JP2009213036A - Article loss prevention and location detection system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an article loss prevention and article location detection system including both two functions for preventing an article from being lost and for detecting the location of the article. <P>SOLUTION: A system includes: a slave terminal 2 for article mounting, including a communication unit and a notification means; and a master terminal 1 including a communication unit can set a radio communicable range with the slave terminal 2, a mode selection means for selecting two modes of article loss prevention and location detection, and a warning means. When a loss prevention mode is selected by the mode selection means provided in the master terminal 1, radio signals are transmitted/received between the master terminal 1 and the slave terminal 2 via radio communications using the mutual communication units; and when a radio signal from the slave terminal 2 cannot be received by the master terminal 1 any more, a warning is issued by the warning means. Furthermore, if the location detection mode is selected by the mode selection means provided in the master terminal 1, the notification means performs notifying operation when a radio signal from the master terminal 1 is received by the communication unit of the slave terminal 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an article loss prevention and position detection system having two functions of prevention of article loss and position detection.

  Conventionally, as this type of technology, there are an apparatus for preventing loss of an article (for example, see Patent Document 1) and an apparatus for detecting the position of an article (for example, see Patent Document 2).

  The communication portable terminal loss prevention method disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a communication portable terminal capable of communicating with another communication terminal while moving via wireless communication with a base station, and the communication portable terminal. And an alarm device that performs an alarm operation based on an identification signal periodically transmitted from the mobile terminal.

  In addition, this communication portable terminal loss prevention method has the identification signal selectively provided with functions for preventing loss and notification of incoming calls, and the identification signal for loss prevention is periodically transmitted from the communication portable terminal to the alarm device. The alarm device is not activated when the mobile phone for communication is lost, and when the identification signal for preventing loss is not periodically transmitted to the mobile communication terminal, the alarm device is configured to perform an alarm operation for preventing loss. ing.

  In addition, the search object detection device using the RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag disclosed in Patent Document 2 described above selects and transmits a detection signal including the unique ID information of the RFID tag attached to the article to be detected and The transmission position of the detection signal is selected and changed, and the presence position of the article is detected by performing wireless communication with the corresponding RFID tag.

Japanese Patent No. 3474365 Utility Model Registration No. 3118790

  In the conventional article loss prevention device such as the communication portable terminal loss prevention method disclosed in Patent Document 1, the required transmission power depends on the intended use or the area to be prevented from being lost. It ’s different. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a wireless communication terminal or the like individually depending on the application to be used.

  In addition, in the conventional article position detection apparatus such as the search object detection apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2, a lost article can be found, but the loss itself cannot be prevented in advance. Furthermore, in the conventional article position detection apparatus, the required transmission power varies depending on the application to be used or the area for which the article position is to be detected. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a wireless communication terminal or the like individually depending on the application to be used.

  Conventionally, in order to realize the above-described two functions of article loss prevention and article position detection, it is necessary to individually configure a system.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an article loss prevention and position detection system having two functions of article loss prevention and article position detection. Yes.

  In order to achieve the above object, an article loss prevention and position detection system according to the present invention includes a communication terminal having a predetermined wireless communicable range and a notification terminal for attaching an article, and the slave terminal. A communication unit capable of setting a wireless communicable range, and an article loss prevention comprising a mode selection means for selecting two modes of article loss prevention and position detection and a parent terminal provided with a warning means, and In the position detection system, when the loss prevention mode is selected by the mode selection unit, the transmission power of the communication unit of the parent terminal is set to be wirelessly communicable within the area to be prevented from being lost, and then the parent terminal and the When a wireless signal is transmitted / received to / from a child terminal by a mutual communication unit and the wireless signal from the child terminal cannot be received by the parent terminal, the warning hand And when the position detection mode is selected by the mode selection means, the transmission power of the communication unit of the parent terminal is set to be capable of wireless communication within the area subject to position detection, and then the child terminal When the communication unit receives a radio signal from the parent terminal, the notification means performs a notification operation.

  Furthermore, the present invention provides the following aspects of the above-described article loss prevention and position detection system.

  That is, when the loss prevention mode is selected by the mode selection means, the communication unit of the child terminal is moved when the child terminal moves out of the loss prevention area within the wireless communication range of the communication unit of the parent terminal. A setting is made such that a radio signal from the parent terminal cannot be received.

  In addition, when the loss prevention mode is selected by the mode selection unit, a radio signal indicating that the parent terminal is monitoring the child terminal is transmitted from the communication unit of the parent terminal to the communication unit of the child terminal. When the communication unit of the child terminal is able to receive the wireless signal, the wireless terminal is configured to transmit a wireless signal indicating that the child terminal is within a wireless communication range to the communication unit of the parent terminal. It is characterized by that.

  Furthermore, when the loss prevention mode is selected by the mode selection means, a radio signal indicating that the parent terminal is monitoring the child terminal is periodically transmitted from the communication unit of the parent terminal to the communication unit of the child terminal. It is characterized by transmitting to.

  In addition, when the position detection mode is selected by the mode selection unit, the wireless communication range of the communication unit of the parent terminal is set so that the communication unit of the child terminal can be surely received within the area whose position is to be detected. It is characterized by that.

  Further, the communication unit of the parent terminal is configured to adjust the wireless communication possible range by changing the output value of the transmission power.

  The article loss prevention and position detection system of the present invention can realize two functions of article loss prevention and article position detection by the same system. In addition, this system can be realized by a relatively easy method such as changing software of an existing wireless communication device.

  In addition, the article loss prevention and position detection system of the present invention is configured so that the wireless communication range can be set in the parent terminal, so that various loss areas and position detection targets can be set. It became possible to easily cope with various areas.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of an article loss prevention and position detection system according to the present invention. FIG. 1 (a) is an explanatory diagram in an article loss prevention mode, and FIG. It is explanatory drawing at the time of the position detection mode of articles | goods. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of the parent terminal used in the embodiment of the present invention.

  The embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 is to prevent the loss of articles by using a parent terminal 1 using a wireless communication device and a child terminal 2 that is used by being attached to the article 3 to be lost and position-detected. It constitutes a position detection system.

  The parent terminal 1 using the wireless communication device includes a communication unit capable of setting a wireless communication possible range with the child terminal 2, and mode selection means for selecting two modes of prevention of loss and position detection of the article 3. Warning means for emitting an alarm sound or the like.

  As a method of setting the wireless communication possible range of the communication unit of the parent terminal 1, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, the transmission power is set by changing the output value of the transmission power, and the wireless communication possible range is set.

  The setting of the wireless communication possible range in the parent terminal 1 shown in FIG. This is reflected in an APC (Auto Power Control) unit 14. The bias voltage of the power amplifier circuit 15 is determined by the output voltage of the microcomputer 13, and the transmission power can be set.

On the other hand, the child terminal 2 to be attached to the article 3 is composed of, for example, a wireless communication IC chip with an antenna having a small alarm function, which includes a communication unit having a predetermined wireless communication range and a notification unit. Yes.

  The operation of the article loss prevention and position detection system configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b).

  FIG. 1A shows a case where the mode selection means of the parent terminal 1 is selected and operated in the “loss prevention mode”. When the loss prevention mode is selected, the parent terminal 1 periodically transmits a radio signal A indicating that “the parent terminal 1 is monitoring the child terminal 2”. The transmission power of the radio signal A is the same as that when the child terminal 2 moves out of the area that is subject to loss prevention, or when the child terminal 2 moves into the shadow in the area that is subject to loss prevention. The user sets in advance a level at which the terminal 2 cannot receive the radio signal A.

  After the above setting, when the child terminal 2 can receive the wireless signal A transmitted from the parent terminal 1, the child terminal 2 is in an area where the wireless signal A from the parent terminal 1 can be received (the article 3 is A response radio signal B indicating that it is not lost is transmitted to the parent terminal 1.

  On the other hand, when the child terminal 2 moves out of the area that is subject to loss prevention, or because the child terminal 2 has moved in the shadow, etc. within the area that is subject to loss prevention, the parent terminal 1 responds with a response radio signal from the child terminal 2 When B cannot be received, a warning such as an alarm sound is issued from warning means provided in the parent terminal 1. Since the moment when the article 3 moves to a place where the radio signal A does not reach can be known by a warning such as an alarm sound generated by the warning means, it is possible to prevent the article 3 from being lost.

  FIG. 1B shows a case where the mode selection unit of the parent terminal 1 is selected and operated in the “position detection mode”. When this position detection mode is selected, the radio signal C is transmitted from the parent terminal 1 to the child terminal 2. The transmission power of the radio signal C is set in advance by the user at a level at which the child terminal 2 can be surely received within the area to be detected.

  After the above setting, when the child terminal 2 receives the radio signal C from the parent terminal 1, the position of the article 3 is notified by an alarm sound or the like generated by notification means provided in the child terminal 2.

  As described above, according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the two functions of preventing the loss of the article and detecting the position of the article can be realized by the same system. In addition, this system can be realized by a relatively easy method such as changing software of an existing wireless communication device.

    In addition, since the wireless communication range can be set in the parent terminal, it is possible to easily cope with various areas that are subject to loss prevention and various areas that are subject to position detection. became.

  Furthermore, since an alarm sound is generated as the notification means, for example, it can be expected to be used for preventing the loss of goods of the visually impaired.

It is explanatory drawing which showed the outline | summary of the article loss prevention and article position detection system of this invention. It is the block diagram which showed the structure of the principal part of the parent terminal used in embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Parent terminal 11 Key 12 Display part 13 Microcomputer 14 APC part 15 Power amplifier circuit 2 Child terminal 3 Goods A Radio signal B Response radio signal C Radio signal

Claims (6)

A child terminal for article mounting comprising a communication unit having a predetermined wireless communicable range and a notification means;
An article comprising a communication unit capable of setting a wireless communicable range with the slave terminal, a mode selection means for selecting two modes of article loss prevention and position detection, and a parent terminal provided with a warning means A loss prevention and position detection system,
When the loss prevention mode is selected by the mode selection means, the transmission power of the communication unit of the parent terminal is set to be wirelessly communicable within the area that is subject to loss prevention, and then between the parent terminal and the child terminal, Sending and receiving by wireless communication with each other's communication unit, when the wireless signal from the child terminal can no longer be received by the parent terminal, issue a warning in the warning means,
In addition, when the position detection mode is selected by the mode selection unit, the transmission power of the communication unit of the parent terminal is set to be wirelessly communicable within the area subject to position detection, and then the communication unit of the child terminal is connected to the parent terminal. An article loss prevention and position detection system in which the notification means performs a notification operation when receiving a radio signal from a terminal.   When the loss prevention mode is selected by the mode selection means, the communication unit of the child terminal is moved to the parent terminal communication unit when the child terminal moves out of the loss prevention area. 2. The article loss prevention and position detection system according to claim 1, wherein the system is set so that a wireless signal from a terminal cannot be received.   When the loss prevention mode is selected by the mode selection means, a radio signal indicating that the parent terminal is monitoring the child terminal is transmitted from the communication unit of the parent terminal to the communication unit of the child terminal, When the communication unit of the child terminal is able to receive the wireless signal, the wireless terminal is configured to transmit a wireless signal indicating that the child terminal is within a wireless communication range to the communication unit of the parent terminal. 3. The article loss prevention and position detection system according to claim 1, wherein the article is lost.   When the loss prevention mode is selected by the mode selection means, a radio signal periodically indicating that the parent terminal is monitoring the child terminal is transmitted from the communication unit of the parent terminal to the communication unit of the child terminal The article loss prevention and position detection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein:   When the position detection mode is selected by the mode selection means, the wireless communication range of the communication unit of the parent terminal is set so that the communication unit of the child terminal can surely receive within the area whose position is to be detected. The article loss prevention and position detection system according to claim 1.   The article according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the communication unit of the parent terminal is configured to adjust a wireless communication possible range by changing an output value of transmission power. Loss prevention and position detection system.

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