Method for measuring location of radio frequency identification reader by using beacon
The present invention relates to a method for measuring a location of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader by using beacons, and an RFID system for measuring a location of a moving RFID reader in an RFID system comprising: a plurality of beacon devices for emitting beacons; an RFID tag for transmitting pre-stored information by using radio frequency identification; and an RFID reader for calculating a current location using a plurality of at least three beacons wherein the RFID reader receives the plurality of beacons from the plurality of beacon devices while moving, and receiving the information from the RFID tag by using the radio frequency identification. According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the accuracy of the location measurement of a moving RFID reader in an RFID system because the location of the RFID reader is measured in consideration of propagation environments.
1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) system for measuring a location of an RFID reader by using a beacon, the system comprising:
a plurality of beacon devices, each of which is fixed at a reference location and configured to create a database of information about signal intensities to distances by measuring signal intensities of the beacon according to distance based on a propagation environment and emit the beacon which includes information about the reference location of each beacon device and the information about signal intensities to distances from each beacon device; and
an RFID reader configured to receive the beacon from each of the plurality of beacon devices, measure a signal intensity of each received beacon, determine a distance from each beacon device by analyzing the measured signal intensity on the basis of the information about signal intensities to distances included in the received beacon and to calculate a current location thereof by using both the information about the reference location and the determined distance from each beacon device,
wherein the RFID reader calculates the current location through a triangulation method using the reference location of each beacon device and the determined distance from each beacon device.
2. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the RFID reader receives the plurality of beacons from at least three beacon devices among the plurality of beacon devices.
3. The system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein, when receiving the plurality of beacons from said at least three beacon devices, the RFID reader calculates the current location by using three beacons having relatively higher signal intensities among the plurality of beacons.
4. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the RFID reader calculates a pre-moving location and a post-moving location, and calculates a speed and a direction from the pre-moving location to the post-moving location.
5. The system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the RFID reader measures a movement time from the pre-moving location to the post-moving location, calculates a distance from the pre-moving location to the post-moving location, and then calculates a ratio of the distance to the time as the speed.
6. The system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the RFID reader calculates the direction by calculating a vector from the pre-moving location to the post-moving location.
7. A method for calculating a current location of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader in an RFID system by using a beacon of a beacon device in a plurality of beacon devices each of which is fixed at a reference location and configured to create a database of information about signal intensities to distances by measuring signal intensities of the beacon according to distance based on a propagation environment and emit the beacon which includes information about the reference location of each beacon device and the information about signal intensities to distances from each beacon device, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) receiving a plurality of beacons from the plurality of beacon devices;
(b) measuring signal intensities of the plurality of beacons; and
(c) determining distances from the plurality of beacon devices by analyzing the measured signal intensities on the basis of the information about signal intensities to distances included in the plurality of received beacons; and
(d) calculating the location of each beacon device by using the reference locations of the plurality of beacon devices and the determined distances in step (c) from the plurality of beacon devices.
8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , where step (c) comprising the steps of:
(c1) identifying information about the reference locations of the plurality of beacon devices, which is included in the plurality of beacons, by analyzing the plurality of beacons; and
(c2) calculating the location through a triangulation method using the reference locations of the plurality of beacon devices and the determined distances from the plurality of beacon devices.
9. The method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising, after step (c), the steps of:
(d) moving the current location to a next location; and
(e) calculating a moving speed and a moving detection from the current location to the next location.
10. A method for calculating a current location of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a beacon at the RFID reader from each of at least three beacon devices disposed near the RFID reader, each beacon including first information about a reference location of each beacon device and second information about signal intensities to distances from each beacon device;
retrieving at the RFID reader the first information and the second information from each received beacon;
measuring at the RFID reader a signal intensity of each received beacon;
determining at the RFID reader a distance from each beacon device by analyzing the measured signal intensity on the basis of the retrieved second information; and
calculating at the RFID reader the current location by using both the retrieved first information about the reference location and the determined distance,
wherein the each beacon device has a database of information about signal intensities to distances by measuring signal intensities of the beacon according to distance based on a propagation environment.