Abstract: A cleaning apparatus including a main body, a dust collection unit detachably installed on the main body and provided with a plurality of inlets, through which foreign substances are introduced into the dust collection unit, and a connection hole, to which an external instrument is connected, a shutter to open and close one inlet, and a cap to open and close the connection hole. The shutter opens and closes the inlet in cooperation with one of whether or not the dust collection unit is attached to or detached from the main body and whether or not the connection hole is opened or closed.

Abstract: Provided are a method and apparatus for stopping power supply to a radio frequency identification (RFID) system. The apparatus includes: a power supplier supplying power to a high RFID tag; an input unit rectifying and boosting an input predetermined frequency band signal and outputting a direct-current (DC) voltage signal; a wake-up determiner comparing a voltage of the DC voltage signal output from the input unit with a predetermined reference voltage and outputting a HIGH signal or a LOW signal; and a switch stopping power supply to the high RFID tag if the wake-up determiner outputs the LOW signal.

Abstract: Provided is a method and apparatus for managing a product distribution. The product distribution management method may include: reading a security key of a product from a security tag attached to the product; transferring the read security key to a security server; receiving, from the security server, first authentication information that is encrypted using the security key; receiving, from the security tag, second authentication information that is encrypted using the security key; and determining whether the security tag is duplicated, based on the first authentication information and the second authentication information.

Abstract: A robot cleaner system is described including a docking station to form a docking area within a predetermined angle range of a front side thereof, to form docking guide areas which do not overlap each other on the left and right sides of the docking area, and to transmit a docking guide signal such that the docking guide areas are distinguished as a first docking guide area and a second docking guide area according to an arrival distance of the docking guide signal. The robot cleaner system also includes a robot cleaner to move to the docking area along a boundary between the first docking guide area and the second docking guide area when the docking guide signal is sensed and to move along the docking area so as to perform docking when reaching the docking area.

Abstract: A hybrid switch includes a plurality of antenna ports, a switching module for setting up a path so that a signal received from a reader passes through a designated antenna port from among the plurality of antenna ports, an antenna sense module for determining whether antennas have been attached to the plurality of antenna ports, and a communication module for processing a communication signal with the reader or a communication signal with other switch. According to the present invention, an electric wave fading zone can be obviated and RFID tags can be more efficiently recognized by increasing the number of antenna ports, without generating problems, such as the attenuation of transmission output of a reader and a reduction of the recognition ratio due to a collision between tags resulting from the constant transmission of power of the reader.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a near-field antenna. In an aspect, the near-field antenna may include a dielectric layer, a ground plane formed on one side of the dielectric layer, a plurality of U-shaped slots periodically disposed in the ground plane for radiation, and a microstrip line provided on the other side of the dielectric layer for power feeding. In another aspect, the near-field antenna may include a dielectric layer, a ground plane formed on one side of the dielectric layer, a plurality of U-shaped slots periodically disposed in the ground plane for radiation, and a microstrip line configured to have a plurality of U-shaped slots diverged on the other side of the dielectric layer in parallel for power feeding, have the plurality of U-shaped slots periodically disposed in series in respective diverged lines, and have an end shorted to form standing waves.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for improving reception sensitivity of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader are disclosed. The apparatus includes a branch unit to separate an input signal into a first signal and a second signal; a first processing unit to convert a phase of the first signal; a second processing unit to extract a leakage signal from the second signal; and a control unit to output a tag response signal from the input signal using the converted first signal and the extracted leakage signal.

Abstract: A passive tag including a volatile memory is provided. The passive tag includes: a sensing unit which senses or measures information about environmental surroundings of the tag; a volatile memory; a non-volatile memory; and a control unit which firstly stores resultant data sensed or measured by the sensing unit in the volatile memory and then moves the data stored in the volatile memory to the non-volatile memory according to pre-set conditions. Therefore, the life of the tag is prolonged and stability of important data can be secured.

Abstract: A high manganese duplex stainless steel with excellent hot workability, comprising (in weight %): less than 0.1% of C; 0.05-2.2% of Si; 2.1-7.8% of Mn; 20-29% of Cr; 3.0-9.5% of Ni; 0.08-0.5% of N; less than 5.0% of Mo and 1.2-8% of W, alone or composite; the balance Fe and inevitable impurities; and a method for manufacturing the duplex stainless steel, comprising the steps of: solution heating the duplex stainless steel composition at a temperature of 1,050 to 1,250° C., hot working at a starting temperature of 1,130 to 1,280° C. and then ending at a temperature greater than 1,000° C., and then cooling within the temperature range from 1,000 to 700° C. at a cooling rate of more than 3° C./min. The duplex stainless steel exhibits a reduction in area of more than 50% at 1,050° C., and possesses a yield strength of more than 400 MPa, and a corrosion rate of less than 0.36 mm/year, after solution heating.

Abstract: A robot cleaner system is described including a docking station to form a docking area within a predetermined angle range of a front side thereof, to form docking guide areas which do not overlap each other on the left and right sides of the docking area, and to transmit a docking guide signal such that the docking guide areas are distinguished as a first docking guide area and a second docking guide area according to an arrival distance of the docking guide signal. The robot cleaner system also includes a robot cleaner to move to the docking area along a boundary between the first docking guide area and the second docking guide area when the docking guide signal is sensed and to move along the docking area so as to perform docking when reaching the docking area.

Abstract: A robot cleaner system is described including a docking station to form a docking area within a predetermined angle range of a front side thereof, to form docking guide areas which do not overlap each other on the left and right sides of the docking area, and to transmit a docking guide signal such that the docking guide areas are distinguished as a first docking guide area and a second docking guide area according to an arrival distance of the docking guide signal. The robot cleaner system also includes a robot cleaner to move to the docking area along a boundary between the first docking guide area and the second docking guide area when the docking guide signal is sensed and to move along the docking area so as to perform docking when reaching the docking area.

Abstract: An apparatus for storing sensing data in a tag and a method thereof are provided. According to the present invention, data measured by the sensor is stored in volatile memory and important data from among the data stored in the volatile memory is stored in non-volatile memory according to a pre-set data loss prevention mechanism so that a battery and the tag including the battery have a longer life and stability of data can be secured.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an RFID reader and a signal receiving method thereof. The RFID reader according to one embodiment of the present invention down-converts transmission leakage signals introduced into a reader receiver and then suppresses them through a band stop filter in a low frequency band and up-converts them, thereby making it possible to effectively suppress the transmission leakage signals.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a control method of a robot cleaner in which a robot cleaner is moved at an arbitrary starting angle along a rotation trajectory having an arbitrary rotational center and rotation radius during obstacle-following traveling, whereby an obstacle-following traveling time is reduced and consequently, a movement time of the robot cleaner is reduced.

Abstract: Provided are an RFID reader and a method for controlling a gain thereof. The RFID reader includes an amplifier and an AGC circuit. The amplifier controls the gain of an RX signal, received from an RFID tag, in response to an AGC signal. The AGC circuit measures a signal level in an ante-preamble period of the RX signal and generates an AGC signal to control the gain of the RX signal, on the basis of the measured signal level.

Abstract: Provided are a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and a wake-up method thereof. The RFID tag includes: a power source that supplies a driving voltage; a continuous wave detector that receives the driving voltage from the power supply so as to detect a continuous wave in a signal received from an RFID tag reader; a command detector that selectively receives the driving voltage and detects a command in the signal; and a controller that executes the command detected by the command detector by supplying the driving voltage to the command detector if the continuous wave is detected, and stops the driving voltage from being supplied to the command detector if no command is received from the command detector for a predetermined time period.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus including a main body, a dust collection unit detachably installed on the main body and provided with a plurality of inlets, through which foreign substances are introduced into the dust collection unit, and a connection hole, to which an external instrument is connected, a shutter to open and close one inlet, and a cap to open and close the connection hole. The shutter opens and closes the inlet in cooperation with one of whether or not the dust collection unit is attached to or detached from the main body and whether or not the connection hole is opened or closed.

Abstract: Provided is a function of providing a recordable time considering remaining memory capacity. To implement this function, an average reception rate of broadcasting data received for a predetermined time (e.g., several seconds) is calculated, and the recordable time is calculated using the calculated average reception rate and the remaining memory capacity. By doing this, even if the amount of broadcasting data to be recorded varies according to broadcasting programs, the amount of broadcasting data to be recorded can be predicted, and thereby, a user can efficiently record a desired broadcasting portion by actively determining whether the broadcasting is recorded.

Abstract: A robot cleaner that travels straight through alignment of drive wheels to move the robot cleaner and a method of controlling travel of the same. Information related to a movement angle of the robot cleaner is detected from angle information of a caster wheel rotating depending upon a state of a floor, such as a carpet in a state in which texture of the carpet occurs in one direction, and, when the movement angle of the robot cleaner deviates due to slippages of the drive wheels, rates of rotation of the drive wheels are adjusted to correct the slippages of the drive wheels such that the robot cleaner easily travels straight.

Abstract: A robot cleaner system is described including a docking station to form a docking area within a predetermined angle range of a front side thereof, to form docking guide areas which do not overlap each other on the left and right sides of the docking area, and to transmit a docking guide signal such that the docking guide areas are distinguished as a first docking guide area and a second docking guide area according to an arrival distance of the docking guide signal. The robot cleaner system also includes a robot cleaner to move to the docking area along a boundary between the first docking guide area and the second docking guide area when the docking guide signal is sensed and to move along the docking area so as to perform docking when reaching the docking area.