JP2008007190A - Liquid quantity monitoring system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To detect and report a remaining amount of liquid such as water in a container. <P>SOLUTION: RFID tags 20-1, 20-2 are provided on bottom surfaces, for example, of the containers 10-1, 10-2. Readers 32-1, 32-2 for reading the RFID tags 20 are provided on the back side of a top plate of a table 30. Since liquid such as water is contained in the container 10-1, a radio wave and an electromagnetic wave emitted from the reader 32-1 are absorbed by the liquid and cannot be read by the RFID tag 20-1. Since the container 10-2 is empty, the reader 32-2 can read the RFID tag 20-2. When the tag can be read by the RFID tag 20, it can be reported that there is an empty container by issuing an alarm, for example. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for monitoring the amount of water-containing liquid in a container.

  Patent Document 1 shows a drinking container including a liquid amount sensor and a voice synthesis IC. When it is detected by the liquid amount sensor that the liquid has become low, the voice synthesis IC issues a voice message recommending replacement.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-81375

  However, in this prior art, it has been necessary to incorporate a power source for driving the liquid amount sensor, for example, a battery into the drinking container. In this way, the configuration in which the sensor and the battery are provided has a problem that the cost of the container is increased, and maintenance such as management of the remaining amount of the battery is costly.

  In one aspect of the present invention, a container that can contain a liquid containing moisture, a container having an RFID tag at a position corresponding to a monitoring reference liquid amount, an RFID reader, and the RFID tag of the container can be read by the RFID reader In this case, a liquid amount monitoring system is provided that includes a corresponding processing unit that executes a predetermined corresponding process according to the monitoring reference liquid amount.

  Here, in one aspect, the response processing unit issues an alarm when the RFID tag of the container can be read by the RFID reader.

  In another aspect, the RFID reader is disposed for each installation location of the plurality of containers, and the corresponding processing unit reads the RFID reader when any of the RFID readers reads the RFID tag. Alarm processing is performed in such a manner that can be identified.

  In another aspect, the container includes an RFID tag corresponding to each of a plurality of different monitoring reference liquid amounts, and the response processing unit reads one of the plurality of RFID tags included in the container. Corresponding processing according to the monitoring reference liquid amount corresponding to the read RFID tag is executed.

  In still another aspect, the container is a plant cultivation container, and includes a tank unit that supplies stored water to soil in the container, and the RFID tag is disposed in the vicinity of the tank unit.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “embodiments”) will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In this embodiment, RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) is used to monitor the amount of liquid containing moisture (or a substance having an absorption band similar to water) in the container. As is well known, an RFID system is an identification system that reads and / or writes data in a non-contact manner using radio frequency radio waves or electromagnetic waves, a data carrier called a tag, a reader that reads the data carrier, It consists of a writer that performs writing or a reader / writer that performs both reading and writing.

  As is well known, RFID radio waves and electromagnetic waves (which vary depending on the frequency) are absorbed by metal and water, so if there is metal or water near the reader or tag, communication between the two is not possible. . For example, in the case of RFID in the microwave band (2.45 GHz band) expected to be used in the traceability field, the radio waves in that band are easily absorbed by water. In this embodiment, this property is used.

  In the present embodiment, as one example, an RFID tag 20 is provided on the bottom surface of a container (for example, a cup) 10 as shown in FIG. Here, the container 10 is made of a material that hardly absorbs radio waves / electromagnetic waves in the use band of RFID, such as glass and resin. The RFID tag 20 includes a chip unit 22 including a memory and a communication circuit for storing ID (identification information) and other data, and an antenna 24 for communication. The RFID tag 20 is, for example, a microwave band RFID. If the RFID tag 20 is a passive type, that is, a type of tag that does not incorporate a battery and uses electric power of radio waves and electromagnetic waves received from a reader as its own power source, battery replacement becomes unnecessary. There are various types of RFID tags such as a label type, a card type, a coin type, and a stick type, but since this embodiment does not depend on the form of such a tag, any type can be used. Good.

  If the RFID tag 20 is provided on the bottom surface of the container 10 as described above, if the container 10 contains a liquid containing water such as water or a beverage, even if the RFID tag 20 is read by the reader, the radio wave・ Because electromagnetic waves are absorbed by moisture behind or in the vicinity of the RFID tag 20, it cannot be read. On the contrary, if the liquid in the container 10 is exhausted, the radio wave / electromagnetic wave is hardly absorbed by the liquid, and the RFID tag 20 can be read by the reader. In this embodiment, the presence or absence of a liquid such as water in the container 10 is detected using such a principle.

  The RFID tag 20 is preferably located as close as possible to the liquid in the container 10 because it is more susceptible to the absorption of radio waves and electromagnetic waves by liquids such as water. is there. Therefore, for example, when the bottom of the container 10 is thick, the RFID tag 20 is preferably provided in the vicinity of the inner bottom surface rather than provided on the outer bottom surface of the container 10. For example, the RFID tag 20 may be attached to the inner bottom surface of the container 10 or may be embedded in the bottom portion of the container 10.

  When this embodiment is used for automatic detection of the presence or absence of a drink provided to a customer at a restaurant, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, the top plate of the table 30 (this is a material that does not absorb radio waves and electromagnetic waves, such as wood). Readers 32-1 and 32-2 are provided on the back side or inside of the RFID tags 20-1 and 20-2 of the containers 10-1 and 10-2 placed on the table 30 by the customer. Read by the readers 32-1 and 32-2. Here, the RFID tag 20-1 of the container 10-1 is not read by the reader 32-1, because radio waves and electromagnetic waves are absorbed by the drink in the container. On the other hand, the RFID tag 20-2 of the container 10-2 can be read by the reader 32-2, since there is no drink in the container. In this example, one reader 32 is provided to cover the place where each container 10 is placed, but it is of course possible to cover a plurality of containers 10 with one reader 32. is there.

  By using such a detection method, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, when a customer's drink runs out in a restaurant, a system that automatically notifies the kitchen side of it can be constructed.

  In this system, a reader (not shown) is provided on the table 30 as described above, and a communication device (not shown) that wirelessly transmits the detection result of each reader to the notification device 40 is provided. The notification device 40 is installed in a department that manages the provision of drinks, such as a kitchen or a waiting area for staff.

  Each reader tries communication with the RFID tag 20 at a predetermined interval, and outputs a detection result obtained for each trial to the communication device. The reader may output ID information of the detected RFID tag 20 as a detection result, or may output information indicating only whether the RFID tag 20 has been detected. At this time, the reader may output its own identification information together with the detection result. The communicator may transmit the detection results output from the readers to the notification device 40 as they are, or report the results (for example, the number of empty glasses) of the detection results of the readers. You may make it communicate with.

  For example, if it is only necessary to know whether there is a vacant glass for each table, the communication device receives a signal indicating that the RFID tag 20 has been detected from any one of the readers of the table in charge of the communication device. In such a case, information indicating that an empty glass has been formed may be transmitted to the notification device 40 together with the identification number of the communication device itself. In this case, the notification device 40 can determine which table has an empty glass from the identification number of the communication device.

  In addition, when specifying empty glasses by seat unit, a reader is provided for each seat on the table, and the identification number of the reader that has detected the RFID tag 20 is transmitted from the communication device to the notification device 40. Good. The notification device 40 can determine which seat has an empty glass from the identification number of the reader. Moreover, if the notification device 40 is notified of the ID of the RFID tag 20 detected by the reader instead of the reader identification number, the notification device 40 can determine which glass is vacant.

  In the illustrated example, the notification device 40 includes, for example, an indicator lamp 42 associated with each table (or seat), and when information indicating that there is an empty glass is obtained from the communication device of each table, the table ( Alternatively, the indicator lamp 42 corresponding to the seat) is turned on. Thereby, the clerk can know the table or the seat with the empty glass, and can quickly execute the countermeasure such as going to the next order.

  In the above example, the communication between the table and the notification device 40 is performed wirelessly. Further, instead of the notification device 40 having an indicator lamp as shown in the figure, a map showing the arrangement of tables and seats in the store, for example, is displayed on the screen of the personal computer, and the tables and seats with empty glasses on the map are displayed. May be highlighted.

  In the above example, since the RFID tag 20 is provided on the bottom surface of the container 10, the RFID tag 20 cannot be detected unless the container 10 is almost empty. On the other hand, in order to detect that the liquid in the container 10 has decreased before the container 10 is emptied, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, an RFID tag 20 is provided on the side surface of the container 10. Just do it. In this example, the RFID tag 20 is provided on the side surface of the container 10 so that the antenna 24 extends horizontally. In the example of FIG. 4, the RFID tag 20 can be detected by the reader when the amount of liquid in the container 10 is somewhat below the height of the antenna 24. Therefore, by providing the RFID tag 20 at an appropriate height position on the side surface of the container 10, it is possible to detect that the amount of liquid has been reduced to a predetermined amount, and to report this.

  When the RFID tag 20 is provided on the side surface of the container 10 as described above, the reader may be provided on the back side of the top plate of the table 30, for example, as in FIG. A reader 32 may be provided on the top, and the reader 32 may emit radio waves and electromagnetic waves for communication in a substantially horizontal direction. By doing so, the concealing effect of the RFID tag 20 by the liquid in the container 10 becomes clearer, so that an improvement in accuracy can be expected.

  Also, which RFID tag 20 can be detected by providing RFID tags 20 at different heights on the side surface of the container 10 or by providing RFID tags on the side surface and bottom surface of the container 10 as shown in FIG. The amount of liquid in the container 10 can be determined stepwise. In this way, the decrease in the liquid in the container 10 can be detected in stages, and a notification process at a level corresponding to each stage can be performed on the notification device 40 side. As the notification process of the notification device 40, for example, a process of changing the color of the indicator lamp step by step as the amount of liquid decreases can be exemplified.

  As mentioned above, although the system which detects and alert | reports the residual amount of the drink of the customer in a restaurant was illustrated, the structure of the residual amount detection of a liquid using an RFID tag is not restricted to it, and a wide application is considered. For example, if a reader is installed in the washing area of a bathing facility and an RFID tag is provided on the bottom or side of the shampoo or rinse placed in the washing area, it automatically detects that the remaining amount of shampoo is low and enters the management room. Can be notified.

  In addition, an RFID tag is provided in a cultivation container for plant cultivation such as a flower pot or a planter, and it is determined whether or not sufficient water is given to the plant by determining whether or not the RFID tag can be read by a reader. It is also possible to do.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a water tank 52 is provided in a part of the cultivation container 50, and an RFID tag 60 is provided at a location such as a side surface or a bottom surface of the water tank 52. The water tank 52 is provided with a drainage unit (for example, a fine filter that allows water to pass but does not allow soil to pass through) to gradually discharge the stored water to the soil inside the cultivation container 50. When a person pours water into the water tank 52, the water in the tank 52 gradually flows out to the soil over several days, for example, and is supplied to the plant 70.

  A reader is provided at the place where the cultivation container 50 is installed, and the reader periodically tries to communicate with the RFID tag 60. If there is a predetermined amount of water in the water tank 52, the reader cannot read the RFID tag 60, but if it is reduced below the predetermined amount, the RFID tag 60 can be read. Depending on the reading result of the reader, for example, when the amount of water in the tank 52 falls below a predetermined remaining amount, processing such as issuing an alarm by voice or display can be performed. Since water can be given in response to this alarm, it is possible to reduce the situation where the plant is left for a long time without water.

  Further, instead of providing the water tank 52, as shown in FIG. 8, a moisture holding member 70 is provided on the inner surface of the cultivation container 50, and the RFID tag 60 is attached to the moisture holding member 70, for example. As the moisture holding member 70, for example, a polymer absorber can be used. When water is supplied to the cultivation container 50, a part of the water is absorbed and held by the moisture holding member 70 via the soil in the cultivation container 50. In this state, the reader cannot detect the RFID tag 60 due to the influence of water in the moisture holding member 70. When time passes and the water in the cultivation container 50 decreases, the water in the moisture holding member 70 also decreases, so that the RFID tag 60 can be detected by the reader. An alarm device or the like can be connected to the reader, and notification processing such as issuing an alarm when the reader detects the RFID tag 60 can be performed. If the RFID tag 60 is simply disposed in the soil, the soil cannot retain water at such a high density, so the RFID tag 60 may be read by a reader even if it has just been watered. By providing the moisture holding member 70 that can hold water at a much higher density in the vicinity of the RFID tag 60, the RFID tag 60 cannot be read when there is sufficient water.

  In addition, by providing the RFID tag 60 at different height positions in the cultivation container 50, it is possible to determine whether water has spread to each height location. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 9, by providing the RFID tag 60 at a plurality of locations around the cultivation container 50, it is possible to detect even when the moisture is locally reduced due to the influence of the presence or absence of sunlight.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, by using the RFID tag, it is possible to automatically detect the remaining amount of liquid such as water in the container with a simple system configuration, and to perform processing according to the remaining amount. it can. Further, by using a passive tag as the RFID tag, maintenance such as battery replacement can be made almost unnecessary.

It is a figure which shows roughly the example of the container which provided the RFID tag in the bottom face. It is a figure which shows typically the state which has arrange | positioned the container to the table. It is a figure which shows an example of the system configuration | structure of embodiment. It is a figure which shows roughly the example of the container which provided the RFID tag in the side surface. It is a figure which shows the structural example which provided the reader | leader on the table. It is a figure which shows roughly the example of the container which provided the RFID tag in the side surface and the bottom face. It is a figure which shows roughly the example of the cultivation container provided with the RFID tag. It is a figure which shows roughly the example of the cultivation container which provided the moisture holding member in the RFID tag vicinity. It is a figure which shows the example which provided the RFID tag in the both sides | surfaces of the cultivation container.

Explanation of symbols

  10 containers, 20 RFID tags, 22 chip parts, 24 antennas, 30 tables, 32-1, 32-2 readers.

Claims (7)

A container capable of containing a liquid containing moisture, and a container having an RFID tag at a position corresponding to a monitoring reference liquid amount;
An RFID reader;
When the RFID tag of the container can be read by the RFID reader, a corresponding processing unit that executes a predetermined processing according to the monitoring reference liquid amount;
A liquid amount monitoring system comprising:   The liquid amount monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the RFID tag is provided on an inner surface of the container. The liquid amount monitoring system according to claim 1,
The liquid quantity monitoring system, wherein the response processing unit issues an alarm when the RFID tag of the container can be read by the RFID reader. The liquid amount monitoring system according to claim 3,
The RFID reader is arranged for each of the installation locations of the plurality of containers,
The corresponding processing unit performs an alarm process in such a manner that the read RFID reader can be identified when any of the RFID readers reads the RFID tag.
A liquid amount monitoring system characterized by that. The liquid amount monitoring system according to claim 1,
The container includes an RFID tag corresponding to each of a plurality of different monitoring reference liquid amounts,
The corresponding processing unit executes a corresponding process according to the monitoring reference liquid amount corresponding to the read RFID tag when any of the plurality of RFID tags included in the container can be read.
A liquid amount monitoring system characterized by that. The liquid amount monitoring system according to claim 1,
The container is a plant cultivation container, and includes a tank unit that supplies the stored water to the soil in the container,
The RFID tag is disposed in the vicinity of the tank portion.
A liquid amount monitoring system characterized by that. The liquid amount monitoring system according to claim 1,
The container is a plant cultivation container;
The RFID tag is disposed on the inner surface of the cultivation container together with a moisture holding member,
A liquid amount monitoring system characterized by that.

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