KR102198428B1 - Wireless tag apparatus for attachment of things - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an object-attached wireless tag device, which comprises: a tag body attached to an object and transmitting identification information of the object through wireless communication in a process of contacting the object of the user; a case protecting the tag body; and a sensor extension unit extending from the tag body, exposed to the outside of the case, attached to the object, and extending a sensing range for detecting the object contact of the tag body. Therefore, according to the present invention, the sensing range for detecting the touch of the object-attached wireless tag can be extended, and thus the performance of the object-attached tag can be improved.

Description

[WIRELESS TAG APPARATUS FOR ATTACHMENT OF THINGS}

The present invention relates to an object-attached wireless tag technology, and more particularly, it is possible to easily and conveniently attach a tag to a corresponding object regardless of the type, size, shape, area, etc. of the existing object, and to extend the touch range of the tag attached to the object. It relates to a wireless tag device attached to the object.

Due to the development of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, it is developing into an environment in which the status of various devices can be easily inquired or controlled anytime, anywhere. Objects are connected based on the Internet and sensors, so information such as temperature, humidity, location, and heat can be exchanged between objects.Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), sensing technology, wired/wireless communication and network infrastructure, IoT service Interface technology and the like make this possible.

The object contact behavior in such an Internet of Things environment can be used as one of methods of identifying objects or obtaining desired information in real time. That is, it is possible to obtain spatial information, behavior information, intention information, traffic information, location information, usage information about the object, etc. by contacting surrounding objects. For example, an iBeacon may be applied as a representative method for obtaining spatial information.

A beacon refers to a wireless communication device capable of transmitting necessary data by automatically recognizing a smart device based on a Bluetooth 4.0 (Bluetooth Low Energy; BLE) protocol in a short distance. Beacons can operate at a distance of up to 70m, have high accuracy and low power consumption, making them suitable for IoT implementation. Beacons provide spatial information and can be attached to various devices or objects.

Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0817649 (2008.03.21) relates to a wireless IC tag having a wide directivity and low communication distance, and is a wireless IC tag having a microstrip antenna, and the microstrip antenna is equipped with an IC chip. One radiation electrode and a ground electrode, and a flexible dielectric disposed between the radiation electrode and the ground electrode, the radiation electrode and the ground electrode are approximately the same size, and the IC chip is not connected to the ground electrode and is connected to the radiation electrode. A wireless IC tag is provided that is connected to the radiation electrode and is provided with a slit for impedance matching, and each terminal of the IC chip is provided with a wireless IC tag connected to each feed portion of the radiation electrode which faces with a slit therebetween.

Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2005-0111608 (2005.11.25) relates to a wireless transmission tag, a product tagged with a wireless transmission tag, a communication system, and a control method for an electronic device, comprising a memory, a control circuit connected to the memory, and , An antenna connected to the control circuit, and a power supply for supplying power to the control circuit, the power supply being connected to a sensor activating the supply of power from the power source to at least a portion of the control circuit in response to an external stimulus A wireless transmission tag is provided that starts transmitting data only when activated by a predetermined stimulus.

Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0817649 (2008.03.21) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2005-0111608 (2005.11.25)

An embodiment of the present invention provides an object-attached wireless tag device capable of easily and conveniently attaching a tag to a corresponding object regardless of the type, size, shape, area, etc. of an existing object and extending the touch range of the tag attached to the object. I want to.

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide an object-attached wireless tag device that can be easily attached to an object and is capable of detecting a user's natural object contact behavior by extending a user's object contact sensing range and improving the performance of a touch tag.

An embodiment of the present invention is compactly manufactured in a form that is detachable to the surface of an object according to the shape of an existing object without changing or replacing the existing object, and the moment a user touches an object with a tag, the identification information of the object is wirelessly communicated. An object-attached wireless tag device capable of automatically collecting information about an object that has been transmitted through and contacted, and behavioral situation information is provided.

Among the embodiments, an object-attached wireless tag device includes a tag body that is attached to an object and transmits identification information of the object through wireless communication in a process of contacting the object by a user, a case protecting the tag body, and the tag. And a sensor extension part extending from the main body and exposed to the outside of the case, attached to the object, and extending a sensing range for sensing contact of the tag body with the object.

The tag body may include a sensor unit that senses a user's contact or proximity to the object.

The tag body may include a wireless communication unit that wakes up when a user's contact or proximity is sensed through the sensor unit and the sensor extension unit and transmits identification information of the object.

The tag body may detect whether the object is in contact and a contact time through the sensor unit and the sensor extension unit, and transmit additional information corresponding to the estimated situation together with the identification information of the object that has been touched through the wireless communication unit. .

The tag body may be attached or reattached to an object through a double-sided tape or an adhesive.

The case may be configured to surround the tag body and partially or entirely formed of a conductive material or painted with a conductive material to be electrically connected to the printed circuit board (PCB) of the tag body to extend the object contact sensing range. .

The sensor extension part is implemented with a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) type conductor or a conductive fiber, and one end is electrically connected to the printed circuit board (PCB) of the tag body through a connector to extend the sensing range of the sensor part. .

The sensor extension may be attached along the surface of the object, and may be implemented in different lengths, different widths, and different designs according to the surface shape of the object to be attached.

The disclosed technology can have the following effects. However, since it does not mean that a specific embodiment should include all of the following effects or only the following effects, it should not be understood that the scope of the rights of the disclosed technology is limited thereby.

The object-attached wireless tag device according to an embodiment of the present invention immediately knows whether the user uses the object by simply attaching it to the object without any new development, additional development, or modification of the existing objects. Through this, it is possible to provide an opportunity to find a user's space movement, life behavior pattern, object usage pattern, etc. Accordingly, various and fast new services can be created in various fields such as care for the elderly living alone and home healthcare.

The object attaching wireless tag device according to an embodiment of the present invention can be easily attached and detached regardless of the size, shape, or area of an existing object because the length, width, and design of the part attached to the surface of the object that the user mainly contacts can be changed. Thus, the user's contact or proximity can be easily detected.

The object-attached wireless tag device according to an embodiment of the present invention can improve tag performance by expanding a sensing range that detects a user's contact or proximity, and simultaneously detects a user's touch and wireless communication during a user's contact process. have.

1 is a view for explaining an object-attached wireless tag device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement structure of the wireless tag device with an object in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an internal configuration of the tag body in FIG. 1.
4 is a diagram illustrating a product of a wireless tag device attached to an object according to an exemplary embodiment.
5A-5B are exemplary diagrams illustrating a form in which the object-attached wireless tag device according to an exemplary embodiment is attached to a medicine case.
6A-6B are exemplary diagrams illustrating a form in which a wireless tag device with an object is attached to a remote controller according to an exemplary embodiment.

Since the description of the present invention is merely an embodiment for structural or functional description, the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited by the embodiments described in the text. That is, since the embodiments can be variously changed and have various forms, the scope of the present invention should be understood to include equivalents capable of realizing the technical idea. In addition, since the object or effect presented in the present invention does not mean that a specific embodiment should include all of them or only those effects, the scope of the present invention should not be understood as being limited thereto.

Meanwhile, the meaning of terms described in the present application should be understood as follows.

Terms such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish one component from other components, and the scope of rights is not limited by these terms. For example, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may be referred to as a first component.

When a component is referred to as being "connected" to another component, it should be understood that although it may be directly connected to the other component, another component may exist in the middle. On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a certain component is "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that no other component exists in the middle. On the other hand, other expressions describing the relationship between the constituent elements, that is, "between" and "just between" or "neighboring to" and "directly neighboring to" should be interpreted as well.

Singular expressions are to be understood as including plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, and terms such as “comprise” or “have” refer to implemented features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or It is to be understood that it is intended to designate that a combination exists and does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features or numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

In each step, the identification code (for example, a, b, c, etc.) is used for convenience of explanation, and the identification code does not describe the order of each step, and each step has a specific sequence clearly in context. Unless otherwise stated, it may occur differently from the stated order. That is, each of the steps may occur in the same order as specified, may be performed substantially simultaneously, or may be performed in the reverse order.

The present invention can be embodied as computer-readable codes on a computer-readable recording medium, and the computer-readable recording medium includes all types of recording devices storing data that can be read by a computer system. . Examples of computer-readable recording media include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage devices. Further, the computer-readable recording medium is distributed over a computer system connected by a network, so that the computer-readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

All terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the field to which the present invention belongs, unless otherwise defined. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be construed as having meanings in the context of related technologies, and cannot be construed as having an ideal or excessive formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present application.

1 is a view for explaining an object-attached wireless tag device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, an object-attached wireless tag device 100 may include a tag body 110, a case 120, and a sensor extension unit 130.

The tag body 110 may be attached to an object and transmit identification information of the object to the wireless communication receiving device through wireless communication while the user contacts the object. The tag body 110 may communicate with a wireless communication receiving device through short-range wireless communication such as RFID, NFC, Zigbee, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. The wireless communication receiving apparatus may correspond to a user terminal or a wearable device such as a smart phone, tablet PC, or notebook equipped with a wireless communication receiving function.

In one embodiment, the tag body 110 stores object identification information that can identify the attached object, and wakes up the stored object identification information at the moment the user touches or approaches the object. Can send. Here, the tag body 110 may be formed in a circular shape, but is not limited thereto and may be formed in a polygonal shape. The tag body 110 may be accommodated in the case 120 and protected from the outside.

The case 120 may include an upper case 120a and a lower case 120b, and may serve to protect the tag body 110 by installing the tag body 110 as a whole. In one embodiment, the case 120 may be made of polycarbonate (PC), ABS, silicone, rubber, etc., and may be easily attached to the surface of an existing object. In this case, the case 120 is electrically connected to the tag body 110 by forming or painting (painting) a part or all of the conductive material to extend the contact sensing range of the tag body 110. Here, the case 120 may be combined in a form in which the upper case 120a and the lower case 120b are detachable for battery replacement of the tag body 110.

The sensor extension unit 130 extends from the tag body 110 and is exposed to the outside of the case 120 to expand the attachment range of the object and extend the contact sensing range of the tag body 110. In one embodiment, the sensor extension 130 may be attached along the surface of the object regardless of the size, shape, area, etc. of the existing object, and various lengths, various widths, and various It can be implemented in the form of a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) of the design or in the form of a thin strip.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement structure of the object-attached wireless tag device of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, an object-attached wireless tag device 100 may include a tag body 110, a case 120 surrounding and protecting the tag body 110, and a sensor extension unit 130.

The object attaching wireless tag device 100 is attached to the surface of the object. In this case, the object attaching wireless tag device 100 may be attached or reattached to the object using a double-sided tape or an adhesive. In one embodiment, the object-attached wireless tag device 100 may be attached to a portion that a user mainly contacts with respect to various objects. For example, in the case of a refrigerator, the object attaching wireless tag device 100 may be attached to the handle of the refrigerator.

In the object-attached wireless tag device 100, the case 120 is attached to the object surface, and the tag body 110 is included in the case 120. The tag body 110 may include a printed circuit board (PCB) 210, a battery 220 is mounted on one surface of the printed circuit board (PCB) 210, and a sensor unit, a processing unit, and Components such as a storage unit, a wireless communication unit, and a clock generation unit may be mounted and electrically connected. In this case, the components mounted on the printed circuit board (PCB) 210 may be supplied with operating power through the battery 220.

In the object-attached wireless tag device 100, the sensor extension unit 130 is electrically connected to the tag body 110 and is extended and attached to a portion where the object is in contact. The sensor extension unit 130 is connected to the sensor unit mounted on the printed circuit board (PCB) 210 of the tag body 110 and is formed to extend from the sensor unit and is disposed to be exposed to the outside of the case 120 and attached. A range that can be sensed by a sensor unit that detects a user's contact or proximity to the object may be extended. In an embodiment, the sensor extension unit 130 may sense a user's contact and proximity and transmit a sensing signal to the sensor unit of the tag body 110.

The object-attached wireless tag device 100 may be electrically connected to the sensor extension unit 130 on one side of the printed circuit board (PCB) 210 through the connector 230. In one embodiment, the sensor extension 130 is implemented in the form of a thin film flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) and can be easily attached along the surface of an object. Here, the sensor extension unit 130 can extend the attachment range for the object along with the expansion of the sensing range for detecting the user's contact or proximity to the object, so that natural object contact even if the user does not intentionally find and contact the tag attachment site. Tag performance can be improved by detecting the user's contact from actions.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the tag main body in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 3, the tag body 110 may include a printed circuit board (PCB) 210 and a battery 220, and a sensor unit 310 and processing on the printed circuit board (PCB) 210 The unit 320, the storage unit 330, and the wireless communication unit 340 may be mounted and configured, and the sensor extension unit 130 may be electrically connected to the sensor unit 310.

The sensor unit 310 may detect whether or not an object to which the object-attached wireless tag device 100 is attached according to an exemplary embodiment, a contact time, and the like. In one embodiment, the sensor unit 310 may be implemented with various sensors such as a contact sensor and a proximity sensor. Here, the sensor unit 310 may sense a user's tag touch by sensing a state in which the user touches or approaches a corresponding object to which the user is attached. The sensor unit 310 is electrically connected to the sensor extension unit 130 disposed to be exposed to the outside of the case 120 through the connector 230. The sensor extension unit 130 may be implemented as an FPCB-type electric conductor or a conductive fiber, and may extend a sensing range capable of sensing a tag touch of the sensor unit 310.

The sensor unit 310 whose sensing range is extended through the sensor expansion unit 130 may transmit a contact detection signal to the processing unit 320 when a user's contact or proximity to an object is detected within the sensing range. Here, the touch detection signal may wake-up the processing unit 320.

The processing unit 320 operates by receiving the touch detection signal, estimates the contact situation from the touch detection signal, and stores arbitrary information obtained in the process in the storage unit 330 or the identification information of the object from the storage unit 330 Together, the additional information according to the estimated situation is read and transmitted to the wireless communication unit 340.

For example, when the sensor unit 310 is a motion sensor, the processing unit 320 may process the touch detection signal as a momentum value when the user moves the object in the process of contacting the object. When the sensor unit 310 is a pressure sensor, the processing unit 320 may process the touch detection signal as a pressure value applied to the object by the user in the process of contacting the object.

In one embodiment, the processing unit 320 may be implemented as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) called a central processing unit, and in this case, the storage unit 330 may be included in a configuration built into the CPU.

The storage unit 330 may store information transmitted to a wireless communication receiving device during a user's contact with an object. In an embodiment, the storage unit 330 may store identification information of an object including the type of the object, an attachment place, an attachment location, the number of contacts, and a contact time.

The wireless communication unit 340 may transmit sensor data processed from the touch detection signal by the processing unit 320 together with the object identification information through wireless communication. Here, the sensor data may include a momentum value, brightness, temperature, humidity, and the like. The wireless communication unit 340 may transmit identification information of a corresponding object through a wireless communication method such as NFC, Bluetooth, beacon, WiFi, LTE, and 5G.

The battery 220 is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) 210 to supply operating power to each of the components constituting the tag body 110.

4 is a diagram illustrating a product of a wireless tag device attached to an object according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4, the object-attached wireless tag device 100 may mount components constituting the tag body 110 on a printed circuit board (PCB) 210 to be small-sized in a one-chip form. The object-attached wireless tag device 100 can protect the tag body 110 through the case 120, and replace the battery 220 by separating the case 120 into an upper case 120a and a lower case 120b. can do. The object-attached wireless tag device 100 may extend the sensing range of the tag touch by extending the sensor extension unit 130 on one side of the tag body 110. The sensor expansion unit 130 has one end connected to the printed circuit board (PCB) 210 of the tag body 110 and is exposed to the outside of the case 120 to expand in the form of an FPCB so that the user can easily approach or contact it. It can be manufactured in an object attachment type that can be easily attached to objects. The object-attached wireless tag device 100 is manufactured in a circular shape of the tag body 110, but is not limited thereto, and may be manufactured in various shapes according to the size or shape of an object such as a square.

5A-5B are exemplary views showing a form in which the object-attached wireless tag device according to an embodiment is attached to a medicine case, and a front view of an existing medicine case to which the object communication tag device 100 according to an embodiment is attached to the existing medicine case Show each of the back parts.

5A and 5B, a specific part of the medicine case 500 that the user's hand mainly contacts when using the medicine case 500, for example, attaching the sensor extension 130 to the front of the medicine case 500 as shown in FIG. 5A And, as shown in FIG. 5B, the case 120 containing the tag body 110 may be attached to the back side of the medicine container 500. The sensor extension 130 is formed to extend from the tag body 110 and can be easily attached along the surface of the medicine barrel 500. The sensor extension 130 may be attached to the surface of the medicine container 500 to extend a range for sensing a user object contact. Accordingly, as soon as the user touches the medicine container 500, the sensor extension 130 is naturally in contact and a contact detection signal is transmitted to the sensor unit 310 of the tag body 110. At this time, the tag body 110 transmits identification information on the object contacted through the sensor extension unit 130, that is, the medicine container 500, and behavior information related to medication, such as the number of times of taking the medicine and the time of taking the medicine, to the wireless communication unit 340. Through this, it can be transmitted to the user's wireless communication receiving device.

6A-6B are exemplary views showing a form of attaching a wireless object tag device according to an embodiment to a remote controller, and a side view of an existing remote controller to which the wireless object tag device 100 according to an embodiment is attached to the existing remote control Show each back side.

6A and 6B, a specific part of the remote control 600 that the user's hand mainly contacts when using the remote control 600, for example, both sides of the remote control 600 that are contacted when the user holds the remote control 600 with his hand. The sensor extension 130 in the form of attaching an object may be attached to at least one side of the side in the longitudinal direction, and the case 120 including the tag body 110 may be attached to the rear side of the remote control 600. At this time, the sensor expansion unit 130 is exposed to the outside of the case 120 and is electrically connected to one end of the printed circuit board (PCB) 210 of the tag body 110 mounted inside the case 120, As soon as the remote controller 600 is touched, the sensor extension unit 130 is naturally contacted, and a contact detection signal is transmitted to the sensor unit 310 of the tag body 110. At this time, the tag main body 110 transmits identification information on the object contacted through the sensor extension unit 130, that is, the remote control 600 and device usage information such as TV and air conditioner, through the wireless communication unit 340 It can be delivered to the receiving device.

The object-attached wireless tag device according to an embodiment may be attached to the surface of all objects, such as a door handle, a refrigerator handle, and a toilet seating area, and detects a situation in which a user is in proximity or contact with an object through a sensor and wakes a contact detection signal. It can be used as an up signal to save battery, and it can automatically transmit object-specific identification information and sensor data through wireless communication during the user's contact process.

Although the above has been described with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will variously modify and change the present invention within the scope not departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention described in the following claims. You will understand that you can do it.

100: object attached wireless tag device
110: tag body 120: case
120a: upper case 120b: lower case
130: sensor extension
210: printed circuit board (PCB) 220: battery
230: connector
310: sensor unit 320: processing unit
330: storage unit 340: wireless communication unit
500: medicine case 600: remote control

Claims (8)

A sensor unit that senses a user's contact or proximity to an object, and when the user's contact or proximity of the object is detected by the sensor unit, a wake-up is performed and the identification information of the object is transmitted through wireless communication. A tag body including a wireless communication unit;
A case that is attached to the object and includes an upper case and a lower case to receive and protect the tag body and to be detachably coupled to each other; And
An object-attached wireless tag device comprising a sensor extension unit connected to the sensor unit and extending a sensing range for sensing contact of the object by the sensor unit while extending the attachment range of the object to the outside of the case.
delete delete The method of claim 1, wherein the tag body
An object, characterized in that the sensor unit and the sensor extension unit detect whether the object is in contact and the contact time, and transmit additional information corresponding to the estimated situation together with the identification information of the object in contact through the wireless communication unit. Attach wireless tag device.
The method of claim 1, wherein the tag body
An object attaching wireless tag device, characterized in that it can be attached or reattached to an object through a double-sided tape or an adhesive.
The method of claim 1, wherein the case
An object, characterized in that it is configured in a form surrounding the tag body and is electrically connected to a printed circuit board (PCB) of the tag body by forming part or all of a conductive material or coating a conductive material to extend the object contact sensing range Attach wireless tag device.
The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor expansion unit
A flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) type conductor or conductive fiber is used, and one end is electrically connected to the printed circuit board (PCB) of the tag body through a connector to extend the sensing range of the sensor unit to the outside of the case. A wireless tag device with an object attached to it.
The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor expansion unit
An object attaching wireless tag device, characterized in that it can be attached along a surface of an object and is implemented in a shape of a different length, a different width, and a different design according to the surface shape of the object to be attached.

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