Smart cup having play module and method of manufacturing thereof

Abstract

Provided is a smart cup having a sound player which is driven by sensors controlled by a micro-controller, to thus control the output of the sound player and extend function and use of a general cup to thereby give help to a daily life of users who use the smart cup. The smart cup includes: a main body of a cup; a play module case; and a silicon coupling portion. The play module detects whether a temperature change occurs in the cup or water-soluble liquid is contained in the cup, to thereby reproduce a built-in sound and includes: a cup material selection button unit; a power switch; a temperature sensor which measures temperature of the cup; an electrostatic capacity proximity sensor which measures a change of an electrostatic capacity; an electrostatic capacity analysis integrated circuit which detects sensitivity of the electrostatic capacity proximity sensor, a detection distance, a changed electrostatic capacity; and a micro-controller which determines whether or not sound will be reproduced.

1 . A smart cup comprising:
 a main body of a cup having a cup holder or having no cup holder in which a space for installing a play module is formed at the other lower end of the cup;   a play module case which is provided so as to be detached from and attached to the cup;   a silicon coupling portion which enables the cup and the play module case to be coupled with each other; and   the play module which is installed at the inner portion of the play module case and detects whether a temperature change occurs in the cup or water-soluble liquid is contained in the cup, to thereby reproduce a built-in sound.   
   
   
       2 . The smart cup according to  claim 1 , wherein the play module comprises:
 a cup material selection button unit which enables a user to determine a kind and an operational mode of a sensor according to a material of the cup;   a power switch which is connected to a power supply by a contact to the bottom of the cup when the play module is installed in the cup;   a temperature sensor which measures temperature of the cup at a given time interval from the time when the power supply is connected with the temperature sensor;   an electrostatic capacity proximity sensor which measures a change of an electrostatic capacity according to the material of the cup and the contents contained in the cup;   an electrostatic capacity analysis integrated circuit which detects and amplifies sensitivity of the electrostatic capacity proximity sensor, a detection distance, a changed electrostatic capacity; and   a micro-controller which determines whether or not sound will be reproduced on the basis of data of the temperature sensor and the electrostatic capacity proximity sensor.   
   
   
       3 . The smart cup according to  claim 1 , wherein the silicon coupling portion comprises:
 a silicon ring which enables the play module case to be easily coupled with the cup;   a silicon support ring which applies pressure of a predetermined magnitude between the silicon ring and the inner wall surface of the cup; and   a bridge which is located between a cup-side silicon contact portion and a case-side silicon fixing portion, to thus enable the play module case to elastically move.   
   
   
       4 . A method of manufacturing a smart cup according to another aspect of the present invention, the smart cup manufacturing method comprising the steps of:
 forming a main body of a cup having a cup holder or having no cup holder in which a space for installing a play module is formed at the other lower end of the cup;   forming a play module case which is provided so as to be detached from and attached to the cup;   forming a silicon coupling portion which enables the cup and the play module case to be coupled with each other; and   coupling the play module case with the cup by using the silicon coupling portion.   
   
   
       5 . The smart cup manufacturing method of  claim 4 , wherein the silicon coupling portion forming step comprises the sub-steps of:
 forming a silicon ring which enables the play module case to be easily coupled with the cup;   forming a silicon support ring which applies pressure of a predetermined magnitude between the silicon ring and the inner wall surface of the cup; and   forming a bridge which is located between a cup-side silicon contact portion and a case-side silicon fixing portion, to thus enable the play module case to elastically move.   
   
   
       6 . A smart cup comprising:
 a main body of a cup having a cup holder or having no cup holder in which a space for installing a play module is formed at the other lower end of the cup; and   a play module case which is provided so as to be detached from and attached to the inside of the main body of the cup,   wherein the play module comprises:   a temperature sensor which measures temperature of the cup;   an electrostatic capacity proximity sensor which detects an access of the cup and the contents contained in the cup; and   a sound output integrated circuit which outputs a built-in sound under the control of a micro-controller, and   wherein the micro-controller controls the sound output integrated circuit, reads the value of the temperature sensor at a unit time interval, converts the temperature sensor value into a temperature change rate per unit time, compares the temperature change rate per unit time with a predetermined target temperature change rate, and instructs the sound output integrated circuit to output the sound when the temperature change rate per unit time is not less than the predetermined target temperature change rate.   
   
   
       7 . The smart cup according to  claim 6 , wherein the play module comprises:
 cup material selection buttons whose target temperature change rates are differently established according to a material of the cup, and which function as basic data to determine a temperature measurement unit time;   an integrated circuit which classifies the material of the cup into a non-metallic material and a metallic material when the cup material is selected, and which uses the electrostatic capacity proximity sensor in the case of the non-metallic material and uses the temperature sensor in the case of the metallic material; and   a switching unit which is installed at a portion where the outer portion of the play module and the cup contact, in order to make a start time of measuring a temperature change rate of the cup performed after the play module has been installed in the cup, and interrupts the sound reproduction when necessary, to thereby control the smart cup based on respectively different specific dielectric constant according to the cup material, when a detection distance range of the electrostatic capacity proximity sensor is determined through the cup material selection buttons.   
   
   
       8 . A method of coupling a ceramic ware product with a precise integrated circuit product in order to stably install the precise integrated circuit product at a particular position of the inside of the ceramic ware product, the coupling method comprising the step of: attaching an elastic silicon structure component to the outer portion of the precise integrated circuit product. 
   
   
       9 . The method of coupling a ceramic ware product with a precise integrated circuit product of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of: forming a hard material intermediate medium on the outer portion of which the elastic silicon structure component is attached and in the inside of which the precise integrated circuit product is fixed. 
   
   
       10 . The method of coupling a ceramic ware product with a precise integrated circuit product of  claim 8 , further comprising the steps of: dividing the elastic silicon structure component into three portions such as a cup adhesion portion, a precise integrated circuit product adhesion portion, and an intermediate bridge portion;
 fixing the elastic silicon structure component to the cup by forcing the intermediate medium from the inside of the cup adhesion portion of the elastic silicon structure component to the outside thereof; and   securing degree of freedom of upward and downward movements of the precise integrated circuit product by using elasticity of the intermediate bridge portion, to thus make the upper end of the precise integrated circuit product contact the bottom of the cup even if there is an error at the height of the lower end of the cup.