RU2571915C2 - Household item search and direction-finding system - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: radio engineering, communication.

SUBSTANCE: system comprises a search unit, 1-N search labels and a radio link, wherein the search unit comprises a keyboard with 1-N keys, a microcontroller, a modulator, a direction finder and an acoustic channel, and the search label comprises a demodulator, an activator with a HF generator, an emitter and a power supply. The microcontroller includes custom software in which 1-N code transfers, corresponding to the number of search labels, are recorded, and the demodulator of each search label is pre-tuned to its code transfer.

EFFECT: enabling search of the required label from a plurality of labels attached to a search object.

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Description

The invention relates to radio engineering, and in particular to devices for detecting household objects using high-frequency radio waves.

It is preferable to use it to detect household items at home for the visually impaired, then the disabled user.

The common problem of finding such objects by people with disabilities is the difficulty of finding, this is done “to the touch” if the disabled person knows approximately where the item is located, for example, the keys to the entrance doors, they are near the doors on a shelf (bedside table) or hang near the doors. If the item is not known where, for example, the radio headphones, and the disabled person does not remember where he left them: bedroom, kitchen, living room, etc., then the problem of finding them is almost insoluble.

A known system, including a special device for reading "talking books", at least one tag, made with the possibility of placement on the object, an audio signaling device, placed in tifloplayer, a system for receiving / transmitting a signal over a communication channel, including a receiver, placed in the label, and a transmitter located in a special device for reading “talking books”, see http: //www.bones/pages/eng/products/milestone312.html.

The known system has the function of identifying objects. The system for receiving / transmitting a signal over a communication channel contains an integrated radio frequency identification (RFID) reader. The label is placed on the object that needs to be identified, scanned with a special device for reading speaking books with RFID, and a voice message identifying the object is recorded on the tifloplayer. Further, when the mark fixed on the object is approached to a special device for reading “talking books” at a distance of 0-4 centimeters (the manufacturer recommends that the Tifloplayer touch the mark), a special device for reading talking books identifies the mark and reproduces the recorded for this mark with an audible warning device voice message.

The disadvantage of the known system is that in order to identify an object it must first be found, which is difficult or practically impossible for people with visual impairments if the place where it was put is forgotten, or the object was moved without the knowledge of a blind person, or, for example, fell off the table. Also, when using this system, it is difficult for a visually impaired user to find a tag already attached to the item if the item has a complex shape or large dimensions, for example, items of clothing (suit, dress, coat, etc.).

The closest analogue adopted for the prototype is the object detection system, which includes interconnected receiver and transmitter of the signal through the communication channel, an audible alarm, interconnected with the receiver, and a sound alarm control body interconnected with the transmitter (patent RU No. 112444, July 28, 2011 , published on January 10, 2012).

The inventive system is designed to detect one object - the remote control of the TV, and cannot be used to search for any object necessary for the consumer.

In addition, in the known object detection system use devices rarely used by visually impaired and blind users.

Another disadvantage is the low mobility of the known system, because it allows you to search for an object only in the room where the TV is installed.

The technical task of the proposed system is to increase the accuracy of determining the azimuth of search tags by applying the technical solution to the search by min emitted signal of the search tag.

To solve this problem, a search and direction finding system for household items is proposed, consisting of a search unit and a search tag 1-N, characterized in that the search unit contains a keypad with 1-N buttons, a microcontroller, modulator, direction finder and acoustic channel with the following connections: the output of the keyboard for setting the number of 1-N tags is connected to the microcontroller, the output of which is connected to the input of the modulator, the output of which is the electrical output of the search unit, the input is the input of the second radio channel connected to direction finder antenna, the output of which is connected to the acoustic unit, which is the acoustic output of the search unit; the search tag contains a demodulator, an activator with an RF generator, a radiator and a power source with the following connections: the demodulator input is connected to the first radio channel, the demodulator output is connected to the activator input with an RF generator, the output of which through the radiator is the tag output and the input of the second radio channel; a search unit modulator and a search mark demodulator are connected by a unidirectional first radio channel, and a search mark emitter and a direction finder of a search unit are connected by a second unidirectional radio channel; the output of the power source is directly connected to the power bus, and with the emitter labels through the activator; as a keyboard, it is preferable to use a standard push-button telephone dialer. The system is illustrated by an electrical block diagram, which shows: 1 - search block, 2 - search tag, 3 - modem (modulator - demodulator), 4 - microcontroller (MS), 5 - modulator (MOD), 6 - demodulator (DM), 7 - power source (for example, a battery), 8 - activator with an RF generator, 9 - emitter, also the first master and second search radio channels, A1 and A3 - transmitting antennas, A2 and A4 - receiving antennas, acoustic channel, task keyboard 1 -N tags.

The power source of the search unit and its communication are not conventionally shown.

The search and direction finding system has the following connections. The search unit 1 and the search tag 2 are connected to each other through the modem 3 by the first unidirectional radio channel, which is the master, are also connected by the second unidirectional radio channel, which is the search.

Search block 1 has the following connections. A keyboard 1-N is connected to the MC4, which sets the number of the block to be searched for, the output of the MC4 through the modulator 5 of the modem 3 and the transmitting antenna A1 forms the first setting radio channel - this is the electrical output of the search unit 1, its electrical input is the input of the second search radio channel through the receiving antenna A4, which through the direction finder 10 is connected to the acoustic unit 11, the output of the latter is through the acoustic channel the sound output of the search unit.

Search tag 2 has the following connections. The input of the first master radio channel through the receiving antenna A2 is connected to the input of the demodulator 6, the output of which is connected to the first input of the activator-generator 8, the output of the activator-generator 8 through the emitter 9 is loaded on the transmitting antenna A3, which is connected to the input of the second search radio channel; the output bus of the power supply 7 is connected directly to the power bus of the demodulator 6, and to the power bus of the activator-generator 8 through its second input.

The system operates as follows.

Using the keypad 1-N of the search block, the number of the search block is entered, which is entered in MC4, the last one, through the code unique to this number, sets the code message and enters it into MOD5. Modulator 5 transmits this code at a frequency f = 0.4 MHz through the first master RC to DM6, which decodes it and with this signal enters activator 8 into the active state (before that it was in the off state - the power was blocked), the RF generator is excited at a frequency f = 1.5-2.0 GHz, and through the emitter 9 and through the second search RC, this frequency falls on the direction finder 10. The user (not shown in the diagram) smoothly rotates the construct of search block 1 itself, looking for a minimum of sound through the acoustic channel . The position of the search unit 1 at this moment (its front panel) is directed to the desired search item.

The direction is found, it remains to find the subject, for which the user, without turning off the search unit 1, approaches the sound minimum to find it. Search block 1 is turned off. The power supply 7 in label 2 never turns off, and DM6 is in standby mode and consumes a minimum of current, activator 8 is generally turned off and turns on only when a signal appears on the output of DM6, i.e. if one of the 1-N numbers matches the label number.

The system operates at a minimum signal, which is much more convenient, because when working to the maximum, the top of the signal is quite flat and therefore the bearing is rather vague. Strictly speaking, there is practically no absolute zero of sound due to various spurious connections, but it is still quite small.

This system is also good because if a visually impaired person does not even hear in one ear, then it doesn’t matter, because two ears are needed for a person to determine the bearing of the target by ear, in this case the bearing determines the device, and the volume value serves only for tuning. Another advantage of the system is that the search can be carried out bypassing various obstacles, such as a table, after which it is easy to tune to the bearing again.

The design of the search unit is best built on the principle of a radiotelephone, i.e. the search unit is located on a stand, always fixed in one place, and is removed only for the duration of the search, after which the unit is turned off and replaced. If, after three to five minutes (or more at the request of the user), the unit is not turned on and / or not put in place, then the unit emits a buzzer, reminding the user of its forgetfulness.

Codes from 1 to N are written to the microcontroller, and they are decrypted by DM6 in the decoder, and the corresponding activator 8 is turned on, which includes the sound emitter 9 (1N) of the corresponding label, see, for example, a similar Panasonic DECT system on the website www.panasonic.ru under the name "Panasonic KX-TG7851 RUH No. 1 in the world", in which using this phone you can find four items. Disadvantage: the label simply rings, and the direction is searched by ear, it is not indicated. In our case, the direction is indicated by the min signal with an error of the order of 5-10 ° in azimuth.

Claims (4)

1. The search and direction finding system for household items, consisting of a search unit, 1-N search tags and a radio channel, characterized in that the search unit contains a button keyboard of 1-N buttons, a microcontroller, modulator, direction finder and acoustic channel with the following connections: output the keyboard for setting the number of 1-N search marks is connected to a microcontroller, the output of which is connected to the input of the modulator, the output of which through the first master radio channel is the output of the search unit, the input is the output of the second search radio channel, soy Inonii a direction finder antenna, whose output is connected to the acoustic unit is an acoustic output of the search block; the search tag contains a demodulator, an activator with an RF generator, a radiator and a power source with the following connections: the demodulator input is connected to the first master radio channel, the demodulator output is connected to the activator input with an RF generator, the output of which through the radiator is the tag output and the input of the second search radio channel ; moreover, the microcontroller incorporates special software in which 1-N code messages corresponding to the number of search tags are recorded, and the demodulator of each search tag is pre-configured for its code package. 2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the search unit modulator and the search mark demodulator are interconnected by the unidirectional first search radio channel, and the search mark emitter and the direction finder of the search unit are interconnected by the second unidirectional radio channel. 3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the output of the power source is directly connected to the power bus of the demodulator, and to the emitter of the label through the activator. 4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is preferable to use a standard push-button telephone dialer as the keyboard for setting 1-N tags.