JP6979772B2 - Detection device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for measuring the position of an object, and more particularly to a technique applicable to a position detecting device for identifying the position of an object by using a plurality of arranged RFID tags.

By attaching an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag or an IC tag (hereinafter collectively referred to as "RFID tag") to an article, it is widely practiced to identify the individual article by reading the ID. Further, as an application thereof, a mechanism for grasping the position of the place or the like based on the read information of the RFID tag based on a plurality of RFID tags placed at a predetermined position is also being studied.

As a technique related to this, for example, in Japanese Patent No. 584589 (Patent Document 1), an RFID tag sheet configured by arranging a plurality of RFID tags in a grid pattern on a sheet-shaped substrate is used and read by a reader. It is stated that the information corresponding to the position is assumed to have been input based on the position identification information recorded by the RFID tag at the position.

Japanese Patent No. 5840089

For example, when inspecting or investigating the shape of an object, surface patterns, changes over time of cracks, etc., it may be necessary to grasp the position information of the object or its specific location. In this case, it is effective to use an RFID tag sheet as described in Patent Document 1. Specifically, the shape of the object is formed by aligning or covering the RFID tag sheet with the surface of the object, pointing to a specific position with a pen having a reader function, or tracing the shape or pattern. And the position can be grasped.

On the other hand, for example, it may be necessary to inspect and investigate huge buildings and structures such as outdoor bridges and rails as described above. In this case, the technology described in Patent Document 1 Is not suitable to use. If the same method is adopted in this case, an RFID tag sheet having a large area is required. However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, the RFID tags can be distributed and arranged in a grid pattern when forming the sheet. is necessary. Therefore, as the area of the RFID tag sheet is increased, the number of required RFID tags increases sharply. In order to realize an RFID tag sheet at low cost, for example, a size of 10 to 30 cm square is suitable, and it is physically and costly inefficient and difficult to form a sheet having a size larger than this. be.

Further, unlike the RFID tag sheet described in Patent Document 1, the RFID tag arrangement portion and the reader function portion are combined with a mechanical movable mechanism instead of manually operating and reading a pen or the like having a reader function. There is also a need for a configuration that automatically reads the position of the moving part. However, it may be difficult to mount the RFID tag on the seat in combination with the movable mechanism as it is.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a position detection device that detects the position of an object or the like by using a plurality of RFID tags arranged in combination with a movable mechanism.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a position detecting device in which an RFID tag arrangement portion and / or a reader function portion is combined with a mechanical movable mechanism.

The above and other objects and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the description and accompanying drawings herein.

A brief description of the representative inventions disclosed in the present application is as follows.

The position detection device according to a typical embodiment of the present invention is a position detection device that detects the position of an object, and a plurality of RFID tags are predetermined along the axis so as to be a reference axis for position detection. While moving along the direction of the shaft related to the corresponding shaft portion in conjunction with the movement of the object, corresponding to each of the one or more shaft portions arranged at intervals and each of the shaft portions. A detection unit that communicates with one or more of the RFID tags arranged on the corresponding shaft portion, and the shaft portion and the corresponding detection unit are housed, and at least a part thereof is composed of a transparent member. It has a protective cover and a reader / writer connected to each of the detection units via a cable and reading the information of the RFID tag read by each of the detection units. Then, the position of the object with respect to each axis is specified based on the information of the RFID tag of each axis portion read by the reader / writer.

Among the inventions disclosed in the present application, the effects obtained by representative ones are briefly described as follows.

That is, according to a typical embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to detect the position of an object or the like by using a plurality of RFID tags arranged in combination with a movable mechanism.

Further, according to a typical embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to configure the RFID tag arrangement portion and / or the reader function portion in combination with a mechanical movable mechanism.

It is a figure which showed the outline about the structural example of the position detection apparatus which is Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which showed the outline about the structural example of the scale tag in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which showed the outline about the example of the structure which reads the scale tag in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which showed the outline about the modification of the position detection apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which showed the outline about the structural example of the position detection apparatus which is Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a figure which showed the outline about the other configuration example of the position detection apparatus which is Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a figure which showed the outline about the structural example of the position detection apparatus which is 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which showed the outline about the structural example of the position detection apparatus which is Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a figure which showed the outline about the example of the parts management using the RFID tag in the prior art. It is a figure which showed the outline about the other modification of the position detection apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which showed the outline about the other modification of the position detection apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which showed the outline about the modification of the position detection apparatus in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a figure which showed the outline about the modification of the position detection apparatus in Embodiment 4 of this invention. (A) and (b) are diagrams showing an outline of a configuration example of a valve and a valve key. It is a figure which showed the outline about the example of opening and closing a valve installed in the ground using a valve key. It is a figure which showed the outline about the structural example of the valve in Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is a figure which showed the outline about the structural example of the valve key in Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is a figure which showed the outline about the example of the connection between a valve and a valve key in Embodiment 5 of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, in all the drawings for explaining the embodiment, the same parts are in principle the same reference numerals, and the repeated description thereof will be omitted. On the other hand, the parts described with reference numerals in one figure may be referred to with the same reference numerals in the description of other figures, although they are not shown again. Further, in the following, in order to make the features of the present invention easy to understand, the present invention will be described in comparison with the prior art.

<Overview>
As described above, by using the RFID tag sheet as described in Patent Document 1, the two-dimensional position (coordinates) on the sheet can be grasped. As an application scene, for example, in a manufacturing factory or the like, a case where a predetermined article (part, part) is appropriately taken in and out of a predetermined storage place or installation place can be considered.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an outline of an example of parts management using an RFID tag in the prior art. In the figure, an example is shown in which a user moves parts in and out of a parts box 21 in which a plurality of storage portions (mass) are arranged in a grid pattern using an operating tool 41 shaped like a tong or tweezers. There is. Here, by utilizing and applying the technique described in Patent Document 1, mass tags 10'composed of RFID tags are arranged in a grid pattern at the bottom of each mass of the parts box 21. A detection unit 31 is provided near the position where the component at the tip of the operating device 41 is gripped. Although not shown, the detection unit 31 is assumed to be connected to an antenna portion and a cable for the reader / writer device to communicate with the RFID tag.

By using such a parts box 21, when the user brings the tip portion of the operating device 41 closer to the target square for inserting and removing parts, the mass tag 10'of the target square is automatically inserted via the detection unit 31 at the tip. It is possible to grasp the position (coordinates) of the mass based on the read ID information. This makes it possible to record the access status and history of each cell and determine the correctness of the accessed cell.

However, in order to configure such a parts box 21, it is necessary to arrange as many mass tags 10'as there are masses. That is, when the grid of cells is N vertical and M horizontal, N × M mass tags 10 ′ are required. In the example of FIG. 9, 4 × 6 = 24, which is a scale that can be implemented, but the required number of mass tags 10 ′ increases sharply as the number of N and M increases.

Therefore, in each embodiment of the present invention shown below, instead of arranging RFID tags for each grid, which is a position detection unit, one or more axes for position detection (not limited to straight lines but curved lines, etc.) Place the RFID tag on a scale only on top of it. Then, by automatically reading the RFID tag (scale) at the corresponding position on the axis in conjunction with the operation of pointing to the position of the detection target by the operation of the movable mechanism, the detection target is detected based on the value of the scale of each axis. Grasp the position (coordinates) of. With such a configuration, it is possible to greatly reduce the number of RFID tags required for position detection.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of the position detection device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The position detection device 1 of the present embodiment is, for example, a device that detects the position of a detection target on a two-dimensional plane having an X-axis in the horizontal direction and a Y-axis in the vertical direction on the paper surface of FIG.

The position detection device 1 has an X-axis fixing portion 20x and a Y-axis fixing portion 20y fixed as shaft portions in a state of being extended in the respective directions of the X-axis and the Y-axis, which are reference points for position detection (hereinafter, these are simply "fixed". Part 20 ”). Further, an X-axis moving portion 30x that can move in the X-axis direction along the X-axis fixing portion 20x, and a Y-axis moving portion 30y that can move in the Y-axis direction along the Y-axis fixing portion 20y (hereinafter, these are simply referred to as simple). It may be collectively referred to as "moving unit 30"). The configuration including the combination of the fixed portion 20 and the moving portion 30 can be, for example, as shown in the figure, a form such as a rail that slides along a rail guide, but is not limited thereto.

The position detection device 1 of the present embodiment further has an X-axis guide 43x attached in a state of extending in the X-axis direction with respect to the Y-axis moving portion 30y, and the position detecting device 1 with respect to the X-axis moving portion 30x in the Y-axis direction. It has a Y-axis guide 43y attached in a stretched state (hereinafter, these may be simply collectively referred to as "guide 43").

Then, at a position where the guides 43 intersect, there is an operation unit 42 attached so as to be movable along the guides 43. By moving the operation unit 42 along the X-axis guide 43x, the X-axis moving unit 30x can be moved in the X-axis direction along the X-axis fixing unit 20x in conjunction with this. Similarly, by moving the operation unit 42 along the Y-axis guide 43y, the Y-axis moving unit 32y can be moved in the Y-axis direction along the Y-axis fixing unit 20y in conjunction with this. This mechanism is similar to that of a general pen plotter. However, contrary to the pen plotter, the operation unit 42 (for example, the central portion thereof) is moved on the XY plane so as to point to the detection target (overlaid on the detection target), thereby interlocking with this. Therefore, each moving portion 30 is moved to a corresponding position in the fixed portion 20 of each shaft.

In each fixed portion 20, a plurality of scale tags 10 (indicated by scale tags 10x and 10y in the figure) composed of RFID tags are arranged at predetermined intervals along the path on which the moving portion 30 moves. ing. This interval is set based on the resolution required for detecting the position and coordinates.

Each of the moving units 30 has a detection unit 31 (indicated by the detection units 31x and 31y in the figure) having an antenna function for reading the information of the scale tag 10 by communication with the scale tag 10, and will be described later. It has an antenna 32 (indicated by antennas 32x and 32y in the figure) for communicating with the reader / writer 50. The detection unit 31 and the antenna 32 are connected by a cable 35 (indicated by cables 35x and 35y in the figure).

The position detection device 1 of the present embodiment further has a reader / writer 50. If necessary, it may have a higher-level system 51 which is an information processing device that performs various processes based on the data acquired by the reader / writer 50. The reader / writer 50 transmits a radio wave for communicating with the scale tag 10, and acquires the information of the scale tag 10 read by the detection unit 31 via the antenna 32 of each moving unit 30 that receives the radio wave. The reader / writer 50 is composed of an information processing device, a reader / writer device, a terminal device, and the like having such a function.

The reader / writer 50 or the host system 51 holds in advance the ID information of each scale tag 10 and the information of the position (coordinates) of the operation unit 42 corresponding to the ID information on the X-axis or the Y-axis. .. Thereby, based on the ID information of the scale tag 10 acquired for each axis, the position (coordinates) of the operation unit 42 on the XY plane can be grasped.

In the present embodiment, each moving unit 30 having the detection unit 31 and the antenna 32 is movable. Therefore, instead of moving the reader / writer 50 to read the scale tag 10 directly, or mounting the function of the reader / writer 50 on the moving unit 30, the reader / writer 50 indirectly communicates with the reader / writer 50 via the detection unit 31 and the antenna 32. It is desirable to have a configuration that can be read in a targeted manner.

In the example of FIG. 1, each fixed portion 20 may be fixed to an immovable object such as the ground or a wall so that its absolute position is fixed, or the relative position between the fixed portions 20 may be fixed. Only the fixed portion 20 may be fixed (that is, each fixed portion 20 is fixed to the entire position detecting device 1). That is, in the latter case, the entire position detection device 1 can be moved and used while the relative positions of the fixed portions 20 are fixed, and the portability can be achieved.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of the scale tag 10. The upper figure shows an example of a top view of the scale tag 10, and the lower figure shows an example of a cross-sectional view of the AA'cross section of the scale tag 10. As the scale tag 10, for example, it is preferable to use a generally available small passive type RFID tag having a size of about 2.5 mm square. The scale tag 10 has a configuration in which a coil antenna 13 is formed by wiring a conductor around an IC chip 12 arranged near the center of a base material 11 such as an insulating resin.

The resolution of position detection is determined by the dimensions of the scale tag 10. That is, the larger the size of the scale tag 10, the lower the resolution, and the smaller the size, the higher the resolution can be obtained.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an outline of an example of a configuration for reading a scale tag 10 in the position detection device 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of the AA'cross section of the Y-axis fixed portion 20y and the Y-axis moving portion 30y portion in FIG. 1 described above. The upper figure shows a state in which the fixing portion 20 is fixed to the ground or the like, and a plurality of scale tags 10 are arranged side by side on the upper surface thereof. Then, it is shown that the moving portion 30 can move on the moving portion 30 in the left-right direction of the paper surface.

The scale tag 10 is read by the detection unit 31 arranged on the bottom surface of the moving unit 30. The information read by the detection unit 31 is acquired by the reader / writer 50 via the antenna 32. In the above example of FIG. 1, for convenience of explanation, the detection unit 31 is described as if the detection unit 31 can be grasped from the upper surface side of the moving unit 30, but in mounting, the scale tag 10 is used as shown in FIG. It is desirable to place it on the near lower surface side.

The lower part of FIG. 3 shows an enlarged state around the scale tag 10 and the detection unit 31. Here, it is shown that the detection unit 31 communicates via the mutual induction magnetic field Φ due to the electromagnetic coupling between the scale tag 10 and the coil antenna 13. Although the example of FIG. 3 shows a state in which communication with the adjacent scale tag 10 is not possible (no interference), it may be in a state in which communication with the adjacent scale tag 10 is possible. In this case, it is possible to prevent the communication between the adjacent scale tags 10 from being interrupted (the situation is such that none of the scale tags 10 can be read) due to the movement of the moving unit 30 and the detecting unit 31.

When a plurality of scale tags 10 can be read, it can be determined from the reading situation which scale tag 10 is mainly read. The method of determination is not particularly limited, but for example, when three adjacent scale tags 10 are read, it may be determined that the central scale tag 10 is being read. Further, when two adjacent scale tags 10 are read, for example, it may be determined that the scale tag 10 closer to the other scale tag 10 that has been read most recently is being read.

In the case of a mechanism for detecting the position information corresponding to the read scale tag 10, the position in the middle of the position information corresponding to each of the two adjacent scale tags 10 (for example, the position of the average value of the two position information). You may decide that it is in. Similarly, when three or more scale tags 10 are read, it may be determined that they are at the position of the average value of their position information.

By applying the configuration of the position detection device 1 as described above to the parts box 21 shown in FIG. 9 above, the number of required RFID tags can be significantly reduced. Specifically, for example, in the position detection device 1 shown in FIG. 1, each mass of the parts box 21 in the example of FIG. 9 is arranged on the XY plane of the movable range of the operation unit 42. The mass tag 10'as shown in the example of FIG. 9 is not required for each mass. Then, the operation unit 42 in the position detection device 1 is composed of a member having the function of the operation tool 41 in the example of FIG. The detection unit 31 as shown in the example of FIG. 9 is not required for the operation unit 42 (operation instrument 41).

As a result, in the parts box 21 shown in the example of FIG. 9, N × M mass tags 10 ′ are required in the case of N × M masses, whereas the position detection device 1 of the present embodiment is applied. In this case, the total of the scale tags 10 in the X-axis fixing portion 20x and the Y-axis fixing portion 20y, that is, N + M pieces is sufficient. Therefore, the number of required RFID tags can be significantly reduced, especially when the values of N and M are large.

(Modification 1)
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of a modified example of the position detection device 1 of the present embodiment. Here, by moving the operation unit 42 of the position detection device 1 on the XY plane, the position (coordinates) of the operation unit 42 on the XY plane can be grasped, and the handwritten character (graphic) is used. An example of inputting is shown. Specifically, for example, an attachment portion 44 for attaching the pen 45 is provided on the operation portion 42, and a user operates the pen 45 on an XY plane to draw characters and figures by hand, contrary to a pen plotter. Or trace the trajectory. The position (coordinates) pointed to by the pen 45 in the meantime is grasped by the detection unit 31 of each moving unit 30 by reading the scale tag 10 of each fixed unit 20. By recording and tracking the change history by the host system 51, it is possible to obtain image data related to characters, figures, and loci drawn by the user.

The configuration of the mounting portion 44 and the pen 45 shown in FIG. 4 is an example, and is not limited to such a configuration. It is also possible to appropriately adopt another configuration such as a configuration in which a member corresponding to the pen 45 is fixedly attached to the operation unit 42.

(Modification 2)
In the configuration shown in the examples of FIGS. 1 and 3 described above, the information of the scale tag 10 read by the detection unit 31 of each moving unit 30 is transmitted by wireless communication by radio waves in the space from the antenna 32 to the reader / writer 50. is doing. In this case, depending on the position of the operation unit 42, that is, the position of each moving unit 30, the distance between the antenna 32 and the reader / writer 50 may become large, the radio wave may be weak, and the communication may become unstable. obtain. In addition, it may be necessary to take measures to ensure safety in order to prevent interference and information leakage. Further, especially when the position detection device 1 is used outdoors, the scale tag 10, which is an important member, is exposed to the outside, and there are problems such as failure / drop due to disturbance (for example, rain, snow, wind, etc.) or impact. There can also be situations where it is more likely to occur.

On the other hand, as a modification of the position detection device 1 shown in the examples of FIGS. 1 and 3, the following configuration can be adopted. 10 and 11 are views showing an outline of another modification of the position detection device 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 10 corresponds to FIG. 1 described above, and FIG. 11 corresponds to FIG. Since the configurations shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 and the configurations shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 are basically the same, detailed description again will be omitted, and differences will be mainly described.

In the configuration of the modified example shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the detection unit 31 and the reader / writer of each moving unit 30 are not used for wireless communication using the antenna 32 as in the configurations shown in the examples of FIGS. 1 and 3. Information is transmitted by wired communication by directly connecting the 50 to the cable 35. This eliminates the need to consider radio wave attenuation based on the distance between each detection unit 31 and the reader / writer 50. In addition, unnecessary radio wave radiation to the space can be suppressed.

Further, in the configuration of the modified example shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the entire fixed portion 20 and moving portion 30 of each axis including the scale tag 10 are covered with the X-axis protective cover 36x and the Y-axis protective cover 36y (hereinafter, these are used). May be simply collectively referred to as "protective cover 36"). This protects important members such as the scale tag 10. In particular, it prevents the detection ability from being attenuated due to the influence of water when used outdoors, and secures stable communication between the reader / writer 50 and the scale tag 10 in combination with the configuration of wired communication by the cable 35. do.

As shown in the figure, the protective cover 36 is composed of, for example, a box-shaped member that houses the fixing portion 20 and the moving portion 30 of each shaft. It is desirable that at least the portion where the scale tag 10 can be visually confirmed is made of a transparent member such as acrylic resin so that the scale tag 10 read by the detection unit 31 can be visually confirmed. Further, the cable 35 has a sufficient length so that the moving portion 30 does not interfere with the movement of the moving portion 30 even when the moving portion 30 moves to the farthest position from the reader / writer 50, and the moving portion 30 has the reader / writer 50. The structure is flexible so that it can be naturally folded and stored so that it will not be an obstacle when moving to a position close to. The protective cover 36 is provided with a cable hole 38 through which the cable 35 is passed. In particular, when used outdoors, it is desirable to use a cable 35 protected by a metal flexible tube, an electric wire tube, or the like.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the protective cover 36 has an X-axis guide passage hole 37x and a Y-axis guide passage hole 37y (hereinafter, these are used) for passing the guide 43 of each axis and allowing the protective cover 36 to move in the axial direction. May be collectively referred to simply as "guide passage hole 37"). Further, as shown in FIG. 11, a moving portion passing hole 39 for passing the moving portion 30 is provided on the surface of the protective cover 36 facing the moving portion 30 so as not to restrict the moving range of the moving portion 30. ing. The moving portion passage hole 39 is unnecessary when the protective cover 36 has a sufficient size so as not to restrict the moving range of the moving portion 30.

(Embodiment 2)
The position detection device 1 of the first embodiment described above is an object by using scale tags 10 arranged side by side in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction in the X-axis fixing portion 20x and the Y-axis fixing portion 20y, respectively. A certain operation unit 42 is configured so that the position (coordinates) on the two-dimensional XY plane can be grasped. On the other hand, the position detection device 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is configured to grasp the position (coordinates) on the axis in one dimension by applying the configuration of the position detection device 1 of the first embodiment. It was.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of the position detection device 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Here, in the configuration like the parts box 21 of the prior art shown in FIG. 9 above, for example, the number of cells for inserting parts is only one row (one dimension) of N (N = 6 in the example in the figure). , It is configured as a movable parts box 22 that can be reciprocated in the extending direction of the row of squares. Parts are ejected and dropped from the parts hopper 33 fixed to the floor, wall, or the like with respect to the target mass in the movable parts box 22 to be stored. The parts corresponding to other configurations such as the antenna 32, the cable 35, and the reader / writer 50 in the configuration example shown in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment are not shown.

Here, a scale tag 10 is arranged in each square of the movable baht box 22 corresponding to this, and communication with the scale tag 10 is performed in the vicinity of the tip portion where the parts are discharged in the parts hopper 33. A detection unit 31 that can be performed is arranged. As a result, the detection unit 31 can detect which of the cells of the movable parts box 22 is directly below the tip portion (detection unit 31). Then, the movable parts box 22 can be moved to detect that the target mass has come directly underneath, and the parts can be appropriately stored in the movable parts box 22.

In the example of FIG. 5, the parts are stored in the target square of the movable parts box 22 from the parts hopper 33, but conversely, the parts stored in the target square of the movable parts box 22 are taken out. It is also possible to do.

Further, in the example of FIG. 5, the parts hopper 33 is fixed and the movable parts box 22 is moved so that the detection unit 31 moves relative to the arrangement of the scale tags 10, but this is limited to this. I can't. On the contrary, the movable parts box 22 may be fixed and the portion of the parts hopper 33 (and the detection unit 31) may be moved along the direction of the arrangement of the scale tags 10. In either case, the parts hopper 33 (or its tip) is the object, and the relative position of the movable parts box 22 is detected with the array of squares as the shaft.

Similarly, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an outline of another configuration example of the position detection device 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Here, unlike the linear one-dimensional array of squares in the movable parts box 22 shown in the example of FIG. 5, it is composed of M squares (M = 8 in the example of FIG. 6) arranged in a ring shape. An example is shown in the case where the rotating parts box 23 is configured as a one-dimensional array. Also in the example of FIG. 6, the parts corresponding to other configurations such as the antenna 32, the cable 35, and the reader / writer 50 in the configuration example shown in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment are not shown.

Similar to the example of FIG. 5, a scale tag 10 is arranged corresponding to each square of the rotating baht box 23, and a scale is provided near the tip of the parts hopper 33 where parts are discharged. A detection unit 31 capable of communicating with the tag 10 is arranged. As a result, the detection unit 31 can detect which of the cells of the rotating parts box 23 is directly below the tip portion (detection unit 31). Then, the rotating parts box 23 can be rotated around its center as a rotation axis to detect that the target mass has come directly underneath, and the parts can be appropriately stored in the rotating parts box 23.

In this case as well, the parts hopper 33 (or the tip thereof) is the object, and the arrangement of the squares of the rotating parts box 23 is used as the shaft portion to detect the relative position thereof. As described above, the arrangement of squares serving as the axis of position detection, that is, the arrangement of the scale tags 10, does not have to be linear, and can be various such as circles, curves, and straight lines having angles.

(Embodiment 3)
The position detection device 1 of the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above has a configuration of grasping a position in two dimensions or one dimension as coordinates. On the other hand, the position detection device 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention grasps the position not as coordinates but as distance information based on a predetermined position.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of the position detection device 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The position detection device 1 of the present embodiment has the same configuration as the fixed portion 20 and the moving portion 30 among the configurations shown in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment. The reader / writer 50 and the host system 51 are not shown.

In the present embodiment, the fixed portion 20 is fixed to the ground or the like, and the moving portion 30 movable along the fixed portion 20 is attached to the object 2 via the connecting portion 46. The object 2 is an object that can move along substantially the same direction as the extension direction of the fixed portion 20, and is assumed to be, for example, a freight car on a rail (more specifically, for example, a brake pad of a wheel). However, it is not particularly limited to this.

As the object 2 moves, the moving unit 30 moves along the fixed unit 20, and the detecting unit 31 reads the scale tag 10 at the corresponding position. As a result, the distance x from the reference position (the position of the scale "0" at the left end in the example of FIG. 7) to the left end of the moving unit 30 (or the position of the detecting unit 31) is grasped as the moving distance of the object 2. Can be done. Thereby, for example, when the object 2 is the brake pad of the wheel of the freight car, the operating state of the brake and the wear of the brake pad are detected by detecting whether or not the distance x exceeds a predetermined value. Information such as the condition can be grasped without contact.

The position detection device 1 as shown in the example of FIG. 7 can be used by being attached to, for example, a chain (not shown) that functions as a brake for mooring a freight car, which is an object 2, at a predetermined position. The freight car, which is the object 2, winds up this chain by turning the manual handle, so that the brake is activated and the freight car is moored at a predetermined position on the track. At this time, if the brake pad or winding mechanism (not shown) deteriorates due to wear or the like, the moving distance will differ even if the number of windings is the same. By detecting such a change in the moving distance with the position detection device 1 of the present embodiment as an index for grasping the degree of wear, for example, it can be easily and accurately measured even in an outdoor environment, and the mechanism is deteriorated. It becomes possible to grasp the situation. In the example of FIG. 7, the configuration is such that the one-dimensional movement distance is detected, but by applying the configuration as shown in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment, it can be grasped as the two-dimensional movement distance. It is possible.

(Modification example)
Even in the configuration shown in the example of FIG. 7, especially when used outdoors, the detection capability is prevented from being attenuated due to the influence of disturbance such as rain or snow, and the reader / writer 50 and the scale tag 10 are separated from each other. It is required to ensure stable communication. Therefore, as in the case of the second modification in the first embodiment described above, in the present embodiment as well, as shown in FIG. 12, the detection unit 31 and the reader / writer 50 are directly connected by the cable 35. In addition to the wired communication, the fixed portion 20 and the moving portion 30 can be covered with the protective cover 36. As shown in the figure, the protective cover 36 is provided with a connecting portion / moving portion passing hole 39'so that the connecting portion 46 is passed through or the moving range of the moving portion 30 is not restricted.

(Embodiment 4)
The position detection device 1 of the second embodiment described above is configured to grasp the position (coordinates) in one dimension by applying the configuration of the position detection device 1 of the first embodiment. On the other hand, the position detection device 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention makes it possible to detect information such as the position, moving distance, and angle of a member in a mechanism that performs a unique operation.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of the position detection device 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Here, for example, it is shown that the scale tags 10 are arranged at predetermined intervals with respect to the spiral structure portion 25 for adjusting the position of the valve or the like by rotating the handle. The spiral structure portion 25 is fixed to the rotation axis of the handle by the spiral structure support portion 26, and when the handle is rotated, the spiral structure portion 25 rotates about the rotation axis in conjunction with the rotation. The spiral structure portion 25 has a guide rail 34 fixedly installed in a state of extending in the direction of the rotation axis as shown in the drawing, and a moving portion 30 movable along the guide rail 34.

When the user rotates the handle, the spiral structure portion 25 rotates, and the moving portion 30 moves along the guide rail 34 in the central axis direction of the spiral structure 25 in accordance with the rotation. Then, the detection unit 31 arranged at the tip portion of the moving unit 30 reads the information of the scale tag 10 at the corresponding position of the spiral structure 25. The read information of the scale tag 10 is acquired by a reader / writer 50 (not shown) by communication via the antenna 32. That is, in the present embodiment, the moving portion 30 is the object, and the spiral structure portion 25 is the shaft portion, and the relative positions thereof are detected.

With such a configuration, it is possible to detect information such as the rotation position, the number of rotations, and the angle of rotation of the handle. For example, depending on the structure, only the handle portion can be operated from the outside, and the spiral structure portion 25 may be installed in a state in which it cannot be visually recognized from the outside. At this time, it may not be possible to determine how many times the steering wheel has been turned by simply checking the state of the handle from the outside (as a result, for example, it may not be possible to determine how much the valve or the like is open). Even in such a case, in the present embodiment, it is possible to grasp from the outside at which position the scale tag 10 of the spiral structure portion 25 is being read by the detection unit 31 in a non-contact and non-destructive manner.

(Modification example)
Even in the configuration shown in the example of FIG. 8, especially when used outdoors, the reader / writer 50 and the scale tag 10 are prevented from being attenuated due to the influence of disturbance such as water or mud. It is required to ensure stable communication. In particular, the spiral structure shown in the example of FIG. 8 tends to have a large structure to some extent, and when installed outdoors, various insects and small animals may enter and affect members such as the cable 35, or hinder maintenance work. It may become.

Therefore, also in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the entire structure such as the scale tag 10 which is an important member, the spiral structure portion 25, the spiral structure support portion 26, and the moving portion 30 is housed in the protective cover 36. It can be configured to cover it. As a result, it is possible to prevent the influence of disturbance, ensure stable communication, and ensure the safety of maintenance work by humans.

As shown in the figure, the protective cover 36 is provided with a rotary shaft passage hole 39 ”for passing the rotary shaft. Further, in the present embodiment, the entire protective cover 36 is made of a transparent member. For example, as shown in the figure, only the portion along the moving range of the detection unit 31 is transparent such as acrylic resin so that the scale tag 10 read by the detection unit 31 can be visually confirmed. A window portion 40 made of members may be provided. Further, in the example of FIG. 13, the cable 35 is connected to the antenna 32, but the modification 2 of the above-described first embodiment and the embodiment are described. As in the modified example of the third embodiment, the configuration may be such that the reader / writer 50 is directly connected to perform wired communication.

(Embodiment 5)
In the position detection device 1 of the above-described fourth embodiment, the scale tags 10 are arranged at predetermined intervals with respect to the spiral structure portion 25 for adjusting the position of the valve or the like by rotating the handle. The moving unit 30 provided with the detecting unit 31 for reading is installed so as to move along the fixedly installed guide rail 34. Such a configuration is effective when it is installed at a relatively short distance so that the operator can directly operate the handle.

On the other hand, for example, underground pipes are laid in a relatively deep place such as several tens of centimeters to several meters from the ground, and when a worker opens and closes a valve from the ground through a manhole or the like. , A special device (valve key) for opening and closing the valve may be used. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a valve and a valve key. Further, FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an outline of an example of opening and closing a valve installed in the ground using a valve key.

FIG. 14A schematically shows a portion of the valve opening / closing mechanism. The valve 60 is, for example, a member that adjusts the flow rate of a fluid (liquid or gas) flowing in the pipe 61 at the connection portion of the pipe 61 by opening and closing an internal valve mechanism (not shown).

There are roughly two types of valve mechanisms. One is to turn the valve parallel to the direction of fluid flow (angle 0 °) so that the valve is at a right angle (angle 90 °) from the fully open "Open" state. It is a mechanism that continuously controls up to the "Shut" state, which is fully closed by turning the handle, the valve key, and the like. The other is a mechanism that throttles the flow of fluid by sending a valve from the inner wall surface of the pipe in a direction perpendicular to the direction of flow of the fluid. It is a mechanism that continuously controls by turning the handle, valve key, etc. until the "closed" state where the maximum delivery is maximized and the entire pipe cross section is covered with a valve. This embodiment can be applied to any mechanism, but the former mechanism for rotating the valve will be described below.

In the example of FIG. 14A, by rotating the cap portion 62 about the vertical direction, the valve mechanism (not shown) can be continuously changed from the “open” state to the “closed” state. To rotate the cap 62, the valve key 70 shown in FIG. 14 (b) is used. The valve key 70 has a socket 73 at the tip of a rod-shaped shaft portion 71, and also has a handle 72 that an operator grips when operating the valve key 70. Then, as shown in FIG. 15, for example, the socket 73 of the valve key 70 inserted from the ground via a manhole or the like is fitted to the cap 62 of the valve 60 installed in the ground, and the work is performed in this state. A person rotates the handle 72 of the valve key 70 with the shaft portion 71 as an axis. As a result, the cap 62 of the valve 60 can be rotated.

The valve mechanism of the valve 60 has a deceleration mechanism (not shown) that can be rotated multiple times with a small operating force, and the position of the valve (not shown) inside is in the range of about 90 ° at the maximum from the "open" state to the "closed" state. It is controlled so that the state (angle) does not change only. Since the valve mechanism itself may be difficult to see directly from the outside, in the valve 60, for example, as shown in FIG. 14A, a disk rotatably arranged coaxially with the rotation axis of the cap 62. The current open / closed state is determined by the position where the pointer 64 provided on the open / closed state display plate 63 points to the scale displayed on the disk-shaped scale display plate 65 which is fixedly arranged coaxially opposite to the pointer 64. To grasp. On the scale display board 65, for example, a scale indicating an open / closed state from an “open” state (“O”) to an “closed” state (“S”) is displayed.

In this case, the open / closed state display plate 63 rotates only in the range of 0 ° to 180 ° in conjunction with the open / closed state of the valve mechanism. Therefore, the rotation operation given to the cap 62 by using the valve key 70 is decelerated by a reduction gear (not shown) and transmitted to the open / closed state display plate 63. That is, when the valve key 70 (cap 62) is rotated n times in order to change the position of the valve inside the valve mechanism by 90 ° from the “closed” state to the “open” state, the rotation amount is 1 / (2n). Incorporate a reduction gear. As a result, the amount of rotation of the open / closed state display plate 63 when the valve key 70 (cap 62) is rotated n is set to 180 ° (1/2 rotation) (that is, the position of the valve inside the valve mechanism is changed by 90 °). Can be done).

In such a configuration, the operator needs to visually read the scale of the scale display plate 65 pointed to by the pointer 64 of the open / closed state display plate 63 in order to grasp the open / closed state of the valve 60. However, for example, when it is installed in a deep place in the ground as shown in FIG. 15, it is difficult to visually confirm it.

On the other hand, for example, as in each of the above-described embodiments, the scale tag 10 is installed on the scale of the scale display board 65, and the information of the scale tag 10 read by the detection unit 31 is transmitted to the reader / writer 50 on the ground. It is conceivable that the scale can be read without visual inspection. In this case, as described above, since the rotation amount of the valve key 70 and the rotation amount of the open / closed state display plate 63 are different, the detection unit 31 cannot be provided on the valve key 70 (socket 73) side.

Therefore, on the valve 60 side, for example, it is conceivable to provide the detection unit 31 on the pointer 64 of the open / closed state display plate 63. Then, it is conceivable that the valve 60 side is provided with an antenna 32 connected to the detection unit 31 by a cable 35, and wireless communication is performed between the antenna 32 and the reader / writer 50 on the ground. However, for example, when the diameter of a manhole or the like is smaller than the cutoff frequency of radio waves used for wireless communication, it is difficult to emit radio waves to the ground from the antenna 32 in the ground. In addition, it is difficult to configure wireless communication because it is easily affected by disturbances such as water in the manhole.

On the other hand, it is conceivable that the detection unit 31 on the valve 60 side and the reader / writer 50 on the ground are directly connected by the cable 35 to form a wired communication configuration. However, it is not realistic to always lay the cable 35 to the ground. Therefore, for example, when the socket 73 of the valve key 70 is fitted to the cap 62 of the valve 60, it is connected to the cable 35 attached to the valve key 70 side. Even in this case, the ground may be filled with ignitable gas depending on the type of liquid flowing through the pipe 61. Therefore, for example, a configuration in which electrical contact is made using a terminal such as a plug is a spark. There is a risk of ignition due to, and it cannot be adopted.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, relay rings made of cables 35 are provided on the valve 60 side and the valve key 70 side, respectively, and these are connected non-contactly via a mutual induction magnetic field Φ by electromagnetic coupling, and are connected by the detection unit 31. The read information is transmitted to the reader / writer 50 on the ground. As a result, the scale tag 10 indicating the open / closed state of the valve 60 is read by the detection unit 31, and the read information can be safely and reliably transmitted to the reader / writer 50 on the ground.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of the valve 60 in the present embodiment. The upper part shows a side view of the main part, and the lower part shows a top view of the open / closed state display board 63 part. In the present embodiment, as shown in the figure, a plurality of scale tags 10 are installed as scales on the fixed scale display plate 65. The pointer 64 of the open / closed state display board 63 that can rotate within a range of a maximum of 180 ° is provided with a detection unit 31 that can read the scale tag 10.

A cable 35a, which is a transmission cable composed of two conductors, is connected to the detection unit 31. As the transmission cable, for example, a coaxial cable, a twisted pair cable, or the like can be used, and the example of FIG. 16 shows a case where a coaxial cable is used. In the present embodiment, the core wire of the coaxial cable (cable 35a) is installed in a ring shape along the vicinity of the outer periphery of the upper surface of the open / closed state display plate 63 as shown in the figure, and the end portion constitutes the coaxial cable (cable 35a). The relay ring 35a'is configured by connecting to an outer conductor. It is assumed that the portion constituting the relay ring 35a'is protected by a cover or a protective member made of an insulating resin or the like (not shown). It is desirable that the scale tag 10 is also protected by a cover or a protective member.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of the valve key 70 according to the present embodiment. Similarly, the upper row shows a side view, and the lower row shows a bottom view of the socket 73 portion. In the present embodiment, as shown in the figure, an antenna 32 for performing wireless communication with the reader / writer 50 and an antenna cover 74 which is a protective member for covering the antenna 32 are provided at the upper end portion of the shaft portion 71. ing. The cable 35b connected to the antenna 32 is installed along the outer surface of the shaft portion 71 and the socket 73 toward the bottom surface of the socket 73. The shaft portion 71 may have a hollow structure and may pass through the inside thereof as shown in the figure. It should be noted that the cable 35b may be configured for wired communication in which the cable 35b is directly connected to the reader / writer 50 without being connected to the antenna 32.

Similar to the above, the cable 35b is also a transmission cable composed of two conductors, and for example, a coaxial cable, a twisted pair cable, or the like can be used. FIG. 17 shows a case where a coaxial cable is used. In the present embodiment, the core wire of the coaxial cable (cable 35b) is installed in a ring shape along the outer periphery of the bottom surface of the socket 73 as shown in the figure, and the end portion is an external conductor constituting the coaxial cable (cable 35b). The relay ring 35b'is configured by connecting to. It is assumed that the portion constituting the relay ring 35b'is protected by a cover or a protective member made of an insulating resin or the like (not shown).

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an outline of an example of a connection between the valve 60 and the valve key 70 in the present embodiment. As described above, when opening and closing the valve 60, the socket 73 of the valve key 70 is fitted to the cap 62 of the valve 60. In the example of FIG. 18, a side view of the periphery of the fitted portion is shown. By fitting the cap 62 and the socket 73, the relay ring 35a'on the valve 60 side provided on the outer peripheral portion of the upper surface of the open / closed state display plate 63 and the relay on the valve key 70 side provided on the outer peripheral portion of the bottom surface of the socket 73. The ring 35b'is in a state of facing each other. At this time, in order to make the valve key 70 rotatable, it is fitted so as to secure a gap (fitting gap) between the relay rings (between the open / closed state display plate 63 and the socket 73).

Then, a mutual induction magnetic field Φ due to electromagnetic coupling as shown by the dotted line is generated between these relay rings, and the cable 35a and the cable 35b can be electromagnetically connected via the mutual induction magnetic field Φ as shown by the dotted line. That is, only when the valve key 70 is fitted to the valve 60, the information of the scale tag 10 read by the detection unit 31 can be transmitted to the reader / writer 50 (not shown) via the cables 35a and 35b.

Here, the diameters of the two relay rings are larger than the outer circumferences of the bottom surfaces of the open / closed state display plate 63 and the socket 73, respectively, as shown in the figure. This is, for example, about 5 cm when the pipe 61 is a valve 60 which is a water main, and in some cases, it becomes even larger. When, for example, a commonly used RFID tag in the 920 MHz band is used as the scale tag 10, the loop length of the relay ring is about the same as one wavelength.

Then, the electromagnetic induction that did not resonate with the minute loop antenna whose loop length is sufficiently small for one wavelength becomes a resonance or a state close to it, and the relay rings are separated as in the fitting gap of the example of FIG. Even in this case, electromagnetic coupling can be performed with high efficiency. As a result, even if some foreign matter such as sand or pebbles is caught in the ground of the installation site due to water leakage and the fitting gap becomes larger (for example, when it becomes larger than about 5 mm). By inductive coupling between the relay rings, the read information of the scale tag 10 can be reliably relayed and transmitted to the reader / writer 50 (not shown).

Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described above based on the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof. Needless to say. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and is not necessarily limited to the one including all the described configurations. Further, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. .. Further, it is possible to add / delete / replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used as a position detecting device for identifying the position of an object by using a plurality of arranged RFID tags.

1 ... position detector, 2 ... object,
10, 10x, 10y ... Scale tag, 10'... Mass tag, 11 ... Base material, 12 ... IC chip, 13 ... Coil antenna,
20 ... Fixed part, 20x ... X-axis fixed part, 20y ... Y-axis fixed part, 21 ... Parts box, 22 ... Movable parts box, 23 ... Rotating parts box, 25 ... Spiral structure part, 26 ... Spiral structure support part,
30 ... Moving part, 30x ... X-axis moving part, 30y ... Y-axis moving part, 31, 31x, 31y ... Detection part, 32, 32x, 32y ... Antenna, 33 ... Parts hopper, 34 ... Guide rail, 35, 35a, 35b, 35x, 35y ... Cable, 35a', 35b' ... Relay ring, 36 ... Protective cover, 36x ... X-axis protective cover, 36y ... Y-axis protective cover, 37 ... Guide passage hole, 37x ... X-axis guide passage hole, 37y ... Y-axis guide passage hole, 38 ... Cable hole, 39 ... Moving part passage hole, 39'... Connection part / moving part passage hole, 39 "... Rotating shaft passage hole, 40 ... Window part,
41 ... Operation instrument, 42 ... Operation unit, 43 ... Guide, 43x ... X-axis guide, 43y ... Y-axis guide, 44 ... Mounting unit, 45 ... Pen, 46 ... Connection unit,
50 ... reader / writer, 51 ... higher system,
60 ... Valve, 61 ... Piping, 62 ... Cap, 63 ... Open / close status display board, 64 ... Pointer, 65 ... Scale display board,
70 ... Valve key, 71 ... Shaft, 72 ... Handle, 73 ... Socket, 74 ... Antenna cover

Claims (1)

A detection device that detects an object using an RFID tag.
A plurality of RFID tags have one shaft portion arranged at predetermined intervals along the shaft portion so as to be a reference axis and a scale for detection, and the shaft portion is spiral and spirals around a rotation axis. A rotating structure that is supported as a structural portion and in which the spiral structural portion rotates around the rotating shaft in conjunction with rotation in response to an operation of a handle connected to the rotating shaft.
Parallel movement is possible along the direction corresponding to the rotation axis in conjunction with the rotation of the spiral structure portion, and electromagnetic waves are generated between the RFID tags and one or more of the plurality of RFID tags according to the translation. A mobile unit having a detection unit that detects information from the RFID tag by performing wireless communication based on
A reader / writer that is connected to the detection unit by wire communication via a cable and reads the information of the RFID tag detected by the detection unit.
It houses the rotating structure and the moving part, has a hole through which the rotating shaft penetrates and a hole through which the cable penetrates, limits the range of electromagnetic waves, and allows the scale by the plurality of RFID tags to be visually recognized from the outside. With a protective cover that is partly made of transparent material,
Have,
Based on the information read by the reader / writer, the position on the scale of the axis is specified as the relative position between the spiral structure portion and the moving portion, and the rotation structure is related to the rotation structure based on the position. Specify the rotation position or the number of rotations or the rotation angle,
Detection device.

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