KR20090083644A - RFID reader and RFID reading system that notifies user of receiving tag information through vibration - Google Patents

Abstract

An RFID reader and an RFIF reading system which informs tag information reception through the vibration of a vibrator so that a user easily recognize a tag information reception are provided to inform tag information reception to the user by generating the vibration in receiving the tag information. A receiver(140) converts RF(Radio Frequency) signal received through an antenna into baseband signal. The receiver outputs the transformed signal. A processor(150) receives the baseband signal. The processor is generated the control signal in response to the received baseband signal. A vibration unit(170) informs the user of the tag information reception by generating vibration in response to the control signal. A vibration device power unit provides the electricity of the crystal device for the crystal device.

Description

Raid Frequency IDentification reader and RFID reading system informing user of receiving tag information by vibration

The present invention relates to a radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, and more particularly, to an RFID reader and an RFID reading system for informing a user of receiving tag information through vibration.

RFID, or radio frequency identification technology, was developed in the mid-20th century and used in inventory management and supply chain management in the late 1990s. RFID refers to a method of identifying an individual product using frequency.

RFID technology recognizes information stored in an RFID tag through an RFID reader, and the RFID tag stores various tag information in a rewritable memory. Such tag information may include various information such as advertisements, events, etc., as well as purchase information on goods or articles with RFID tags.

Recently, RFID technology is applied in various industries such as process management, SCM, access control, logistics, warehouse management, retail business, library and rental shop management, transportation fee payment, non-cash payment, medical field, amusement park and event business, security and hospitality. Its utilization is skyrocketing.

In a general RFID system, an RFID reader informs a user of tag information through light flickering, sound, and a reception indication on a display screen. In an industrial site with high ambient noise, an RFID system user has difficulty in recognizing tag information by sound, and a human body RFID system user has difficulty in recognizing tag information through vision.

Therefore, there is an increasing demand for an RFID reader and an RFID reading system that can be easily recognized by a user even when used in an industrial site with heavy ambient noise or attached to a human body.

Accordingly, a technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to provide an RFID reader and an RFID reading system that enables a user to easily recognize tag information reception even in an environment in which it is difficult to check whether tag information is received.

An RFID reader for achieving the above technical problem includes a receiver, a processor, and a vibration unit. The receiver converts an RF signal received through an antenna into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal. The processor receives the baseband signal and generates a control signal in response to the received baseband signal. The vibration unit notifies the user of tag information by generating vibration in response to the control signal.

The vibrating unit may include a vibrating element power supply unit and a vibrating element, and the vibrating element power supply unit supplies power for driving the vibrating element to the vibrating element in response to the control signal. The RFID reader may further include a display unit configured to receive the tag information and to display the received tag information on a screen.

An RFID reading system for solving the technical problem includes an RFID reader and a vibrator. The RFID reader includes a first receiver, a processor, a transmitter, and a first antenna. The first receiver converts the RF signal received through the first antenna into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal. The processor receives the baseband signal and generates a control signal in response to the received baseband signal.

The transmitter receives the control signal, converts the received control signal into an RF signal having a predetermined frequency, and outputs the first signal. The first antenna transmits the RF signal. The RFID reader may further include a display unit configured to receive the tag information and to display the received tag information on a screen.

The vibrator receives the RF signal from the first antenna and generates vibration in response to the received RF signal to inform the user of receiving tag information. The vibrator includes a second antenna, a second receiver, and a vibrator. The second antenna receives the RF signal transmitted from the first antenna, and the second receiver converts the RF signal received through the second antenna into the control signal and outputs the converted control signal.

The vibration unit generates a vibration in response to the control signal output from the second receiver to inform the user of receiving tag information. The vibrating unit includes a vibrating element power supply unit and a vibrating element, and the vibrating element power supply unit supplies power for driving the vibrating element to the vibrating element in response to the control signal.

As described above, the RFID reader and the RFID reading system according to the present invention have an effect that the user can easily recognize the tag information reception even in an environment in which it is difficult to check whether the tag information is received.

In order to fully understand the present invention, the operational advantages of the present invention, and the objects achieved by the practice of the present invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and the contents described in the accompanying drawings.

In the present specification, when one component 'transmits' data or a signal to another component, the component may directly transmit the data or signal to the other component, and at least one other component. Through this means that the data or signal can be transmitted to the other component.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an RFID system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the RFID system includes a tag 50, an RFID reader 100, and a host 150.

The tag 50 is attached to a product to store predetermined data, that is, tag information. The tag information may include various information such as advertisements, events, etc., as well as purchase information on a product or an article to which an RFID tag is attached.

The RFID reader 100 is connected to the host 150 (for example, a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a mobile phone, etc.) to perform data communication, and transmits the RF signal transmitted from the tag 50 using a radio frequency communication method. Based on the tag information is recognized.

2 is a block diagram illustrating an RFID reader 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the RFID reader 100 includes an antenna 110, a coupling unit 120, a transmitter 130, a receiver 140, a receiver 140, a processor 150, a display unit 160, and Vibration unit 170 is included.

The antenna 110 receives a radio frequency (RF) signal including tag information from the tag 50, and the combiner 120 receives the RF signal received through the antenna 110. 140 or an RF signal output from the transmitter 130 to the antenna 110.

The coupling part 120 is to prevent interference between the transmitter 130 and the receiver 140 and may be implemented as a circulator or a directional coupler.

The receiver 140 converts an RF signal received through the antenna 110 output from the combiner 120 into a baseband signal and outputs the baseband signal. The baseband signal may include tag information. The processor 150 receives the baseband signal and generates a control signal CS in response to the received baseband signal. That is, the processor 150 generates the control signal CS when receiving the tag information included in the baseband signal.

The vibration unit 170 generates vibration in response to the control signal CS to notify the user of tag information. The vibrator 170 may include a vibrating device power supply 172 and a vibrating device 174. The vibrating element power supply unit 172 supplies power to the vibrating element 174 to drive the vibrating element 174 in response to the control signal CS. Then, the vibration device 174 generates vibration based on the power supplied from the vibration device power supply 172.

As described above, since the RFID reader 100 notifies the user of the tag information reception through the vibration, the user of the RFID reader 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention has an ambient noise that is difficult to recognize the tag information reception by sound. Receiving tag information can be easily recognized even in severe industrial sites. In addition, a user of an RFID reader having difficulty in recognizing tag information reception through vision can easily recognize tag information reception through vibration.

The display unit 160 receives the tag information and displays the received tag information on a screen. The display unit 160 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD) device or an organic electroluminescent display (OELD) device.

3 is a block diagram illustrating an RFID reading system 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the RFID reading system 200 includes an RFID reader 100 ′ and a vibrator 170 ′. The RFID reading system 200 separates the vibrator 170 of the RFID reader 100 of FIG. 2 into a separate vibrator 170 ′.

Since the components having the same reference number between them have the same structure and function, among the components of the RFID reading system 200 of FIG. 3, the components having the same reference number as the components of the RFID reader 100 of FIG. Detailed descriptions of the components will be omitted and the description will be given based on the differences between the two.

Referring to FIG. 3, the RFID reader 100 ′ includes a first antenna 110, a first receiver 140, a processor 150 ′, and a transmitter 130. The RFID reader 100 'converts an RF signal received through the first antenna 110 into a baseband signal and outputs the baseband signal, and the processor 150' receives the baseband signal and receives the received baseband signal. The control signal CS is generated in response to the band signal.

The transmitter 130 receives the control signal CS, converts the received control signal CS into an RF signal having a predetermined frequency, and outputs the RF signal. The first antenna 110 outputs the RF signal. Send.

The vibrator 170 ′ receives the RF signal from the first antenna 110 and generates vibration in response to the received RF signal to notify the user of tag information. The vibrator 170 ′ includes a second antenna 176, a second receiver 178, and vibrators 172 and 174.

The second antenna 176 receives the RF signal transmitted from the first antenna 110, and the second receiver 178 receives the RF signal received through the second antenna from the control signal CS. And convert it to). The vibration units 172 and 174 generate vibration in response to the control signal CS output from the second receiver 178 to notify the user of tag information. Since the structures and functions of the vibration units 172 and 174 are the same as those of the vibration unit 170 of the RFID reader 100 of FIG. 2, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The vibrator 170 ′ may have a structure that may be attached to a portion of the human body (for example, a wrist or a belt). When the user of the RFID reading system 200 attaches the vibrator 170 to a part of the human body and performs an RFID reading operation, the RFID reader 100 ′ does not generate vibration even during the RFID reading operation. Therefore, the user of the RFID reading system 200 can perform the RFID reading operation more easily.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a process of notifying a user of receiving tag information by the RFID reader 100 and the RFID reading system 200 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the process will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4.

The antenna 110 of the RFID reader 100 and the first antenna 110 of the RFID reading system 200 receive an RF signal transmitted from an RFID tag (S10). The combiner 120 outputs the received RF signal to the receiver 140 of the RFID reader 100 and the first receiver 140 of the RFID reading system 200.

The receiver 140 of the RFID reader 100 and the first receiver 140 of the RFID reading system 200 convert the received RF signal into a baseband signal and output the converted RF signal (S20). The processor 150 of the RFID reader 100 and the processor 150 'of the RFID reading system 200 receive the baseband signal and generate a control signal CS based on the received baseband signal. (S30).

The vibration element power supply unit 172 of the vibration unit 170 of the RFID reader 100 supplies power for driving the vibration element 174 to the vibration element 174 in response to the control signal CS, The vibration device generates vibration based on the power supplied from the vibration device power supply unit 174 (S40).

In the case of the RFID reading system 200, the vibration unit 172 and 174 to generate a vibration in response to the control signal (CS) (S40) is the transmitter 130 responds to the control signal (CS) Generating an RF signal having a predetermined frequency, the first antenna 110 transmitting the RF signal, and the second antenna 176 receiving the RF signal transmitted from the first antenna 110. The second receiver 178 further includes converting the RF signal into the control signal CS and outputting the converted control signal CS.

Although the invention has been described with reference to one embodiment shown in the drawings, this is merely exemplary, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an RFID system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a block diagram illustrating an RFID reader according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a block diagram illustrating an RFID reading system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a process of notifying a user of receiving tag information by an RFID reader and an RFID reading system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (7)

A receiver for converting a radio frequency (RF) signal received through an antenna into a baseband signal and outputting the baseband signal; A processor that receives the baseband signal and generates a control signal in response to the received baseband signal; And A RFID reader (Raido Frequency IDentification reader) including a vibration unit for informing the user to receive tag information by generating a vibration in response to the control signal. The method of claim 1, wherein the vibrating unit, A vibrating element power supply unit and a vibrating element, And the vibrating element power supply unit supplies electric power for driving the vibrating element to the vibrating element in response to the control signal. The method of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader, And a display unit configured to receive the tag information and to display the received tag information on a screen. An RFID reading system comprising an RFID reader and a vibrator, The RFID reader, A first receiver converting an RF signal received through the first antenna into a baseband signal and outputting the baseband signal; A processor that receives the baseband signal and generates a control signal in response to the received baseband signal; A transmitter which receives the control signal, converts the received control signal into an RF signal having a predetermined frequency and outputs the RF signal; And A first antenna for transmitting the RF signal, The vibrator, Receiving the RF signal from the first antenna and generating a vibration in response to the received RF signal to notify the user of the tag reading RFID reading system. According to claim 4, The vibrator, A second antenna for receiving the RF signal transmitted from the first antenna; A second receiver converting the RF signal received through the second antenna into the control signal and outputting the control signal; And And a vibration unit generating vibration in response to the control signal output from the second receiver to inform the user of receiving tag information. The method of claim 5, wherein the vibrating unit, A vibrating element power supply unit and a vibrating element, And the vibrating element power supply unit supplies electric power for driving the vibrating element to the vibrating element in response to the control signal. The method of claim 4, wherein the RFID reader, And a display unit for receiving the tag information and displaying the received tag information on a screen.

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