KR20230067061A - Apparatus, Method and Embedded system to set up user friendly functions based to block coding - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention proposes a technology related to a user-friendly function setting device, method, and embedded system using block coding. According to one embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for setting user convenience functions using block coding includes: a communication module for transmitting a web application access address to an external device using a wireless LAN operating as an access point (AP); a web server that sets a plurality of function blocks for implementing user convenience functions and distributes the set user convenience function blocks through a web application; a web application designed and driven by the web server and supporting a user interface; a block coding handler that combines user-friendly function blocks selected through the user interface, calls block coding including at least one instruction, and adjusts an operation execution sequence of the block coding; and a controller configured to perform device control corresponding to the user-friendly function block by executing the sequence-adjusted series of block coding.

Description

Apparatus, Method and Embedded system to set up user friendly functions based to block coding}

The present invention relates to a user-friendly function setting device, method, and embedded system using block coding.

An embedded system refers to a system-on-chip embedded system designed by optimizing hardware and software to perform a specific function. Embedded systems can be designed to control devices such as most electronic components, electronic devices, and home appliances.

An embedded system optimized to perform a specific function may be used to control various types of electronic devices. For example, a microcontroller unit (MCU) is easy to design, debug, and update firmware to perform circuit design and specific functions, so that it has flexibility and scalability in small electronic devices, and miniaturization and weight reduction of products. is easy to implement.

In general, embedded systems are often developed for each product to implement the functions of a specific product, and embedded systems are often mounted on small and lightweight electronic parts/devices. There are many cases in which mass production issues for products can influence the competitiveness of products. In particular, recently, there is fierce competition for embedded systems that can implement various functions while lowering the unit cost of the embedded system and giving the embedded system a minimum burden.

On the other hand, in order to implement functions desired by users in electronic parts/devices, MMI (Man-Machine Interface) for communication between human beings and machines is in the limelight. In the first generation of MMIs, mechanical components such as buttons, knobs, switches, speakers, microphones, and displays were used to receive user input. The 2nd generation MMI uses a kiosk method using a touch screen monitor. Recently, input through touch has become popular due to the spread of kiosks, etc., but in this case, only selection input is received from the user, and a series of functions cannot be implemented as a series or functions other than predetermined operations cannot be added. There are parts that lack flexibility.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a user-friendly function setting device, method, and embedded system using block coding.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems and advantages of the present invention that are not mentioned can be understood by the following description and more clearly understood by the embodiments of the present invention. It will be. In addition, it will be appreciated that the problems and advantages to be solved by the present invention can be realized by the means and combinations indicated in the claims.

A first aspect of the present disclosure is an apparatus for setting user convenience functions using block coding, comprising: a communication module for transmitting a web application access address to an external device using a wireless LAN operating as an access point (AP); a web server that sets a plurality of function blocks for implementing user convenience functions and distributes the set user convenience function blocks through a web application; a web application designed and driven by the web server and supporting a user interface; a block coding handler that combines user-friendly function blocks selected through the user interface, calls block coding including at least one instruction, and adjusts an operation execution sequence of the block coding; and a controller configured to perform device control corresponding to the user-friendly function block by executing the sequence-adjusted series of block coding.

A second aspect of the present disclosure is a method for setting user convenience functions using block coding, comprising: setting a plurality of function blocks for implementing user convenience functions; radiating radio waves including SSID information to surroundings through a wireless LAN; transmitting an index for web application access to the peripheral device when the peripheral device selects the SSID and accesses the wireless LAN; Distributing the set user convenience functional blocks through a web application; receiving a function block selection input from a user through a user interface in a web application; combining one or more functional blocks according to the input result and uploading them to a web server; calling block coding including at least one instruction corresponding to the uploaded functional blocks and adjusting an operation sequence of the block coding; and It is possible to provide a method including; executing a series of block coding in which the order is adjusted to perform device control in which a user convenience function is set.

A third aspect of the present disclosure is a wireless LAN that supports ad-hoc for operating in an AP mode and transmits a web application to a peripheral device in the AP mode; Firmware equipped with a web server that designs a web application and sets user convenience functions in functional block units through the web application and a block coding handler that combines instruction codes for implementing user convenience functions set through the web server; a memory for storing instructions for driving the firmware and a file system related to a web application; and a processor that loads the instructions stored in the memory and the file system related to the web application and performs device control in which the user convenience function is set.

In addition to this, another method for implementing the present invention, another system, and a computer readable recording medium storing a computer program for executing the method may be further provided.

If the device or embedded system of the present invention is used, mechanical parts such as buttons, novos, display windows, etc., which are existing 1st generation MMI hardware, or touch screens, monitors, etc., which are existing 2nd generation MMI hardware, are hardly needed. Therefore, the device or embedded system of the present invention can make the appearance of electronic parts/devices simple, and design a device controller that can simplify the appearance and increase product safety such as waterproof, moisture-proof, dust-proof, and flame-proof.

According to the device or embedded system of the present invention, since the user only needs to select a user-friendly function block that has already been set through a web server, the user can easily set up customized convenience functions without professional programming knowledge for function implementation. do.

Unlike IoT MMI, which requires access to the Internet as a client server and requires complex procedures related to Wi-Fi communication setup and security, the present invention utilizes a wireless LAN as an access point (AP) so that peripherals can access the present invention. The web application access address is directly downloaded through the wireless LAN of the user terminal, and the web application can be downloaded from the user terminal through the Internet or a web browser used by the user terminal. According to this, it is possible to implement user-customized functions in the apparatus or embedded system of the present invention with only a minimum of arithmetic processing.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, block coding is implemented through a web server installed in an embedded system, and thus, firmware updates for maintaining and managing a corresponding device or embedded system are easy. According to this, the apparatus or embedded system of the present invention has a remarkably improved effect in maintenance/repair.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a general-purpose and lightweight embedded system that can be used in various industries can be provided through a device or an embedded system, which can increase mass production and product utilization by lowering the unit cost of the product. .

1 is a block diagram of an apparatus for setting user convenience functions using block coding according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a flowchart of a user convenience function setting method using block coding according to another embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a structural diagram of an embedded system according to another embodiment of the present invention.
4 is an example of a watering controller using an embedded system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is an example of setting user convenience functions of the irrigation controller by providing a user interface in the form of an icon in the web application of the present invention.
6 is an example of a table for comparing and explaining the characteristics of a conventional MMI method in an irrigation controller and a device or an embedded system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is an example of setting block coding to implement the function for signboard control through the device or embedded system of the present invention.
8 is an example of an appearance of a device or an embedded system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Advantages and features of the present invention, and methods for achieving them will become clear with reference to the detailed description of embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented below, but may be implemented in a variety of different forms, and includes all conversions, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. . The embodiments presented below are provided to complete the disclosure of the present invention and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention to which the present invention belongs. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

Terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, the terms "include" or "have" are intended to designate that there is a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but one or more other features It should be understood that the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof is not precluded.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure may be represented as functional block structures and various processing steps. Some or all of these functional blocks may be implemented as a varying number of hardware and/or software components that perform specific functions. For example, functional blocks of the present disclosure may be implemented by one or more microprocessors or circuit configurations for a predetermined function. Also, for example, the functional blocks of this disclosure may be implemented in various programming or scripting languages. Functional blocks may be implemented as an algorithm running on one or more processors. In addition, the present disclosure may employ prior art for electronic environment setup, signal processing, and/or data processing, etc. Terms such as “mechanism,” “element,” “means,” and “composition” will be used broadly. It can, and is not limited to mechanical and physical giants.

In addition, connecting lines or connecting members between components shown in the drawings are only examples of functional connections and/or physical or circuit connections. In an actual device, connections between components may be represented by various functional connections, physical connections, or circuit connections that can be replaced or added.

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram of an apparatus for setting user convenience functions using block coding according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the device 10 for setting user convenience functions using block coding of the present invention includes a communication module 11, a web server 12, a web application 13, a block coding handler 14, a control unit ( 15) may be included.

The communication module 11 may transmit a web application access address (or index) to a peripheral device (or external device) using a wireless LAN operating as an access point (AP).

First, when the device 10 of the present invention is booted, the control unit 15 of the present invention may initialize the wireless LAN built in the device and set it to operate in the AP mode.

In general, in a home, a wireless LAN router or the like serves as a gateway, and a user terminal operates as a client server. However, in this case, small home appliances/devices may require complex settings such as communication settings (Wi-Fi passwords, etc.), security authentication, and encryption to use the Wi-Fi of the wireless LAN router.

In contrast, when the device 10 of the present invention operates a wireless LAN in AP mode, a user terminal (Ex: smart phone, remote controller, laptop, Wi-Fi router, PC, etc.) connects to a web application through the communication module 11 You can directly receive the related address, and unlike the conventional method, you can significantly reduce complicated settings such as communication settings, security authentication, and encryption.

For example, the communication module 11 radiates radio waves including SSID (Service Set Identifier) information to the surroundings through a wireless LAN, and when the peripheral device selects the SSID and accesses the wireless LAN, the peripheral device Indexes for web application execution can be transmitted. Peripheral devices can download web applications through the Internet or a web browser through the above index.

Since the device 10 of the present invention has a built-in web application, and the peripheral device can download the web application through the Internet or a web browser, the communication module 11 of the present invention directly accesses the Internet or the web browser. There is no need to do Accordingly, the communication module 11 of the present invention may be equipped with only the minimum module for user convenience function setting in a fairly simple and useful way.

On the other hand, the communication module 11 does not always need to be awake to search for peripheral devices, and through the wake-up button provided on the exterior of the device 10 of the present invention, the above communication module 11 only when the user presses the wake-up button wakes up and can perform peripheral discovery.

The web server 12 may set user convenience function blocks to which conditions for setting user convenience functions and device control functions are mapped, and distribute the set user convenience function blocks through the web application 13 .

Here, the functions of the web server 12 may be implemented through software embedded in the firmware of the device 10 . Meanwhile, the web server 12 may list control functions that can be performed by the device 10 and perform the following steps for user convenience setting.

For example, the web server 12 defines user convenience function blocks, sets a condition for triggering a user convenience function, designates a device control operation to be performed when the condition is satisfied, and a device control operation. It may include mapping instruction codes for performing to function blocks.

The web server 12 may set various user-friendly function blocks according to the product group on which the device 10 is to be installed. As an example, when explaining the implementation of the time scheduler-on/off function by block coding, the web server 12 defines a function block by designating a block code number, name, application range, etc. of the function block, and uses a trigger condition. A time is set (Ex: 07:00 start, 19:00 end), and as a control operation to be performed according to the set time, the device 10 is turned on from 07:00, and the device 10 is turned on from 19:00. ) can be specified.

Meanwhile, the web server 12 may have a user-friendly function block list suitable for the target product group. In this regard, the device 10 may use big data or artificial intelligence in advance to teach the web server 12 a process for setting user convenience functions. The web server 12 may have a number of user-friendly functional blocks, and optimize for the target product family by activating only some of the user-friendly functional blocks according to the target product family to which the device 10 is applied. can

The web application 13 may be designed and driven by the web server 12 embedded in the device 10 and support a user interface. In addition, the web application 13 can be accessed through the Internet or a web browser from an external device or terminal.

For example, the interface may provide a screen on which the user terminal supports an input means (keyboard, mouse, touch screen, etc.) in an input/output manner. For example, the user interface of the web application 13 may be expressed through icons or infographics that visually remind users of functional blocks, and may provide users with a format in which functional blocks for user convenience can be arbitrarily combined. there is.

For example, the web application 13 may include a Man-Machine Interface (MMI) capable of mutual communication between humans and machines through the web. At this time, the user interface may be graphically expressed to promote user use.

For example, the web application 13 may visualize definitions and descriptions of specific functional blocks through icons or infographics. According to this, the user can easily understand how to use the function block, and storytelling in which specific functions are selected as a series according to the user's needs can be implemented through the app application 13 above.

Meanwhile, the web application 13 may receive an input for selecting a function block from a user through a user interface. If services provided to humans by machines have been described above, humans (users) can also input inputs to select specific functions through the user interface.

At this time, the user's selection may be made per functional block unit, and when the user selects two or more plural function blocks, the function blocks can be selected according to the order or in an arbitrary combination without order if it is difficult to set the order. can

The web application 13 provides user convenience function blocks distributed by the web server 12 to the user (or external/peripheral devices) through a user interface, receives input of at least one function block selected by the user, and displays the input result. It can be uploaded to the web server 12.

The block coding handler 14 may combine user-friendly function blocks selected through the user interface included in the web application 13 to call block coding including at least one instruction, and adjust the order of performing block coding operations. . Here, block coding may refer to a series of program codes corresponding to at least one or more control functions. Among several function blocks selected by the user, there may be cases in which priorities are assigned or the order of performing operations needs to be adjusted. For example, the block coding handler 14 may distribute the selected functional blocks to a preparation queue, a waiting queue, and an execution queue in block units.

For example, the block coding handler 14 may schedule a task in consideration of the control function applied to the target product group by the device 10 and whether or not the control unit 15 processes program codes in parallel. At this time, the block coding handler 14 may distribute the work schedule in consideration of the amount of work when a plurality of processors in the device 10 or equivalent multitasking is possible.

The control unit 15 may execute a series of block codes ordered by the block coding handler 14 to perform device control in which user convenience functions are set. Here, the device 10 is designed as a target for which product? Accordingly, different user convenience functions can be set. As the present invention aims for a miniaturized and lightweight device controller, industrial applications in which the device 10 of the present invention can be used may be infinite.

For example, if an irrigation controller for watering plants at a set time is set as a target product group of the device 10 of the present invention, the device 10 allows the user to more easily select a user-friendly function required for irrigation control. The user interface can be optimized and designed to This will be further described with reference to FIG. 5 .

As another example, if the device 10 of the present invention is set as a target group of lighting devices for controlling lighting, the device 10 has a function for setting appropriate user convenience functions according to the situation, location, and purpose in which the lighting is used. Blocks can be provided to users. This will be described later with reference to FIG. 7 .

As another example, the present invention can utilize the device 10 of the present invention as an electric pad controller, noting that standards of appropriate temperature and humidity may vary from person to person. For example, the device 10 of the present invention receives an appropriate temperature and humidity range from a user through a web application, and uses sensing data received from various sensors included in the device 10 as a trigger to obtain the appropriate temperature, It is possible to perform electric pad control, in which user convenience functions are designed so that the humidity range can be maintained.

As another example, the device 10 of the present invention may be applied to a liquid handling robot that automatically performs a chemical experiment. For example, conventional PC-based software can use only functions defined by a manufacturer, and can code desired functions through scripts, but in this case, specialized personnel for coding are required. However, in the web application 13 according to an embodiment of the present invention, even a non-expert user can easily design a program using block-by-block function blocks, and reliability can be secured through a safety test for the program. The device 10 of the present invention can actively utilize the web application 13 for setting user convenience functions.

2 is a flowchart of a user convenience function setting method using block coding according to another embodiment of the present invention. The above method may be implemented by a user-friendly function setting device 10 using block coding, an embedded system 30, or a server capable of performing each step through a processor. The performance of each step by the device 10 is described below as a representative embodiment. For parts that are not specifically described for each step below, the description of the device 10 according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 may be applied.

In step 210, the device 10 may set a plurality of functional blocks for implementing user convenience functions. The web server of the device 10 may set conditions for setting user convenience functions and user convenience function blocks to which device control functions are mapped.

For example, the device 10 includes defining user convenience function blocks, setting a condition for triggering a user convenience function, designating a device control operation to be performed when the condition is satisfied, and a device control operation. It may include mapping instruction codes to be executed to functional blocks.

In step 220, the device 10 may radiate radio waves including SSID information to surroundings through a wireless LAN. For example, the device 10 may radiate radio waves including Service Set Identifier (SSID) information to surroundings through a wireless LAN.

Meanwhile, when the device 10 of the present invention is booted, the wireless LAN built in the device 10 may be initialized and set to operate in the AP mode. Here, the device 10 does not need to be always awake to search for peripheral devices, and is woken only when the user presses the wake-up button through the wake-up button provided on the exterior of the device 10 of the present invention to search for peripheral devices. can

In step 230, when the device 10 selects the SSID and accesses the wireless LAN, the device 10 may transmit an index for accessing the web application to the nearby device. For example, when a peripheral device of the device 10 selects an SSID and accesses a wireless LAN, the device 10 may transmit an index for executing a web application to the peripheral device. Peripheral devices can download web applications through the Internet or a web browser through the above index.

The device 10 of the present invention has a built-in web application, and peripheral devices can download the web application through the Internet or a web browser. According to this, the device 10 of the present invention does not need to directly access the Internet or a web browser. Accordingly, the device 10 of the present invention may be equipped with a minimum module for setting user-friendly functions in a very simple and useful way.

In step 240, the device 10 may distribute the set user convenience function blocks through a web application.

Meanwhile, the device 10 may set various user-friendly function blocks according to product groups to be loaded with the device 10 . As an example, when implementing the time scheduler-on/off function with block coding, the device 10 defines a function block by designating a block code number, name, application range, etc. of the function block, and sets the time scheduler as a trigger condition. is set (Ex: 07:00 start, 19:00 end), the device 10 is turned on from 07:00 as a control operation to be performed according to the set time, and the device 10 from 19:00 The operation to turn off can be specified.

Meanwhile, the device 10 may have a user-friendly function block list suitable for a target group. In this regard, the device 10 may learn a process for setting user convenience functions by using big data or artificial intelligence in advance. The device 10 may have a plurality of user-friendly function blocks, and optimization may be performed for the target product family by activating only some of the user-friendly functional blocks according to the target product family to which the device 10 is applied. there is.

In step 250, the device 10 may receive a function block selection input from the user through a user interface within the web application. Here, a web application may be designed and driven by a web server and support a user interface.

For example, the device 10 may include a Man-Machine Interface (MMI) capable of mutual communication between humans and machines through the web. At this time, the user interface may be graphically expressed to promote user use. For example, the device 10 may visualize definitions and descriptions of specific functional blocks through icons or infographics. According to this, the user can easily understand how to use the function block, and storytelling in which specific functions are selected as a series according to the user's needs can be implemented through the above app application.

Meanwhile, the device 10 may receive an input for selecting a function block from a user through a user interface. If services provided to humans by machines have been described above, humans (users) can also input inputs to select specific functions through the user interface.

At this time, the user's selection may be made per functional block unit, and when the user selects two or more plural function blocks, the function blocks can be selected according to the order or in an arbitrary combination without order if it is difficult to set the order. can

In step 260, the device 10 may combine one or more functional blocks according to the input result and upload them to the web server. The uploaded function block combination can be stored in memory as a web application system file.

In step 270, the device 10 may read block coding including at least one instruction corresponding to the uploaded functional blocks, and adjust an operation sequence of the block coding. Here, the device 10 may combine user-friendly function blocks selected through a user interface included in the web application, call block coding including at least one instruction, and adjust the order of performing block coding operations.

Here, block coding may refer to a series of program codes corresponding to at least one or more control functions. Among several function blocks selected by the user, there may be cases in which priorities are assigned or the order of performing operations needs to be adjusted.

For example, the device 10 may distribute the selected functional blocks to a preparation queue, a waiting queue, and an execution queue in block units. For example, the device 10 may schedule a task in consideration of the control function applied to the target product group by the device 10 and whether or not the control unit processes program codes in parallel. At this time, if a plurality of processors in the device 10 or equivalent multitasking is possible, the work schedule may be distributed in consideration of the amount of work.

In step 280, the device 10 may execute a series of block coding in which the order is adjusted to perform device control in which user convenience functions are set. The device 10 may execute a series of block codes ordered by a block coding handler to perform device control in which user convenience functions are set.

Here, the device 10 is designed as a target for which product? Accordingly, different user convenience functions can be set. As the present invention aims for a miniaturized and lightweight device controller, industrial applications in which the device 10 of the present invention can be used may be infinite.

3 is a structural diagram of an embedded system according to another embodiment of the present invention. The embedded system 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a wireless LAN 31 , firmware 32 , memory 34 , and processor 36 . The description of the device 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention may be applied to parts that are not specifically described for each configuration below.

First, the embedded system 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention is easy to implement the firmware 32 for performing a specific function, and has a CPU core and memory unprogrammable input/output ports. It can be implemented through a microcontroller unit).

Here, a web application refers to a system that allows users to view the same content on any terminal regardless of the type of terminal, such as a PC or smartphone, and based on HTML 5 (HyperText Markup Language 5), Data can be provided centered on content without being tied down.

The wireless LAN 31 supports ad-hoc for operating in the AP mode, and can transmit an index (or access address) of a web application to a peripheral device in the AP mode. Meanwhile, the wireless LAN 31 may be initialized in the AP mode by the firmware 32 . For example, when the embedded system (or MCU) is booted, the embedded system 30 may initialize the wireless LAN 31 communication to operate in the AP mode. This is not to connect to another device through the wireless LAN 31, but to become a gateway by itself and emit an SSID (wireless LAN identification ID) through the wireless LAN 31.

The user can turn on the smart phone or laptop and connect to the wireless LAN (identified by SSID) emitted by the embedded system (or MCU). Here, when a peripheral/external device is connected, the embedded system (or MCU) can assign a private IP address to the peripheral/external device and notify the IP address. Here, the user can access the embedded system by inputting the IP address of the embedded system through a web browser.

The firmware 32 is equipped with a web server that designs a web application and sets user convenience functions in functional block units through the web application, and a block coding handler that combines instruction codes for implementing user convenience functions set through the web server. can do. For example, the block coding handler may include a web server, a block coding editor, a block-script converter, a script queue (queue), a script executor, and the like.

For example, the firmware 32 may be divided into a part for initializing wireless LAN communication in AP (access point) mode, and a web server and block code handler part. Here, the firmware 32 may define functional blocks for user convenience through a web server. In addition, the block coding editor can set a condition for triggering a user convenience function and designate a device control operation to be performed when the condition is satisfied. The block-script converter converts user convenience function blocks into a source code form, so that the processor 36 can convert them into scripts that can be read. The converted scripts may be stored in the script queue (queue), and the scripts may be sequentially executed according to the order stored in the script queue (queue) by the script executor.

The memory 34 may store instructions for driving the firmware and a web application-related file system. Here, the memory may be a non-volatile flash memory, and if necessary, sectors of the flash memory may be divided, one sector may be loaded with firmware, and another sector may be used as a space for storing a web application-related file system.

The processor 36 may load the instructions stored in the memory and the file system related to the web application to perform device control in which user convenience functions are set. As an example, the processor 36 may be configured to process commands of a computer program by performing basic arithmetic, logic, and input/output operations. Instructions may be provided to the processor by memory 34 or a communication module. For example, the processor may be configured to execute instructions received according to program code stored in a recording device such as memory 34 .

The embedded system 30 can be utilized in various industries, and the following will describe embodiments applying the embedded system.

For example, referring to an example of implementing an electric pad controller through the embedded system 30 of the present invention, the human body has evolved to become accustomed to an environment in which external temperature changes during a sleeping period. For example, the temperature rises due to an increase in body temperature during sleep and gradually decreases at dawn. However, most product groups may not have a separate user interface other than a mechanical button that simply adjusts the temperature. These mechanical buttons perform only a role of setting a certain temperature, and in particular, there is no method for inputting a precise temperature curve as in the present invention.

In contrast, using the embedded system 30 of the present invention, it is possible to input and edit a desired temperature curve through a web app, and control the temperature of the electric pad according to the edited temperature curve. Since the size of the embedded system 30 of the present invention is very small, it can be sufficiently mounted with temperature control buttons like an electric pad, and does not require a separate display or additional button settings. In addition, the embedded system 30 of the present invention transmits the access address for accessing the web application to the user's smartphone when the user brings the smartphone near the electric pad, and the user accesses the web application through the smartphone , It is possible to set the user to adjust the temperature of the electric pad using the aforementioned temperature curve as a trigger through the user interface in the web application. According to this, in the case of cold winter, a smart electric pad that raises the temperature at the beginning of sleep and gradually lowers it at dawn can be implemented.

4 is an example of a watering controller using an embedded system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4 , the irrigation controller 40 using an embedded system may include an embedded system 30, an RTC module 41, a rainfall sensor 42, a relay 43, and a solenoid valve 44.

The RTC module 41 may count the time to be applied to the embedded system 30 in real time. By connecting a real time clock (RTC) module to the embedded system 30, it is possible to control the irrigation controller according to the change of date and time.

The rain sensor 42 may detect rain in an outdoor environment by incorporating a temperature/humidity sensor.

The embedded system 30 is electrically connected to the RTC module 41 and the rainfall sensor 42, so that time and rainfall state information can be obtained even in an outdoor environment. In addition, the embedded system 30 can implement the irrigation control functions that the user terminal 50 inputs through a web application by driving its own built-in firmware.

To this end, the embedded system 30 may include a web server, a block coding editor, a block-to-script converter, a script queue (queue), a script executor, and the like in the firmware 32 .

Meanwhile, the operation of the solenoid valve 44 can be controlled according to the source code in the script executor of the firmware 32 through the processor 36 in the embedded system 30 . Here, the solenoid valve may be an electromagnetic valve that opens and closes by the force of a magnetic field when electricity is supplied by winding a wire in a spiral shape.

The relay 43 may operate as a switch that connects the power supply and the embedded system 30 and turns on/off the output of the embedded system 30.

According to an embodiment, the irrigation controller 40 using an embedded system can control a sprinkler for home, landscaping, or agriculture, etc., and according to the irrigation control function specified by the user terminal 50, the user easily wants a spring Cooler control function can be implemented.

On the other hand, the user terminal 50 searches for the identification number (SSID) of the irrigation controller 40 using the embedded system through a short-range wireless network search such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and the user terminal 50 searches for the irrigation controller using the embedded system ( 40), a related web application can be executed through a web browser.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the user terminal 50 may select a watering control function through a web application.

If the user terminal 50 selects "On Time block", "Valve On/Off block", "On Sensor block", "Valfe On/Off block", etc. for irrigation control, the selected function block is embedded It can be uploaded to the web server managed by the system 30.

At this time, the embedded system 30 converts the source code corresponding to the function block selected by the user and executes the code to control user-customized irrigation such as “start at 9:00 am” and “open the valve for about 10 minutes”. function can be performed.

On the other hand, in setting the irrigation control function as described above, it is possible to differently set the operation of the function according to specific conditions. For example, if the user terminal 50 selects “On Sensor block” and “Valve On/Off block” for irrigation control, the embedded system 30 converts the source code corresponding to the function block selected by the user and , “When it rains”, “Lock the valve” function can be performed by executing the code.

Meanwhile, the user terminal 50 here means a communication terminal capable of using a web service in a wired/wireless communication environment. The user terminal 50 may be a user's personal computer or a user's portable terminal. Although the portable terminal is shown as a smart phone in FIG. 4, the spirit of the present invention is not limited thereto, and as described above, a terminal equipped with an application capable of internet communication may be borrowed without limitation.

5 is an example of setting user convenience functions of the irrigation controller by providing a user interface in the form of an icon in the web application of the present invention. Although the device 10 or the embedded system 30 of the present invention can be used in various industries, an example of a sprinkler (irrigation controller) that waters a lawn with a relatively simple operation will be described below.

First, the device 10 or the embedded system 30 of the present invention can implement a user interface by actively utilizing visualized data so that the user can intuitively understand. Referring to the upper drawing of FIG. 5 , a user interface provided through a web application may be provided by enumerating icons representing functional blocks. Icons can enable non-expert users to intuitively grasp related functions. In addition, when a user locates on a related icon through a user interface or clicks an icon, information about a function block definition, condition, trigger, related control function, etc. may be tagged or described.

Referring to the lower drawing of FIG. 5 , a user may select some function blocks through a user interface by clicking the above icon with a mouse or by dragging and dropping the above icon using a touch function of a smartphone.

As an example, looking at the functional blocks required for the irrigation controller, the first time setting-valve control functional block can be selected. The basic operation of the irrigation controller is to open the valve at what time to give water and close the valve at what time. For example, if you bring an ontype block, you can turn the valve on or off at a specific time. If you import the time setting block, you can specify the time.

And the user can additionally set the 2nd day of the week setting - watering limit/repeat function execution. For example, importing a skip block will stop the automatic operation on certain days of the week. For example, on Sundays, human operation can be set to stop automatic operation.

On the other hand, it is possible to select No. 3 bad weather-restricted function function. Here, if you bring the onsensor block, you can set it to stop working when the sensor detects rainwater.

Users can define their own functions by dragging a series of blocks displayed on the left, placing them on the work screen, and connecting them to each other. In addition, when a user selects a function block and presses an upload button, the corresponding block coding can be stored as a web application-related system file in the web server and flash memory.

6 is an example of a table for comparing and explaining the characteristics of a conventional MMI method in an irrigation controller and a device or an embedded system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The characteristics and advantages of the conventional MMI method and the device or embedded system of the present invention are compared with the irrigation controller as follows.

First, in the conventional MMI method, it is impossible for a user to define, modify, edit, or add a function. In the conventional MMI-type watering controller having a mechanical button, it seems that only timer setting was possible at most. Unlike this, the device or embedded system of the present invention can be set in various ways considering user convenience.

In addition, in the appearance of the device controller, in the conventional MMI method, buttons, display windows, or switches are often formed on the case. In this case, the structure of the exterior may naturally become complicated. Alternatively, the device or embedded system of the present invention may not require any additional interfaces that may impair the aesthetic function of the appearance.

For example, the device or embedded system of the present invention can control the irrigation controller in a sufficiently practical and stable manner through firmware or software without using a separate switch or button on the exterior of the device.

For example, in the conventional MMI method, it may be very difficult to set a function such as an automatic operation stop in case of rain because the embedded implementation is complicated to implement in the system. In contrast, the device or embedded system of the present invention can easily set the conditions related to the device control function through a web application compared to the conventional MMI method. Similarly, compared to the conventional MMI method, the present invention can set conditions for repetitive operations and communication operations.

Figure 7 is an example of setting block coding to implement the function for signboard control through the device or embedded system of the present invention. The control function of the signboard controller using the device or embedded system of the present invention can be set by the user in advance through the following block coding.

As an example, block coding 1 defines the control function as on-off, the condition is a time specified by the user, and the trigger turns on the lights starting at 19:00 every afternoon and turns off the lights starting at 23:00 every day. can If such a lighting control function is applied to a signboard controller, it is possible to set a user to repeat on/off at a specific time.

8 is an example of an appearance of a device or an embedded system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 8 , the appearance of the device or embedded system of the present invention may be referred to. In the present invention, since the device or embedded system receives input from the user through a web application, a separate button or display for this is not required.

However, a separate button may be added as shown in FIG. 8 to leave the device or embedded system of the present invention in a dormant state and wake it up when necessary.

Embodiments according to the present invention may be implemented in the form of a computer program that can be executed on a computer through various components, and such a computer program may be recorded on a computer-readable medium. At this time, the medium is a magnetic medium such as a hard disk, a floppy disk and a magnetic tape, an optical recording medium such as a CD-ROM and a DVD, a magneto-optical medium such as a floptical disk, and a ROM hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program instructions, such as RAM, flash memory, and the like.

Meanwhile, the computer program may be specially designed and configured for the present invention or may be known and usable to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of computer programs may include not only machine language codes generated by a compiler but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like.

According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be included and provided in a computer program product. Computer program products may be traded between sellers and buyers as commodities. A computer program product is distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (eg compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or through an application store (eg Play Store™) or between two user devices. It can be distributed (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) directly or online. In the case of online distribution, at least part of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created in a device-readable storage medium such as a manufacturer's server, an application store server, or a relay server's memory.

The steps constituting the method according to the present invention may be performed in any suitable order unless an order is explicitly stated or stated to the contrary. The present invention is not necessarily limited according to the order of description of the steps. The use of all examples or exemplary terms (eg, etc.) in the present invention is simply to explain the present invention in detail, and the scope of the present invention is limited due to the examples or exemplary terms unless limited by the claims. it is not going to be In addition, those skilled in the art can appreciate that various modifications, combinations and changes can be made according to design conditions and factors within the scope of the appended claims or equivalents thereof.

Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiments and should not be determined, and all scopes equivalent to or equivalently changed from the claims as well as the claims described below are within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. will be said to belong to

10: User convenience function setting device using block coding
11: communication module
12: Web server
13: Web application
14: block coding handler
15: control unit
30: embedded system
31: wireless LAN
32: Firmware
34: memory
36: processor
40: Irrigation controller using an embedded system
43: RTC module
42 Rain sensor
43: relay
44: solenoid valve
50: user terminal

Claims (7)

In the user convenience function setting device using block coding,
A communication module for transmitting a web application access address to an external device using a wireless LAN operating as an access point (AP);
a web server that sets a plurality of function blocks for implementing user convenience functions and distributes the set user convenience function blocks through a web application;
a web application designed and driven by the web server and supporting a user interface;
a block coding handler that combines user-friendly function blocks selected through the user interface, calls block coding including at least one instruction, and adjusts an operation execution sequence of the block coding;
and a control unit configured to execute the sequence-adjusted series of block coding and perform device control corresponding to the user-friendly function block. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication module,
radiating radio waves including SSID information to surroundings through the wireless LAN;
When the peripheral device selects the SSID and accesses the wireless LAN, the device transmits an index for executing a web application to the peripheral device. The method of claim 1, wherein the web server
defining the user-friendly function blocks;
setting a condition for triggering the user convenience function;
designating a device control operation to be performed when the condition is satisfied; and
mapping instruction codes for performing the device control operation to the functional blocks; An apparatus for setting the user convenience function blocks through According to claim 1,
The user interface may be expressed through an icon or an infographic that visually reminds the user of the function block, and provides the user with a format capable of arbitrarily combining the functional block for user convenience. The method of claim 1, wherein the control unit,
A device that executes the block code to control at least one of device on/off, scheduler, function restriction according to conditions, function enhancement according to conditions, and user communication. In the method for setting user convenience functions using block coding,
setting a plurality of functional blocks to implement user convenience functions;
radiating radio waves including SSID information to surroundings through a wireless LAN;
transmitting an index for web application access to the peripheral device when the peripheral device selects the SSID and accesses the wireless LAN;
Distributing the set user convenience function blocks through a web application;
receiving a function block selection input from a user through a user interface in a web application;
combining one or more functional blocks according to the input result and uploading them to a web server;
calling block coding including at least one instruction corresponding to the uploaded functional blocks and adjusting an operation sequence of the block coding; and
and performing device control in which a user convenience function is set by executing a series of block codings in which the sequence is adjusted. a wireless LAN that supports ad-hoc for operating in an AP mode and transmits a web application index to a peripheral device in the AP mode;
Firmware equipped with a web server that designs a web application and sets user convenience functions in functional block units through the web application and a block coding handler that combines instruction codes for implementing user convenience functions set through the web server;
a memory for storing instructions for driving the firmware and a file system related to a web application; and
and a processor that loads the instructions stored in the memory and the file system related to the web application and performs device control in which the user convenience function is set.

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