Abstract:
A radio frequency module coupled to an object is disclosed. The radio frequency module includes an antenna unit, operating in one of a first mode and a second mode to receive a radio frequency signal and to transmit an identification signal, wherein the frequencies of the radio frequency signal and the identification signal is an operation frequency; and a chip unit, coupled to the antenna unit and is utilized for generating the identification signal according to the radio frequency signal received by the antenna unit.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0000]    
       
         1. Field of the Invention 
       
     
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a radio frequency module and related management system, and more particularly, to a radio frequency module applied to the warehouse management and/or the drug dosage monitoring system and related management system.
   2. Description of the Prior Art   
 
         [0004]    Generally, the conventional drip monitoring method and related drip monitoring system realize the function of monitoring the drip by sensors and measurement circuits. However, the costs of the conventional drip monitoring method and related drip monitoring system are relative high and the performance of the conventional drip monitoring method and related drip monitoring system is unsatisfactory. For example, the conventional drip monitoring method and related drip monitoring system need to set a reader on the drip stand, to shorten the distance between the reader and a monitoring module on the drip bag. Next, the conventional art connects the reader to a computing device in a wired manner and the computing device transmits the monitoring result to the corresponding computer or management system in a wireless manner. In other words, the conventional drip monitoring system needs at least  3  pairs of transmitting modules. The manufacture cost of the drip monitoring system is therefore increased. Thus, how to reduce the manufacture cost of the drip monitoring system becomes a topic to be discussed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a radio frequency module applied to the warehouse management and/or the drug dosage monitoring system and related management system. 
         [0006]    The present invention discloses a radio frequency module coupled to an object, the radio frequency module comprises an antenna unit, operating in one of a first mode and a second mode, to receive a radio frequency signal and to transmit an identification signal, wherein the frequencies of the radio frequency signal and the identification signal is an operation frequency; and a chip unit, coupled to the antenna unit and is utilized for generating the identification signal according to the radio frequency signal received by the antenna unit. 
         [0007]    The present invention further discloses a management system. The management system comprises a reading module, for transmitting a radio frequency signal and receiving an identification signal, wherein the frequencies of the radio frequency signal and the identification signal is an operation frequency; and a radio frequency module coupled to an object. The radio frequency module comprises an antenna unit, operating in one of a first mode and a second mode, to receive a radio frequency signal and to transmit an identification signal, wherein the frequencies of the radio frequency signal and the identification signal is an operation frequency; and a chip unit, coupled to the antenna unit and is utilized for generating the identification signal according to the radio frequency signal received by the antenna unit. 
         [0008]    These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a management system according to an example of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of an example of the object and the radio frequency module shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is another example of the object and the radio frequency module shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of the relationship between the transmission distance of the identification signal and the liquid level height in the object. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of the antenna unit shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    Please refer to  FIG. 1 , which is a schematic diagram of a management system  10  according to an example of the present invention. The management system  10  may be a warehouse management system or a drug dosage monitoring system, and is not limited herein. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the management system  10  comprises a reading module  100  and a radio frequency module  102 . The reading module  100  may be a reader and is utilized for transmitting a radio frequency signal RFS whose frequency is an operation frequency FO. The radio frequency module  102  may be a radio frequency identification (RFID) Tag and is coupled (e.g. attached) to an object OBJ. The radio frequency module  102  comprises an antenna unit  104  and a chip unit  106  and is utilized for receiving the radio frequency signal RFS and generates an identification signal IDS. According to a relative permittivity (i.e. dielectric constant) of the object OBJ, the antenna unit  104  operates in one of modes MOD 1  and MOD 2  to receive the radio frequency signal RFS and to transmit the identification signal IDS. The frequencies of both the radio frequency signal RFS and the identification signal IDS are the operation frequency FO and the mode MOD 2  is a harmonic mode of the mode MOD 1 . That is, the radio frequency module  102  switches the operation mode to transmit the identification signal IDS when the relative permittivity of the object OBJ changes, so as to allow the reading module  100  to perform subsequent operations according to the identification signal IDS. 
         [0015]    In details, the object OBJ is a container filled with liquid (e.g. a drip bag filled with glucose solution or physiological saline). Please refer to  FIG. 2 , which is a schematic diagram of an example of the object OBJ and the radio frequency module  102  shown in  FIG. 1 . In  FIG. 2 , the object OBJ contains great amount of liquid LIQ (e.g. an unused drip bag) and the liquid level of the liquid LIQ is a liquid level LL 1 . In this example, the radio frequency module  102  is configured on a substrate SUB and the substrate SUB is coupled (e.g. attached) to a bag body layer of the object OBJ. For example, the substrate SUB is composed of Fiber-reinforced plastic and the bag body layer BB is composed of Polyvinylchloride (PVC). Since the radio frequency module  102  is coupled to the object OBJ via the substrate SUB, the operations of the radio frequency module  102  is affected by the relative permittivity of the object OBJ. In the example, the relative permittivity of the object OBJ approximates a relative permittivity DC 1  of the liquid LIQ and the antenna unit  104  operates in the mode MOD 2  when the relative permittivity of the object OBJ approximates the relative permittivity DC 1 . The working frequency of the antenna unit  104  operating in the mode MOD 2  is design at the operation frequency FO of the radio frequency signal FO. Under such a condition, the antenna unit  104  receives the radio frequency signal RFS and transmits the identification signal IDS that is generated by the chip unit  106  according to the radio frequency signal RFS. 
         [0016]    Please refer to  FIG. 3 , which is a schematic diagram of another example of the object OBJ and the radio frequency module  102 . In comparison with  FIG. 2 , the liquid level of the liquid LIQ in the object is decreased from the liquid level LL 1  to the liquid level LL 2  (e.g. a used drip bag). The relative permittivity of the object OBJ changes to approximate a relative permittivity DC 2  of the air. The relative permittivity DC 1  of the liquid LIQ is much greater than the relative permittivity DC 2  of the air and the antenna unit  104  operates in the mode MOD 1  when the relative permittivity of the object OBJ approximates the relative permittivity DC 2 . The working frequency of the antenna unit  104  operating in the mode MOD 1  is also designed at the operation frequency FO of the radio frequency signal RFS. Even if the relative permittivity of the object OBJ changes because the liquid LIQ in the object OBJ is consumed, the antenna unit  104  still can receive the radio frequency signal RFS and transmit the identification signal IDS, which is generated by the chip unit  106  according to the radio frequency signal RFS. 
         [0017]    According to the above, the antenna unit  104  is switched from the mode MOD 2  to MOD 1  when the liquid level of the liquid LIQ in the object OBJ decreases from the liquid level LL 1  to LL 2 , to receive the radio frequency RFS and to transmit the identification signal IDS at the same operation frequency FO. Note that, the transmission distance of the identification signal IDS transmitted by the antenna unit  104  operating in mode MOD 2  is smaller than that of the identification signal IDS transmitted by the antenna unit  104  operating in the mode MOD 1  because the relative permittivity DC 1  of the liquid LIQ is greater than the relative permittivity DC 2  of the air. Please refer to  FIG. 4 , which is a schematic diagram of relationships between the transmission distance of the identification signal IDS and the liquid level of the liquid LIQ in the object OBJ. In  FIG. 4 , the liquid level of the liquid LIQ in the object OBJ is represented by the volume of the liquid LIQ in the object OBJ. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the transmission distance of the identification signal IDS is smaller than 50 centimeter (cm) when the volume of the liquid LIQ in the object is greater than 60 milliliter (ml). After the volume of the liquid LIQ in the object OBJ becomes smaller than 60 ml, the transmission distance of the identification signal IDS significantly increases. 
         [0018]    According to the difference between the transmission distances of the identification signals IDS generated by the antenna unit  104  operating in different modes, the management system  10  can realize different applications via altering the distance between the reading module  100  and the object OBJ. In an example, the management system  10  is a warehouse management system of the object OBJ. In this example, a distance DIS between the reading module  100  and the object OBJ is designed to be smaller than a predefined distance PD 1  (e.g. 20 cm). When the object OBJ is manufactured, the object OBJ is filled with the liquid LIQ (e.g. the object OBJ shown in  FIG. 2 ) and the antenna unit  104  operates in the mode MOD 2 . The transmission distance of the identification signal IDS generated by the antenna unit  104  operating in the mode MOD 2  is greater than the predefined distance PD 1 . Thus, the reading module  100  can receive the identification signal IDS when the object OBJ leaves the factory or enters the warehouse and record the inventory of the object OBJ. 
         [0019]    In another example, the management system  10  is a consumption monitoring system of the object OBJ. In this example, the distance DIS between the reading module  100  and the object OBJ is designed to be a predefined distance PD 2  (e.g. 2 meters). When the object OBJ just starts being used (e.g. the drip bag starts being used in the intravenous injection), the object fills with the liquid LIQ and the antenna unit  104  operates in the mode MOD 2 . Because the transmission distance of the identification signal IDS generated by the antenna unit  104  operating in the mode MOD 2  is smaller than the predefined distance PD 2 , the reading module  100  cannot receive the identification signal IDS. The liquid level of the liquid LIQ in the object OBJ gradually decreases when the liquid LIQ in the object is continuously consumed. When the liquid level of the liquid LIQ decreases to an alert level, the antenna unit  104  switches to the mode MOD 1  and the transmission distance of the identification signal IDS becomes greater than the predefined distance PD 2 . The reading module  100  starts receiving the identification signal IDS and acknowledges that the liquid level of the liquid LIQ in the object decreases to the alert level. 
         [0020]    The radio frequency module  102  of the above examples operates in one of the modes MOD 1  and MOD 2 , to receive the radio frequency signal RFS and to transmit the identification signal IDS even if the relative permittivity of the object OBJ changes from the relative permittivity DC 1  to DC 2 . Via appropriately designing the distance between the reading module  100  and the object OBJ attached by the radio frequency module  102 , the management system  10  can be applied to different applications. According to different applications and design concepts, those with ordinary skill in the art may observe appropriate alternations and modifications. For example, the radio frequency module  102  may directly couple to the object OBJ. In other words, the substrate SUB shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  can be omitted. The manufacture cost of the management system  10  is therefore reduced. 
         [0021]    Please refer to  FIG. 5 , which is a schematic diagram of the antenna unit  104  shown in  FIG. 1 . In  FIG. 5 , the antenna unit  104  equips with symmetric structure. In an example, the lengths L 1 -L 6  of the antenna unit  104  shown in  FIG. 5  are 5.8 millimeters (mm), 6 mm, 6.2 mm, 1.8 mm, 12 mm, and 3 mm, respectively. The widths W 1 -W 5  of the antenna unit  104  shown in  FIG. 5  are 23 mm, 1 mm, 7 mm, 13 mm, and 3 mm, respectively. According to different applications and design concepts, the antenna unit  104  may be realized in various structures and/or sizes, and is not limited to the structure and size shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0022]    To sum up, the radio frequency module switches the operation mode when the relative permittivity of the object coupled to the radio frequency module changes, to contiguously transmit the identification signal. Further, the management system of the above examples can be applied to different applications via appropriately designing the distance between the reading module and the object coupled to the radio frequency module. For example, the radio frequency module and related management system of an example of the present invention can be applied to the warehouse management and the drug dosage monitoring, to reduce additional manufacture cost. 
         [0023]    Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.