KR20220057033A - Apparatus for managing walk of pet and operation method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, provided is a method of operating a companion animal walk management apparatus. The method may comprise the following steps of: generating walk information of a companion animal based on first position information of a user terminal and first identification information of the pet animal; updating a walk route and a walk distance in the walk information in accordance with a change of the first position information; determining whether the walk information is valid based on second identification information of the companion animal and second position information of a tag reader received by decoding an electronic tag provided on the companion animal through the tag reader; and, when the walk information is determined as valid, registering the walk information as valid walk information. Therefore, the present invention is capable of leading the companion animal to become more socialized.

Description

Apparatus for managing a walk for companion animals and an operation method thereof

The present invention relates to an apparatus for managing a walk of a companion animal and a method for operating the same.

As interest in companion animals increases, the number of people who own companion animals is increasing. At the same time, accidents such as abuse or abandonment of companion animals are frequently occurring because they cannot control them. This is due to the lack of awareness of companion animals, but above all, lack of socialization education for companion animals.

As the best way to solve these problems, it is important to foster social skills through walking with companion animals. In order to further promote this, a technique for providing a predetermined point or suggesting a good walking route during a walk with a companion animal has been proposed.

However, this technology has a problem of low effectiveness because it is difficult to check whether the companion animal actually went for a walk.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for managing a walk of a companion animal to solve the above problems.

The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating an apparatus for managing a walk of a companion animal. The method may include: generating walking information of the companion animal based on first location information of a user terminal and first identification information of the companion animal; updating a walking route and a walking distance in the walking information according to a change in the first location information; determining the validity of the walk information based on second identification information of the companion animal and second location information of the tag reader received by reading an electronic tag provided in the companion animal using a tag reader; and when it is determined that the walking information is valid, registering the walking information as valid walking information.

In addition, the step of determining the validity may be performed by determining that the walk information is valid when the first location information and the second location information correspond, and the first identification information corresponds to the second identification information. can

The method may further include proposing at least one recommended walking path, wherein the recommended walking path may be generated based on the first location information and the second location information.

The method may further include providing a predetermined point based on the walking distance, wherein the point may be used to purchase a predetermined item from a vending machine equipped with the tag reader.

Also, when the tag reader reads the electronic tag, price information of the article presented by the vending machine may be changed.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for managing a walk of a companion animal is provided. The apparatus includes at least one processor; and a memory configured to store instructions executable by the at least one processor, wherein the processor executes the instructions so that the user terminal based on the first location information of the user terminal and the first identification information of the companion animal The walk information of the companion animal is generated, the walking route and the walking distance are updated in the walking information according to the change of the first location information, and the electronic tag provided in the companion animal is read using a tag reader and received. The validity of the walking information is determined based on the second identification information of the companion animal and the second location information of the tag reader, and when it is determined that the walking information is valid, the walking information can be registered as valid walking information. .

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a companion animal walking management system is provided. the system

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a companion animal walking management device; and a vending machine that includes a tag reader that reads the electronic tag provided on the companion animal and sells predetermined items.

In addition, it may further include a user terminal that transmits location information and identification information of the companion animal.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a computer program stored in a medium is provided to perform a method of operating an apparatus for managing a walk of a companion animal.

According to the present invention, the validity of the walk can be accurately determined by determining the validity of the walk information through a tag reader based on the location information of the user terminal of the user accompanying the companion animal who tracks the location of the companion animal.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to induce a walking and fostering sociality of the companion animal through the payment of a predetermined point according to a walk and using it to purchase goods or services.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to read the electronic tag inserted into the body of the companion animal to determine the effectiveness of the walk, thereby promoting the registration and dissemination of the electronic tag.

In order to more fully understand the drawings recited in the Detailed Description, a brief description of each drawing is provided.
1 is a block diagram of a companion animal walking management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a block diagram of an apparatus for managing a walk of a companion animal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart of an operating method of an apparatus for managing a walk of a companion animal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the contents described in the accompanying drawings. In addition, a method of constructing and using an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the contents described in the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers or reference numerals in each figure indicate parts or components that perform substantially the same functions. For convenience described below, the up, down, left and right directions are based on the drawings, and the scope of the present invention is not necessarily limited to the direction.

Terms including an ordinal number such as 1st, 2nd, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a first component. and/or includes a combination of a plurality of related items or any one of a plurality of related items.

The terms used herein are used to describe the embodiments, and are not intended to limit and/or limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, the terms include or have are intended to designate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification exists, but one or more other features, number, or step , it should be understood that it does not preclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of an operation, component, part, or combination thereof.

Throughout the specification, when it is said that a certain part is connected to another part, it includes not only a case in which it is directly connected, but also a case in which it is indirectly connected with another element interposed therebetween. Also, when it is said that a part includes a certain component, it means that other components may be further included, rather than excluding other components, unless otherwise stated.

In addition, terms such as "...unit" and "module" described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented as hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. .

1 is a block diagram of a companion animal walking management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a system 1000 may include a user terminal 100 , a vending machine 200 , and a walk management apparatus 300 .

The user terminal 100 may be a terminal of a user who walks the companion animal. Identification information of a companion animal is stored in the user terminal 100 , and location information of the user terminal 100 may be generated through GPS or the like. The user terminal 100 may transmit its location information and identification information of a companion animal to the walk management apparatus 300 to generate walking information.

In this case, an electronic tag in the form of a microchip in which a unique identifier (UID) is stored may be inserted into the body of the companion animal. By reading the electronic tag, companion animals can be identified, and items can be purchased and various services can be used, including determining the validity of walking information. The electronic tag may be, for example, an RFID tag. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

The vending machine 200 is a sales device for selling various items provided therein. In particular, the vending machine 200 may be provided with a tag reader for reading electronic tags provided in companion animals. The tag reader reads the electronic tag of the companion animal and transmits it to the walk management apparatus 300 to confirm that the companion animal is actually located in the same place as the vending machine 200 .

The walking management device 300 may generate walking information for companion animals, update a walking route and a walking distance from the walking information, determine the validity of the walking information, and register valid walking information if the walking information is valid. there is. A more detailed operation of the walk management apparatus 300 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 .

The companion animal walking management system 1000 shown in FIG. 1 is exemplary, and various configurations may be applied according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied.

2 is a block diagram of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

After the vending machine 200 reads the electronic tag inserted into the body of the companion animal through the tag reader 210 , the identification information of the companion animal and the location information of the vending machine 200 may be transmitted to the walk management device 300 . there is. The information may be used by the walking management device 300 to determine the validity of the walking information.

In an embodiment, the vending machine 200 may sell a predetermined item. In this case, the item may be related to companion animals, such as towels, toilet bags, and snacks.

In an embodiment, the price of goods sold by the vending machine 200 may change. For example, when the electronic tag is read through the tag reader 210, product sales may be provided at a lower price.

In an embodiment, when a predetermined point is paid from the walk management device 300 to the user and/or companion animal as a reward for a walk, for example, the vending machine 200 may use the point to purchase an item. can

Referring to FIG. 2 , the vending machine 200 may include a tag reader 210 , an article sales unit 220 , a communication unit 230 , a memory 240 , and at least one processor 250 .

The tag reader 210 may receive identification information of the companion animal by reading the electronic tag inserted into the body of the companion animal. For example, the electronic tag may be an RFID tag, and correspondingly, the tag reader 210 may be an RFID reader. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

The goods sales unit 220 is for selling various goods provided in the vending machine 200, and can store and display various goods, and the user performs payment using the user's points, cash, card, etc., Accordingly, an article can be provided.

The communication unit 230 is provided for direct connection with the outside or connection through a network, and may be a wired and/or wireless communication unit. Specifically, the communication unit 230 transmits data from the memory 240 , the processor 250 , etc. by wire or wirelessly, or receives data from the outside by wire or wirelessly and transmits it to the processor 250 or to the memory 240 . can be saved For example, the communication unit 230 may include a Bluetooth communication unit, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication unit, a near field communication unit, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, an infrared (IrDA, infrared Data Association) communication unit, It may include a Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) communication unit, an ultra wideband (UWB) communication unit, and the like, but is not limited thereto. The communication unit 230 may be implemented as at least one module or chip.

The memory 240 may store a program for performing an operation of the walk management apparatus 300 , data according to the operation execution, and the like. For example, the memory 240 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, or a card type memory (eg, SD or XD memory). etc.), RAM (Random Access Memory) SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), magnetic It may include at least one type of storage medium among a memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk.

At least one processor 250 controls the overall operation of the vending machine 200 . For example, the processor 250 may execute a program stored in the vending machine 200 , thereby controlling overall components in the vending machine 200 . For example, the processor 250 may include at least one processor 250 . The processor 250 may be configured to process at least one instruction by performing basic arithmetic, logic, and input/output operations for asset management. The above-described instructions may be provided to the processor 250 from the memory 240 . That is, the processor 250 may be configured to execute an instruction according to a program code stored in a recording device such as the memory 240 . Alternatively, the instruction may be received by the walk management vending machine 200 through the communication unit 230 and provided to the processor 250 .

However, not all of the components shown in FIG. 2 are essential components for the walk management apparatus 300 . According to an embodiment, the vending machine 200 may be implemented with more components than those shown in FIG. 2 , and the vending machine 200 may be implemented with fewer components than those shown in FIG. 2 . there is.

3 is a block diagram of an apparatus for managing a walk of a companion animal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The walking management device 300 may generate walking information for companion animals, update a walking route and a walking distance from the walking information, determine the validity of the walking information, and register valid walking information if the walking information is valid. there is.

In an embodiment, the walking information includes an identifier of the companion animal, a walking start time, a walking start location, a walking path, a walking distance, a required time, and the like, and may be generated when a walking start signal is received from the user terminal 100 . . At this time, the walking start signal may include the first location information and the first identification information of the user terminal 100, and the walking start time of the walking information corresponds to the time to receive the walking start signal, and the walking start position of the walking information is It may correspond to the first location information, and the identifier of the companion animal may correspond to the first identification information. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the walking management device 300 may update walking information, in particular, a walking route and a walking distance. This may be done according to a change in the first location information periodically/aperiodically received from the user terminal 100 .

In an embodiment, the walk management apparatus 300 includes the second identification information of the companion animal and the tag reader ( 210), it is possible to determine the validity of the walk information based on the second location information. In this case, the second identification information is generated by the tag reader 210 (or the vending machine 200 equipped with the tag reader 210) installed at a predetermined location reading the electronic tag inserted into the companion animal's cage. , when the user actually reads the electronic tag of the companion animal in the tag reader 210 , that is, only when performing an actual walk with the companion animal, the second location information and the second identification information are transmitted to the tag reader 210 . can be received from

In an embodiment, when the first location information and the second location information correspond, and the first identification information corresponds to the second identification information, the walk management apparatus 300 may determine that the walk information is valid. In this case, the walking management device 300 may register walking information (especially, a walking route and a walking distance, etc.) as valid walking information. Contrary to this, when the second location information and the second identification information are not received, the walk management apparatus 300 may determine that the walk information is invalid. In this case, the walking information may be removed or registered as temporary walking information.

In an embodiment, the walk management apparatus 300 may end the walk. When walking is finished, that is, updating of walking information (particularly, walking route and walking distance, etc.) may be terminated. This may be performed, for example, after receiving a walk end signal from the user terminal 100 or determining the validity of walking information. When the walk ends and the walking information is valid, the updated walking path and walking distance until the end of the walk becomes valid walking information, or when validity is determined (that is, the tag reader 210 displays the electronic tag of the companion animal) The walking information up to the time of reading ) may be valid walking information.

In an embodiment, the walking management apparatus 300 may suggest a recommended walking route. In this case, the recommended walking path may be generated based on the first location information and the second location information. For example, a recommended walking route that is close to the first location information among at least one preset recommended walking route may be suggested. Also, for example, a recommended walking route may be proposed in which the first location information is a starting point of a walk and the second location information is an end point of the walk or a part of the walking route.

In an embodiment, the walking management apparatus 300 may provide a predetermined point based on the walking distance. In this case, the walking distance may be a walking distance included in the effective walking information. The points paid to the user may be used to purchase predetermined goods and/or services from a vending machine equipped with a tag reader 210 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , the walk management apparatus 300 may include a communication unit 310 , a memory 320 , and at least one processor 330 .

The communication unit 310 is provided for direct connection with the outside or connection through a network, and may be a wired and/or wireless communication unit. Specifically, the communication unit 310 transmits data from the memory 320 and the processor 330 by wire or wirelessly, or receives data from the outside by wire or wirelessly and transmits it to the processor 330 or to the memory 320 . can be saved For example, the communication unit 310 is a Bluetooth communication unit, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication unit, a near field communication unit (Near FieldCommunication), a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, an infrared (IrDA, infrared Data Association) communication unit, It may include a Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) communication unit, an ultra wideband (UWB) communication unit, and the like, but is not limited thereto. The communication unit 310 may be implemented as at least one module or chip.

The memory 320 may store a program for performing an operation of the walk management apparatus 300 , data according to the operation execution, and the like. For example, the memory 320 may include a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, or a card type memory (eg, SD or XD memory). etc.), RAM (Random Access Memory) SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), magnetic It may include at least one type of storage medium among a memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk.

At least one processor 330 controls the overall operation of the walk management apparatus 300 . For example, the processor 330 may control the overall components in the walk management device 300 by executing a program stored in the walk management device 300 . For example, the processor 330 may include at least one processor 330 . The processor 330 may be configured to process at least one instruction by performing basic arithmetic, logic, and input/output operations for asset management. The above-described instructions may be provided to the processor 330 from the memory 320 . That is, the processor 330 may be configured to execute instructions according to program codes stored in a recording device such as the memory 320 . Alternatively, the instruction may be received by the walk management apparatus 300 through the communication unit 310 and provided to the processor 330 .

However, not all of the components shown in FIG. 3 are essential components for the walk management apparatus 300 . According to an embodiment, the walk management device 300 may be implemented by more components than the components shown in FIG. 3 , and the walk management device 300 includes fewer components than the components shown in FIG. 3 . may be implemented.

4 is a flowchart of an operating method of an apparatus for managing a walk of a companion animal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In step S410, walking information of the companion animal may be generated. Step S410 may be performed when a walk start signal is received from the user terminal 100 . In this case, the walking start signal may include first location information and first identification information. The walking information generated in step S410 may include an identifier of a companion animal, a walking start time, a walking start location, a walking path, a walking distance, a required time, and the like. In this case, the walking start time may correspond to a time at which the walking start signal is received, the walking start position may correspond to the first location information, and the identifier of the companion animal may correspond to the first identification information.

In step S420 , walking information may be updated according to a change in the first location information. The first location information of the user terminal 100 may be changed according to the progress of the walk, and by periodically/aperiodically receiving the changed first location information from the user terminal 100, the walking path and the walking distance in the walking information can be updated.

In step S430, it is possible to determine the validity of the walk information. Step S430 is to determine whether the change in the first location information received from the user terminal 100 is related to the walking of the changeable animal, and is based on the second identification information of the companion animal and the second location information of the tag reader 210 It can be performed based on In this case, the second identification information may be generated by reading the electronic tag inserted into the companion animal by the tag reader 210 (or the vending machine 200 having the tag reader 210, etc.) installed at a predetermined position. . Accordingly, the second location information and the second identification information may be received only when the user actually reads the electronic tag of the companion animal through the tag reader 210 , that is, when the user is actually walking with the companion animal. .

Specifically, in step S430 , when the second location information and the second identification information are not received, it may be determined that the walking information is invalid. In addition, when the first location information and the second location information correspond in step S430, and the first identification information corresponds to the second identification information, it may be determined that the walking information is valid.

When it is determined that the walking information is valid, the walking information (particularly, a walking path and a walking distance, etc.) may be registered as valid walking information (step S440 ). Alternatively, when the walking information is invalid, the walking information may be removed or registered as temporary walking information.

In an embodiment, the method may end step S420, that is, updating the walking route and the walking distance, when the walking is finished. The end of the walk may be performed, for example, after receiving a walk end signal from the user terminal 100 or after determining the validity of the walk information in step S430 . When the walking is finished and the walking information is valid, the updated walking path and walking distance until the walking ends may be the valid walking information. On the other hand, if the walk is finished and the walking information is valid, the updated walking information may become valid walking information until validity is determined (that is, when the tag reader 210 reads the electronic tag of the companion animal). there is

In embodiments, the method may further comprise suggesting a recommended walking route. In this case, the recommended walking path may be generated based on the first location information and the second location information. For example, a recommended walking route that is close to the first location information among at least one preset recommended walking route may be suggested. Also, for example, a recommended walking route may be proposed in which the first location information is a starting point of a walk and the second location information is an end point of the walk or a part of the walking route.

In embodiments, the method may further include awarding predetermined points based on the walking distance. In this case, the walking distance may be a walking distance included in the effective walking information. The points paid to the user may be used to purchase predetermined goods and/or services from a vending machine equipped with a tag reader 210 .

The device described above may be implemented as a hardware component, a software component, and/or a combination of the hardware component and the software component. For example, devices and components described in the embodiments may include, for example, a processor, a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA). , a programmable logic unit (PLU), microprocessor, or any other device capable of executing and responding to instructions, may be implemented using one or more general purpose or special purpose computers. The processing device may execute an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications running on the operating system. A processing device may also access, store, manipulate, process, and generate data in response to execution of the software. For convenience of understanding, although one processing device is sometimes described as being used, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the processing device includes a plurality of processing elements and/or a plurality of types of processing elements. It can be seen that can include For example, the processing device may include a plurality of processors or one processor and one controller. Other processing configurations are also possible, such as parallel processors.

Software may comprise a computer program, code, instructions, or a combination of one or more thereof, which configures a processing device to operate as desired or is independently or collectively processed You can command the device. The software and/or data may be any kind of machine, component, physical device, virtual equipment, computer storage medium or apparatus, to be interpreted by or to provide instructions or data to the processing device. , or may be permanently or temporarily embody in a transmitted signal wave. The software may be distributed over networked computer systems and stored or executed in a distributed manner. Software and data may be stored in one or more computer-readable recording media.

The method according to the embodiment may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed through various computer means and recorded in a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc. alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the medium may be specially designed and configured for the embodiment, or may be known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, and magnetic such as floppy disks. - includes magneto-optical media, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include not only machine language codes such as those generated by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the embodiments, and vice versa.

As described above, although the embodiments have been described with reference to the limited embodiments and drawings, various modifications and variations are possible from the above description by those skilled in the art. For example, the described techniques are performed in an order different from the described method, and/or the described components of the system, structure, apparatus, circuit, etc. are combined or combined in a different form than the described method, or other components Or substituted or substituted by equivalents may achieve an appropriate result. In addition, each embodiment may be operated in combination with each other as needed. For example, an embodiment of the present invention and parts of other embodiments may be combined to operate the device. Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims are also within the scope of the following claims.

100: user terminal 200: vending machine
210: tag reader 220: goods sales department
230: communication unit 240: memory
250: processor 300: walk management device
310: communication unit 320: memory
330: processor 1000: system

Claims (9)

As a method of operating a companion animal walking management device,
generating walking information of the companion animal based on first location information of a user terminal and first identification information of the companion animal;
updating a walking route and a walking distance in the walking information according to a change in the first location information;
determining the validity of the walk information based on second identification information of the companion animal and second location information of the tag reader received by reading an electronic tag provided in the companion animal using a tag reader; and
When it is determined that the walking information is valid, the method comprising the step of registering the walking information as valid walking information. The method of claim 1,
The step of determining the validity is performed by determining that the walk information is valid when the first location information and the second location information correspond, and the first identification information corresponds to the second identification information. . The method of claim 1,
Further comprising the step of proposing at least one recommended walking route,
The recommended walking path is generated based on the first location information and the second location information. The method of claim 1,
Further comprising the step of paying a predetermined point based on the walking distance,
wherein said points can be used to purchase an item from a vending machine equipped with said tag reader. 5. The method of claim 4,
When the tag reader reads the electronic tag, the price information of the article presented by the vending machine is changed. As a companion animal walking management device,
at least one processor; and
a memory configured to store instructions executable by the at least one processor;
The processor generates the walking information of the companion animal based on the first location information of the user terminal and the first identification information of the companion animal by executing the instructions, and the walking information according to a change in the first location information update the walking route and walking distance in the , and read the electronic tag provided in the companion animal using a tag reader, and the walk based on the second identification information of the companion animal and the second location information of the tag reader The device determines the validity of the information, and when it is determined that the walking information is valid, registers the walking information as valid walking information. The walk management device for companion animals according to claim 6; and
and a vending machine that includes a tag reader that reads an electronic tag provided on the companion animal and sells predetermined items. 8. The method of claim 7,
The walking management system further comprising a user terminal transmitting location information and identification information of the companion animal. A computer program stored on a medium for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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