KR102494759B1 - Grid type non-touch sensor and kiosk using thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a non-touch sensor and a kiosk using the same, and more particularly, to a lattice type non-touch sensor using a reflective optical sensor and a new kiosk that can be ordered in a non-touch method during an epidemic of an infectious disease such as corona using the same it's about
The non-touch sensor module according to the present invention
a touch screen;
An optical sensor unit composed of reflective optical sensors disposed below the touch screen in a lattice shape, the reflective optical sensors irradiating light to a sensing area spaced apart from the touch screen by a predetermined interval, and a finger positioned in the sensing area receiving the reflected light reflected on the light and outputting a light receiving signal;
and a control unit for determining the position of the finger by using the light receiving signal output from the reflective optical sensors.

Description

Non-touch kiosk including a grid type non-touch sensor {Grid type non-touch sensor and kiosk using its}

The present invention relates to a non-touch sensor and a kiosk using the same, and more particularly, to a lattice type non-touch sensor using a reflective optical sensor and a new kiosk that can be ordered in a non-touch method during an epidemic of an infectious disease such as corona using the same it's about

When an infectious disease is prevalent, it can spread through objects shared by many people. For example, when an infected person places an order through a kiosk equipped with a touch screen, the touch screen may be contaminated with pathogens, and an infectious disease may spread through the contaminated touch screen.

In order to solve this problem, Korean Patent No. 2372045 proposes a contactless air touch-based kiosk, comprising the steps of setting the inclination of a plurality of air sensors for detecting an air touch input; sensing the air touch input based on a sensing area formed based on infrared rays output from the set plurality of air sensors; determining validity of the sensed air touch input; If the air touch input is determined to be a valid input, converting the valid touch input, which is the air touch input determined to be valid, into a communication protocol signal of a kiosk control system; and transmitting the converted communication protocol signal to a computing device of the kiosk control system.

However, in this method, the air sensor (AS2) for determining the position before the finger click and the sensing area (SA2) form a horizontal plane on the kiosk screen, so that the sensing area is spaced apart from the touch screen by a predetermined distance, light emission And there is a problem in that the light receiving sensor needs to be protruded and installed so as to be spaced apart from the touch screen by a predetermined distance in a vertical direction.

In addition, when the sensing area SA2 is formed adjacent to the screen to avoid installation of the sensors excessively protruding from the touch screen in the vertical direction, the possibility of a finger touching the screen during use increases, and pendemic During epidemics of infectious diseases, users tend to be reluctant to bring their fingers close to the screen, making it difficult to expand the market.

In addition, since the sensing area forms a horizontal plane, there is a problem that it is difficult to detect the position if the finger is not accurately positioned on the sensing area forming the horizontal plane.

An object to be solved in the present invention is to provide a new non-touch sensor.

Another problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a new non-touch sensing method.

Another problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a kiosk having a novel non-touch sensor.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention

a touch screen;

An optical sensor unit composed of reflective optical sensors disposed below the touch screen in a lattice shape, the reflective optical sensors irradiating light to a sensing area spaced apart from the touch screen by a predetermined interval, and a finger positioned in the sensing area receiving the reflected light reflected on the light and outputting a light receiving signal;

Provides a non-touch sensor module including a control unit for determining the position of a finger by using light receiving signals output from reflective optical sensors.

In the present invention, the touch screen may be a translucent touch screen through which light output from a reflective optical sensor located on a lower surface and reflected light reflected by a finger pass through.

In the practice of the present invention, the touch screen may be a touch screen capable of filtering visible light capable of filtering external light including visible light introduced from the outside when the reflective optical sensor uses infrared light.

In the present invention, when a user touches a finger on the touch surface, it may be a normal touch screen configured to know the touched position of the finger through an interaction between the finger and the screen.

In the implementation of the present invention, the touch screen may be a resistive touch screen or a capacitive touch screen, and it is also possible to purchase and use it commercially. The touch screen may be a rectangular touch screen.

In the present invention, the reflective optical sensor includes a light emitting element that emits infrared rays to a sensing area in order to detect the motion of a user's finger that moves in a non-touch manner in front of the touch screen, and the reflected light that is reflected and incident on the user's finger. It may be a reflective optical sensor including a light receiving element for receiving light.

In the implementation of the present invention, the light emitting element and the light receiving element constituting the reflective optical sensor may be an integrated reflective optical sensor including a light emitting chip and a light receiving chip in one mold. In another embodiment of the present invention, the light emitting element and light receiving element constituting the reflective optical sensor may be independent reflective optical sensors each including a light emitting chip and a light receiving chip in two molds.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reflective optical sensor includes a substrate made of a printed circuit board or a lead frame, a light emitting chip and a light receiving chip mounted apart from each other on the upper surface of the substrate, and a light emitting chip on the upper surface of the substrate. and a resin mold surrounding the light-receiving chip, a lens formed on an upper surface of the mold, and a barrier rib for blocking light installed between the light-emitting chip and the light-receiving chip.

In the present invention, light emission and light reception of the light emitting element and the light receiving element can be controlled by a control unit, and preferably, whether or not the light emitting element emits light and the order of light emission can be controlled by the control unit, and the light receiving element is controlled by the control unit. Each output status and output intensity can be input as .

In the practice of the present invention, the light emitting device may be an infrared light emitting chip that emits infrared light by an applied current, for example, an infrared light emitting diode chip.

In the implementation of the present invention, the light-receiving element may be a light-receiving chip, for example, an infrared photodiode or a phototransistor, which outputs current according to the amount of light reflected from a user's finger and incident thereon.

In the present invention, a lower end of the sensing area may be separated from the touch screen by at least 10 cm or more to prevent an unintentional touch.

In the present invention, the upper end of the sensing area may be 50 cm or less so that the location of the finger and the touch operation can be sensed using the amount of reflected light.

In the present invention, the reflective optical sensors emit and receive light one by one or row by row by the control unit, transmit the light receiving signal output from each reflective optical sensor to the control unit, and the control unit uses the strength of the output light receiving signal. Thus, a unit cell where a finger is located can be determined, and finger positions in the unit cell can be sequentially determined.

Although not limited theoretically, the determination of the unit cell at which the finger is located is proportional to the intensity of the reflected light, so that the distance between the reflective optical sensor and the finger is proportional to the intensity of the reflected light, so that the four reflective optical sensors having high intensity of the reflected light are positioned where the finger is located. It is possible to determine the position of the finger in the unit cell by using the distance between the four reflective optical sensors constituting the unit cell and the finger, which constitutes the unit cell and where the finger is positioned.

In the present invention, the control unit can check the selection operation by using a signal in which the outputs of the four reflective optical sensors forming the unit cell where the fingers are positioned sharply increase and then decrease. Although not limited in theory, when a menu selection is made, the action of moving the finger in the direction of the touch screen and then moving it backward is instantaneously in order to select it, so the output increases in the unit grid where the finger is located when moving forward and the finger moves backward when moving forward. The output is reduced in the unit cell where it is located.

In one aspect, the present invention

a touch screen;

An optical sensor unit composed of reflective optical sensors disposed below the touch screen in a lattice shape, the reflective optical sensors irradiating light to a sensing area spaced apart from the touch screen by a predetermined interval, and a finger positioned in the sensing area receiving the reflected light reflected on the light and outputting a light receiving signal;

It is possible to provide a kiosk equipped with a non-touch sensor module including a control unit for determining the position of a finger by using light receiving signals output from reflective optical sensors.

In the present invention, the control unit may be a kiosk control unit that compares the determined position and motion of the finger with information displayed on the touch screen, checks touch screen operation information, and controls the kiosk device according to the checked operation information.

In the present invention, the control unit can simultaneously maintain the touch mode and the non-touch mode or select one of the two, and preferably can selectively operate the touch mode and the non-touch mode.

In the practice of the present invention, the selective operation of the touch mode may be performed in a manner of inactivating functions of the light emitting and light receiving elements in a general situation where quarantine is not required.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the selective operation of the non-touch mode can be operated only in the non-touch mode by inactivating the touch function in a situation requiring quarantine such as keeping a distance.

In the present invention, the kiosk control unit may inform the kiosk user when the kiosk operates in a non-touch mode. In the implementation of the present invention, the guidance may be performed in a manner of displaying text indicating that the kiosk is operated in a non-touch manner on the touch screen. In another implementation of the present invention, the guidance may be made by voice through a speaker built into the kiosk. The usage guide may include an appropriate distance between the touch screen and the finger.

In the practice of the present invention, the guidance may be performed optically, and preferably, when a finger is in an appropriate sensing area, it may be displayed using a lamp.

In the implementation of the present invention, the guidance may be performed by placing a finger on the touch screen when the hand is in an appropriate position.

In the present invention, the control unit may be controlled by a management server connected through a network, and the operation mode of a plurality of kiosks connected to the management server is switched to a touch type or a non-touch type by the management server. It can be.

In one aspect, the present invention

Installing an optical sensor unit composed of reflective optical sensors arranged in a lattice below the touch screen, wherein the reflective optical sensors irradiate light to a sensing area spaced apart from the touch screen by a predetermined interval, and the sensing area Receiving reflected light reflected by a finger located at , and outputting a light receiving signal;

Provides a non-touch sensing method comprising the steps of determining a unit cell enclosing the finger and determining a position of the finger in the unit cell enclosing the finger by using light receiving signals output from the reflective optical sensors. .

According to the present invention, a novel non-touch sensor module has been provided. In addition, according to the present invention, a new kiosk equipped with a new non-touch sensor module having an improved recognition distance is provided.

The kiosk according to the present invention is normally operated as a touch type, and can be operated as a non-touch type when necessary, so it has the advantage of being flexible in operation according to the quarantine situation. In addition, the non-touch kiosk according to the present invention is configured such that the sensing area is sufficiently spaced from the touch screen screen and can effectively inform the user of this, so that a user who wants to use the non-touch type touches the touch screen unintentionally. problems can be avoided.

In addition, the non-touch kiosk according to the present invention is connected to a server through a network and can be collectively converted into a non-touch type and a touch type by the server, so that it can be effectively used during quarantine.

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a non-touch sensor module according to the present invention.
2 is a diagram showing a lattice-shaped arrangement of reflective optical sensors in the optical sensor unit of the non-touch sensor module according to the present invention.
3 is a view showing a cross section of a reflective optical sensor used in a non-touch sensor module according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a view showing a cross section taken along the line segment of FIG. 1 .
5 is a diagram showing a process of inputting reflected light to a non-teachable sensor module according to the present invention.
6 is a view showing detailed operations of the non-touch sensor module according to the present invention.
7 is a circuit diagram showing circuits of sensors used in the practice of the present invention.
8 is a diagram illustrating a unit cell crystal in which a non-touch sensor module according to the present invention surrounds a finger.
FIG. 9 is a diagram explaining position determination of a finger within a unit cell in a non-touch sensor module according to the present invention.
10 is a view showing an embodiment of a kiosk to which a sensor module according to the present invention is coupled.
11 is a view showing a screen on which a kiosk coupled with a sensor module according to the present invention is operated in a non-touch manner.
FIG. 12 shows a range in which intensity of infrared light sources emitted from optical elements of a finger are input to a plurality of optical sensors is measured.
13 is a picture illustrating a reflection area of a light source according to a distance away from the light source.
14 is a diagram showing a state in which a kiosk coupled with a sensor module according to the present invention is managed by a remote server.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail through examples. The following examples are not intended to limit the present invention, but to illustrate the present invention.

As shown in Figure 1, the non-touch sensor module 10 according to the present invention includes a touch screen 100; an optical sensor unit 200 composed of reflective optical sensors 210 arranged in a lattice shape under the touch screen 100; It consists of a control unit 300 that determines the location of a finger by using light reception signals output from the reflective optical sensors 210 .

The touch screen 100 has a rectangular or square shape, has a predetermined thickness, and is a flat panel touch screen through which light from a reflective optical sensor located at the bottom can pass.

The touch screen 100 is configured so that when a user touches a finger, the touch position of the finger is known through interaction between the finger and the screen, and a touch screen to which a pressure-sensitive sensor (not shown) is attached is used.

As shown in FIG. 2 , in the optical sensor unit 200 located below the touch screen, the reflective optical sensors 210 are arranged at intersections where horizontal and vertical lines intersect to form a lattice structure. Horizontal lines and vertical lines form equal intervals, so that the lattice structure forms a lattice structure composed of square unit lattices U.

As shown in FIG. 3, the reflective optical sensor 210 constituting the optical sensor unit is an integrated reflective optical sensor in which a light emitting element and a light receiving element are integrally formed through a single mold, and a substrate 211 and the A light emitting chip 212 mounted on a substrate to emit infrared light, a light receiving chip 213 mounted side by side, a molding 214 surrounding the light emitting chip 212 and the light receiving chip 213, inclined light emission and It includes a lens 215 that refracts and/or condenses emitted light or received light for light reception.

The molding 214 of the reflective optical sensor 210 is made of black epoxy resin to block external light, and the light emitting chip 212 is made of a light emitting diode chip, and emits infrared light to be separated from normal visible light. An infrared light diode chip that emits light is used. The light receiving chip 213 uses a photodiode that outputs a minute current as an electrical signal when infrared light is incident thereon. The lens 215 may be formed in various shapes, for example, a hemispherical lens may be used, but is not limited thereto. In order to prevent direct cross talk between the light emitting chip 212 and the light receiving chip 213, a barrier rib 216 for blocking light is formed.

The light emitted from the light emitting chip 212 reaches the lens 215 while being diffused, is refracted on the surface of the lens, and is emitted while condensing with a beam angle in a predetermined range. The light reflected by the finger f is refracted on the lens surface and condensed.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the reflective optical sensors 210 are disposed under the touch screen 100 and pass through the touch screen 100 to emit light in a vertical direction. The reflective optical sensor 210 diffuses and emits radiation while having a predetermined beam angle. The beam angle range refers to a range in which light is reflected and re-introduced into the reflective optical sensor 210 when there is an object within the range. Each of the reflective optical sensors 210 is connected to a control unit, the control unit emits light in a predetermined light emission sequence, and an input reflected light signal is transmitted to the control unit 300 .

As shown in FIG. 5, when power is applied to the reflective optical sensors 210 in a predetermined order by the controller, if there is no finger in front, the emitted light passes through the sensing area and no reflected light is incident, and If there is a finger, reflected light reflected by the finger is introduced. The reflected light input to the reflective optical sensor 210 is input to the control unit 300 through a photo-current conversion process. The photodiode light receiving chip mounted on the reflective optical sensor 210 analogously outputs a minute current in proportion to the amount of received light. The output minute current is transmitted to the controller through conversion into a voltage signal, amplification of the converted signal, and conversion into a digital signal.

As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 300 includes an analog-to-digital conversion unit (AD CONVERT), a filter and amplification unit (OPAMP), and a multiplexing unit (MUX RX). It includes a multiplexing output unit (MUX TX), a central processing unit (MCU), a USB conversion unit, a buzzer, and a DC input unit.

The central processing unit (MCU) of the control unit 300 receives a synchronization signal from the reference generator and sequentially turns on the IR LEDs by the multiplexing transmission control circuit (MUX TX) in the optical sensor unit 200.

The optical sensor unit 200 receives the IR signal reflected from the finger through the receiving PHOTO TR ARRAY and receives it one by one through the MUX RX signal. In the IR (Infra Red) light signal, the light source reflected from the reflected infrared light is received by the Photo Tr, and through this, the Photo Tr operates, and the degree of lowering of the voltage between the collector and the emitter varies according to the intensity of the received light source. Received data is transferred to an AD conversion circuit (ADC) through a switcher. An AD converter (ADC) converts the received analog signal into a digital signal. The reflected light data received from the AD converter is arranged in a data frame and transmitted to the PC through USB.

The sequential lighting of the IR LEDs by the controller 300 is implemented through a sensor circuit as shown in FIG. 7 . It consists of an infrared array emitter and a photosensor array for inputting reflected light by an object, and a number of sensors are connected in parallel. A pull-up resistor is connected to the signal line connected in parallel, and the sensor of the mantissa is arranged in the form of M x N, and the emitter connected in parallel changes to LOW according to the time difference, operating the sensor sequentially and corresponding to the control signal accordingly Only the sensors that do so operate sequentially.

As shown in FIG. 8 , in order to check the position of the finger f, a plurality of reflective optical sensors 210 arranged in a lattice structure are emitted through the controller 300 row by row starting from the first row. . Accordingly, there is no signal in the first row and the second row, the signal is detected in the third row and the fourth row adjacent to the finger f, and the signal is not detected again in the fifth to ninth rows. Further, in the third and fourth rows, signals are generated only in the sixth and seventh columns.

Accordingly, the control unit 300 can confirm that the finger is located in the unit matrix composed of the optical devices 210 in the third and fourth rows and the sixth and seventh columns.

As shown in FIG. 9, a finger exists on top of a unit composed of 36, 37, 46, and 47 optical elements. Since the intensity of the light input to the optical elements constituting the unit varies depending on the relative position with the finger, the difference in receiving intensity input to the optical element constituting the unit is compared to quantify the degree of closeness, and the signal is based on this value. By calculating the intensity difference of ?O, a detailed position is obtained. The calculation method calculates the ratio by calculating the intensity difference between the upper and lower sensors, and then calculates the signal intensity of the left and right sensors to find the touch point. For example, if there are signal intensities from 0 to 100, when X1 is 30 and X2 is 70, the difference between the two signals is X = X2 - X1, and the calculated value is 40. Therefore, the intensity of the nearest touch point is 70 (distance measurement) and

If you calculate about Xp (touch point) = ((100 - 40) / 100 ) * 100 in a state slightly spaced to the right, about 60% can be extracted to a position spaced to the right. A more accurate calculation can be extracted according to a formula established according to the relationship between intensity and distance.

In addition, when clicking or selecting, the position of the finger momentarily goes down in the direction of the touch screen and then goes up again, so that the amount of light received incident on the 36, 37, 46, 47 optical elements 210 constituting the unit increases instantaneously. Since is changed in a decreasing manner, it is determined that a click or selection operation has been made by confirming this change. Accordingly, the position and motion of the finger are determined.

10 to 11, the kiosk 1000 to which the non-touch sensor module 10 according to the present invention is applied has a size of about 10 to 30 inches, and the touch screen 100 forming a rectangular shape is a kiosk It is formed on the top of the front of the body portion 1200 of (1000).

As shown in FIG. 12, the finger shows a range in which intensity of an infrared light source emitted from an optical device is input to a plurality of optical sensors. 13 is a picture illustrating a reflection area of a light source according to a distance away from the light source. The size of the light source reflected from the finger changes due to the diffusion phenomenon of the light source reflected by the distance from the light source. Accordingly, as the distance of the finger from the light source increases, the intensity of the reflected light source becomes weaker and the reflected area becomes wider. Accordingly, it is possible to check the separation distance between the finger and the touch screen and the finger and the selection operation through the range where the reflected light is input.

The touch screen 100 is a pressure-sensitive touch screen that detects the touch position of the screen by using the pressure applied by the finger to the surface of the screen when the user touches the screen, or an electrical change applied by the finger to the surface of the screen. It uses a capacitive touch screen that identifies the touched location.

A plurality of menu bars 1100 are formed on the background screen of the touch screen 100 . The menu bars 1100 are formed in a rectangular shape and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. In the area inside the menu bar 1100, operation functions by touch and non-touch are activated, and in the area outside the menu bar, operation functions by touch and non-touch are inactivated. The menu bar 1100 is formed differently for each screen.

The control unit 300 includes a non-touch signal input unit 310 that recognizes the position and operation of a finger using a signal input from the optical sensor unit 200, and a touch signal input unit that receives a signal input by a touch on the screen. 320, the non-touch signal input unit 310 and/or the execution unit 330 that controls the operation of the kiosk using signals input from the touch signal input unit 320, and the execution unit 330 It includes an input signal selector 340 that selects an input signal.

In the input signal selection unit 340, the manager selects a signal input to the execution unit 330 from a touch signal, a non-touch signal, or a combination of a touch signal and a non-touch signal.

In a general situation, for example, when there is no separate quarantine guideline such as keeping a distance, the manager sets the signal input from the input signal selection unit 340 to the execution unit 330 as a touch signal, and when executed, the touch signal The signal input from the input unit 320 is used.

In a situation where quarantine is strengthened, for example, when strong quarantine guidelines such as keeping distance are being implemented, the manager sets the signal input from the input signal selection unit 340 to the execution unit 330 as a non-touch signal, When executed, the signal input from the non-touch signal input unit 310 is used.

When the degree of quarantine reinforcement is low, for example, when distance is recommended, the manager sets the signal input from the input signal selection unit 340 to the execution unit 330 as a non-touch signal and a touch signal, and executes the It is adjusted so that a signal input by a visual touch and a signal input by a non-touch are simultaneously possible.

When a non-touch signal is selected in the input signal selector 340, the execution unit 330 displays a guide screen including a comment notifying that the touch screen 100 is in a non-touch input state and a comment informing how to use the touch screen 100. to provide. If you touch the touch screen at a distance of 10 to 20 cm from the touch screen according to the guidance, it will be converted to the start screen. The user manipulates the start screen by moving his/her hand at a predetermined distance from the touch screen in a way of starting and converting the guidance screen.

In addition, when a signal input from the input signal selector 340 to the execution unit 330 is set as a non-touch signal, power is supplied to the first reflective optical sensor 100 and the second reflective optical sensor 200. The height and position of the finger are checked using signals input from the first reflective optical sensor 100 and the second reflective optical sensor 200 .

In addition, when the finger is in the normal range, that is, when the finger is spaced apart from the touch screen by a prescribed distance, the finger is displayed on the touch screen screen, and the finger is not spaced apart from the touch screen by a prescribed distance. If, for example, they are too close or too far apart, do not display the finger on the screen, or display a finger with a different shape, for example, dotted line, color, fill, etc., from the finger in the normal range. Thus, the user can check whether the hand is spaced at an appropriate distance from the touch screen by himself.

When the user moves his hand and selects the menu bar formed on the touch screen, the kiosk completes the order while moving to the next screen.

As shown in FIG. 14, when a plurality of kiosks are installed in stores at different locations and the kiosks are connected to one central management server, the management server controls the signal input method remotely. The management server 500 uniformly changes the kiosk input method according to the government's quarantine guidelines, and adjusts the kiosk to operate in a touch-type or non-touch type.

100: touch screen
200: optical sensor unit
300: control unit
500: server
1000: Kiosk

Claims (6)

a transmissive touch screen;
An optical sensor unit composed of reflective optical sensors arranged in a lattice form to have a unit lattice surrounding a finger under the touch screen, wherein the reflective optical sensors penetrate the touch screen and are separated from the touch screen at a predetermined interval. radiating light to a spaced sensing area, receiving reflected light reflected from a finger positioned in the sensing area, and outputting a light receiving signal;
The unit lattice surrounding the finger is determined in the sensing area using the light receiving signal output from the reflective optical sensors, and the position of the finger within the unit lattice is determined using the strength of the signal output from the optical elements constituting the unit lattice. Including a non-touch sensor module including a; control unit for determining,
The kiosk, characterized in that the control unit compares the determined position and movement of the finger with information displayed on the touch screen, checks touch screen operation information, and operates the device according to the identified operation information. According to claim 1,
The kiosk, characterized in that the control unit displays text to guide the kiosk user that the kiosk is operated in a non-touch mode on the touch screen. According to claim 1,
The kiosk, characterized in that the control unit informs the kiosk user that the kiosk is operated in a non-touch mode on the touch screen by voice through a speaker. According to claim 1,
The control unit guides the kiosk user on how to use the kiosk. According to claim 1,
The kiosk, characterized in that the control unit displays the finger on the touch screen when the finger is in the sensing area. According to claim 1,
The kiosk, characterized in that the control unit determines whether there is a finger in the detection range by sequentially irradiating the first reflective optical sensor and the second reflective optical sensor disposed on the polygonal inclined surface according to an angle.

Images