TWI396518B - Intelligent cabinet system - Google Patents

Description

Smart cabinet system

The invention provides a smart cabinet system, in particular a cabinet system constructed by combining radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.

Home cabinets usually hold a lot of items, which are side by side and stacked. Large objects may be easily found when they are opened, but smaller items are often obscured by other objects. In particular, when there are a lot of items stacked, it is often necessary to rummaging through the cabinets while searching, but still can't find the desired items, or simply do not know what items are placed or stored in the cabinet. Moreover, although the traditional cabinet can use the handwritten label to mark the internal items, when the item has a lifting action, it needs to be changed on the spot, which is quite inconvenient in searching and management.

Today's electronic article surveillance system (EAS, Electronic Article Surveillance) is equipped with an RFID memory capacity of only one bit. It can only be used to determine whether items are in or out, and it is impossible to know the information of the item itself. Storage management of different items.

The present inventors have produced the present invention in view of the fact that the conventional cabinet has only a storage function and lacks information for providing internal storage items, and has been carefully researched and designed. Accordingly, the main object of the present invention is to provide a smart cabinet system having the function of instantly displaying items stored in the interior of the cabinet, so that the searching and management of the cabinet items are quite convenient. Moreover, the cabinet can be passed through. Microcomputer system and the use of network communication combined with digital home systems to achieve the search for cabinet items and Viewing can save you more time and effort, and thus give the cabinet furniture a higher added value.

A smart cabinet system constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet, a plurality of radio frequency (RFID) tags, a radio frequency (RFID) reader, a screen, and a microcomputer system; the cabinet has a compartment inside Or a drawer for accommodating a plurality of articles, the cabinet having an outer side; each RFID tag being disposed on a corresponding item in the cabinet; the RFID reader being mounted in a compartment or drawer of the cabinet and having a signal a reader and an antenna, the signal reader can transmit an RF signal to detect an RFID tag in the cabinet, and the antenna can receive the RFID tag signal; the screen is disposed on an outer side of the cabinet; the microcomputer The system is coupled to the RFID reader and the screen such that item information on the RFID tag detected by the RFID reader can be displayed on the screen.

In one embodiment, the drawer has a front panel and a bottom panel, and the RFID reader is mounted on the bottom panel of each drawer, the screen being disposed on the outer surface of the front panel of the cabinet. The microcomputer system is preferably a network-enabled microcomputer system.

Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from

10‧‧‧Cabinet system

12‧‧‧Cabinet

14‧‧‧RFID tags

16‧‧‧RFID reader

18‧‧‧ screen

20‧‧‧Microcomputer system

22‧‧‧Drawers

24‧‧‧ Items

26‧‧‧ front board

28‧‧‧floor

30‧‧‧Data Server

32‧‧‧PC host

34‧‧‧Internet

36‧‧‧Signal reader

38‧‧‧Antenna

The first figure shows a perspective view of a smart cabinet system constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

The second figure shows a side view of one of the drawers of the smart cabinet system of the first figure, which contains a plurality of items.

The third figure shows a schematic diagram of the smart cabinet system of the present invention being connected to a remote data server through a network interface module.

The invention can be implemented in a variety of different forms. The preferred structure of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and not by way of limitation, and reference to the accompanying drawings Smart cabinet System 10, the cabinet system 10 includes a cabinet 12, a plurality of radio frequency (RFID) tags 14, at least one radio frequency (RFID) reader 16, at least one screen 18, and at least one microcomputer system 20. The cabinet 12 has a plurality of compartments therein or a drawer 22 for receiving a plurality of articles 24, each drawer 22 having a front panel 26 and a bottom panel 28.

The number of RFID tags 14 are individually incorporated into a corresponding article 24 or package of the article 24 contained within the cabinet 12. Each RFID tag 14 records the digital identification code of the combined article 24, and the identification code is pre-stored in the RFID tag 14; or the RFID tag 14 can communicate via the network via the microcomputer system 20 or its own memory card. Store the device to update the identification code and item information of the corresponding configuration.

The RFID reader 16 is mounted in each compartment or inside each drawer 22 of the cabinet 12. In the present embodiment, the RFID reader 16 is mounted on the bottom plate 28 of each drawer 22 so that the RFID reader 16 can adjust the power according to the height and avoid interference between the upper and lower layers. The RFID reader 16 has a signal reader 36 and an antenna 38. The signal reader 36 can transmit an RF signal to detect the RFID tag 14 on each item 24, and the antenna 38 can receive the RFID tag 14. Signal. In one embodiment, the RFID reader 16 is a high power reader and has a large external antenna board such that the RFID tag 14 readable by the RFID reader 16 can be increased.

The screen 18 is attached to the outer surface of the panel 26 prior to the cabinet 12 for viewing by the user. The microcomputer system 20 is coupled to the RFID reader 16 and the screen 18, so that the item information on the RFID tag 14 detected by the RFID reader 16 can be displayed on the screen 18 for the user to understand. The item information in the cabinet 12.

The smart cabinet system 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention displays the information of the articles 24 in the cabinet 12 on the screen 18 by the arrangement of the RFID tag 14 and the RFID reader 16, so that the user can easily understand the cabinet 12. Item 24 information, greatly improved the disadvantages of having to open the cabinet 12 in the past and look for it one by one. Specifically, the cabinet system 10 is identified by an RFID tag 14 attached to the interior item 24 of the cabinet 12, and the same RFID reader 16 can be read using anti-collision techniques. The information of all the RFID tags 14 in the drawer 22 or the compartments in the cabinet 12 is integrated and displayed on the screen 18, so that the user can know the contents 24 of the cabinet 12 from the screen 18 without flipping. News.

Referring to the third figure, it is shown that the smart cabinet system 10 of the present invention can further transmit the information of the articles 24 in the cabinet 12 to the remote data server 30 through the network interface module for searching, querying and updating the RFID. For the use of the label 14; and, when there are many cabinets 12 in the space (the third figure shows three cabinets including cabinets A, B, C, etc. and cabinet A contains cabinets one, two, three), and does not require a cabinet Pick up a cupboard for enquiries. That is, the microcomputer system 20 of the cabinet system 10 can be connected to the home data server 30 through network communication, so that the search management and viewing of all items in the home is more time-saving and labor-saving. Moreover, the data server 30 can be electrically connected to the PC host 32 and the Internet 34 to increase data integration functions, and can be queried using a PDA or a mobile phone.

The smart cabinet system 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention can also be applied to a closet or wardrobe, that is, to incorporate an RFID tag 14 on the garment, and an RFID reader 16 is positioned at a suitable location in the closet or closet to identify the RFID tag. The state of the clothes of 14 and the display of the screen 18 at the cabinet door for displaying the internal clothes can be easily inquired individually. Furthermore, the smart cabinet system 10 can also be applied to a general library book cabinet, that is, an RFID reader 16 is disposed on the bottom of the book cabinet, and a screen 18 is disposed on the surface of the cabinet to display the catalogue of the book, and then combined with the network. Management can improve the efficiency of readers' search for books and the convenience of library management. In addition, the smart cabinet system 10 can also be applied to the trunk to reduce the need to forget whether important items are carried when leaving the door or to forget to put them in the box.

In the implementation of the cabinet system 10 according to the present invention, if a new item is placed in the cabinet 12, the corresponding configuration of the RFID tag 14 can be updated by the microcomputer system 20 via a network communication or a storage device such as a memory card. Identification code and item information, so that the newly added item information can be displayed immediately. Moreover, if an item is removed from the cabinet 12, it can be interpreted by the RFID reader 16 so that the information of the item can be immediately disappeared from the screen 18, which improves the traditional need for additional recording tubes. The shortcomings of management. Therefore, the present invention has achieved the intended design goals and effects.

The present invention has been described with respect to the specific embodiments thereof, and the various features and modifications of the present invention are apparent. Therefore, obvious substitutions and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art and are still within the scope of the claimed invention.

10‧‧‧Cabinet system

12‧‧‧Cabinet

16‧‧‧RFID reader

18‧‧‧ screen

20‧‧‧Microcomputer system

22‧‧‧Drawers

26‧‧‧ front board

28‧‧‧floor

36‧‧‧Signal reader

38‧‧‧Antenna

Claims (5)

A smart cabinet system comprising: a cabinet having a plurality of drawers therein for receiving a plurality of items, each drawer having a front panel and a bottom panel; and a plurality of radio frequency (RFID) tags, each of which is incorporated in the cabinet One of the corresponding items; a plurality of radio frequency (RFID) readers respectively mounted on each of the bottom plates, and each of the radio frequency readers has a signal reader and an antenna having a height-adjustable power, the signal The reader can transmit an RF signal to detect the RFID tag, and the antenna can receive the signal of the RFID tag. The receiving signal of the antenna has directivity, the direction of the directivity is upward, and the antenna can receive the antenna. An RFID tag signal in the drawer; a screen disposed on an outer surface of the front panel; and a microcomputer system coupled to the RFID reader and the screen such that the RFID detected by the RFID reader The item information on the label is displayed on the screen. The smart cabinet system of claim 1, wherein the drawer has a front panel and a bottom panel, and the RFID reader is mounted on a bottom panel of each drawer, the screen being installed in front of the cabinet On the outer surface of the board. The smart cabinet system according to claim 2, wherein the microcomputer system updates the identification code and the item information corresponding to the RFID tag via a network communication or a storage device such as a memory card. For example, the smart cabinet system described in claim 3, wherein the microcomputer system is a network-enabled microcomputer system. The smart cabinet system of claim 4, wherein the microcomputer system transmits the information of the contents of the cabinet to the remote data server through the network interface module.