GB2217072A

GB2217072A - Indentification method and apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2217072A
Application number: GB8808258A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Robert Mason
Original assignee: Kodak Ltd
Current assignee: Kodak Ltd
Priority date: 1988-04-08
Filing date: 1988-04-08
Publication date: 1989-10-18
Also published as: GB8808258D0

Abstract

To identify individual items provided at locations not readily physically accessible to a user, each item has attached to it a tag 1 comprising a printed circuit board with a plurality of spaced edge electrodes 13 (A to G) on the top edge 6 thereof. The electrode 13 (A) is electrically connected to only one of the remaining electrodes by a printed copper line 2. A connector is attached to the edge 6 and connected by a multi-core cable 14 to a control means 8 to light one of light modules 9 to identify the (type of) item. <IMAGE>

Description

IDENTIFICATION METHOD AND APPARATUS This invention relates to an apparatus and method for identifying individual items which are provided at locations not readily physically accessible to a user of the item.

In order to know the identity of one of a plurality of individual items, the most readily available method is to examine the item itself. This can involve measuring external dimensions of the item using optoelectric devices or transducers of various types.

In the event that the external appearance of the items are all the same, then some form of labelling can be applied to the items for the user to read. For example, in research involving different pump capacities, one pump of one capacity can have a similar external appearance to a pump of another capacity. Consequently, the pumps can be distinguished from one another by detailed labelling on the side thereof or a number code which can be associated with particular parameters of the pump type. Such an arrangement is fine provided that the pumps or items can be readily accessed. However, there are occassions when access to the item in question is either physically impossible or so difficult that it necessitates dismantling of additional equipment.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an identification apparatus and method wherein the respective item can be identified notwithstanding that the item is not readily physically accessible by a user thereof. Such a situation arises particularly when the items are located at a remote distance from the user.

According to one aspect of invention there is provided an identification method for identifying respective ones of a plurality of individual items when one or more of the items are provided at locations not readily physically accessible to a user of the items, the method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a plurality of individual identity tags, each tag containing characteristic information capable of identifying one or more features of a respective item; (b) mounting each tag to a respective item to be used at said remote location, wherein the tag contains the characteristic information identifying the feature of the respective item to which the tag has been mounted; (c) connecting to the or each tag a read means for reading the characteristic information contained on the tag; and (d) connecting the or each read means at the remote location to a control means in a manner whereby the control means can provide output data correlating the characteristic information of a particular item to its respective remote location.

In this way a user can immediately ascertain the characteristic information associated with an item located at a specific remote location without the neccesity of having to physically access the item in question itself. Preferably, the method includes the step of permanently mounting each identity tag to the respective item and physically connecting the read means to the identity tag so mounted.

Acccording to another aspect of the invention there is provided an identification apparatus for identifying respective ones of a plurality of individual items when one or more items are provided at locations not readily physically accessible to a user thereof, the apparatus comprising a plurality of individual identity tags, each mounted in use, to a respective item to be used at said remote location, each tag containing characteristic information capable of identifying one or more features of the respective item to which the tag is mounted; read means attached in use to a respective item and capable of reading the characteristic information contained on the respective tag: and control means in communication with respective read means in a manner whereby output data can be provided correlating the characteristic information of a particular item to its respective remote location.

Thus, apparatus is provided which can identify a feature of an item which is located at a location not readily physically accessible by a user thereof.

Preferably, the identification tag comprises a planar element formed with an edge to define a plug, and the read means is formed to have a reciprocal socket for receiving a said plug. In this way, a simple and reliable connection between the identification tag and read means is achieved and also the apparatus does not cause problems of fitting the read means in the event that the item itself needs changing. Thus, a simple and unambiguous identification apparatus is provided.

Conveniently, said tag edge and read means cooperate together to prevent incorrect connection therebetween.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the planar element of each tag has an area thereon dedicated to receive one of a plurality of circuit elements, the presence of a predetermined circuit element representing the characteristic information of the item to which the tag is to be connected.

The advantages of the invention as defined are that it provides simple and cheap identification of items even though those items are remotely located and are not physically accessible. Also there are no moving parts involved. Moreover, there is the safety feature that short circuits to ground, broken wires or bad contacts are not likely to cause a wrong indication. Failures tend to result in no indication at all.

An example of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates apparatus embodying the present invention, Figure 2 illustrates a coding circuit for use with the present invention, Figure 3 illustrates a circuit for coding the identity of the pump.

The illustrated example relates to an experimental apparatus wherein one or more pumps are fitted at one or more respective pump stations and the pumps are not normally physically accessible to the operator of the apparatus. In the operation of the apparatus it is important that the operator knows the size of the pump, and preferably its location if more than one pump is employed. Thus, some form of indication is necessary to remind the operator which pump is fitted at which station.

Referring to Figures 1 and 3, a tag 1 comprises a planar printed circuit board having a generally square shape. Towards a lower edge 3 of the board, there is provided an aperture 4 to allow insertion of an appropriate dowl of an item of the apparatus, in this case a pump 5. In this way, the tag 1 can be permanently mounted to the pump if required. In the upper edge 6 of the board, a cut out 7 is formed at a position away from the centre of the edge. The edge 6 is formed as a plug which receives a socket connector (not shown). The cut out cooperates with the socket connector so that the connector can only be attached to the tag in the correct orientation. The edge 6 also has at selected spaced intervals copper edge electrodes 13 (a) to (g). The electrode 13 (a) is electrically connected to only one of the electrodes (b) to (g) by a printed copper line 2.

A control means 8 has a plurality of inputs 10 (b) to 10 (f) connected to a multi core cable 14 which is connected to the socket connecter. Thus, each input 10 (b) to (g) is connected to a respective electrode 13 (b) to (g) when the connecter is attached to the edge 6. Each input 10 (b) to (f) is connected to an earth terminal 11 by a respective series link comprising an LED display module 9 and a resistor 12.

When the connector is attached to the edge 6 of the board 1, the connector is arranged to pass a current through the electrode 13 (a). According to the connection of the strip line 2, a current will pass to one of electrodes 13 (b) to (g) and down one of the cores of the cable 14. Depending upon the particular connection of the line 2 between the electrodes 13 (a) and 13 (b) to (f) a current will pass down the cable 14 to an input 10 (b) to (g) and cause one of the light modules 9 to light up.

Each module 9 is marked with an indication of the pump size, in this case quarter, half, one, two, three and five. It will be apparent that it is a simple matter to correlate the connection of the line 2 with the actual pump size so that when the appropriate tag is attached to a pump of size X it will cause the correct display module 9 to be lit up to show size X.

Therefore, when a pump 5 is to be mounted on the apparatus at a location say the appropriate tag 1 is mounted to the pump which tag will cause the correct light module to light up when the connector is attached to the tag. Although Figure 1 illustates series resistors for the light modules, they are not essential if the display is operated on a constant current supply. A simple such supply can easily be constructed by a person skilled in the art. It should be noted from the example in Figure 3 that the tag is permanently mounted to the pump and a a part of the pump must be dismantled to remove the tag.

If the apparatus described is to interface a computer system, some form of coding is required. Figure 2 illustrates a simple logic circuit to produce a three bit code avoiding the occurence of all zeros and all ones. It should be noted that the binary outputs are not the actual binary codes of the pumps themselves.

This coding device is applicable to many situations where there is an interchangeable component which cannot readily be seen and needs to be identified.

Claims

1. An identification method for identifying respective ones of a plurality of individual items when one or more of the items are provided at locations not readily physically accessible to a user of the items, the method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a plurality of individual identity tags.

each tag containing characteristic information capable of identifying one or more features of a respective item; (b) mounting each tag to a respective item to be used at said remote location, wherein the tag contains the characteristic information identifying the feature of the respective item to which the tag has been mounted; (c) connecting to the or each tag a read means for reading the characteristic information contained on the tag; and (d) connecting the or each read means at the remote location to a control means in a manner whereby the control means can provide output data correlating the characteristic information of a particular item to its repective remote location.

2. The method according to Claim 1 including the step of permanently mounting each identity tag to the respective item and physically connecting the read means to the identity tag so mounted.

3. An identification apparatus for identifying respective ones of a plurality of individual items when one or more items are provided at locations not readily physically accessible to a user thereof, the apparatus comprising a plurality of individual identity tags, each mounted in use,to a respective item to be used at said remote location, each tag containing characteristic information capable of identifying one or more features of the respective item to which the tag is mounted; read means attached in use to a respective item and capable of reading the characteristic information contained on the respective tag: and control means in communication with respective read means in a manner whereby output data can be provided correlating the characteristic information of a particular item to its respective remote location.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the identification tag comprises a planar element formed with an edge to define a plug, and the read means is formed to have a reciprical socket for receiving a said plug.

5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 or 4 wherein said tag edge and read means cooperate together to prevent incorrect connection therebetween.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 5 wherein the planar element of each tag has an area thereon dedicated to receive one of a plurality of circuit elements, the presence of a predetermined circuit element representing the characteristic information of the item to which the tag is to be connected.

7. An identification method for identifying respective ones of a plurality of individual items when one or more of the items are provided at locations not readily physically accesible to a user of the items, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. An identification apparatus for identifying respective ones of a plurality of individual items when one or more items are provided at locations not readily physically accessible to a user thereof, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.