Passive Pen-Shaped RFID Terminal for Extended Range
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Solution Overview
Problem
RFID systems face limitations in communication range due to the short range of HF and UHF bands, and existing terminals are complex and large in size, making them unsuitable for efficient article management and inventory systems.
Innovation Solution
A communication terminal with an antenna portion and a coupling portion that mediates communication between a reader/writer and a wireless IC tag, eliminating the need for a battery or information processing circuit, allowing communication over a longer range without a complex configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If RFID systems use HF or UHF band for communication, then non-contact communication between reader/writer and wireless tags is enabled, but communication range is limited to very short distance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a communication terminal as an intermediary device between the reader/writer and the wireless IC tag. This terminal includes an antenna portion for receiving signals from the reader/writer and a coupling portion for coupling with the wireless IC tag, enabling extended communication range without requiring the tag to be within direct communication distance of the reader/writer.
2Length of stationary object
If handy terminals include battery and signal processing circuit for extended communication, then communication range is increased, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the battery and signal processing circuit from the communication terminal, retaining only the essential antenna portion and coupling portion. This extraction allows the terminal to achieve extended communication range through passive signal relay without the complexity and size associated with active electronic components.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication terminal operates passively by utilizing electromagnetic induction from the reader/writer to power its antenna portion, eliminating the need for an external battery. The terminal serves itself by harvesting energy from the communication field rather than requiring an independent power source.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables extended communication range between reader/writers and wireless IC tags, simplifying the terminal design and allowing simultaneous reading of multiple tags, while maintaining low cost and small size.
Implementation Method 1
RFID systems have been developed that perform non-contact communication between reader/writers that generate electromagnetic induction fields and wireless tags
Implementation Method 2
the antenna portion and the coupling portion handle a signal used in a single information processing system, and a signal received by the antenna portion is transmitted from the coupling portion and a signal received by the coupling portion is transmitted from the antenna portion
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing system includes a reader/writer, a communication terminal, and a wireless IC tag. The communication terminal includes an electric field antenna including a coupling portion that defines a magnetic field antenna, and the antenna portion is housed in a pen-shaped casing. The antenna portion is coupled to an electric field antenna of the reader/writer through an electric field, and the coupling portion is coupled to the wireless IC tag through a magnetic field. The reader/writer communicates with the wireless IC tag as a result of the coupling portion being brought close to the wireless IC tag.