KR102223832B1 - Self-powered type temperature measuring apparatus and temperature measuring system having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A temperature measuring device and a temperature measuring system having the same generate power, a power generation unit that varies voltage values according to temperature, a microcontroller that calculates temperature information from the voltage value at each preset period, and the calculated temperature information is a temperature history by time. As an electronic tag stored as an electronic tag, it includes an electronic tag that transmits a temperature history to the reader by the tag of the reader.

Description

Self-powered temperature measuring device and temperature measuring system having the same {SELF-POWERED TYPE TEMPERATURE MEASURING APPARATUS AND TEMPERATURE MEASURING SYSTEM HAVING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a self-powered temperature measuring device and a temperature measuring system having the same.

Recently, as interest in the quality and safety of food and pharmaceuticals has increased, a smart RFID tag that combines a temperature sensor and an RFID tag is used to monitor the temperature of food and pharmaceutical products in real time during the long and short distance distribution process, and the data is monitored by manufacturers or logistics. The temperature history method sent to companies is widely used, but this has the inconvenience that the transporter must periodically check using a reader or install a reader at each location.

In addition, various indicators are used in food and pharmaceutical packaging as a way to simply visually know the quality and safety of foods and drugs, but the indicators currently used are convenient because they can visually see the color change. Distribution history, etc., as quantitative data information, is not usable as an RFID-based distribution system, so it responds with a simple color change, so its function is limited.

In addition, factors affecting the quality and safety of food and pharmaceutical products include temperature, humidity, and oxygen concentration. In particular, temperature plays an important role in the human body, food, and pharmaceuticals, as well as the atmosphere or aquatic ecosystem environment. In food and pharmaceutical packaging, changes in temperature around the packaging affect the quality of food and pharmaceuticals. In particular, the use of various sensors to obtain environmental information at the packaging, distribution, and consumption stages of packaged foods and pharmaceuticals is required. It is increasing more and more. In addition, RFID technology is a smart RFID tag system that combines with sensors, and is widely used in many fields such as Internet of Things as well as distribution.

An aspect of the present invention provides a temperature measuring device having an improved structure and a temperature measuring system having the same.

An aspect of the present invention provides a temperature measuring device with improved stability and reliability, and a temperature measuring system having the same.

An aspect of the present invention provides a temperature measuring device capable of improving product quality and a temperature measuring system having the same.

An NFC RFID tag fused with a self-powered temperature sensor, which is a temperature measuring device according to the spirit of the present invention, generates power and includes a power generation unit that varies a voltage value according to temperature; A microcontroller that calculates temperature information from the voltage value every preset period; And an electronic tag that transmits the temperature history to the reader by an HF band reader or a tag of a smart device as a memory in an electronic tag in which the calculated temperature information is stored as a temperature history by time.

The power generation unit may be provided so that the change in the external temperature and the change in the generated voltage are proportional.

The change in the external temperature and the change in the generated voltage may satisfy the following equation.

V = 0.0081 * X + 0.1451 (V is the generated voltage [volt], X is the temperature [℃])

The power generation unit, a silver catalyst film functioning as a cathode; Aluminum functioning as an anode; NaCl as an electrolyte in contact with the cathode and the anode may include.

The microcontroller may be provided to receive power from the power generation unit.

The microcontroller may be provided to terminate temperature calculation according to the preset period from the time of tagging of the reader with respect to the electronic tag.

A temperature measuring system according to the inventive concept is a temperature management system having a temperature measuring device attached to a measurement object and a reader receiving temperature information from the temperature measuring device, wherein the temperature measuring device measures a voltage value according to the temperature. A different power generation unit; A microcontroller that calculates temperature information from the voltage value every preset period; And a memory in the electronic tag in which the calculated temperature information is stored as a temperature history by time, and the reader is provided to receive the temperature history by a tag for the electronic tag.

According to an aspect of the present invention, through a temperature measuring device having an improved structure, it is possible to continuously observe a temperature change of a measurement object.

According to an aspect of the present invention, since the temperature history can be known, safety and reliability of a measurement object can be improved.

1 is a diagram for an existing temperature history method.
2 is a view of a temperature history method using a temperature measuring device and a temperature measuring system having the same according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a view of a temperature measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a block diagram of a temperature measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a block diagram of a temperature measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view of a power generation unit of a temperature measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is an exploded perspective view of a power generation unit of a temperature measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a graph showing a relationship between voltage and temperature of a power generation unit of a temperature measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a view of a temperature measuring system having a temperature measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a flow chart for the operation of the temperature measuring device and the temperature measuring system having the same according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a view showing a display of a temperature measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a reader according to a temperature measuring system having the same.

The embodiments described in the present specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only preferred examples of the disclosed invention, and there may be various modifications that may replace the embodiments and drawings of the present specification at the time of filing of the present application.

In addition, the same reference numerals or reference numerals shown in each drawing of the present specification indicate parts or components that perform substantially the same function.

In addition, terms used herein are used to describe the embodiments, and are not intended to limit and/or limit the disclosed invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the present specification, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but one or more other features. It does not preclude the presence or addition of elements, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

In addition, terms including ordinal numbers such as “first” and “second” used in this specification may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by terms, and the terms are one constitution. It is only used for the purpose of distinguishing an element from other components. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. The term “and/or” includes a combination of a plurality of related listed items or any of a plurality of related listed items.

In addition, terms such as "~ unit", "~ group", "~ block", "~ member", and "~ module" may mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation. For example, terms may mean at least one hardware such as field-programmable gate array (FPGA)/application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), at least one software stored in a memory, or at least one process processed by a processor. .

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view of an existing temperature history method, and FIG. 2 is a view of a temperature history method using a temperature measurement device and a temperature measurement system having the same according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the temperature history of the existing object 10 was checked only when the transporter of the distribution center periodically brought the reader to the tag and was supplied with voltage.

That is, when an electronic tag is attached to a food, the middle managers take the tag reader to the tag and use it as a dam, and supply voltage to check the temperature. For the temperature check, the logistic personnel in the intermediate process must directly check and record, so there is a problem that the record is omitted, the working time is long, and the work efficiency is deteriorated.

The temperature measuring apparatus and the temperature measuring system having the same according to the present invention can allow the temperature history to be continuously stored, even if the temperature of the object 10 is not individually checked by the person in charge of the intermediate process, as shown in FIG. 2. The stored temperature history can be checked by the end consumer with a reader, so that when a problem such as deterioration of the object 10 due to temperature change occurs, it is possible to clarify the responsibility between the production company and the courier company. Through this, the safety and reliability of the object 10 can be improved.

3 is a view of a temperature measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is a block diagram of a temperature measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The temperature measuring device 20 may include a self-powered temperature sensor 30, an interface 40, a microcontroller 50, and an electronic tag 60.

The self-powered temperature sensor 30 may be provided to have a change according to temperature. In addition, the self-powered temperature sensor 30 may be configured to generate power. The self-powered temperature sensor 30 is provided so that the measured temperature can be calculated by generating power and supplying information about the voltage to the microcontroller 50 to be described later.

The voltage generated by the self-powered temperature sensor 30 may be configured to change in proportion to the temperature. That is, when the temperature of the temperature measuring device 20 decreases, the voltage may be low, and when the temperature of the temperature measuring device 20 increases, the voltage may be high. The external temperature of the temperature measuring device 20 and the generated voltage may be configured to be proportional as shown in FIG. 8. Through this proportional relationship, a change in voltage can be measured and a change in temperature can be calculated. The self-powered temperature sensor 30 may be configured to expose at least a portion of the temperature measurement device 20 to the outside in order to reflect a temperature change. Since the self-powered temperature sensor 30 generates a voltage that is the basis of temperature calculation, it may be referred to as a power generation module. The self-powered temperature sensor 30 will be described in detail later.

The microcontroller 50 is a module that processes and stores voltage data measured from the self-powered temperature sensor 30. Specifically, the microcontroller 50 may calculate a temperature from the measured voltage data and provide information on the calculated temperature to the memory of the microcontroller in the electronic tag 60. In FIG. 4, the microcontroller 50 and the electronic tag 60 are illustrated and described as separate configurations, but the microcontroller 50 and the electronic tag 60 may be combined to operate as a single module. The microcontroller 50 has a preset period and may calculate a temperature from a voltage value for each period. The preset period is exemplified as 4 hours in FIG. 11 in the embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited thereto, and may be applied differently depending on the type, size, nature, and location of the object.

The electronic tag 60 (electronic tag or RFID) is a module that stores data and provides the stored data to the reader 80. According to an embodiment, the electronic tag 60 may receive information on the temperature calculated from the microcontroller 50 and store it in an electronic chip (or memory) provided in the electronic tag 60. In this case, the information on the temperature may include a temperature for each time zone, an amount of temperature change over time, and the like. In this embodiment, since the microcontroller 50 is provided to calculate the temperature at every predetermined period, the temperature information stored in the electronic tag 60 may include a temperature history according to the predetermined period.

The electronic tag 60 may be provided on the object 10. By reading the electronic tag 60 provided on the object 10 through the reader 80, temperature information of the object 10 may be obtained. The reader (or personal smart phone) 80 is a module that receives information stored in the electronic tag 60 by communicating with the electronic tag 60 through an HF Band radio frequency (RF) signal. The type of the object 10 is not limited. For example, the object 10 may include foods, drugs, etc. that are susceptible to temperature.

The electronic tag 60 may be a passive electronic tag 60. For example, the reader 80 may emit an RF signal, and the electronic tag 60 may receive the RF signal through the antenna 62 as the reader 80 approaches. Thereafter, the electronic tag 60 may convert the RF signal into direct current (DC) power (eg, direct current voltage). The electronic tag 60 may provide information on the pre-stored temperature to the reader 80 again using the converted DC power.

The electronic tag 60 receives the HF Band RF signal from the reader 80 as the reader 80 approaches the electronic tag 60, and a DC power source generated by the received RF signal (for example, DC voltage ) Is larger than UHF Band, so it can be stored in the auxiliary capacitor. In this case, the auxiliary capacitor may be provided inside the electronic tag 60, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the auxiliary capacitor may use the stored DC power to store and call information stored in the electronic tag 60. That is, the auxiliary capacitor may supply the stored DC power to the electronic tag 60 so that information is not lost.

The auxiliary capacitor may supply DC power stored in the auxiliary capacitor to the electronic tag 60 so that information is not lost when the size of the RF signal (eg, the amplitude of the signal) is less than a set value. Specifically, when the distance between the reader 80 providing the RF signal and the electronic tag 60 is greater than or equal to a specific value, the strength of the RF signal received by the electronic tag 60 may be weakened. In this case, the electronic tag 60 ) Can be used to store information using a pre-stored DC power supply.

In the interface unit 40, a self-powered temperature sensor supplies power to a passive NFC RFID tag. The interface unit 40 may be configured to drive the electronic tag 60. The interface unit 40 may include a voltage boosting unit and a charging unit for driving. The voltage booster can boost the voltage when the voltage generated by the self-powered temperature sensor is low to drive the tag. The voltage charging unit periodically measures the temperature and charges the voltage to store it in the memory. Voltage charging may include a super capacitor. To this end, the interface unit 40 may supply power to the electronic tag 60.

5 is a block diagram of a temperature measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a view of a power generation unit of a temperature measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the power generation unit of the temperature measurement device according to the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a graph showing the relationship between the voltage and the temperature of the power generation unit of the temperature measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The electronic tag 60 includes an antenna 62, an impedance matching unit 64, a power harvester, a demodulator 67, a modulator 68, and a control unit 70. can do.

The antenna 62 may receive an RF signal from the reader 80. The impedance matching unit 64 may be impedance matched with the antenna 62 and may transmit maximum power to the power conversion unit.

The power conversion unit 66 may convert the power supplied from the impedance matching unit 64 into DC power. The power conversion unit 66 converts the received power into DC power, a voltage multiplier that amplifies the converted DC power, an auxiliary capacitor that serves as an auxiliary power by storing some of the DC power, and a voltage regulator that supplies a constant voltage. May include a voltage regulator.

The demodulator 67 may demodulate a signal received from the reader 80 into digital data. In addition, the stored information may be modulated to transmit data to the modulator 68 and the reader 80. In addition, the controller 70 may control and store the measured data. For example, the controller 70 may receive and store information about the calculated temperature. Note that the control unit 70 may include the microcontroller 50 described above according to the embodiment.

The self-powered temperature sensor 30 may include a power generation unit 32 that generates a voltage that is the basis of temperature calculation, and a voltage measurement unit 34 that measures a voltage of power generated to calculate the temperature. .

The power generation unit 32 is provided to generate power. Since the temperature measuring device 20 generates power in the power generation unit 32, it may be configured in a self-powered manner. The power generation unit 32 will be described with reference to Figs. 6, 7 and 8.

An aluminum layer 33 may be included as an anode, and a silver catalyst film layer 34 may be included as a cathode. The temperature indicator 30 may include NaCl as the electrolyte 35.

The electrolyte 35 may be disposed between the aluminum layer 33 and the silver catalyst film layer 34. The temperature indicator 30 may include an adhesive portion 36 for bonding the aluminum layer 33 and the silver catalyst film layer 34, and the power generation portion 32 includes an electrolyte 35 inside the adhesive portion 36. It may be configured to be disposed in the space 36a. The electrolyte 35 may be arranged so as to be surrounded by the adhesive portion 36, and may be configured so as not to leak in the circumferential direction.

The aluminum layer 33 and the silver catalyst film layer 34 may generate electric power through a chemical reaction together with the electrolyte 35.

The aluminum layer 33 and the silver catalyst film layer 34 may be formed in a rectangular shape, and at least some of them may be stacked with the adhesive part 36 and the electrolyte 35 interposed therebetween. The sizes of the aluminum layer 33 and the silver catalyst film layer 34 are not limited, and as an example, each of the components may be formed to have a width of 33 mm and a length of 18 mm.

The voltage measurement unit 34 may measure the magnitude of the generated voltage. Information about the measured voltage is transmitted to the microcontroller 50 and may be converted into information about temperature.

The microcontroller 50 may calculate the temperature from the measured voltage level. Specifically, the microcontroller 50 may store information on a relationship between the measured voltage level and temperature. The magnitude and temperature of the voltage may be configured to be proportional as shown in FIG. 8. The relationship between temperature and voltage can satisfy the following. Here, V is the voltage [volt] generated by the power generation unit 32, and X is the temperature [℃].

V = 0.0081 * X + 0.1451

9 is a diagram of a temperature measuring system having a temperature measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The temperature measuring system may include a temperature measuring device 20, a reader 80, and a server 90, which are NFC RFID tags fused with a self-powered temperature sensor. Here, the server is only applicable when data storage and management are required.

The reader 80 is a module that obtains information from the electronic tag 60 by communicating with the electronic tag 60. Specifically, the reader 80 may emit an RF signal to the electronic tag 60. In addition, the reader 80 may receive a signal including specific information from the electronic tag 60.

The reader 80 may receive and display information stored in the electronic tag 60 of the temperature measuring device 20. In addition, the reader 80 may receive and display information stored in the electronic tag 60 using a smart phone app. Specifically, the reader 80 may receive information about temperature from the electronic tag 60 and display the received temperature information to the user. The temperature information may include temperature for each time zone and information on temperature change over time. The reader 80 may be provided to calculate a quality state and a safety level of the object to be measured based on the received temperature history. The reader 80 may store an application that operates to receive a temperature history by a tag and display it on a display.

The type of the reader 80 is not limited, for example, a dedicated monitoring device, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet PC, a wireless phone, and a mobile phone. , Smart phone, smart watch, smart glass, terminal including NFC, e-book reader, portable multimedia player (PMP), portable game console, navigation device, digital Digital camera, digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) player, digital audio recorder, digital audio player, digital picture recorder, digital picture player, It may include, but is not limited to, a digital video recorder and a digital video player.

Accordingly, the user can determine the quality according to the packaging, distribution, and consumption stages of the object 10 through the temperature history information.

When the reader 80 is tagged to the electronic tag 60 of the temperature measuring device 20, the temperature measuring device 20 may end the measurement operation performed by a preset period. Through this, the user of the reader 80 can obtain a temperature history during the distribution process of the object. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the temperature measurement operation continues even if the reader 80 is tagged with the electronic tag 60, so that the object 10 may be continuously managed or the temperature measuring device 20 may be reused.

The reader 80 may transmit information about temperature to the server 90. To this end, the reader 80 may be connected to the server 90 through a network. In this case, the network may include the Internet, one or more local area networks, wire area networks, cellular networks, mobile networks, other types of networks, or a combination of these networks.

The user of the reader 80 is not limited. In this embodiment, the final consumer of the object 10 may be included.

The server 90 may receive and store information about temperature from the reader 80. Specifically, the server 90 may receive information about an enclosed space and information about a concentration of a temperature corresponding to the space from the reader 80.

The server 90 may receive and display information about temperature from the reader 80.

Hereinafter, the operation of the temperature measuring device 20 and the temperature measuring system having the same according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

10 is a flowchart of the operation of a temperature measuring device and a temperature measuring system having the same according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a temperature measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a reader according to the temperature measuring system having the same. It is a diagram showing a display.

The self-powered temperature sensor 30 generates power (S110). After starting power generation, it is determined whether or not a preset period is reached (S120), and when the preset period is reached, the magnitude of the generated voltage is measured (S130). Thereafter, a temperature value according to the voltage level is calculated (S140) and stored (S150). It stores temperature information over time while repeating a preset cycle. Thereafter, when the HF Band RF reader 80 (including a personal smart phone) is tagged (S160), the temperature history over time is transmitted to the RF reader 80 (S170). The temperature history information transmitted to the RF reader 80 may be displayed on a smart device as shown in FIG. 11.

The temperature measurement system of the present invention uses a self-powered temperature sensor without a separate power source to provide information on temperature, which is fundamental to the quality and safety of food and pharmaceuticals, to producers, distributors, and consumers in the distribution and consumption of food and pharmaceuticals. With the next-generation temperature history system that can be given periodically, it can help consumers, producers and distributors to improve the safety and reliability of food and pharmaceuticals and increase sales, thereby creating economic profits. In addition, it can help increase exports by improving the reliability and stability of exports through ships or aircraft through a temperature measurement system.

And in practice, reader-tag communication through the existing fixed reader does not cover the entire area sufficiently due to high installation cost and restrictions on installation locations, and during the distribution period, the transporter periodically uses the reader 80 to periodically tag the tag. There is a hassle to check. By automatically storing temperature information through the temperature measuring device 20 and a temperature measuring system using the same, when a problem occurs, it is possible to clarify the responsibility between the production company and the courier company, thereby reducing disputes with customers.

In addition, the temperature measuring device 20 is a power and sensing role of the self-powered temperature sensor 30 without a separate power source, and it is convenient to measure the temperature every semi-permanently set period and use it at any place. In addition, since the temperature measuring device 20 is detachable in the form of a sticker and is inexpensive, it is advantageous in terms of economy.

The temperature measurement system uses this to deliver temperature-sensitive foods and medicines transported by courier or export containers, etc., even if the transporter checks the temperature or does not install the reader 80, the final consignee (consumer) sends the temperature history to the smartphone. It can be applied as a next-generation temperature history system that can be simply checked directly.

That is, even if the transporter does not check the temperature one by one during delivery, even if the reader 80 is not installed at certain places, the temperature measurement system generates power using the self-powered temperature sensor 30 periodically at a set time. And by checking the temperature, when purchasing food and pharmaceuticals through export, distribution, online or home shopping, the final consignee (consumer) can easily check the quality and safety status of the food and pharmaceuticals purchased with a smartphone, increasing sales and When a problem occurs, the responsibility between the production company and the transportation company can be clarified, reducing disputes with customers.

The temperature measuring device 20 and the temperature measuring system having the same are related to the temperature history that affects the quality and safety status of food and pharmaceuticals purchased with a consumer's smartphone, and it is particularly difficult to install a reader in containers such as ships or aircraft for export. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary for food or medicine for export.

In the above, specific embodiments have been illustrated and described. However, it is not limited only to the above-described embodiments, and those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the invention pertains will be able to perform various changes without departing from the gist of the technical idea of the invention described in the following claims. .

10: object 20: temperature measuring device
30: self-powered temperature sensor 40: interface
50: microcontroller 60: electronic tag
62: antenna 64: impedance matching unit
66: power conversion unit 67: demodulator
68: modulator 70: control unit
80: reader 90: server

Claims (11)

A self-powered temperature sensor that generates a different voltage according to temperature and includes a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte disposed between the cathode and the anode;
A microcontroller that calculates temperature information from the generated voltage every preset period;
And an electronic tag that stores the calculated temperature information as a temperature history and transmits the temperature history to the reader by a tag of the reader. The method of claim 1,
The electronic tag is a temperature measuring device that is driven using a voltage generated by the self-powered temperature sensor. The method of claim 1,
The self-powered temperature sensor is a temperature measuring device that generates a voltage in proportion to the temperature. The method of claim 3,
The temperature and the generated voltage is a temperature measuring device that satisfies the following equation.
V = 0.0081 * X + 0.1451
(V is the generated voltage [volt], X is the temperature [℃]) The method of claim 1,
The cathode comprises a silver catalyst film,
The anode includes aluminum,
The electrolyte is a temperature measuring device containing NaCl. The method of claim 1,
The microcontroller is a temperature measuring device provided to receive power from the self-powered temperature sensor. The method of claim 1,
The microcontroller is a temperature measuring device provided to transmit the temperature history to the reader when the reader is tagged with respect to the electronic tag. The method of claim 1,
And an interface unit for boosting the voltage supplied to the electronic tag from the self-powered temperature sensor. In a temperature management system having a temperature measuring device attached to a measurement object and a reader receiving temperature information from the temperature measuring device,
The temperature measuring device
A self-powered temperature sensor that generates a different voltage according to temperature and includes a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte disposed between the cathode and the anode;
A microcontroller that calculates temperature information from the generated voltage every preset period;
Includes; an electronic tag for storing the calculated temperature information as a temperature history,
The reader is a temperature measuring system provided to receive the temperature history by the tag for the electronic tag. The method of claim 9,
The reader,
A temperature measurement system provided to calculate a quality state and a safety degree of the measurement object based on the temperature history. The method of claim 9,
An application that is stored in the reader and operates to receive the temperature history by the tag and display it on the display of the reader; Temperature measurement system comprising a.

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