Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha

Yuki Koike

Sadatoshi Oishi

Jun Yaginuma

Sunao Tsuchida

Takashi Tomiyama

Seiya Kishimoto

Fumiharu Nakayama

Toshihiro Imai

A sheet processing apparatus for processing sheets each with a wireless tag includes a roller, a wireless tag reader/writer, and a controller configured to control the roller to convey a first sheet with a first tag along a path, control the reader/writer to acquire first strengths of radio signals received from the first tag during the conveyance and second strengths of radio signals received from wireless tags of sheets not being conveyed, determine a threshold value of signal strength for distinguishing a wireless tag being conveyed from wireless tags not being conveyed based on the first and second strengths, and control the roller to convey a second sheet with a second tag and control the reader/writer to write to the second tag when a strength of a radio signal from the second tag is greater than or equal to the threshold value.

Sheet processing apparatus using radio signals received from wireless tags

A wireless tag communication device for communicating with a wireless tag conveyed in a conveyance direction includes an antenna with a plurality of radiation regions from which a polarized radio wave is emitted and including a first radiation region extending along a first direction crossing the conveyance direction and having a first length in the first direction, and a second radiation region extending parallel to the first radiation region and having a second length that is different from the first length in the first direction, and a controller configured to cause at least one of the first and second radiation regions to emit a polarized wave towards the wireless tag.

Wireless tag communication device and sheet processing apparatus

According to an embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a sheet conveyance unit that is configured to transport a print medium along a conveyance path. An antenna is configured to emit radio waves towards a predetermined portion of the conveyance path. A controller is configured to control the antenna to emit the radio waves towards the predetermined portion with a polarization direction set according to a type of the print medium being transported by the sheet conveyance unit. The print medium may have, for example, one or more wireless tags thereon or therein.

Image forming apparatus

A data writing device includes a roller configured to convey a label including a radio tag along a predetermined path, a reader/writer configured to wirelessly communicate with the radio tag, and a controller configured to control the roller to convey the label and control the reader/writer to acquire a plurality of radio wave intensities from the radio tag at different positions along the predetermined path as the label is conveyed, and determine one of the different positions along the predetermined path at which the radio wave intensities are equal to or greater than a threshold value as a writing position for the radio tag.

Data writing device

A sheet processing apparatus for processing sheets each with a wireless tag, includes a roller, a wireless tag reader/writer, and a controller configured to control the roller to convey a first sheet with a first tag along a path, control the reader/writer to acquire first strengths of radio signals received from the first tag during the conveyance and second strengths of radio signals received from wireless tags of sheets not being conveyed, determine a threshold value of signal strength for distinguishing a wireless tag being conveyed from wireless tags not being conveyed based on the first and second strengths, and control the roller to convey a second sheet with a second tag and control the reader/writer to write to the second tag when a strength of a radio signal from the second tag is greater than or equal to the threshold value.

A wireless tag communication device for communicating with a wireless tag conveyed by a conveyance mechanism, includes radiation regions from which a radio wave is emitted. The radiation regions include a first region extending along a first direction crossing a conveyance direction of the tag and having a first length in the first direction, a second region extending along the first direction and having a second length in the first direction, a third region extending along the conveyance direction and having a third length in the conveyance direction, and a fourth region extending along the conveyance direction and having a fourth length in the conveyance direction. The device further includes a controller configured to cause at least one of the first, second, third and, fourth regions to emit a polarized wave towards the tag. Each of the first and second regions partially overlaps the third and fourth regions.

According to one embodiment, a reading apparatus includes a shielding body, an antenna, and a reader and writer. The shielding body is formed in a box shape with an upper opening, to place an accommodating body and to shield radio waves. The antenna is provided in the shielding body to receive information from an RFID tag attached to a product that is passing through the opening. The reader and writer is connected to the antenna to read information of the product from the information received by the antenna.

Reading apparatus

A wireless tag processing device includes a wireless tag reader-writer and a processor configured to acquire first and second sets of parameter values, control the reader-writer to transmit a radio wave using each parameter value of the first set and acquire a first intensity of a response wave from a wireless tag, when a highest first intensity satisfies a first condition, determine a parameter value of the first set corresponding to the highest intensity as a parameter value to be used by the reader-writer, and when the highest intensity does not satisfy the condition, control the reader-writer to transmit a radio wave using each parameter value of the second set and acquire a second intensity, and when a highest second intensity satisfies a second condition, determine a parameter value of the second set corresponding to the highest second intensity as the parameter value to be used by the reader-writer.

Wireless tag processing device configured to select from lists a parameter value to be used to communicate with a wireless tag

According to one embodiment, a merchandise reading apparatus is equipped with a storage chamber formed of a radio wave shielding member and a reading apparatus which reads information of a radio tag from merchandise attached with the radio tag and stored in the storage chamber, and at least a part of the storage chamber is formed of a light transmitting member.

Merchandise reading apparatus and merchandise information processing apparatus

According to an embodiment, a control device for an image forming apparatus includes a controller that acquires reference information corresponding to expected signal strength values from a wireless tag on a sheet moving along a conveyance path and also acquires measured signal strength values for a first wireless tag on a sheet from a wireless tag communication device. The controller calculates a similarity value from the measured signal strength values and the expected signal strength values to determine whether the first wireless tag is on a sheet moving along the conveyance path. The controller controls the wireless tag communication device to write information to the first wireless tag when the calculated similarity value is above a threshold similarity value.

Control device and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a storage unit storing sheets each including a wireless tag, a printer, a communication device, and a controller for controlling the printer to convey a first sheet, acquiring first strengths of signals from a first tag on a first sheet during the conveyance of the first sheet and second strengths from tags not sheets being conveyed. Based on the acquired strengths, the controller determines a threshold value for distinguishing between sheets being conveyed and not being conveyed. The controller then controls the communication device to write information to a tag on a sheet being conveyed based on the threshold value.

Growing community of inventors

Sunto Shizuoka, Japan

Yuki Koike