KR102596228B1 - Speed Measuring Device and Method Thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A speed measuring device according to an embodiment includes a communication module that can be installed on a wheel and transmits a polarized signal through a transmission antenna with polarization characteristics in a certain direction in order to easily measure the rotational speed of the wheel, and the polarization signal. A receiving terminal including a receiving antenna for receiving a signal and a field strength meter for measuring the electric field strength of the polarized signal, and calculating the rotational speed of the wheel based on a predetermined circumference of the wheel and the electric field strength of the polarized signal. Includes.

Description

Speed Measuring Device and Method Thereof}

The present invention relates to a speed measuring device and method, and relates to a technology for measuring the rotational speed of a wheel and the moving speed of a moving object using a communication module that can be installed on the wheel.

Generally, a speedometer including a magnetic encoder and a sensor is used to measure the rotational speed of a wheel included in a vehicle or moving object. Additionally, a location recognition device (GPS device) is sometimes used to measure the moving speed of a vehicle or moving object. In other words, the movement speed can be calculated using GPS coordinates and movement time.

However, in order to measure the speed of a moving object that is not equipped with a speed sensor or GPS device, such a speed measuring device must be installed separately. For example, low-cost vehicles such as bicycles, carts, and quickboards generally do not include speed measuring devices.

However, because existing speed measuring devices are relatively expensive, they cannot be easily installed at low cost, and in the case of specific speed measuring devices, there is a problem that the structure of the moving object must be changed for installation.

The present invention provides a speed measuring device and method that can measure the rotation speed of a wheel and the moving speed of a moving object using a simple communication module that can be installed on the wheel of a moving object and a user's terminal.

Specifically, the present invention provides a speed measurement device and method that can measure the rotational speed of a wheel and the moving speed of a moving object using the polarization characteristics of the transmitting antenna included in the communication module and the receiving antenna included in the receiving terminal. .

A speed measuring device according to an embodiment includes a communication module that can be installed on a wheel and transmits a polarized signal through a transmission antenna having polarization characteristics in a certain direction; And a receiving antenna that receives the polarized signal and a field strength meter that measures the electric field strength of the polarized signal, and calculating the rotation speed of the wheel based on a predetermined circumference of the wheel and the electric field strength of the polarized signal. It may include a receiving terminal;

In addition, the receiving terminal receives the polarized signal whose polarization direction changes as the wheel rotates, and calculates one rotation period of the wheel based on the change in the electric field intensity due to the change in the polarization direction of the polarized signal. You can.

In addition, the receiving terminal further includes a display, and can display at least one of current rotation speed information of the wheel, maximum rotation speed information of the wheel, and movement distance information based on the number of rotations of the wheel on the display. .

Additionally, the receiving antenna may have the same polarization characteristics as the transmitting antenna.

Additionally, the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna may have polarization characteristics of any one of linear polarization, circular polarization, and elliptical polarization.

Additionally, the communication module may be a Bluetooth module.

A speed measurement method according to an embodiment includes the steps of a receiving terminal including a receiving antenna receiving a polarized signal from a communication module installed on a wheel and including a transmitting antenna having polarization characteristics in a certain direction; Measuring, by the receiving terminal, the electric field strength of the received polarized signal; and calculating, by the receiving terminal, the rotational speed of the wheel based on a predetermined circumference of the wheel and the electric field strength of the polarized signal.

In addition, the step of receiving the polarization signal includes receiving the polarization signal whose polarization direction changes as the wheel rotates, and the step of measuring the electric field strength includes changing the polarization direction of the polarization signal. It may include; measuring the change in the electric field intensity by.

In addition, calculating the rotation speed of the wheel may include calculating one rotation period of the wheel based on a change in the electric field strength of the polarization signal; and calculating the rotational speed of the wheel based on the predetermined circumference of the wheel and one rotation period of the wheel.

In addition, the speed measurement method according to one embodiment includes the receiving terminal displaying at least one of current rotation speed information of the wheel, maximum rotation speed information of the wheel, and movement distance information based on the number of rotations of the wheel on the display. It may further include a step of doing so.

Additionally, the receiving antenna may have the same polarization characteristics as the transmitting antenna.

Additionally, the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna may have polarization characteristics of any one of linear polarization, circular polarization, and elliptical polarization.

Additionally, the communication module may be a Bluetooth module.

A receiving terminal according to an embodiment includes a receiving antenna that includes a transmitting antenna with polarization characteristics in a certain direction and receives a polarized signal from a communication module installed on a wheel; a field strength meter that measures the electric field strength of the received polarized signal; and a control unit that calculates the rotational speed of the wheel based on a predetermined circumference of the wheel and the electric field strength of the polarization signal.

In addition, the control unit controls the electric field strength meter to measure the electric field strength of the polarized signal whose polarization direction changes as the wheel rotates, and based on the change in the electric field strength according to the change in the polarization direction of the polarized signal. One rotation period of the wheel can be calculated.

In addition, the receiving terminal according to one embodiment further includes a display,

At least one of information on the current rotation speed of the wheel, information on the maximum rotation speed of the wheel, and information on moving distance based on the number of rotations of the wheel may be displayed on the display.

According to the speed measurement device and method according to an embodiment, the cost for measuring the speed of a moving object can be reduced and the convenience of speed measurement can be increased by using a communication module that can be easily installed on the wheel and the user's terminal. there is.

Additionally, according to the speed measuring device and method according to an embodiment, the rotational speed of the wheel can be measured regardless of the type of wheel.

1 is a diagram conceptually illustrating measuring the rotational speed of a wheel using a speed measuring device according to an embodiment.
Figure 2 is a configuration diagram of a speed measuring device according to an embodiment.
3 to 6 are diagrams for explaining polarization of an antenna.
7 and 8 are diagrams for specifically explaining a speed measurement method according to an embodiment.
Figure 9 is a flowchart of a speed measurement method according to one embodiment.

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

Additionally, the terms used in this specification are used to describe embodiments and are not intended to limit and/or limit the disclosed invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In this specification, terms such as “comprise,” “provide,” or “have” are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification. The existence or addition of other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof is not excluded in advance, and the components are not limited by the above terms.

Additionally, terms such as "~unit", "~unit", "~block", "~member", and "~module" may refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation. For example, the terms may mean at least one process processed by a processor or at least one software stored in at least one hardware/memory.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the disclosed invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers or symbols shown in the accompanying drawings may indicate parts or components that perform substantially the same function.

1 is a diagram conceptually illustrating measuring the rotational speed of a wheel using a speed measuring device according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a configuration diagram of a speed measuring device according to an embodiment.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the speed measuring device 10 according to one embodiment includes a communication module 200 and a receiving terminal 300 that can be installed on the wheel 100.

The communication module 200 is a communication module capable of wireless communication with the receiving terminal 300 and may be a communication module based on various communication methods. For example, the communication module 200 may be a Bluetooth module, a Wi-Fi module, a Zigbee module, or the like. Bluetooth modules are commonly used to connect multiple devices, and considering low price and ease of installation, it may be desirable for the communication module 200 to be a Bluetooth module. Hereinafter, the communication module 200 will be described assuming that it is a Bluetooth module.

The communication module 200 is installed on the wheel 100 and can transmit a polarized signal through a transmission antenna 210 that has polarization characteristics in a certain direction. The transmission control unit 220 may control the operation of the transmission antenna 210.

The transmission control unit 220 may include a processor that generates a control signal to control the operation of the transmission antenna 210. Additionally, the communication module 200 may include a battery (not shown) that supplies power to the transmission antenna 210 and the transmission control unit 220.

Meanwhile, the polarization direction of the transmitting antenna 210 may change according to the rotation of the wheel 100. The electric field strength of the polarized signal received by the receiving terminal 300 may be measured differently depending on the polarization direction of the transmitting antenna 210. The receiving terminal 300 can calculate the rotational speed of the wheel 100 using a predetermined circumference of the wheel 100 and a change in the electric field strength of the received polarization signal, and the moving object according to the rotational speed of the wheel 100. The movement speed can be calculated. This is explained in more detail in FIGS. 7 to 9.

The receiving terminal 300 is a device capable of receiving signals from the communication module 200 and processing data, and can be used in mobile phones, portable multimedia players (PMPs), digital broadcasting players, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and music file players (e.g. , MP3 players), portable game terminals, tablet PCs, and smart phones.

That is, any device that is compatible with the communication module 200 can serve as the receiving terminal 300. For example, the communication module 200 may be a Bluetooth module, and the receiving terminal 300 may be a smart phone possessed by the user and capable of Bluetooth communication.

Meanwhile, the receiving terminal 300 may include a receiving antenna 310, an electric field strength meter 320, a display 330, a memory 340, and a control unit 350.

The receiving antenna 310 corresponds to an antenna having the same polarization characteristics as the transmitting antenna 210. In order for the receiving antenna 310 to receive the signal transmitted by the transmitting antenna 210 without loss, the polarization characteristics of the transmitting antenna 210 and the receiving antenna 310 must be the same.

The electric field strength meter 320 can measure the electric field strength of a polarized signal received through the receiving antenna 310. Electric field strength refers to the size of the electric field entering the receiving antenna 310. The electric field strength is measured to be large when the polarization directions of the transmitting antenna 210 and the receiving antenna 310 are the same.

The polarization characteristics and electric field strength of the antenna will be described in detail in FIGS. 3 to 6 below.

The display 330 can display various information on the screen. The display 330 may display information processed by the control unit 350. Specifically, the display 330 moves based on electric field strength information, current rotation speed information of the wheel 100, maximum rotation speed information of the wheel 100, and the number of rotations of the wheel 100 under the control of the control unit 350. At least one of the distance information can be displayed.

This display 330 may be a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, or a three-dimensional display (3D). display), etc. Additionally, the display 310 may also include a touch panel and be used as an input device.

The memory 340 can remember/store programs and data for controlling the operation of the receiving terminal 300. Additionally, the memory 340 may store a program or application for processing the signal received from the receiving antenna 310.

Additionally, the memory 340 can store input/output data (eg, messages, still images, videos, etc.). This memory 340 includes volatile memory such as Static Random Access Memory (S-RAM) and Dynamic Random Access Memory (D-RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM) for long-term storage of data, and EP-ROM ( It may include non-volatile memory such as Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM) and Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM).

The control unit 350 may include a processor that generates a control signal to control the operation of the receiving terminal 300. The processor may include a logic circuit and an operation circuit, process data according to a program or application provided from the memory 340, and generate a control signal according to the processing result.

Additionally, the processor and memory 340 may be implemented as separate chips or as a single chip. The control unit 350 may include multiple processors and multiple memories.

The control unit 350 may calculate the rotational speed of the wheel 100 based on the electric field strength of the polarized signal received from the receiving antenna 310 and the predetermined circumference of the wheel 100. The polarization direction of the transmitting antenna 210 included in the communication module 200 changes as the wheel 100 rotates, and the electric field strength of the polarized signal received at the receiving antenna 310 also changes accordingly. The control unit 350 may calculate one rotation period of the wheel 100 based on the change in the electric field strength of the received polarization signal.

Since the circumference of the wheel 100 is predetermined and information about one rotation period of the wheel 100 is calculated, the rotational speed of the wheel 100 can be calculated. Accordingly, the moving speed of the moving object moved by the rotation of the wheel 100 can also be calculated.

In this way, a simple communication module such as a Bluetooth module can be installed on the wheel, and the rotational speed of the wheel and the moving speed of the moving object can be measured using the characteristic of the antenna in which the polarization direction changes as the wheel rotates.

Regardless of the type of wheel, a communication module 200 that transmits an antenna signal can be installed, and the receiving terminal 300 is a device capable of communicating and signal processing with the communication module 200, and there is no special limitation, so it is not limited to the prior art. Compared to this, it is possible to implement the speed measuring device 10 very simply.

3 to 6 are diagrams for explaining polarization of an antenna.

3 to 6, the trajectory of the electric field caused by the antenna is shown. Polarization refers to the polarity direction of the electric field or electric field (E field) in the direction of electromagnetic wave travel. Each antenna has its own polarization pattern. Polarization can be classified into linear (straight) polarization, circular polarization, and elliptical polarization.

Additionally, the polarization direction may refer to the direction of the electric field with respect to the ground surface. Specifically, horizontal polarization refers to radio waves that propagate while the electric field oscillates in a direction parallel to the ground surface, and vertical polarization refers to propagation that propagates while the electric field oscillates in a direction perpendicular to the ground surface.

In particular, referring to FIG. 4, in order for the receiving antenna 310 to receive the signal transmitted by the transmitting antenna 210 without loss, the polarization characteristics of the transmitting antenna 210 and the receiving antenna 310 must be the same.

In other words, when the polarization direction of the transmitting antenna 210 and the polarizing direction of the receiving antenna 310 are the same, the electric field strength of the polarized signal received by the receiving antenna 310 can be measured to be large.

For example, if the polarization characteristic of the transmitting antenna 210 is vertically polarized, the polarization characteristic of the receiving antenna 310 must also be vertically polarized to ensure smooth signal reception. Additionally, the polarization direction may vary depending on the installation direction of the transmission antenna 210. When the transmitting antenna 210, which transmits vertically polarized waves, is tilted at an angle of 45 degrees to the ground surface, the size (electrical field strength) of the signal received from the receiving antenna 310, which receives vertically polarized waves, is determined by the tilt of the transmitting antenna 210. It is smaller than the size of the signal received when not present. Therefore, when the polarization direction of the transmitting antenna 210 and the polarization direction of the receiving antenna 310 are perpendicular, signal transmission and reception are not smooth.

Even in the case of circular polarization and elliptical polarization, the polarization direction may change if the antenna is tilted at a certain angle with respect to the ground surface.

7 and 8 are diagrams for specifically explaining a speed measurement method according to an embodiment.

First, it is assumed that the receiving antenna 310 included in the receiving terminal 300 has vertical polarization characteristics and that there is no movement or rotation of the vertical terminal 300.

Referring to FIG. 7 , when the wheel 100 is not rotating (T0), a communication module 200 including a transmission antenna 210 having vertical polarization characteristics may be installed on the wheel 100. The transmitting antenna 210 transmits a polarized signal in the vertical polarization direction (the direction of vibration of the electric field is perpendicular to the ground surface), and since the polarization directions of the transmitting antenna 210 and the receiving antenna 310 are the same, the receiving antenna 310 The electric field strength (E) of the polarized signal received through the signal is measured at its maximum value.

Thereafter, when the wheel 100 rotates 45 degrees (T1), the polarization direction changes as the transmission antenna 210 is tilted. That is, the polarization direction of the transmitting antenna 210 is tilted by 45 degrees. Since the polarization direction of the receiving antenna 310 is perpendicular to the ground surface, the polarization direction of the transmitting antenna 210 and the polarizing direction of the receiving antenna 310 are shifted by 45 degrees. Accordingly, the electric field strength of the polarized signal received at the receiving antenna 310 decreases.

When the wheel 100 rotates by 45 degrees again (T2), the polarization directions of the transmitting antenna 210 and the receiving antenna 310 become perpendicular to each other, and accordingly, the electric field strength of the polarized signal received from the receiving antenna 310 is measured as the minimum value.

When the wheel 100 rotates by 45 degrees again (T3), the polarization direction of the transmitting antenna 210 and the polarization direction of the receiving antenna 310 are shifted by 45 degrees, so the electric field intensity of the same magnitude as at T2 is measured. It can be.

In this way, the electric field strength of the polarized signal received at the receiving antenna 310 can be measured while repeating maximum and minimum values as the wheel 100 rotates. The electric field strength continuously measured over time takes the form of a sine wave.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the control unit 350 of the receiving terminal 300 may calculate one rotation period of the wheel 100 based on the electric field strength of the polarized signal that changes as the wheel 100 rotates. The one rotation period of the wheel 100 becomes longer or shorter depending on the rotation speed of the wheel. Accordingly, the rotational speed and/or angular velocity of the wheel 100 can be calculated from one rotation period of the wheel 100 and the circumference of the wheel 100. This is derived by a simple equation (speed = distance/time). That is, the rotational speed of the wheel 100 can be calculated using the following equation.

1 rotation speed of wheel 100 = circumference of wheel 100/1 rotation period of wheel 100

One rotation period of the wheel 100 can be treated as the same as the change period of the electric field strength of the polarized signal received by the receiving antenna 310. When the sine wave period of the electric field intensity measured by the receiving terminal 300 is short, the one rotation period of the wheel 100 is also short, and the rotation speed of the wheel 100 is also relatively fast.

The control unit 350 of the receiving terminal 300 can calculate the rotational speed of the wheel 100 and the moving speed of the moving object moved by the wheel 100 using the above-described method. Additionally, the control unit 350 may control the display 330 to display at least one of information on the current rotation speed of the wheel, information on the maximum rotation speed of the wheel, and information on the moving distance based on the number of rotations of the wheel.

Figure 9 is a flowchart of a speed measurement method according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 9, a communication module 200 including a transmission antenna 210 with polarization characteristics in a certain direction is installed on the wheel 100 and transmits a polarized signal through the transmission antenna 210 (610). . Thereafter, as the wheel 100 rotates, the polarization direction of the transmission antenna 210 changes (620). The receiving terminal 300 includes a receiving antenna 310, and the receiving antenna 310 receives a polarized signal transmitted by the communication module 200. Additionally, the receiving terminal 300 measures the electric field strength of the received polarized signal (630). As described above, the electric field strength of the received polarization signal changes according to the rotation of the wheel 100.

The control unit 350 of the receiving terminal 300 calculates one rotation period of the wheel 10 based on the predetermined circumference of the wheel 100 and the change period of the measured electric field intensity, and determines the rotation speed of the wheel 100 and /Or calculate the angular velocity (640). Additionally, the receiving terminal 300 may display at least one of the calculated current rotational speed information of the wheel, information on the maximum rotational speed of the wheel, and moving distance information based on the number of rotations of the wheel on the display 330.

In this way, a simple communication module such as a Bluetooth module can be installed on the wheel, and the rotational speed of the wheel and the moving speed of the moving object can be measured using the characteristic of the antenna in which the polarization direction changes as the wheel rotates.

In addition, a communication module that transmits an antenna signal can be installed regardless of the type of wheel, and the receiving terminal is a device capable of communicating and processing signals with the communication module, so there are no special restrictions. Compared to the prior art, it is very simple to install a speed measuring device. Implementation is possible.

Meanwhile, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in the form of a recording medium that stores instructions executable by a computer. Instructions may be stored in the form of program code, and when executed by a processor, may create program modules to perform operations of the disclosed embodiments. The recording medium may be implemented as a computer-readable recording medium.

Computer-readable recording media include all types of recording media storing instructions that can be decoded by a computer. For example, there may be Read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), magnetic tape, magnetic disk, flash memory, optical data storage device, etc.

As described above, the disclosed embodiments have been described with reference to the attached drawings. A person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the present invention can be practiced in forms different from the disclosed embodiments without changing the technical idea or essential features of the present invention. The disclosed embodiments are illustrative and should not be construed as limiting.

10: Speed measuring device
100: wheel
200: communication module
210: Transmitting antenna
220: Transmission control unit
300: Receiving terminal
310: receiving antenna
320: electric field strength meter
330: display
340: memory
350: control unit

Claims (16)

A communication module that can be installed on a wheel and transmits a polarized signal through a transmission antenna with polarization characteristics in a certain direction; and
A reception antenna comprising a receiving antenna for receiving the polarized signal and a field strength meter for measuring the electric field strength of the polarized signal, and calculating a rotational speed of the wheel based on a predetermined circumference of the wheel and the electric field strength of the polarized signal. A speed measuring device including a terminal. According to paragraph 1,
The receiving terminal is
Receiving the polarization signal whose polarization direction changes as the wheel rotates,
A speed measuring device that calculates one rotation period of the wheel based on a change in the electric field intensity due to a change in the polarization direction of the polarization signal. According to paragraph 1,
The receiving terminal is
It further includes a display;
A speed measuring device that displays at least one of current rotational speed information of the wheel, maximum rotational speed information of the wheel, and moving distance information based on the number of rotations of the wheel on the display. According to paragraph 1,
A speed measuring device wherein the receiving antenna has the same polarization characteristics as the transmitting antenna. According to paragraph 4,
The transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna have polarization characteristics of any one of linear polarization, circular polarization, and elliptical polarization. According to paragraph 1,
A speed measuring device wherein the communication module is a Bluetooth module. A receiving terminal including a receiving antenna, receiving a polarized signal from a communication module installed on a wheel and including a transmitting antenna having polarization characteristics in a certain direction;
Measuring, by the receiving terminal, the electric field strength of the received polarized signal;
A speed measurement method comprising: calculating, by the receiving terminal, a rotational speed of the wheel based on a predetermined circumference of the wheel and an electric field strength of the polarized signal. In clause 7,
The step of receiving the polarization signal is,
Receiving the polarization signal whose polarization direction changes as the wheel rotates,
The step of measuring the electric field strength is
A speed measurement method comprising: measuring a change in the electric field intensity due to a change in the polarization direction of the polarization signal. According to clause 8,
The step of calculating the rotational speed of the wheel is
calculating one rotation period of the wheel based on a change in electric field intensity of the polarization signal; and
Calculating the rotational speed of the wheel based on the predetermined circumference of the wheel and one rotation period of the wheel. In clause 7,
The method further comprising: displaying, by the receiving terminal, at least one of current rotation speed information of the wheel, maximum rotation speed information of the wheel, and movement distance information based on the number of rotations of the wheel on a display. In clause 7,
The receiving antenna has the same polarization characteristics as the transmitting antenna. According to clause 11,
The transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna have polarization characteristics of any one of linear polarization, circular polarization, and elliptical polarization. In clause 7,
A method of measuring speed, wherein the communication module is a Bluetooth module. a receiving antenna that includes a transmitting antenna with polarization characteristics in a certain direction and receives a polarized signal from a communication module installed on the wheel;
an electric field intensity meter that measures the electric field strength of the received polarized signal; and
A receiving terminal comprising a control unit that calculates the rotational speed of the wheel based on a predetermined circumference of the wheel and the electric field strength of the polarization signal. According to clause 14,
The control unit
Controlling the electric field strength meter to measure the electric field strength of the polarized signal whose polarization direction changes as the wheel rotates,
A receiving terminal that calculates one rotation period of the wheel based on a change in the electric field intensity according to a change in the polarization direction of the polarization signal. According to clause 14,
It further includes a display;
A receiving terminal that displays at least one of current rotation speed information of the wheel, maximum rotation speed information of the wheel, and movement distance information based on the number of rotations of the wheel on the display.

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