KR101041596B1 - Distributed real time locating systems - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a distributed server structure in a cell unit by embedding a server function in the RTLS reader in a real-time location tracking system, thereby preventing the concentration of load and enabling a smooth operation even in an environment where a large number of tags exist. A real-time location tracking system, RTLS tag that transmits its information through a radio frequency; Receives the message of the RTLS tag, using the difference in transmission and reception time of the message and the speed of propagation of the tag and the reader After the distance is obtained, RTLS readers that have a built-in server for transmitting the value to the readers around the network; including, and the position of the tag using a server embedded a predetermined reader among the RTLS readers It is.

RTLS, real-time location tracking system, load balancing, distributed server

Description

Distributed real time locating systems

The present invention relates to a real-time location tracking system, specifically, by embedding the function of the server in the RTLS reader to have a structure of distributed server unit by cell to prevent the concentration of load, it is possible to operate smoothly even in an environment where a large number of tags exist. The present invention relates to a real-time location tracking system of a distributed structure.

Currently, as an active RFID application, Real Time Locating Systems (RTLS), which can check the location of a tagged object in real time, is emerging.

The real-time location tracking system (RTLS) is used to track the location of people or objects such as amusement parks, ports, logistics, warehouses, etc.

Figure 1 shows the structure of a general real-time location tracking system.

The real-time location tracking system consists of RTLS tags, RTLS readers, and RTLS servers.

The tag 12 of the real-time location tracking system using the time of arrival (TOA) of the radio frequency transmits its information through the radio frequencies 13a, 13b, and 13c, and is an RTLS reader. (11a) (11b) (11c) receives the message of the tag, calculates the distance between the tag and the reader using the time taken to transmit the message and the speed of propagation, and then obtains the value through the network 14 via the RTLS server. Deliver to (15). Finally, the RTLS server 15 determines the position of the tag 12 by using the distance value received from the RTLS readers 11a, 11b, and 11c.

 RTLS has a large number of tags due to the nature of the environment. In the case of amusement parks, the situation of tracking the movement of hundreds of thousands of people occurs in real time.

In the prior art RTLS, one RTLS server calculates the position of all tags. Therefore, when a large number of tags are present, information of a large number of tags is received at the server, which causes a problem in network communication.

In addition, since the location of all tags must be calculated based on the received information of many tags, the RTLS server cannot derive the real-time location estimation result due to a large amount of calculation.

In addition, since the user also needs to connect to the RTLS server to know the location of the tag, if there are a lot of users, this also puts a lot of load on the server and thus cannot guarantee smooth operation.

In other words, in a real-time location tracking system with many tags, all RTLS readers receive the tags and send them to the server. In this case, when a large number of tags and a large number of tags are operated, the server is overloaded and cannot operate smoothly, and it takes a lot of time to calculate the positions of all the tags.

The present invention is to solve the problems of the conventional real-time location tracking system of the prior art, a built-in server function in the RTLS reader to have a structure of distributed server by cell to prevent the concentration of load, a large number of tags exist It is an object of the present invention to provide a real-time location tracking system of a distributed structure that enables a smooth operation even in the environment.

An object of the present invention is to provide a distributed location real-time location tracking system to prevent the concentration of the load by sharing the work with other cells, when a large load is concentrated in a specific cell.

An object of the present invention is to provide a distributed location real-time location tracking system that allows a distributed server to know the location of all tags using a hierarchical directory server.

The distributed real-time location tracking system according to the present invention for achieving the above object in the real-time location tracking system (RTLS) using the arrival time (TOA) of the radio frequency, the role of transmitting its information through the radio frequency A server for receiving a message of the RTLS tag, obtaining a distance between a tag and a reader using a difference in transmission / reception time of the message and a speed of propagation, and transmitting the value to a nearby reader through a network. Built-in RTLS readers, characterized in that to determine the location of the tag by using a server embedded a predetermined reader among the RTLS readers.

Here, the RTLS reader incorporating the server includes a tag location engine (Location Engine) for calculating the position of the tag, a data filter for increasing the accuracy of the tag location calculation, and a client manager for managing the user's connection ( Client Manager), a server manager that monitors the operation status of the reader and manages the tag information, a packet analyzer that analyzes the incoming data packet, a data pool and data pool that temporarily stores the received information. It includes a data pool monitor for monitoring the incoming packets to inform the application program, and a packet generator for generating a packet of a format suitable for the protocol.

The server manager may further include a load balancing unit that monitors a load on the reader, a state monitoring unit that monitors an operation state of itself and other readers, and tag data managing all tag information currently processed by the reader. A storage unit and a leader map management unit for managing all the leader maps on the network, characterized in that it comprises.

When the RTLS readers in which the server is embedded calculate tag positions, the tag position estimation work is divided by dividing the number of readers into units of cells and calculating only the positions of tags belonging to cells for each cell. It is characterized by.

When the RTLS readers incorporating the server calculate the tag position, when a large number of tags are operated in one cell and the load is concentrated in the corresponding cell, a part of the position calculation operation of the tag is transmitted to the other readers. Characterized in that the transmission and distribution processing.

In addition, the RTLS reader incorporating the server exchanges tag information with other readers at the same time, and exchanges state information regarding the operation of the reader together to check the status of the adjacent readers, and if the other reader has an abnormality, It is characterized in that the job is handled instead.

The position of the tag existing in the cell is calculated by an RTLS reader having at least three servers, and the reader of any one of the corresponding readers becomes a master reader and informs the application or middleware of the position of the tag. do.

The cells are bundled into a single directory, and hierarchical search is performed to find tags located in other cells.

In order to perform the hierarchical search, a general server (reader) that identifies a tag position by using an information request signal for a specific tag position and one directory for each directory, and receive a request signal of an application from a root directory server to receive a specific tag. Has a directory server (reader) that responds only if is in its own directory, and a root directory server (reader) structure that delivers a request for information about the location of a particular tag received from an application to the directory server.

Such a distributed structure real-time location tracking system according to the present invention has the following effects.

First, it provides the real-time location tracking system of the distributed server structure by cell by embedding the server function in the RTLS reader.

Second, it has a structure of distributed server in units of cells to prevent the concentration of loads so that smooth operation is possible even in an environment where a large number of tags exist.

Third, by using the hierarchical directory server, the distributed server can know the location of all the tags so that the location of the tags can be known without fail even in an environment where a large number of tags exist.

Fourth, in a real RTLS environment where a large number of tags and users exist, smooth operation is possible compared to a single server system.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a distributed structure real-time location tracking system according to the present invention will be described in detail.

Features and advantages of the distributed structure real-time location tracking system according to the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of each embodiment below.

2 is a block diagram of a distributed location real-time location tracking system according to the present invention, Figure 3 is a block diagram of a reader embedded with the RTLS server according to the present invention.

The present invention configures a distributed real-time location tracking system to evenly distribute the load concentrated on one server, and if a lot of load is concentrated in a specific cell to share the work with other cells to prevent the concentration of load will be.

In the present invention, the distributed server uses the hierarchical directory server so that the location of all tags can be known.

Real-time location tracking system is a system that tracks their location and path in real time by attaching an RTLS transmitter to a person or thing.

FIG. 2 is a real-time location tracking system having a distributed structure, and shows a configuration for distributing load concentrated on a server in an environment in which many tags exist and deriving a quick location measurement result.

The real-time location tracking system of the distributed structure according to the present invention is composed of the RTLS tag 22 and the RTLS readers 21a, 21b and 21c incorporating a server.

The RTLS tag 22 of the real-time location tracking system using the time of arrival (TOA) of the radio frequency transmits its information through the radio frequencies 23a, 23b, 23c, and the server. The built-in RTLS readers 21a, 21b and 21c receive the message of the tag, calculate the distance between the tag and the reader using the difference in the transmission / reception time of the message and the speed of propagation, and then store the value in the network (24). To others around you.

Finally, the location of the tag is determined using a location estimation engine of a server with a predetermined reader.

The configuration of the reader embedded in the RTLS server of the real-time location tracking system according to the present invention having such a configuration is as follows.

As shown in FIG. 3, a tag location calculation unit 31 for calculating a location of a tag, a data filter 32 for increasing tag location calculation accuracy, and a client managing a user's connection Client Manager 34, a load balancer that monitors the load on the reader, a status monitor that monitors the operational status of itself and other readers around it, and a tag that manages all tag information currently processed by the reader. A server manager 35 including a data storage unit, a leader map manager for managing all leader maps on the network, a first data input unit 39 for receiving data from the RF module, and data from the reader via the network. A packet analyzer which analyzes the packet of the second data input unit 40, the data of the first data input unit 39, and the packet of the second data input unit 40 through the UDP receiver 41. 42, a data pool 37 for temporarily storing the received information, a data pool monitor 36 for monitoring the packets coming into the data pool 37 and informing the corresponding application to the network through the UDP transmission unit. It is configured to include a packet generator 33 for generating a packet of a format conforming to the protocol for transmission.

The real-time location tracking system by the reader with the built-in RTLS server evenly distributes the load concentrated on one server, and if a lot of load is concentrated in one cell, the work can be shared with other cells to prevent the concentration of the load. To help.

4 is a diagram illustrating a process of delegating a part of a task to a reader outside a cell for load balancing in a system operating on a cell-by-cell basis, and FIG. 5 illustrates a hierarchical directory form for quickly obtaining information of a tag located in another cell. It is a block diagram shown.

In order to share the position estimation work of tags, the readers are divided into units of cells 40 and only the positions of tags belonging to cells are calculated for each cell.

As shown in FIG. 4, the tag information is transmitted only to the RTLS readers 21a, 21b, 21d, and 21e having a server constituting the cell, thereby minimizing network congestion.

If a large number of tags are operated in a specific cell and the load is concentrated in the cell, a part of the work such as the position calculation of the tag is transmitted to the other readers 21c and 21f (41a and 41b) for processing. This ensures that the load is not concentrated but distributed.

Here, each reader exchanges tag information with an adjacent reader and simultaneously exchanges state information to check the status of the adjacent reader. If an error occurs in another reader, the neighboring reader determines the situation and handles the work of the failed leader instead.

As described above, the real-time location tracking system according to the present invention forms a cell of a predetermined area, and calculates the position of a tag existing in the cell by at least three readers (embedding a server).

Therefore, without a separate server, the reader calculates the position of the tag in its cell and directly informs the application (user).

At this time, one of the three readers becomes the master leader and informs the application or middleware of the location of the tag.

Here, since there are a plurality of cells (readers), the application should request information on tag positions from all the cells (plural readers) in order to track the position of a specific tag.

And the real-time location tracking system according to the present invention uses a directory server structure to know the location of the tag located in another cell as shown in FIG.

Each distributed reader connects to the directory server and receives information about the cell where the tag is located. The distributed server performs a hierarchical search to find tags located in other cells.

Using the hierarchical search method as described above, one reader only needs to store tag information of a lower layer, thereby preventing waste of resources.

The directory is a group of a plurality of cells, for example, six cells can be configured as one directory. The directory structure is a root directory server (leader), a directory server (leader), a general server (leader). It is composed.

The root directory server receives the information request signal for the location of a specific tag from the application and delivers it to the directory server.

One directory server is located for each directory and receives application request signals from the root directory server.

At this time, the directory server responds to the root directory server if the location of the specific tag is in its directory. To do this, the directory server must know in advance the information about the tags and readers in its directory.

The directory server transmits a request signal to any one of the reader (general server) of the cell in which the specific tag exists in its directory, and the reader (general server) receives the request signal to determine the tag position. The master reader then tells the application where the known tag is located.

As such, the grouping by separate directory unit is used to track the location of the tag to a directory which is a larger area than the cell because of the load caused by the information of the cell where the tag exists too frequently as the tag moves. will be.

Such a real-time location tracking system of the distributed structure according to the present invention has a function of a server distributed in the RTLS reader to have a structure of a distributed server in units of cells, thereby preventing the concentration of load, so that even in an environment where a large number of tags exist. It is possible.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the embodiments, but should be defined by the claims.

1 is a block diagram of a real-time location tracking system of the prior art

2 is a block diagram of a real-time location tracking system of a distributed structure according to the present invention

3 is a block diagram of a reader incorporating an RTLS server according to the present invention;

4 is a diagram illustrating a process of delegating a part of a task to a leader outside a cell for load balancing in a system operating on a cell basis;

5 is a diagram illustrating a hierarchical directory form for quickly obtaining information of a tag located in another cell;

Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings

31. Tag position calculation unit 32. Data filter

33. Packet generator 34. Client manager

35. Server Manager 36. Data Pool Monitor

37.Data Pool 38.UDP Transmitter

39. First data input section 40. Second data input section

41.UDP Receiver 42.Packet Analyzer

Claims (9)

In a real time position tracking system (RTLS) using the arrival time (TOA) of radio frequency, An RTLS tag, which serves to transmit its information through radio frequency; After receiving the message of the RTLS tag, the distance between the tag and the reader is obtained by using the difference in transmission / reception time of the message and the speed of propagation, the value is transmitted to the neighboring reader through the network, and the other reader and tag information And exchange status information on the operation of the reader at the same time to check the status of the adjacent reader, and if the other reader has an error, the RTLS readers with a built-in server that handles the work in the neighboring reader instead; and, The real-time location tracking system of a distributed structure, characterized in that the position of the tag to determine the location of the tag using a server embedded in a predetermined one of the RTLS reader. The RTLS reader of claim 1, wherein A tag location engine for calculating the position of the tag and a data filter for increasing the accuracy of the tag location calculation; A client manager that manages user connections, A server manager for monitoring the operation state of the reader and managing the tag information; A packet analyzer for analyzing an input data packet, A data pool monitor that temporarily stores received information and a data pool monitor that monitors incoming packets to the data pool and informs the application; A distributed real-time location tracking system comprising a packet generator for generating a packet of a format suitable for a protocol. The method of claim 2, wherein the server manager, A load balancing unit for monitoring a load on the reader; A state monitoring unit that monitors the operation state of itself and other readers in the vicinity, A tag data storage unit for managing all tag information processed in the current reader; Real-time location tracking system of a distributed structure comprising a leader map management unit for managing all leader maps on the network. The method of claim 2, wherein the RTLS readers including the server calculate a tag position. A distributed location real-time location tracking system, characterized in that the tag location estimation work is divided by dividing the number of readers in cell units and calculating only the positions of tags belonging to each cell for each cell. The method of claim 4, wherein the RTLS readers including the server calculate a tag position. When load is concentrated by an operation of calculating a tag position in one cell, a part of a tag position calculation task is transmitted to other readers for distributed processing. delete The method of claim 4, wherein the position of the tag existing in the cell is calculated by an RTLS reader having at least three servers, and the reader of any one of the readers becomes a master leader to inform the application or middleware of the position of the tag. Real-time location tracking system of a distributed structure, characterized in that telling. The method of claim 4, wherein the cells are bundled into a single directory. A distributed real-time location tracking system, characterized in that a hierarchical search is performed to find tags located in other cells. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein for the hierarchical search, A general server for identifying a tag position by an information request signal for a specific tag position; One directory server for each directory, receiving the application's request signal from the root directory server, and responding only if a specific tag is in its directory; A distributed real-time location tracking system having a root directory server structure that delivers an information request signal for a location of a specific tag received from an application to the directory server.

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