KR102572885B1 - Apparatus for predicting use-by date of product through measurement of chromaticity change of discoloration material and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for predicting the expiration date of a product by measuring the color change of a discoloration material. According to the present invention, in the apparatus for predicting the expiration date of a product through the measurement of the chromaticity conversion of a discoloring material, a product identification tag including a color-changing label composed of a plurality of discoloration areas and a plurality of non-discoloration areas and a QR code of the product is photographed. An input unit for receiving an image, a code analysis unit for determining the storage elapsed time of the product from the packaging point of the product recognized by the QR code, and a first chromaticity from the RGB values of the discoloration area and the non-discoloration area in the discoloration label, respectively. From the label analysis unit obtaining a chromaticity index pair by calculating the index and the second chromaticity index, and the chromaticity index aspect data according to the storage temperature previously established for each elapsed storage time, the currently identified storage elapsed time and chromaticity index pair of the product A temperature extraction unit extracts a matching storage temperature value, and an expiration date determining unit determines an expiration date of the product based on the extracted storage temperature value.
According to the present invention, it is possible to predict the expiration date of the product by measuring the color change of the discoloration label included in the product identification tag using the user terminal to estimate the storage temperature value of the product, and to determine the freshness of the product therefrom.

Description

Apparatus for predicting use-by date of product through measurement of chromaticity change of discoloration material and method thereof}

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for predicting the expiration date of a product by measuring the color change of a color-changing material, and more particularly, to a product consumption by measuring the color change of a color-change label included in a product identification tag using a user terminal. It relates to a device for predicting the expiration date of a product capable of predicting the expiration date and a method therefor.

Among the products distributed in modern society, food, represented by fresh food and frozen/refrigerated food, is one of the most consumed items in real life, and one of the most frequently purchased items in each household due to its difficult long-term storage characteristics. belong to one

However, since freshness of these foods is greatly affected by external factors such as temperature, even high-quality products may suffer losses such as deterioration, spoilage, and loss during distribution and storage.

In consideration of this point, a method of managing the temperature of food by measuring the temperature inside a freezing/refrigerating vehicle has been proposed. However, since this only measures the temperature inside the vehicle, the effect of the temperature experienced during loading or unloading of food cannot be reflected, and it is not possible to check if the food is exposed to an environment that is not the proper temperature due to a mistake or internal error by the delivery person. there is

In addition, the current expiration date is pointed out as a major cause of food waste, such as being discarded just because the expiration date has passed even though it is a well-preserved product. However, since the expiration date may also vary depending on the storage temperature, etc., it is necessary to provide an expiration date based on the storage temperature in advance.

The background technology of the present invention is disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0873579 (published on December 12, 2008).

The present invention estimates the average storage temperature of a product by measuring the chromaticity change of a discoloration label included in a product identification tag using a user terminal, and measures the chromaticity change of a discoloring material that can predict the expiration date of the product from this. An object of the present invention is to provide a device for predicting expiration date and a method therefor.

In the present invention, in the apparatus for predicting product consumption by measuring the chromaticity conversion of a color-changing material, an image of a product identification tag including a color-changing label composed of a plurality of color-changing areas and a plurality of non-color-changing areas and a QR code of the product is photographed. An input unit for receiving , a code analysis unit for determining the storage elapsed time of the product from the packaging time of the product recognized by the QR code, and a first chromaticity index from the RGB values of the discolored area and the non-discolored area in the discoloration label, respectively. and a label analysis unit that obtains a chromaticity index pair by calculating a second chromaticity index, and matching the currently identified storage elapsed time and chromaticity index pair of the product from the previously established chromaticity index aspect data according to the storage temperature for each elapsed storage time. It includes a temperature extracting unit for extracting a storage temperature value to be stored, and an expiration date determining unit for determining an expiration date of the product based on the extracted storage temperature value.

In addition, the input unit receives a set of images in which the discoloration label and the product identification tag including the QR code are photographed in flash on and off states, respectively, and the label analysis unit uses the set of images The first chromaticity index and the second chromaticity index may be calculated from the discolored area and the non-discolored area.

In addition, the label analysis unit may use the first chromaticity index representing the plurality of discoloration areas and the plurality of color discoloration areas by using a deviation between RGB values obtained in the flash on and off states for each of the discoloration area and the non-discoloration area. The second chromaticity index representing the non-discoloration area may be respectively calculated.

In addition, the label analysis unit applies CIE chromaticity conversion after substituting the R, G, and B values of the corresponding region for each region constituting the discoloration label with a deviation value between R, G, and B values according to flash on and off. Thus, the (x,y) coordinate values on the CIE chromaticity diagram for each region are converted, and the chromaticity index pair can be obtained using the converted (x,y) coordinate values for each region.

In addition, the label analysis unit obtains the first chromaticity index by calculating an average distance from the origin of the CIE chromaticity coordinate system to the (x,y) coordinates of the plurality of discoloration areas, and obtains the plurality of chromaticity indexes from the origin of the CIE chromaticity coordinate system. The second chromaticity index may be obtained by calculating an average distance to (x,y) coordinates of the non-discoloration area.

In addition, in the chromaticity index aspect data, a trend line for the coordinates of the chromaticity index pair, which exist differently for each storage temperature on a two-dimensional spatial coordinate system composed of axes of the first and second chromaticity indices, may be mapped in the form of a contour line. there is.

In addition, the color-changing label has a form in which the plurality of color-changing areas and the plurality of non-color-changing areas are combined in a matrix form, and the color-changing areas and the non-color-changing areas may initially be embodied in the same color.

In addition, the discoloration area may be formed of a material whose color irreversibly changes with time and temperature.

In addition, the consumption-by-date determining unit may determine a freshness index of the product using the extracted storage temperature value and predict the consumption-by-date of the product using the freshness index and the remaining shelf life of the product.

In addition, the present invention, in the consumption period prediction method using a product consumption period prediction device through measurement of chromaticity conversion of a color-changing material, includes a color-changing label composed of a plurality of discolored areas and a plurality of non-color-changing areas and a QR code of the product Receiving an image of a photographed product identification tag, figuring out the storage elapsed time of the product from the point of packaging of the product recognized in the QR code, and RGB values of the discolored area and non-discolored area in the discoloration label Obtaining a pair of chromaticity indexes by calculating a first chromaticity index and a second chromaticity index, respectively, from the elapsed storage time and chromaticity of the product currently identified from the previously established chromaticity index aspect data according to the storage temperature for each elapsed storage time Extracting a storage temperature value matching the index pair, and providing the extracted storage temperature value as an average storage temperature value for the product.

According to the present invention, it is possible to predict the expiration date of the product by measuring the color change of the discoloration label included in the product identification tag using the user terminal to estimate the storage temperature value of the product, and to determine the freshness of the product therefrom.

In the case of the present invention, measurement errors due to differences in ambient light and terminal models can be minimized by analyzing the change in chromaticity of the discoloration label in the product identification tag using two images taken with the flash on and off. It can provide estimation performance that is robust to changes.

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a product consumption period prediction system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram explaining the configuration of a discoloration label according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the device for predicting product consumption period shown in FIG. 1 .
FIG. 4 is a diagram explaining a product consumption period prediction method using the apparatus of FIG. 3 .
5 is a diagram illustrating a difference in chromaticity due to ambient light or a difference in terminal model.
6 is a diagram showing the trend of color change of a discoloration label according to time and temperature by way of example.
Fig. 7 is a diagram explaining the principle of constructing chromaticity index aspect data.
8 and 9 are diagrams illustrating an example of color change measurement using a smartphone according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Then, with reference to the accompanying drawings, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily practice it. However, the present invention may be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. And in order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and similar reference numerals are attached to similar parts throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly connected" but also the case where it is "electrically connected" with another element interposed therebetween. . In addition, when a certain component is said to "include", this means that it may further include other components without excluding other components unless otherwise stated.

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a user terminal-based product consumption period prediction system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the product expiration date prediction system includes a product identification tag 10 , a user terminal 200 , and a product expiration date prediction device 100 .

The product consumption period prediction device 100 is connected to at least one user terminal 200 through a wired network, a wireless network, or a wired and wireless network, respectively, to communicate with each other and transmit and receive data. The present invention primarily exemplifies wireless networks.

The product consumption period prediction device 100 estimates the average storage temperature of the product based on image analysis in response to the photographing of the product identification tag 10 for each user terminal 200 connected to the network, and uses this to estimate the freshness of the product. It identifies and provides the product's expiration date as a predicted value.

The product consumption period prediction device 100 may correspond to a server (platform server) itself that provides the result of analyzing the identification tag of the product to the user terminal 200, but is driven on the user terminal 200 to provide related services. It may have the form of an application program such as an application that provides

The product consumption period prediction device 100 is a user terminal 200 connected to a network through a service platform implemented as a mobile application or web, in which registration and inquiry of various information from users, membership registration, etc. are performed. can be provided to

The user terminal 200 may correspond to a smart device having a built-in camera, and may access a wired or wireless network such as a smart phone, a tablet, or a notebook to exchange information. device may be included. The following embodiments of the present invention primarily illustrate mobile app-based platforms and wireless networks.

Of course, the user terminal 200 may further include a PC, a desktop, and the like, and in this case, it may be connected to and driven by a separate camera unit. The embodiments of the present invention below take a system based on a smart phone running in a mobile environment as a representative example.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the user terminal 200 is connected to a server through a mobile app installed in the terminal, can transmit, receive, and display various data, and can receive online platform services on the app.

Here, the user terminal 200 photographs the identification tag attached to the product and provides the photographed image to the product consumption period prediction device 100 . At this time, the user terminal 200 photographs the identification tag 10 attached to the product in a state in which the photographing function of the dedicated mobile app providing the corresponding service is executed, and transmits the photographed image to the product expiration date prediction device 100. do.

In this case, the mobile app may automatically and continuously capture images in a flash on and off state at set intervals (eg, 1 second) when the photographing button is selected. Through this, it is possible to minimize measurement deviations and errors due to changes in the shooting environment including ambient light and interfering light, and differences in terminal models.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the product identification tag 10 is divided into an area where a discoloration label exists and an area where a QR code exists.

First of all, the color-changing label has a combination of a plurality of blocks, some of which are color-changing areas and others correspond to non-color-changing areas (fixed color areas). At this time, the discoloration area may be formed of a material whose color irreversibly changes with time and temperature.

2 is a diagram explaining the configuration of a discoloration label according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the color-changing label may have a form in which a plurality of color-changing areas and a plurality of non-color-changing areas (fixed color areas) are combined and arranged in a matrix form.

The discoloration label shown in FIG. 2 is composed of 9 engraving areas of 3 columns and 3 rows. At this time, the plurality of color-changing areas and the plurality of non-color-changing areas (fixed color areas) are not necessarily arranged in the form of FIG. 2 and may be arranged in more diverse combinations. In addition, non-color-changing areas may be allocated in greater numbers than discoloration areas among the entire area, and the number and arrangement of each area may be more diversely modified.

In addition, the discoloration area and the non-discoloration area are not necessarily limited to the above-described shapes, but may also have various shapes or patterns, such as a circle or a triangle.

The discoloration area and the non-discoloration area may initially be implemented with the same color, and only a portion of the discoloration area changes in chromaticity depending on the influence of time and temperature. Although the embodiment of the present invention exemplifies blue as the initial color, it is not necessarily limited thereto.

In addition, the discoloration area and the non-discoloration area may initially be embodied in specific colors different from each other, and even in this case, only a portion of the discoloration area changes in chromaticity under the influence of time and temperature.

The color change of the discolored area is affected by temperature as well as time. The discoloration area may initially have the same first color as the non-discoloration area or may have a specific color different from that of the non-discoloration area, and may be made of a material including a polymer material or a chemical substance whose color changes with time and temperature. The discolored area may be formed on paper or film paper by printing, coating, coating, or the like.

The non-discoloration area may be formed by printing, coating, coating, or the like on a corresponding paper or film paper using a dye or ink having a first color. The non-discoloring area may be coated with a separate protective film. Of course, the entirety of the identification tag may be coated with a protective film.

The QR code present in the identification tag records various information about the product. For example, a QR code may contain information about product name, manufacturer, lot number, manufacturing date, packaging time, expiration date, and the like.

In an embodiment of the present invention, when the product consumption period prediction device 100 receives an image of the product identification tag 10 from the user terminal 200, it analyzes the QR code and the discolored label present in the tag, respectively, to identify the corresponding product. The storage temperature value for the product is estimated and using it, the consumption period of the product is provided as a prediction result. In the embodiment of the present invention, the estimated storage temperature value of the product is assumed to be the average storage temperature value of the product, and the freshness index of the product is determined therefrom to determine the expiration date of the product.

The product consumption period prediction device 100 predicts the product consumption period by inferring the freshness of the product based on the estimated value of the average storage temperature of the product.

Therefore, the product consumption period prediction device 100 uses the average storage temperature value of the product estimated from the analysis result of the product identification tag 10 as well as the freshness state of the product determined from the average storage temperature to predict consumption of the product. provide an additional period.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the device for predicting product consumption date shown in FIG. 1 , and FIG. 4 is a diagram explaining a method for predicting product consumption date using the device shown in FIG. 3 .

3 and 4, the product consumption period prediction device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an input unit 110, a code analysis unit 120, a label analysis unit 130, and a temperature extraction unit 140. , and includes an expiration date determination unit 150. Here, the operation of each unit 110 to 150 and data flow between each unit may be controlled by a controller (not shown).

First, the input unit 110 receives an image obtained by photographing the product identification tag 10 including the product identification tag 10 and a discoloration label composed of a plurality of discoloration areas and a plurality of surrounding non-discoloration areas (S410).

Here, the input unit 110 receives a set of images in which a product identification tag including a discoloration label and a QR code is photographed in flash on and off states, respectively. For example, when a photographing button is selected on a mobile app driving screen executed in the user terminal 200, an image in a flash-off state and an image in a flash-on state may be continuously photographed.

5 is a diagram illustrating a difference in chromaticity due to ambient light or a difference in terminal model.

As shown in FIG. 5, since the camera mounted on the smartphone does not automatically adjust the change in ambient light unlike human vision, the same object photographed by the same phone can be viewed according to the change in ambient light, that is, the ambient lighting conditions. Different chromaticity values may appear for In addition, there is also a difference in chromaticity (device independence) between smartphones, and due to differences in related devices such as cameras for different smartphones, differences in chromaticity values may occur even in images taken for the same object under the same environmental conditions.

The embodiment of the present invention analyzes the chromaticity by utilizing both the image taken in the flash on state and the image taken in the off state, thereby minimizing the difference in chromaticity due to the ambient light and the difference in terminal model, as well as the terminal model and the surrounding It enables to secure estimation performance that is robust to environmental changes.

The input unit 110 provides the image input from the user terminal 200 to the code analysis unit 120 and the label analysis unit 130 .

The code analysis unit 120 determines the storage elapsed time of the product from the packaging time of the product recognized by the QR code (S420). Then, the identified product storage elapsed time is transferred to the temperature extraction unit 140 .

The code analysis unit 120 recognizes the QR code in the product identification tag to check the packaging time of the product, and obtains the storage elapsed time of the product by using the time difference from the packaging time to the current point in time, that is, to the time of shooting. . Product packaging time may encompass the concept of shipping time as well as simple packaging time.

In addition, the storage elapsed time of the product may correspond to the elapsed time from the time the product is packed (shipped) to the time when the product identification tag is photographed by the user in the case of a product displayed in a store, and in the case of a delivery product, it may correspond to the elapsed time It may correspond to an elapsed time from when the identification tag of the product received by the user is photographed in a state in which delivery is completed after packaging.

The label analyzer 130 obtains a pair of chromaticity indexes by calculating a first chromaticity index and a second chromaticity index, respectively, from the RGB values of the discolored and non-discolored areas in the discolored label (S430).

The label analyzer 130 analyzes the chromaticity values of each matrix region constituting the discoloration label in the product identification tag, and obtains two chromaticity indices therefrom. Here, a first chromaticity index is obtained from a plurality of discoloration areas, and a second chromaticity index is obtained from a plurality of surrounding non-discoloration areas.

Hereinafter, for convenience of description, a color-changing tag having a 9-puzzle structure in which three color-changing areas and six non-color-changing areas are combined as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is illustrated.

Here, the label analyzer 130 calculates a first chromaticity index and a second chromaticity index from a color-changing area and a non-color-changing area using a set of images captured in flash on and off states.

At this time, the label analyzer 130 calculates a first chromaticity index representing a plurality of discoloration areas using a deviation between RGB values obtained in the flash on and off states for each of the discoloration area and the non-discoloration area, and Calculate the second chromaticity index representing the non-discoloration area of .

Specifically, the label analysis unit 130 substitutes the R, G, and B values of the corresponding region for each of the nine regions constituting the discoloration label with the deviation values between the R, G, and B values according to flash on and off, By applying the CIE chromaticity conversion, the (x,y) coordinate values on the CIE chromaticity diagram for each region are converted.

Thereafter, the label analyzer 130 obtains a chromaticity index pair consisting of the first and second chromaticity indexes using the (x,y) coordinate values converted for each region.

The process of converting RGB values into chromaticity values (RGB -> XYZ) may use Equations 1 to 3 below.

Here, the matrix M multiplied by the values of R, G, and B has a size of 3 × 3 and corresponds to a formally preset value.

By substituting the X, Y, and Z values obtained in Equation 1 into Equation 2, the x and y values on the CIE chromaticity coordinate system can be obtained.

That is, the R, G, and B values of a specific region may be converted into x, y values on the CIE chromaticity coordinate space (CIE xy chromaticity diagram) through the process of Equations 1 and 2.

This formula itself corresponds to a previously known one. However, in the case of the embodiment of the present invention, the R, G, and B values obtained from one image are not applied to Equation 1 as they are, but the R, G, and B values from two images obtained in the flash on and off states Deviation values are applied to R, G, and B in Equation 1 and used.

For one discoloration area out of nine areas, for example, the R, G, and B values of the discoloration area are obtained in the flash on and off states, respectively, and then each value in the off state is subtracted from each value in the on state. By substituting the result into the R, G, and B places of Equation 1, the X, Y, and Z values of the discolored area are obtained.

In other words, 'R value in flash on state - R value in flash off state' for the discoloration area is calculated and substituted into R in Equation 1, and 'G value in flash on state - G value in flash off state' is calculated. It is substituted into the G value of Equation 1, and 'the G value of the flash on state minus the G value of the flash off state' is substituted into the G value of Equation 1.

Similarly, x and y values are obtained for all remaining discolored and non-discolored areas, respectively, through the above-described method. Therefore, x and y values are obtained for each of the nine regions.

The horizontal axis of the CIE chromaticity coordinate system is configured with x as a variable and the vertical axis with y as a variable (see FIG. 7). Accordingly, the converted x,y values for each of the nine regions may be mapped to coordinate values (x,y) located on the CIE chromaticity coordinate system.

Based on this, the label analyzer 130 obtains a chromaticity index pair based on the distance from the origin (0,0) on the CIE chromaticity coordinate system to the (x,y) coordinates obtained for each area. Each chromaticity index may be expressed as a chromaticity distance.

Specifically, the label analyzer 130 obtains the first chromaticity index T by calculating the average of the distances from the origin of the CIE chromaticity coordinate system to the (x,y) coordinates of the three discoloration areas through Equation 3 below. do.

Here, M is the total number of discolored regions, and M=3. In Equation 3, x _i and y _i are x and y values of the discolored area.

In Equation 3, i is an index of 3 discolored areas among 9 discolored areas in the discoloration label, and becomes i={3,4,9}. Using Equation 3, an average chromaticity distance (first chromaticity index; Txy) obtained by averaging chromaticity distances of three discoloration areas is obtained.

It is assumed that indexes are assigned from 1 to 9 sequentially from the upper left to the lower right of all nine areas.

Then, the label analyzer 130 obtains the second chromaticity index (Sxy) by calculating the average distance from the origin of the CIE chromaticity coordinate system to the (x,y) coordinates of the eight non-discolored regions through Equation 4 below. .

Here, N is the total number of non-discoloration regions, and N=6. In Equation 4, j is an index assigned to 6 non-color-changing regions among 9 regions in the discoloration label, and j={1,2,5,6,7,8}.

Using Equation 4, an average chromaticity distance (second chromaticity index Sxy) obtained by averaging all chromaticity distances of six non-discolored areas is obtained.

In the case of this embodiment of the present invention, continuous measurement is performed with no-flash and flash to reflect the influence of ambient light. In addition, in order to reflect the independence of the device, chromaticity distance measurement (Sxy) is performed on 6 pieces of fixed color among 9 pieces, and at the same time, chromaticity distance measurement (Txy) is performed on 3 discolored parts. And, using the relationship between (Sxy) and (Txy), it is possible to measure chromaticity reflecting the influence of ambient light and the difference between smartphones. That is, the second chromaticity index (S) and (Sxy) indicate the degree of influence of ambient light, and have a high value when the illumination is bright and a low value when the illumination is low, and have values within a certain range according to the characteristics of the smartphone . The first chromaticity index (T) and (Txy) also represent the chromaticity of the discoloration material in a range of constant values reflecting the characteristics of the smartphone. For example, in the temperature 5 degree line of the right picture of FIG. ~0.262 (Txy) 0.335 ~ 0.342, B smart phone (Sxy) 0.287 ~ 0.31, (Txy) 0.357 ~ 0.362, etc., reflecting the characteristics of different smartphones and the influence of ambient light. These values may be changed according to the discoloration material used and the experimental method, and the color change may be calculated by comparing each value.

The label analyzer 130 calculates the first chromaticity index T and the second chromaticity index S in this way to obtain a chromaticity index pair composed of S and T. The label analyzer 130 transfers the acquired chromaticity index pair to the temperature extractor 140 .

Then, the temperature extractor 140 extracts a storage temperature value that matches the current storage elapsed time and chromaticity index pair of the product from the chromaticity index aspect data according to the pre-established storage temperature for each elapsed storage time (S440). ). The extracted storage temperature value is transmitted to the consumption period determining unit 150 .

6 is a diagram showing the trend of color change of a discoloration label according to time and temperature by way of example.

In FIG. 6 , the upper left corner is the initial state at the time of product packaging (day 0), and the temperature at this time is 5° C., and it can be seen that all nine areas maintain their initial colors. Here, it can be seen that the discoloration area in the center progresses gradually in chromaticity change according to the storage time and temperature, unlike the surrounding fixed color area. In addition, it can be seen that the change from the initial state increases as the storage time increases and the storage temperature increases.

Based on this point, the embodiment of the present invention builds the chromaticity index aspect data according to the storage temperature in advance for each elapsed storage time, and uses this to predict the product from the chromaticity index pair analyzed from the current product identification tag and the elapsed storage time extract the storage temperature value.

Chromaticity index aspect data may be pre-established for each storage elapsed time and stored and managed in a storage unit (not shown). In an embodiment of the present invention, the chromaticity index aspect data is configured by mapping a trend line for coordinates of chromaticity index pairs that exist differently for each storage temperature on a two-dimensional spatial coordinate system composed of axes of first and second chromaticity indexes in a contour form. can

Fig. 7 is a diagram explaining the principle of constructing chromaticity index aspect data.

The left figure of FIG. 7 shows the CIE chromaticity coordinate system, and the middle figure of FIG. 7 illustrates chromaticity index aspect data constructed for an arbitrary storage elapsed time (1 day). The vertical axis of the graph is the axis related to the first chromaticity index (T), and the vertical axis is the axis related to the second chromaticity index (S).

The middle figure in FIG. 7 is experimental data (sample data) of chromaticity index pairs obtained from discoloration label samples made at various storage temperatures for 1 day, and the coordinates of chromaticity index pairs obtained for each discoloration label sample at each temperature (S, T) is mapped on a two-dimensional spatial coordinate system, and the data of the same storage temperature are connected.

Regression analysis of the sample data for each temperature can correct the data in the form of a smooth contour line as shown in the right figure of FIG. 7 . An embodiment of the present invention stores and manages chromaticity index aspect data in the form shown on the right of FIG. 7 .

Regression analysis can be used for trend line analysis of samples from a plurality of samples. An embodiment of the present invention A regression analysis formula such as Of course, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and various known formulas may be utilized.

In addition, in the case of the right figure of FIG. 7, data trends are shown at 5 ° C intervals, but this is only one example, and data are obtained at tighter temperature intervals than FIG. 7 using various estimation methods such as data interpolation, can be utilized

7 corresponds to chromaticity index aspect data established for 1 day, but chromaticity index aspect data such as the right picture of FIG. 7 can be obtained for other elapsed storage times. That is, using the same method as described above, 2day, 3day, ... Chromaticity index aspect data can be constructed for each time period from sample data for each storage elapsed time such as , 30 days, etc.

The temperature extractor 140 searches for chromaticity index aspect data corresponding to the currently identified storage elapsed time of the product among previously established chromaticity index aspect data for each storage elapsed time, and currently analyzes the chromaticity index aspect data within the searched data. A storage temperature value matching the coordinates of a pair of chromaticity indexes can be extracted.

If, as in the coordinates of point P in FIG. 7, if the coordinates of the value of the chromaticity index pair calculated in step S430 are (S, T) = (0.283, 0.362), the storage temperature value of the product can be estimated as 6 ° C. can

Thereafter, the expiration date determination unit 150 determines the expiration date of the product based on the extracted storage temperature value (S450).

Here, the expiration date determination unit 150 may assume the extracted storage temperature value as the average storage temperature of the product. In addition, the freshness index of the product may be determined using the storage temperature value extracted in this way, and the expiration date of the product may be predicted using the freshness index and the remaining shelf life of the product.

At this time, the remaining expiration date of the product can be easily confirmed through the current point in time and the expiration date of the product recognized from the QR code of the product.

For example, the consumption-by-date determining unit 150 may determine a freshness index matching the storage temperature value extracted in step S440 by referring to a freshness information table defining a freshness index for each average storage temperature of the product. Here, the freshness index may have a % unit or the like, and may have 100% as a maximum value.

Then, the consumption period determination unit 150 may determine the consumption period of the product by reflecting the adjustment index corresponding to the identified freshness index to the remaining shelf life. For example, if the remaining shelf life of a product is determined to be 10 days and the freshness index of the product is determined to be 50%, the remaining shelf life may be adjusted to 5 days by subtracting 50% from 10 days. Through this, the user can grasp the expiration date of the product and can be induced to consume the product without depending on the expiration date written on the product.

Here, the product consumption period prediction device 100 may further include an output unit (not shown) that provides the extracted storage temperature value and the predicted product consumption period to the user terminal 200 . Of course, the output unit may provide the average storage temperature value and expiration date of the product in conjunction with the product information obtained through the QR code.

Of course, the output unit may output the above-described series of processes and finally derived result values to the screen of the user terminal 200 in real time, and may process and provide related data in the form of at least one of images, tables, and texts. there is.

As such, the present invention can determine the freshness of the product using the average storage temperature value of the product and predict the expiration date of the product accordingly. Depending on the identified freshness, the remaining shelf life of the product can be modified and this can be determined and provided as the consumption date for the product. Here, of course, if the freshness is superior to the standard, the shelf life may be maintained as it is, and if the freshness is poor, the remaining shelf life may be shortened according to the degree of badness.

8 and 9 are diagrams illustrating an example of color change measurement using a smartphone according to an embodiment of the present invention.

8 is an example of utilization of delivery products, and the delivery reliability and freshness of delivery food can be confirmed through the average storage temperature of the product estimated through color change measurement. 9 is an example of utilization of refrigerated food sold in stores, and the freshness (quality level) of store-sold foods can be confirmed using the average storage temperature of products estimated through color change measurement, and the safety level indicating the level of food poisoning occurrence It can also provide ripeness, sugar content, etc. related to taste.

According to the present invention as described above, an image of a product identification tag is received using a user terminal, a color change is measured from a discoloration label included in a product identification tag, and a product storage time is determined from a QR code, and an average value of a product is measured. The storage temperature value can be estimated, and from this, the freshness of the product can be determined and the expiration date of the product can be predicted.

In addition, in the case of the present invention, by analyzing the chromaticity change of the discoloration label in the identification tag using two images taken continuously in the flash on/off state, the effect of ambient light and differences in terminal models is minimized and the estimation robust to environmental changes is made. performance can be provided.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, this is merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom. Therefore, the true technical scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

10: product identification tag 100: product expiration date prediction device
110: input unit 120: code analysis unit
130: label analysis unit 140: temperature extraction unit
150: consumption period determining unit 200: user terminal

Claims (18)

In the device for predicting the expiration date of a product through the measurement of chromaticity conversion of a discoloration material,
An input unit that receives a set of images obtained by photographing a product identification tag including a product identification tag including a product identification tag including a product QR code and a discoloration label composed of a plurality of discoloration areas and a plurality of non-discoloration areas, respectively, in a flash on and off state;
a code analyzer that determines the storage elapsed time of the product from the packaging time of the product recognized by the QR code;
A first chromaticity index representing the plurality of discoloration areas and a second chromaticity index representing the plurality of non-discoloration areas, respectively, from the RGB values of the discoloration area and the non-discoloration area in the discoloration label using the set of images a label analysis unit that calculates and obtains a chromaticity index pair;
a temperature extraction unit for extracting a storage temperature value matched with a currently identified storage elapsed time and chromaticity index pair of the product from chromaticity index aspect data according to storage temperature previously established for each storage elapsed time; and
And an expiration date determination unit for determining an expiration date of the product based on the extracted storage temperature value,
The label analysis unit,
Calculate the first chromaticity index and the second chromaticity index, respectively, using the deviation between the RGB values obtained in the flash on and off states for each of the discoloration area and the non-discoloration area;
For each area constituting the discoloration label, the R, G, and B values of the corresponding area are replaced with the deviation values between R, G, and B values according to flash on and off, and then CIE chromaticity conversion is applied to obtain the CIE chromaticity for each area. After converting the (x,y) coordinate values on the map, the first chromaticity index representing the plurality of discoloration areas and the plurality of non-discoloration areas are determined using the converted (x,y) coordinate values for each area. An apparatus for predicting the expiration date of a product for obtaining the chromaticity index pair including the representative second chromaticity index. delete delete delete The method of claim 1,
The label analysis unit,
Obtaining the first chromaticity index by calculating an average distance from the origin of the CIE chromaticity coordinate system to the (x,y) coordinates of the plurality of discoloration areas;
An apparatus for predicting product expiration date for obtaining the second chromaticity index by calculating an average distance from the origin of the CIE chromaticity coordinate system to the (x,y) coordinates of the plurality of non-discoloration regions. The method of claim 1,
The chromaticity index aspect data,
A product consumption date prediction device in which a trend line for the coordinates of the chromaticity index pairs that exist differently for each storage temperature is mapped in a contour shape on a two-dimensional space coordinate system composed of axes of the first and second chromaticity indexes. The method of claim 1,
The discoloration label,
The plurality of color-changing regions and the plurality of non-color-changing regions are combined in a matrix form,
The discoloration area and the non-discoloration area are initially embodied in the same color. The method of claim 1,
The discoloration area is formed of a material whose color irreversibly changes with time and temperature. The method of claim 1,
The consumption period determination unit,
A product consumption period prediction device for determining a freshness index of the product using the extracted storage temperature value and predicting a consumption period of the product using the freshness index and the remaining shelf life of the product. In the consumption period prediction method using a product consumption period prediction device through measurement of chromaticity conversion of discoloration material,
Receiving a set of images obtained by photographing a product identification tag including a product identification tag including a QR code of a product and a discoloration label composed of a plurality of discoloration areas and a plurality of non-discoloration areas, respectively, in flash on and off states;
Figuring out the storage elapsed time of the product from the packaging time of the product recognized by the QR code;
A first chromaticity index representing the plurality of discoloration areas and a second chromaticity index representing the plurality of non-discoloration areas, respectively, from the RGB values of the discoloration area and the non-discoloration area in the discoloration label using the set of images calculating to obtain a pair of chromaticity indices;
Extracting a storage temperature value matching the currently identified storage elapsed time and chromaticity index pair of the product from chromaticity index aspect data according to storage temperature previously established for each storage elapsed time; and
Determining an expiration date of the product based on the extracted storage temperature value,
The step of obtaining the chromaticity index pair,
Calculate the first chromaticity index and the second chromaticity index, respectively, using the deviation between the RGB values obtained in the flash on and off states for each of the discoloration area and the non-discoloration area;
For each area constituting the discoloration label, the R, G, and B values of the corresponding area are replaced with the deviation values between R, G, and B values according to flash on and off, and then CIE chromaticity conversion is applied to obtain the CIE chromaticity for each area. After converting the (x,y) coordinate values on the map, the first chromaticity index representing the plurality of discoloration areas and the plurality of non-discoloration areas are determined using the converted (x,y) coordinate values for each area. A method of predicting the expiration date of a product by obtaining the chromaticity index pair including the representative second chromaticity index. delete delete delete The method of claim 10,
The step of obtaining the chromaticity index pair,
Obtaining the first chromaticity index by calculating an average distance from the origin of the CIE chromaticity coordinate system to the (x,y) coordinates of the plurality of discoloration areas;
The method of predicting the consumption period of a product in which the second chromaticity index is obtained by calculating an average distance from the origin of the CIE chromaticity coordinate system to the (x,y) coordinates of the plurality of non-discoloration regions. The method of claim 10,
The chromaticity index aspect data,
A method for predicting product consumption in which a trend line for the coordinates of the chromaticity index pairs, which exist differently for each storage temperature, is mapped in the form of a contour line on a two-dimensional space coordinate system composed of axes of the first and second chromaticity indices. The method of claim 10,
The discoloration label,
The plurality of color-changing regions and the plurality of non-color-changing regions are combined in a matrix form,
The discoloration area and the non-discoloration area are initially implemented with the same color. The method of claim 10,
The discoloration area is formed of a material whose color irreversibly changes with time and temperature. The method of claim 10,
The step of determining the expiration date is,
A method of predicting a product's expiration date for determining a freshness index of the product using the extracted storage temperature value and predicting the expiration date of the product using the freshness index and the remaining expiration date of the product.