the determination accuracy is reduced due to the radio wave environment or the like, the user can be prompted to check or a confirmation step can be performed by the user.

[0108] The RFID tag reading device 10 according to the embodiment further includes an adjustment unit 55 that corrects the RSSI value included in the radio wave information using an offset value according to the tag information. The tag position determination unit 54 inputs the radio wave information with the corrected RSSI value to the tag position estimation model Mi. This configuration can compensate for a decrease in the RSSI value due to the RFID tag 24 or the product 22 to which the RFID tag 24 is attached, thereby reducing the impact of the RFID tag 24 or the product 22 to which the RFID tag 24 is attached on reading.

[0109] The RFID tag reading device 10 according to the embodiment further includes an adjustment unit 55 that selects a tag position estimation model Mi according to the tag information. The tag position determination unit 54 performs a determination process using the tag position estimation model Mi selected according to the tag information. This configuration allows the determination process to be performed using the tag position estimation model Mi that has been trained on RFID tags 24 or products 22 to which RFID tags 24 are attached that have similar tag attributes and / or product attributes, i.e., that have a similar impact on reading, thereby improving the accuracy of inference using the tag position estimation model Mi.

[0110] According to at least one of the embodiments described above, it is possible to improve the accuracy of determining the position of a wireless tag.

[0111] In this embodiment, "determining whether it is A or not" can be realized by at least one of "determining whether it is A" and "determining whether it is not A."

[0112] Each control program executed by the RFID tag reader 10 of this embodiment is provided in advance in a storage medium such as a ROM.

[0113] Each control program executed by the wireless tag reading device 10 of this embodiment may be configured to be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk).

[0114] Furthermore, each control program executed by the RFID tag reader 10 of this embodiment may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. Also, each control program executed by the RFID tag reader 10 of this embodiment may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0115] The control program executed by the RFID tag reading device 10 of this embodiment has a modular configuration including the above-mentioned units (transmitter / receiver 51, drive controller 52, tag information acquirer 53, tag position determiner 54, adjuster 55, and notifier 56). The CPU 32 reads the control program from the storage medium and loads the above-mentioned units onto a main storage device such as a RAM. As a result, the above-mentioned units are generated on the main storage device.

[0116] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 10. Radio tag reader 12 Mounting table 13 Basket 14,15 Antenna 16 Placement position marker 18 Moving stage (drive unit) 20 Drive motor (drive unit) 21 Rail (drive unit) 22 Products (goods) 24 RFID tags (wireless tags) 51 Transmitter / Receiver 52 Drive control unit (drive unit) 53 Tag information acquisition unit 54 Tag position determination unit 55 Adjustment section 56 Information Department [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0118] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2019-106074

Claims

1. an antenna configured to be able to receive radio waves from a wireless tag; a drive unit that moves the antenna to a plurality of positions; a tag information acquisition unit that acquires tag information stored in the wireless tag and radio wave information related to the received radio waves based on the radio waves from the wireless tag received by the antenna at each of the plurality of positions; a tag position determination unit that uses a model whose parameters are determined so as to output information about the position of a wireless tag in response to input of radio wave information, and performs a determination process to determine whether the wireless tag is a target for reading based on information about the position of the wireless tag output from the model in response to input of radio wave information about the radio waves received by the antenna; a notification unit that notifies a user when the reliability of the information included in the information about the location of the wireless tag output from the model is less than a predetermined threshold; A wireless tag reader comprising:

2. an operation unit that accepts an input operation of the confirmation result by the user; the tag position determination unit determines whether the wireless tag is a target for reading, further based on an input operation of the confirmation result by the user.

2. The wireless tag reader according to claim 1.

3. The wireless tag reading device of claim 1, wherein the notification unit executes notification to the user based on either item attribute information indicating the type of item to which the wireless tag included in the tag information is attached or item attribute information linked to the tag information.

4. an adjustment unit that corrects an RSSI value included in the radio wave information using an offset value according to the tag information; the tag position determination unit inputs the radio wave information with the corrected RSSI value into the model; 2. The wireless tag reader according to claim 1.

5. further comprising an adjustment unit that selects the model according to the tag information; the tag position determination unit performs the determination process using the model selected in accordance with the tag information.

2. The wireless tag reader according to claim 1.

6. A computer of a wireless tag reader including an antenna configured to be able to receive radio waves from a wireless tag and a drive unit that moves the antenna to a plurality of positions, acquiring tag information stored in the wireless tag and radio wave information related to the received radio waves based on the radio waves from the wireless tag received by the antenna at each of the plurality of locations; using a model whose parameters are determined so as to output information relating to the location of a wireless tag in response to input of radio wave information, performing a determination process to determine whether the wireless tag is a target for reading based on the information relating to the location of the wireless tag output from the model in response to input of radio wave information relating to the radio waves received by the antenna; When the reliability of the information included in the information about the location of the wireless tag output from the model is less than a predetermined threshold, a notification is given to a user. A program to execute.

Images