KR100929248B1 - Apparatus and method for location tracking in portable terminal. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a position tracking device and method executable in a portable terminal, the position tracking device for tracking the position of the subject using the portable terminal, the position tracking device is an operation unit, an output unit, a memory, a directional antenna A transmitter for transmitting a radio signal to the RFID tag through the directional antenna, a receiver for receiving the radio signal from the RFID tag, a signal strength detector for detecting the strength of the radio signal received through the receiver, and a power to the RFID tag A tag communication unit including a power transmitting unit for transmitting a number, and outputting a list of a plurality of RFID tags to an output unit, calling at least one RFID tag selected through an operation unit through a transmitting unit, and receiving a response signal from the called RFID tag. Signal strength received through and calculating the strength of the response signal detected by the signal strength detector It characterized by a control unit comprising chulbu and obtaining the signal strength information to parts of the signal strength information output section for outputting to the outside.

Description

Apparatus and method for tracking location executable in portable terminal}

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for tracking a location that can be executed in a portable terminal, and more particularly, to a technology capable of identifying a location of an RFID tag-attached target using a portable terminal.

Radio frequency identification (RFID), or wireless recognition technology, is a contactless recognition system that uses a small semiconductor chip to transmit information about an object and its surroundings. The initial purpose of RFID began with the informatization of animal breeding. RFID leaders such as the United States, Finland, and the Netherlands have developed and used RFID technology for automatic identification of animals for a long time. In Korea, RFID has rapidly developed into a contactless IC card that has been used as a transportation card since the mid-1990s, and has been widely applied to industries such as logistics, industrial automation, textiles, and games.

In addition, RFID is being extended to households where we live, such as apartment parking lot management systems. The apartment parking lot is a management system that recognizes whether the apartment residents are cars by adopting the FRID technology so that the entrance of the parking lot can be opened and parked only when the apartment residents are cars. As such, RFID, which is widely used in an application field for recognizing and discriminating an object, is applied and used for tracking the position of an object.

Meanwhile, the modern people living in the digital society are changing rapidly and their ways of thinking are changing rapidly. As such, modern people rely on various digital products to adapt to and share information in a rapidly changing environment in order to meet people and live their lives in a rapidly changing society. For example, modern people possess and use mobile phones, MP3s, laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), play station portables (PSPs), digital cameras, and the like to collect and share information. Such various products have become indispensable elements for modern people, and accordingly, products are becoming smaller and lighter to be easy to carry and use by modern people.

However, as modern people living in such a digital society rely on various digital products to adapt to the fast social environment, products are easily lost. In addition, as digital products are gradually miniaturized and lightened, modern people can easily lose various kinds of small and light digital products, which can cause inconvenience to work or life. Accordingly, as described above, the location of various digital products, necessities, and important items can be easily identified using RFID to solve a problem that users may cause inconvenience in their work or life.

On the other hand, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the prior art titled "Location tracking method using a portable terminal having an RFID reader function" disclosed in Korea Patent Publication No. 2007-135653 as a technology for tracking the position of an object, animal or human There is this. However, the prior art has a problem in that the user does not know exactly the position of the object to be searched because all the tags existing within the recognizable range react. That is, when a tag is called, the selected tag cannot be called because it follows a general tag recognition method, and thus, the response signals of all surrounding tags are received, and it is not practical to measure the distance from the received signal strength to a specific tag. Do. In addition, there is a problem that the convenience is inferior in the method for informing the user to recognize the distance to the tag.

The present invention is to solve such a problem, exposed to risks that can be lost using frequently, or important but often do not remember the location left unused, or difficult to find with the naked eye immediately in the house or warehouse By attaching the RFID tag to the user, the object is to provide a user can easily identify the location of the object.

Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to prevent the loss of an object moving like a pet, as well as the position of the object used by the user.

Furthermore, an object of the present invention is not only to provide a location in the size of a voice, but also to determine the location of an object to be found by visually confirming the location of the object to be searched through a camera.

Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to provide a visual function by manufacturing various accessories such as a sticker form or a key ring form in a portable terminal as well as a functional part of simply finding a position of an object.

The above technical problem is achieved by the characteristic aspects of the present invention described below. In the position tracking device for tracking the position of the object using the portable terminal according to the present invention, the position tracking device transmits a radio signal to the RFID tag through the operation unit, the output unit, the memory, the directional antenna, the directional antenna A tag communication unit including a transmitter, a receiver for receiving a radio signal from an RFID tag, a signal strength detector for detecting the strength of a radio signal received through the receiver, a power transmitter for transmitting power to an RFID tag, and an output Outputting a list of a plurality of RFID tags to the unit, calling at least one RFID tag selected through the operation unit through the transmission unit, receiving a response signal from the called RFID tag through the reception unit, and a response detected through the signal strength detection unit Signal strength calculation unit for calculating the signal strength, and signal strength information to obtain the signal strength information and output it to the outside Output is characterized in that a control unit including a.

According to this aspect of the present invention, the user can easily find the position of the object to be searched through the portable terminal by using the position tracking device.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the control unit may further include a tag registration unit that registers a new RFID tag as a search target tag.

According to this aspect of the present invention, a user can add to a list of previously registered RFID tags by attaching a new RFID tag to a new arbitrary object and giving a name associated with the object to the new RFID tag.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the position tracking device further comprises a camera for photographing the front, the directional antenna has a directivity to the camera focus, the control unit in synchronization with the RFID tag call and signal strength calculation operation of the signal strength calculator The method may further include an image tracking unit for capturing an image through a camera and searching for an image frame of a moment in which the intensity of the response signal calculated by the signal intensity calculator is among the captured image frames.

According to this aspect of the present invention, the portable terminal outputs the calculated response signal strength as an image as well as audio, so that the user can easily determine the position of the object to be searched for.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the directional antenna and the tag communication unit is provided as a dongle that is an external device of the portable terminal, the control unit is implemented as a program module that is executed in the portable terminal, the dongle is connected to the terminal when connecting the program module to the portable terminal And a dongle control unit including an automatic upload unit and a program storage unit in which an operating program and a program module are stored.

According to this aspect of the present invention, the dongle-type device is manufactured in various accessories (Accessory) in the form of a sticker or key ring in the portable terminal, thereby enhancing the visual effect.

The location tracking device and method executable in the portable terminal according to the present invention attaches an RFID tag to an arbitrary object, and when the user sends out the RFID signal using the location tracking device executable in the portable terminal, the RFID tag receives the portable and Send a response signal to the location tracking device of the terminal. Accordingly, the portable terminal having the position tracking device outputs a response signal as a voice through a speaker and displays the position of the object to be found through the liquid crystal. Accordingly, the user can easily and easily find the lost object. In addition, the present invention has an effect that can prevent the pet is lost by attaching the RFID tag to pets raised at home.

In addition, the present invention can be produced in a variety of accessories in the form of stickers or key chains on the portable terminal can enhance the visual effect.

The foregoing and further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following examples. Hereinafter, with reference to the preferred embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily understand and reproduce.

1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an apparatus for tracking a location executable in a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to a characteristic aspect of the present invention described above, the position tracking device using a portable terminal is a control unit 100, output unit 200, memory 300, directional antenna 400, tag communication unit 500, control unit ( 600), camera 700. The manipulation unit 100 may be a simple key button, and through the manipulation unit 100, a user may select an RFID tag attached to a search target. The output unit 200 may be configured of, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) and / or a speaker. That is, the user may check the location of the RFID tag attached to the search target by voice and video using the location tracking device of the portable terminal. The memory 300 may be one or a plurality of memories such as an SD card, a hard disk, a RAM, and a flash, and all the information of the RFID tag is stored.

 Here, the RFID tag information includes unique ID information and name information of a target to which the RFID tag is attached. The directional antenna 400 is configured to transmit / receive an RFID tag according to a request of the tag communication unit 500 to be described later. Such a directional antenna 400 is an antenna designed to radiate hard waves in a specific direction or to particularly receive radio waves from a specific direction.

The tag communication unit 500 transmits a radio signal to the RFID tag to be tracked through the directional antenna 400 described above, and receives a response signal accordingly. The tag communication unit 500 includes a transmitter 510, a receiver 530, a signal strength detector 550, and a power transmitter 570. The transmitter 510 is configured to transmit a radio signal to the RFID tag of the location tracking object through the directional antenna 400 when the location request information of the object to be tracked is received from the controller 600 to be described later through the manipulation unit 100. . The receiver 530 is configured to receive a response signal from an RFID tag that receives wireless signal transmission information through the transmitter 510. The signal strength detector 550 detects the strength of the response signal received through the receiver 530. The signal strength detection unit 550 detects the signal strength according to the difference between the position of the location tracking device and the RFID tag target and transmits the signal strength information to the controller 600 to be described later.

The signal strength detection unit 550 is preferably implemented as a circuit for displaying the strength of a signal called RSSI (Received signal strength indicator). The power transmitter 570 transmits power to the RFID tag. As the power transmitter 570 transmits power to the RFID tag through the power transmitter 570, the RFID tag may transmit a response signal to the receiver 530. The control unit 600 may be a microprocessor operated by a control program, and controls the overall respective components of the location tracking device. The controller 600 may control the respective components as shown in FIG. 2.

2 is a detailed configuration diagram of a control unit according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the controller 600 includes a signal strength calculator 610, a signal strength information output unit 630, and an image tracker 650. The signal strength calculator 610 outputs a list of a plurality of RFID tags to the output unit 200, and if at least one RFID tag is selected from the output list of the RFID tags through the operation unit 100, The selected RFID tag is called through the transmitter 510.

The signal strength calculator 610 reads a list of searched RFID tags stored in the memory 300 and outputs the list to the output unit 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Accordingly, the user may select a target to be found through the manipulation unit 100.

For example, when a user requests an RFID tag call of a search target, the signal strength calculator 610 outputs a list of search target RFID tags stored in the memory 300 to the output unit 200. Thereafter, the user selects, among the leases of the RFID tags output to the output unit 200, the RFID tag to be searched through the operation unit 100. Accordingly, the signal strength calculator 610 calls the RFID tag selected by the user through the transmitter 510.

According to another embodiment, when a user requests an RFID tag call to be found, the signal strength calculator 610 calls all RFID tags registered in the portable terminal through the transmitter 510. Then, when the RFID tag information in response to the call is received through the receiver 530, the RFID tag information in response to the call is output to the output unit 200. Thereafter, the user selects, through the operation unit 100, an RFID tag related to a target to be searched among the RFID tag information output to the output unit 200. Accordingly, the signal strength calculator 610 calls the RFID tag selected by the user through the transmitter 510.

Thereafter, the signal strength calculator 610 receives a response signal from the called RFID tag through the receiver 530. In addition, the signal strength calculator 610 receives the strength of the response signal detected by the signal strength detector 550 and calculates the response signal strength. In this way, the calculated response signal strength is calculated according to the distance difference between the location tracking device and the RFID tag attached to the location tracking object. For example, as the distance difference between the RFID tag attached to the location tracking object and the location tracking device increases, the response signal strength value will increase.

The signal strength information output unit 630 is configured to receive the response signal strength information calculated from the signal strength calculator 610 and to output the position of the target to be searched by the user through the location tracking device. The signal strength information output unit 630 includes an audible sound output unit 631 and a time display unit 633. The audible sound output unit 631 is configured to convert the calculated response signal strength into an audible sound and output the same through an audio output device such as a speaker. The time display unit 633 is configured to display the calculated response signal strength as visual information. The time display unit 633 overlaps an image captured by the image tracker 650 to be described later and outputs the image. In this case, the visual information indicates a location of the tracking target as a target mark, and the user can easily grasp the location of the tracking target by visually displaying the target mark on the captured image.

On the other hand, the position tracking device according to the present invention further includes a camera 700 for photographing the front, the control unit further includes an image tracking unit 650. The image tracker 650 captures an image through the camera 700 in synchronization with the operation of calculating the RFID tag call and response signal strength of the signal strength calculator 610. Thereafter, the image tracker 650 searches for the image frame at the moment when the intensity of the response signal calculated by the signal strength calculator 610 is the largest among the frames of the captured image. When the image frame of the moment at which the response signal has the greatest intensity is obtained, the image tracking unit 650 transmits the acquired image frame to the visual display unit 633. Accordingly, the time display unit 633 outputs an image by overlapping the image frame obtained from the image tracker 650 with the target mark.

For example, when the call information of the selected RFID tag is transmitted through the directional antenna 400, the portable terminal simultaneously captures an image of the same direction as that of the directional antenna 400 through the camera 700. Thereafter, the image tracker 650 searches for frames of the captured image in correspondence with the calculated response signal strength, thereby acquiring an image frame of the instant at which the calculated response signal has the greatest intensity. As such, the image frame may be obtained because the directional antenna 400 has directivity as the focal point of the camera. That is, since the direction in which the directional antenna 400 transmits / receives the RFID tag and the direction photographed by the camera 700 are the same, the intensity of the calculated response signal and the image played are corresponded, and the intensity of the calculated response signal. Can obtain the image taken at the largest moment.

As such, the user can easily grasp the position of the object to be searched through the size of the audible sound and the visually displayed image.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the controller 600 includes a tag register 670 that registers a new RFID tag as a search target tag. Such a tag registration unit 670 significantly reduces the transmission power so that only the RFID tag of the close range can be recognized when registering a new tag by the user. Accordingly, only new RFID tags to which all RFID tags are registered without recognizing transmission power can recognize the transmission power and thus easily process tag registration. When the new RFID tag registration is completed, the tag registration unit 670 stores the new RFID tag information in the memory 300. The control unit 600 is preferably implemented as a program module executed in the portable terminal.

Meanwhile, according to the additional aspect of the present invention as shown in FIG. 3, the aforementioned directional antenna and tag communication unit may be provided in the form of a dongle which is an external device of the portable terminal.

3 is a detailed block diagram of the dongle according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the dongle 800 includes a directional antenna 400, a tag communication unit 500, a dongle control unit 810, and a program storage unit 830. Detailed description of the directional antenna 400 and the tag communication unit 500 has been described above, and will be omitted below. The dongle control unit 810 includes an uploading unit 811. When the dongle control unit 810 is connected to the portable terminal, the dongle control unit 810 interfaces with the control unit 600 configured as a program module, and the uploading unit 810 is connected to the portable terminal. Control automatic upload.

The upload unit 810 is configured to upload programs stored in the program storage unit 830 of the dongle 800 so that they can be executed in contact with the portable terminal. The program storage unit 830 is configured to store an operating program for operating the dongle 800 and a program module for interfacing with the portable terminal. Accordingly, when the dongle 800 is in contact with the portable terminal, the operating programs configured in the dongle 800 may be linked with the operating program of the portable terminal to process the registration of a new RFID tag and a location of a target that the user wants to find.

Hereinafter, a method of tracking a location of an object using a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4. 4 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a location tracking method executable in a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

According to the user's request, the portable terminal outputs all RFID tag lists stored in the memory on the screen (S100), and the user selects an RFID tag of a target to be searched among the RFID tag lists output on the screen (S200). Thereafter, the portable terminal transmits a signal for calling the selected RFID tag through the directional antenna (S300). Accordingly, when the response signal is received from the selected RFID tag, the portable terminal calculates the signal strength from the received response signal (S400). The calculated response signal strength is calculated corresponding to the distance difference between the location tracking device and the RFID tag attached to the location tracking object. For example, as the distance difference between the RFID tag attached to the location tracking object and the location tracking device increases, the response signal strength value will increase.

Thereafter, the intensity of the calculated signal is converted into information that the user can recognize and output to the outside (S500). As such, the information that can be recognized by the user is audible sound information having a volume or information that visually displays the calculated signal strength, and the information is configured so that one or both can be recognized by the user. For example, the calculated response signal strength is converted into an audible sound through the audible sound output unit and processed to be output to the speaker of the portable terminal, and outputs an audible sound having a volume proportional to the calculated response signal strength.

In addition, the portable terminal displays the calculated signal strength as visual information and processes it to be output as an image. Accordingly, the user can grasp the location information of the searched object as the volume level of the audible sound output from the speaker using the portable terminal, and outputs the calculated signal strength as an image of a bar in the image, Identify location information. In this case, the visual information indicates a location of the tracking target as a target mark, and the user can easily grasp the location of the tracking target by visually displaying the target mark on the captured image.

Meanwhile, when the call information of the selected RFID tag is transmitted through the directional antenna, the portable terminal simultaneously captures an image in the same direction as that of the directional antenna through the camera (S600). Thereafter, the portable terminal matches the frames of the captured image with the calculated response signal strength, so as to obtain an image frame of the instant when the intensity of the calculated response signal is greatest (S700). As such, the image frame can be obtained because the directional antenna has directivity as the focal point of the camera. That is, since the direction in which the directional antenna transmits / receives with the RFID tag and the direction in which the camera captures the image is the same, the intensity of the calculated response signal and the image played are corresponded, and the image is captured at the moment when the intensity of the calculated response signal is the greatest. The acquired image can be obtained. For example, a user captures an image within a certain range through an image search mode using a camera provided in a portable terminal and presses an end button. While the image capturing starts and ends, the portable terminal with the directional antenna receives a response signal from the requested RFID tag and calculates the strength of the response signal. The image frame corresponding to the photographed image and the calculated response signal are acquired to obtain the image frame of the point where the response signal has the largest calculated value.

Thereafter, the portable terminal superimposes the target mark generated with visual information on the obtained image frame. Accordingly, the user can check the position of the object to be searched through the portable terminal as visually displayed image information. As another example, the user may check the position of the object to be searched through the image automatically captured through the automatic image capturing mode of the camera provided in the mobile terminal and the corresponding response signal strength.

Thereafter, the obtained image frame is output as an image by overlapping the generated target mark. In this way, the user can easily find the location of the searched object through the audio and video output from the speaker of the portable terminal and the LCD.

On the other hand, the user can register a new RFID tag by selecting at least one or more of the small-shaped object that is frequently used or easy to lose. Such a method of registering a new RFID tag is achieved according to an additional aspect of the present invention as shown in FIG.

5 is a detailed flowchart of a new RFID tag registration method according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, the new RFID tag registration method is a method of attaching a new RFID tag to a new object and registering information related to the new RFID tag to a location tracking device. This is not limited to any one of the steps of finding the target to which the above-described RFID tag is attached, and it is preferable to perform the step of registering a new RFID tag.

The location tracking device receives tag information from the new RFID tag (S10). Here, the tag information preferably includes a unique ID of the RFID tag. When the information including the unique ID from the new RFID tag is received at the location tracking device, the user inputs a name that can be identified to the new RFID tag using the portable terminal, and transmits the name to the new RFID tag through the location tracking device ( S20). Accordingly, the new RFID tag is given a unique name, and the new RFID tag includes ID information and name information of the object to which the RFID tag is attached. Thereafter, the portable terminal completes new RFID tag registration by storing new RFID tag information and assigned name information in a memory. In this way, the user can determine the location of the object by attaching a new RFID tag to the object to which the RFID tag is not attached.

So far I looked at the center of the preferred embodiment for the present invention.

Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention may be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered in descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. The scope of the present invention is shown in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the scope will be construed as being included in the present invention.

1 is a block diagram schematically showing a location tracking device executable in a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a detailed configuration diagram of a control unit according to the present invention;

3 is a detailed configuration diagram of the dongle according to the present invention,

4 is a flowchart schematically showing a location tracking method executable in a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a detailed flowchart of a new RFID tag registration method according to the present invention;

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

Control panel: 100 Output section: 200

Memory: 300 Directional Antenna: 400

Tag Communication unit: 500 Transmitter: 510

Receiver: 530 Signal strength detector: 550

Power transmission unit: 570 control unit: 600

Signal strength calculation unit: 610 Signal strength information output unit: 630

Audible output: 631 Time display: 633

Video tracker: 650 tag register: 670

Dongle: 800 dongle control unit 810

Upload unit: 811 Program storage unit: 830

Claims (11)

A location tracking device for tracking a location of an object using a portable terminal, the location tracking device comprising: A camera for photographing the front; A directional antenna having directivity as a focal point of the camera; A transmitter for transmitting a radio signal to the RFID tag through the directional antenna, a receiver for receiving a radio signal from the RFID tag, a signal strength detector for detecting the strength of the radio signal received through the receiver, and the RFID tag A tag communication unit including a power transmitting unit for transmitting power to the apparatus; Outputting a list of a plurality of RFID tags to an output unit according to a user's request for calling a RFID tag, calling at least one RFID tag selected from a list of a plurality of RFID tags output to the output unit through an operation unit, through the transmission unit; A signal strength calculator configured to receive a response signal from the called RFID tag through the receiver and to calculate the strength of the response signal detected by the signal strength detector, and to acquire the signal strength information and output the signal to the outside The image is captured by the camera in synchronization with the intensity information output unit, the RFID tag call and the signal strength calculation operation of the signal strength calculator, and the intensity of the response signal calculated by the signal strength calculator is obtained from the image frames. A controller including an image tracker searching for an image frame of the largest instant; A location tracking device executable in a portable terminal comprising a. delete The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal strength information output unit comprises: An audible sound output unit for outputting the calculated signal strength as an audible sound; A visual display unit displaying the calculated signal strength as visual information; A location tracking device executable in a portable terminal comprising a. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal strength calculator comprises: And a list of RFID tags to be searched stored in the memory for reading and displaying the list. The method of claim 4, wherein the control unit: A tag registration unit that registers a new RFID tag as the search target tag; Position tracking device executable in the portable terminal, characterized in that it further comprises. The method of claim 5, wherein the tag registration unit: When the new tag is registered, the location tracking device executable in the portable terminal, characterized in that the transmission power is significantly reduced so that only the RFID tag of the close range can be recognized. The method of claim 1, wherein the directional antenna and the tag communication unit: It is provided as a dongle which is an external device of a portable terminal, The control unit is implemented as a program module executed in a portable terminal, The dongle is: A dongle control unit including an upload unit to automatically upload the program module to the terminal when the program module is connected to the portable terminal; A program storage unit for storing an operating program and the program module; A location tracking device executable in a portable terminal comprising a. A method of tracking a location of an object performed by a portable terminal including a camera photographing the front and tracking a location of an object to be searched using RFID tag information: a) outputting, by the portable terminal, a list of RFID tags to a screen according to a user's request; b) the portable terminal transmitting a call signal through a directional antenna to call an RFID tag selected from a user among a list of RFID tags output on the screen; c) when the portable terminal receives a response signal from the RIFD tag transmitting the call signal through the directional antenna, calculating a signal strength from the received response signal; d) converting, by the portable terminal, the strength of the calculated signal into information that can be recognized by the user and outputting the information to the outside; e) photographing, by the camera, a direction image of the directional antenna of the directional antenna having directivity as the focal point of the camera photographing the front while the operation of the step b) to the step d) is performed by the portable terminal; ; f) repeating the steps b), c), d), and e) by the portable terminal to display an image corresponding to the instant when the intensity of the calculated signal is maximum among the images photographed by the camera on the screen; ; A location tracking method executable in the portable terminal comprising a. The method of claim 8, wherein the method is: Registering, by the portable terminal, a new RFID tag as a search target tag; Registering the new RFID tag as a search target tag by the portable terminal Requesting and receiving new RFID tag information; Naming the new RFID tag; Storing the given new RFID tag information in a memory; A location tracking method executable in the portable terminal comprising a. The method of claim 8, wherein step d) comprises: Outputting, by the portable terminal, an audible sound having a volume proportional to the calculated signal strength; Or one or both of visually displaying the calculated signal strength. delete

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