FR2849556A1 - Portable electronic device e.g. cellular phone, pocket computer or PDA for transmitting personal data, has case with push buttons for activating device and selecting data for transmitting to another device by transmitting part - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a case (1) with push buttons (4,5,6) for activating the device and selecting a data for transmitting to another device. The case has a transmitting part (2) to transmit the data and a receiving part (3) to receive the data, where the transmission part is less than 10 centimeters of the receiver part. A LED (7) is configured to visualize different states of the device.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of transmission tools

  of information between two individuals.

  The present invention relates more precisely to a portable electronic device 5 integrating a microcontroller and its software according to the invention, with which are associated a non-volatile memory, a digital data transmitter, a digital data receiver, push buttons and a display component. various states of the device.

  The electronic transmission of personal or professional contact details, messages or computer files between two individuals is done if they are each equipped with a cell phone or personal electronic agenda or even a pocket computer equipped with a such functionality. However, this equipment is expensive, sometimes bulky and in many cases requires a subscription from telecommunications operators. In addition to these three predominant characteristics, there is also a multitude of functionalities which the user does not always have the use of in certain circumstances, when he is not simply prohibited from using them because of an unsuitable age.

  The device according to the invention overcomes these drawbacks.

  According to a first characteristic, it comprises a box comprising on one of its faces a small orifice allowing the emergence of the data transmitting component intended for approaching within 10 cm of the receiving orifice of another device according to the invention. This approach can go as far as the penetration of the sending device into the receiving device. Under the opening of the receiving face is placed the data receiving component. The orifice dedicated to the transmission and the orifice dedicated to the reception are on different faces of the housing which has a shape, possibly associated with a marking, making it possible to distinguish the face dedicated to the transmission of data from the face dedicated to receiving data.

  The device according to the invention also comprises, according to a second characteristic, push buttons appearing through orifices molded on one of the faces of the housing allowing the user to select, according to a pressing order on the buttons, the data sequences that it wishes to transmit to another device according to the invention. -2

  The device according to the invention also comprises, according to a third characteristic, an opto-electronic signaling component appearing through an orifice molded on the same face of the housing as that of the push buttons to inform the user of the various states of the device.

  The device according to the invention also comprises, according to a fourth characteristic, orifices defined during the molding of the housing allowing the passage of a cord so that the device can be worn around the neck of an individual or added to a key ring.

  The loading into a device according to the invention of the digital data sequences to be transmitted and their assignment to a scheduling of the push buttons is done by means of an annex receptacle incorporating the device. The method is identical for the unloading of the data received in a device according to the invention from one or more other devices. The description of this receptacle is not applicable here. Suffice it to say that it is connected to a personal computer and that it comprises a digital data transmitter and receiver which are respectively opposite the same receiver and the same data transmitter used by the device according to the invention for communicate with equivalent devices. According to particular embodiments - The mode of transmission of digital data may be infrared radiation. A transmitting photo diode allows the transmission of data, a receiving photodiode allows the reception of data.

  - The opto-electronic component for signaling the various states of the device may be a two-color red / green light-emitting diode.

  - If the color of the two-color diode is green, this means that the device is waiting for a request, either from the push buttons for sending data, or on the receiving photo-diode for receiving data from 30 another device according to the invention.

  - If the two-color LED flashes red, this indicates either that the last reception from another device according to the invention is incorrect, or that the request for data transmission made by pressing a push button cannot be made, failing data assigned to this button.

  - If the display diode alternates the red color and the green color, this means that the last reception of data from another device according to the invention cannot be done because of a saturation of the memory of the device according to the invention . -3

  - The device according to the invention may include three push buttons allowing the sending of three separate data sequences previously downloaded and assigned from the personal computer.

  For example: The first push button can be used to transmit personal contact details, the second push button can be used to transmit professional contact details and the third push button to transmit a computer file containing the photograph of the individual user in emission of the device according to the invention.

  - The device according to the invention may comprise a printed circuit cut according to the shape 10 of the housing. Thus, the printed circuit cannot move in the housing despite the absence of fixing element. All the emerging components of the housing such as the push buttons, the emitting photo-diode, the receiving photo-diode and the two-color light-emitting diode are integral with the printed circuit by welding. All of the electronic components supported by the printed circuit are surface mount components.

  - The device according to the invention can be powered by a cylindrical battery. The printed circuit in this case supports copper strips, each of which comes into contact with one of the poles of the stack. The housing can be molded so as to maintain the battery.

  - The device according to the invention can be controlled by a microcontroller in which is loaded the operating software of the device and comprising an asynchronous serial transceiver unit, logic inputs and outputs.

  The device according to the invention may include a non-volatile memory with synchronous serial access or be integrated in the microcontroller.

  - The device according to the invention may include a PNP transistor in series on the anode of the battery. One of the three push buttons has an additional function consisting in bringing the emitter and the collector of the transistor into contact to energize the electronic circuit of the device. The microcontroller in turn controls the base of the NPN transistor so as to maintain the power supply in the absence of pressing the push button.

  - The device according to the invention may include a "low jump" voltage regulator ensuring good stability of the device supply voltage.

  The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

  Figure 1 shows the device according to the invention seen from the front.

  Figure 2 shows the device according to the invention seen on its left profile.

  Figure 3 shows the device according to the invention seen from above. -4

  With reference to these drawings, the device comprises a housing (1), one face of this housing dedicated to the transmission of data (2), another face than the previous one dedicated to the reception of data (3), push buttons (4,5,6), a light-emitting diode (7) and a cord (8).

  FIG. 4 represents the diagram of the electronic circuit embedded in the device according to the invention. With reference to this diagram: a microcontroller (11) programmed according to the invention controls the device according to the invention. This microcontroller notably includes an asynchronous serial transmission / reception unit 10, TTL compatible logic inputs, MOS type logic outputs and an internal oscillator calibrated at the factory.

  - A non-volatile memory (12) with synchronous serial access which has two uses: the storage of data that the user wishes to communicate to other individuals equipped with the same device according to the invention, the storage of data received from other users with the same equipment.

  - An emission photodiode (9) in the infrared spectrum ensures the transmission of data in asynchronous serial form.

  - A reception photodiode (10) in the infrared spectrum ensures the reception of data in asynchronous serial form.

  - A 12V battery (15) ensures the electrical supply of the device - A power management regulation (13,14) in order to obtain a maximum longevity of the battery, in particular by means of zero electrical consumption when the device is at rest. The regulation of the supply voltage is entrusted to the regulator (13).

  According to a first variant not shown, the infrared transmission can give way to contact strips located at the same locations as the infrared emission and infrared reception components. Transmission between two devices according to the invention can then be done by bringing the emission strips of the first device into contact with the reception strips of the second device.

  According to a second variant not illustrated, the optoelectronic signaling device for informing the user of the various states of the device, perhaps a digital or alphanumeric display.

  According to a third variant not illustrated, the cord can make room for a ring so that the device according to the invention is added to a key ring.

  By way of nonlimiting example, the box has dimensions of the order of 3 cm for the length. 2.5 cm for the width and 1.5 cm for the height. 5

  The device according to the invention is particularly suitable for the transmission of personal or professional contact details, messages or computer files between two individuals provided with the same device. -6

Claims (12)

  1) Portable electronic device for transmitting preloaded sequences of digital data between two individuals each provided with the same device characterized by a box (1) revealing push buttons (4, 5, 6) for activating the device and selecting the data to be sent, an opto-electronic signaling component (7) for viewing the various states of the device, one side (2) of the box dedicated to sending data and another side (3) dedicated to receiving data.   2) Device according to claim 1 characterized by the need to approach, until a possible introduction, the transmitting part (2) of the transmitting device within 10 cm of the receiving part (3) of the receiving device for the transmission of data. 3) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that it contains an electronic circuit 15 composed of a microcontroller (11) programmed for the management of the functionalities of said device, a non-volatile memory (12), a battery (15), a power management (13,14) ensuring maximum battery life, a data transmitter (9), a data receiver (10) and an optoelectronic signaling component (7) for viewing the various states of said device. 20 4) Device according to claim 2 and claim 3 characterized in that the transmitter (9) and the receiver (10) are on different faces, namely respectively the face dedicated to the transmission (2) and the face dedicated to reception (3).   5) Device according to claim 4 characterized in that the housing (1) has a shape, possibly associated with a marking, making it possible to distinguish the face dedicated to the transmission of data (2) and the face dedicated to the reception of data (3).   6) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the push buttons 30 (4, 5, 6) select the preloaded sequences of data to be sent to the other equivalent devices according to a scheduling of pressing on these buttons.   7) Device according to claim 1 and claim 3 characterized in that the housing (1) comprises an opto-electronic signaling component for informing the user of the various states of the device such as a light-emitting diode (7) or a display numeric or alphanumeric. -7   8) Device according to claim 3 characterized by the use of opto-electronic components for the data transmitter (9) and the data receiver (10) in order to obtain a data transmission by infrared radiation.   9) Device according to claim 3 characterized by the use of simple contact strips for the data transmitter and the data receiver.   10) Device according to claim 1 and claim 6 characterized by the introduction of the housing (1) into a receptacle connected to a personal computer in order to allow, on the one hand, the loading and assignment to button schedules pushers (4, 5 and 6) of data sequences to be transmitted to the other equivalent devices, and, on the other hand, the unloading of the data sequences received from these devices.   11) Device according to claims 3, 4, 8, 9 and 10 characterized by the use of the same transmitter (9) and receiver (10) components when exchanging data with a personal computer through the receptacle that those that allow communication with other equivalent devices.   12) Device according to claim 1 characterized by the possibility of attaching a cord (8) or a ring to the housing (1) so that the device according to the invention can be transported by the user as an effect staff.