RFID tag installation system using a vehicle and a method thereof

The present invention relates to a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag installation system using a vehicle and method thereof. The REID tag is installed on the road to provide a driver with position information and road information such as speed limit, road name. etc in his or her traveling region. By using our present invention, RFID tag can be installed with small manpower in a short time. The system uses two CCD cameras, two GPS receivers, an INS and a DMI, and includes: a vehicle position and yaw extractor by using the two GPS receivers; orientation extractor for the vehicle by using INS, a GPS/INS/DMI integrator for GPS outage and for INS error correction; two cameras interior/exterior orientation extractor for the CCD cameras; a target position extractor for finding 3-dimensional coordinates; a road information storage for supplying road information such as a speed limit and a route number of a road; an REID tag writer for inputting the information obtained from the target region position extractor and the road information storage; and an REID tag installer for attaching the REID tag on the road.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag installation system using a vehicle and method thereof. RFID tag installation system of the present invention consists of a) two charge coupled device (CCD) cameras, b) two global positioning system (GPS) receivers, c) an inertial navigation system (INS), d) a distance measurement instrument (DMI), and e) an RFID tag writer and a tag installer. The system of the present invention acquires 3-dimensional coordinates (position) and road information, and stores them in a RFID tag in real time or a post-processing stage and then, RFID tag is installed on the road.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, in the RFID technique, a radio frequency is used to check entrance of men and something, position and classification of groups. A conventional RFID system employs a reader, a tag and a computer or other equipment that can process data. The reader receives a specific data from the tag, converts the data into a digital signal, verifies the converted digital signal and sends normal data to a computer or any other controller.

In the RFID technique, a user does not have to directly contact to a tag to recognize data or connect a connection cable to directly operate the conventional RFID system. It is the advantage of the RFID technique that such direct manipulations are not required.

Since no nonmetallic bodies shield electromagnetic waves, the reader can read data on the tag without failure even though the tag is hidden in a body or by bodies.

The RFID tag is installed on the road to supply driver's current position and road information to driver. Besides, the driver's position is sent for traffic situation analysis to the Traffic Control Center though wireless network installed in the vehicle.

Most of all, in order to input the position and road information to the RFID tag and install the RFID tag on the road, a measurement process to obtain precise position information is performed. It requires a lot of manpower and time

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an RFID tag installation system using a vehicle and method thereof that substantially obviates problem due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an RFID tag installation system using a vehicle and method thereof, which make it possible to install a RFID tag by only a few people in a short time. The RFID tag supplies precise position and road information. In order to realize the system and method of the present invention, used in the vehicle equipped with two CCD cameras, two GPS receivers, an INS, a DMI, an RFID tag writer and a tag installer. The vehicle obtains 3-dimentional coordinates and road information of RFID tag installed region in appearing images in real time, and stores them in a RFID tag to install the a RFID tag on the road.

To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the system includes: An RFID tag installation system using two CCD cameras, two GPS receivers, an INS, a DMI and a sensor synchronizer, being installed inside and outside of a vehicle, the system comprising:a vehicle position (x, y, z) and yaw extractor by using the two GPS receivers;an orientation (position, attitude) extractor for the vehicle by using INS;a GPS/INS/DMI integrator for GPS outage and for INS error correction in real time or in a post-processing stage;a camera interior/exterior orientation extractor for estimating lens distortion, focal length, principle point, and orientation of the CCD camera;a target position extractor for finding 3-dimensional coordinates of a road in which the RFID tag is installed;a road information storage for providing road information such as a speed limit and a rout number of a road in which the RFID tag is installed;a RFID tag writer for inputting 3-dimensional coordinates and road information to the RFID tag; anda RFID tag installer for installing the RFID tag on the road.

In another aspect of the present invention, in an RFID tag establishing method, a CCD camera, a GPS receiver, an INS, a DMI and a sensor synchronizer are used. The CCD camera, the GPS receiver, the INS and the DMI are installed inside and outside a vehicle. The method includes the steps of: calculating orientation of the vehicle by using GPS/INS/DMI integration in real time or post-processing (a);(b) while the step (a) is performed, extracting camera interior/exterior orientation by using self-calibration;(c) finding 3-dimensional coordinates of a road in which the RFID tag is installed region by using camera interior/exterior orientation extracted at the step (b), the vehicle orientation obtained at the step (a), and target region appearing in stereo images;(d) inputting the road information supplied from a road information storage and the location information found at the step (c) to the RFID tag; and(e) Installing the RFID tag on the road, the RFID tag receiving the 3-dimensional coordinates and the road information at the step (d).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1illustrates architecture an RFID tag installation system using a vehicle according to the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 1, an RFID tag installation system is installed in a vehicle. The vehicle is equipped with two CCD cameras104, two GPS receivers101, an INS102and a DMI103. The RFID tag installation system includes a vehicle position and yaw extractor201, a GPS/INS/DMI integrator202, two cameras interior/exterior orientation extractor203, a target position extractor204, a road information storage302, an RFID tag writer301, and an RFID tag installer303.

The two CCD cameras104are installed outside the vehicle and supply image information of the RFID tag installed region. two GPS receivers101receive vehicle information such as position and yaw of the vehicle when the CCD camera104obtains image information. The INS102determines attitude (roll, pitch and yaw) of the vehicle when the CCD camera104obtains image information. The DMI103supplies correction information to the GPS receiver101and the INS102in case of GPS signal outage.

The vehicle position and yaw extractor201calculates vehicle information such as yaw, position and attitude of the vehicle by using the position information of the vehicle obtained by two GPS receivers. The GPS/INS/DMI integrator202integrates the GPS receiver101, the INS102and the DMI103, and provides the position and the attitude of the vehicle in real time or a post-processing stage with reference to the vehicle information supplied from the vehicle position and yaw extractor201. The two cameras interior/exterior extractor203corrects camera distortion information of original image information obtained by the CCD camera, calculates focal length, principle point, a position, and an attitude of the each CCD camera104. The target region position extractor204finds 3-dimensional coordinates of the RFID tag installed region by using image information obtained by the camera interior/exterior orientation extractor203and the vehicle information obtained by the GPS/INS/DMI integrator202. The road information storage302stores road information such as speed limit and rout number of a road on which the RFID tag is installed. The RFID tag writer301inputs the position information calculated by the target region position extractor204and the road information obtained by the road information storage302to the RFID tag. The RFID tag installer303installs the RFID tag on the road. The RFID tag receives the position information and the road information from the RFID tag writer301.

The RFID tag is attached to a screw, a nail or a reflection plate, receives the position and the road information from the RFID tag writer301, and installed on the road.

FIG. 2is a flowchart of an RFID tag installation method using a vehicle according to the present invention. Description will be made on a method for establishing an RFID tag by using a vehicle equipped with two CCD cameras, two GPS receivers, an INS, a DMI and a sensor synchronizer.

As described above, The position and attitude of moving RFID tag installation RFID tag installation system are calculated.(S100).

At the same time, the interior/exterior orientation of the each CCD camera are calculated by camera self-calibration method (S200).

Then, the orientation of each CCD camera of moving RFID tag installation RFID tag installation system is estimated by combining position and attitude of CCD with GPS/INS/DMI data (S300).

Finds 3-dimensional position of the RFID tag installed region by using above parameters and stereo images (S400).

The RFID tag is attached to a body such as a screw, a nail or a reflection plate installed by on the road (S500).

The 3-dimentional position and the road information are inputted by RFID writer.(S600).