EP3956990A1

EP3956990A1 - Communicating device comprising a plurality of supports delimiting the contour thereof

Info

Publication number: EP3956990A1
Application number: EP20717691.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: David Excoffier
Original assignee: Orange SA
Current assignee: Orange SA
Priority date: 2019-04-17
Filing date: 2020-04-16
Publication date: 2022-02-23
Also published as: FR3095308A1; WO2020212462A1

Abstract

The invention also relates to a communicating device comprising a plurality of supports delimiting the contour thereof. This device is characterized in that the plurality of supports comprises at least two removable and interconnectable supports, at least one of the removable supports comprising a communication module, and the at least one of the removable supports being connectable to at least one external equipment.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Communicating device comprising a plurality of supports delimiting its outline

The present invention relates to the field of connected objects or also commonly called the internet of objects.

The Internet of Things requires the creation of objects that are increasingly adapted to their environment. The objects must therefore have a size and / or a shape adapted to this environment while having the desired functionalities. For example, a connected watch must be light to be worn on the wrist without fatigue, cylindrical or in the form of a block, of a small thickness and / or of a diameter or a width compatible with a human wrist. . These elements are an integral part of the prerequisites for the construction of this watch. Sometimes, in order to meet certain specifications, manufacturers of electronic objects must completely rethink their manufacturing processes in order to adapt the components of these objects, but also the architecture of the supports where the components and modules are attached. connection of these objects.

In addition, certain electronic objects are now used to capture data in real time, sometimes in places that are difficult to access. We can cite, for example, the surveillance services of factories or warehouses with cameras placed in height, or the metrology of weather stations carried out by equipment with different sensors often installed on high points. These objects also require updates or replacement of faulty components. This sometimes involves complex maintenance operations because a defective electronic component is difficult to access or even difficult to identify, given the increasing number of functional units in an electronic object. Often the object is even replaced outright if the faulty component cannot be easily repaired.

In addition, for people wishing to know the operation of electronic objects linked to the Internet of Things (Internet of Things - IoT, in English), the complexity linked to the lack of visibility and clarity of electronic architectures of objects linked to the The Internet of Things makes it even more difficult for them. He is in It is now very difficult to differentiate all the electrical and / or electronic modules of an object because they are nested one inside the other, in particular for reasons of space savings, and the components are generally welded or glued together.

Initiatives are being launched to create smaller, modular, easy-to-use and maintain computer-like modules with certain upgradeable capabilities. We can cite the Raspberry Pi ™ type equipment from the Raspberry Pi foundation. These simple and inexpensive equipment allow the general public to have computing units with possibilities in terms of development and interconnection, but these technical solutions are not fully satisfactory, given that:

the possibilities of connecting new peripherals are limited to the maximum number of interfaces offered by the equipment, which is a fixed number, defined during the design of said equipment;

the "flat" or "paved" type shape is not always suitable for the use that the user wishes to make of it. Indeed, if the equipment is to serve as a vibration sensor and then be installed in a confined space, the "cobblestone" shape may not be the most suitable for inserting such a sensor in this space. A more compact, three-dimensional shape, such as a pyramid, cube or octahedron may be, in many cases, more suitable,

An object of the invention is in particular to remedy the drawbacks of the aforementioned state of the art, by proposing a completely modular communicating object solution and with the possibilities of multiple extensions allowing any type of object communicating to customers to be built to measure. shapes, performances and functionalities adapted to the use which one wishes to make of this object, fully upgradeable and easily maintainable.

To this end, the present invention relates to a communicating device comprising a plurality of supports delimiting its outline. According to the invention, this communicating device is remarkable in that:

the plurality of media of the device comprises at least two removable media that can be connected to one another;

- At least one of the removable media comprises a communication module; - At least one of the removable media can be connected to at least one external device.

Thanks to the invention, there is a modular and scalable communicating device both for changing the shape of its outline according to the intended use, and for modifying its functionalities by adding external equipment, thanks to its possibilities. connection to one or more external equipment. Such a device comprises supports — flexible or rigid, of any shape, constituting its outline and possibly its structure — advantageously removable, that is to say that it is therefore possible to detach a support at a location on the device, to replace it with a new support, or even exchange two supports already in place.

The detachment and / or addition of at least one support has the effect of modifying the shape of the device to adapt it to the desired use or to adapt its shape to the place where the device is to be installed. For example, a device according to the invention may have the shape of a tetrahedron, that is to say composed of four supports having, for example, the shape of equilateral triangles. The removal of a support and the addition of three new supports of equivalent shape (other equilateral triangles) then makes it possible to create an octahedron-type structure with new possibilities for the evolution of the object, linked to these new supports.

Furthermore, the fact of being able to remove or add at least one support from / to the communicating device, combined with the possibility of connecting at least one external device to one of the supports of the device, makes it possible to add capacities and / or functionality to the device, since it is possible to have new media capable of connecting to new external equipment or other devices. This equipment can be, for example, new electronic units having one or more functions thus making it possible to extend the functionalities and performance of the device according to the invention.

Furthermore, since it is possible to remove a support initially present in the device, it is thus very simple to replace a faulty external equipment item with another and then to reattach the support to the device. A device according to the invention therefore offers increased ease of maintenance. In addition, the communicating device according to the invention makes it possible to connect to external equipment directly at any location on a support of the device in order, for example, to take advantage of the functionalities offered by this external equipment. This interconnection of external equipment (s) can be carried out on all the faces of a given support, whether external or internal. The external equipment can be another device according to the invention and therefore also comprising a support that can be connected to an external equipment item, thus allowing it to be interconnected with another equipment item such as a device according to the invention. This interconnection characteristic of the device according to the invention consequently makes it possible to extend its capacities and its functionalities or to modify its outline, without having to change its supports but only by adding a new device.

The external equipment that can be connected to the communicating device can be of an electrical or electronic nature, such as sensors, actuators, communication equipment, storage units, memories, connection units, processing units data, power supply units (battery, battery, or any other type of device for capturing energy from the external environment, for example of the solar panel type, vibration sensor, etc.) , energy management and / or storage units, etc. External equipment without electronic function or capacity can also be attached to one of the supports of the device according to the invention in order to modify its shape, which can make it possible to adapt the shape of the device to the user's needs. . These external devices can be generalized to any current or future device which is able to connect or attach to the connection module of the device according to the invention. Finally, the device can be surrounded by a shell or a rigid or flexible envelope hiding part of its outline as well as connected external equipment, so as to only reveal the parts of the device useful to the user such as a screen, buttons, etc.

Advantageously, the communicating device according to the invention offers the possibility of interconnecting several external devices on a single face of a support. Indeed, there are no limits of connection or fixing of external equipment on the supports because on the one hand it is possible to connect several equipment on the same support, and on the other hand it is possible to extend without limit the contour, therefore the shape of the device, by adding new supports. For reasons of simplicity, it is preferable to connect only one external device per medium, or even one functionality per medium when the external equipment is in charge of a specific function. This can, for example, be the case for the implementation of a temperature sensor on a support. Since a support is dedicated to a sensor, maintenance and replacement of the sensor will be facilitated, as will its analysis.

It is also possible to envisage dedicating several supports to a single function, as can be the case for solar collectors which will have to occupy the surface of several supports. According to the invention, it is also possible to dedicate a medium for the communicating device, to a multifunction device such as a data processing module, or to several single-function devices such as a battery or a communication module.

In addition, the multiplication of media connectable to each other offers the possibility for the device according to the invention to ensure communication of the various external equipment connected to the device via the communication module, even in the case of faulty equipment; in fact, the device according to the invention can allow total interconnection of the items of equipment between them thanks to the multiplicity of supports and their topology.

Furthermore, the device according to the invention offers a coherent and simple arrangement of its various components by making it possible to connect the data and / or energy control and management equipment on the internal faces of the supports of the device, and the equipment. of the sensor or actuator type on the external faces of the device supports.

By virtue of its modular and three-dimensional aspect, the device according to the invention thus introduces a new way of designing and creating communicating devices. Indeed, given that the device according to the invention can take various forms and accommodates the electronics on its faces and contours, the design possibilities are greater than for a standard electronic device based on a flat electronic card where the connections can only be done perpendicular or parallel to the plane of the map. In addition, the invention is not limited as regards the material used for the constitution of the supports, in fact, the latter can be rigid but also have a certain flexibility. Indeed, a flexible material is particularly interesting because it allows to create flexible or foldable devices which will be able to adapt to various environments.

More generally, a device according to the invention can combine a wide variety of shapes of its supports making it possible to obtain an overall shape suited to a specific need. For example, the device may have a simple outline in the shape of an ellipsoid cut by a plane. In this case, the structure of the device comprises two faces, one representing an elliptical shape and the other a concave and / or convex shape. In this example, the device can therefore be materialized only by two supports having the aforementioned shapes.

In addition, the shape or contour of the communicating device according to the invention can be adapted to the size of the electronic components necessary for its operation. Indeed, if the device requires the integration of a bulky system such as for example a large electrical component such as a capacitor or a battery, then the outline of the device can include one or more supports longer than the others in order to correctly integrate this component. This adaptation of the form to the function and to the electronic components resulting from the various external equipment connected to the device is not possible with current electronic devices, the form of which does not allow easy adaptation to new components, which limits the freedom to integrate new components.

Furthermore, the association between at least one external item of equipment and a support of a communicating device according to the invention can facilitate a person's understanding of the electronic and functional architecture of the device. This new arrangement of electronic components on such a device according to the invention is consequently also beneficial for industrial applications for maintaining the device by facilitating the identification and location of components to be replaced or repaired. A device according to the invention, due to its arrangement, can also facilitate the understanding by people of the operation of complex electronic units integrating a computer and various external peripherals such as a device according to the invention. Indeed, it is useful for a student or a pupil to be able to quickly and simply determine the locations of the various functions of an electronic device of the computer type, in order to understand its operation more easily. According to a particular characteristic of the communicating device according to the invention, each of the removable media has two faces and at least one edge.

Thanks to this characteristic, the three-dimensional shape of the outline of the device can be simplified, at least two supports of the device each having two faces and at least one edge. The geometric shapes of the faces can be of any kind. They can be combined with each other to form a simple and functional outline. It is thus possible to have an internal face and an external face, for certain supports of the device. These faces make it possible to attach or connect other supports or equipment efficiently and simply. A flat geometric shape on one side is particularly suitable for connecting other media or equipment, as the entire surface of the face may be in contact with another flat surface. Given that the connection modules with which electronic equipment is generally equipped use connectors which can be aligned linearly or in the same plane, the integration of this equipment into a device according to the invention is facilitated. In addition, the presence of edges on a removable support makes it possible to have connectors on a considered edge in order to connect it to another edge of another support of the device according to the invention. The connection by the edges facilitates in particular the connection between supports of the device, the respective edges of which are adjacent.

For example, the supports of a device according to the invention can consist of four panels respectively in the shape of an equilateral triangle, each with two faces and three thin edges. The assembly of these panels then constitutes an outline of a device having the shape of a regular tetrahedron which therefore comprises four external faces, four internal faces, four vertices and six edges, the latter corresponding to the edges of the supports of the device. The faces of some of the supports of the device can be flat, concave or convex, in part or in whole. The edges of the supports of the device can be connected to each other by connectors present on each of the edges.

According to a particular embodiment, the removable media of the device according to the invention are linked together by at least one physical link connecting one edge of a removable medium to an edge of another removable medium. Thus a connection between two supports can be materialized by elements integral with each support which can be linked to form the physical connection between these supports. Such a connection can also be materialized by a rigid structure where the supports are fixed. The device according to the invention can thus be made rigid by the use of such a physical connection between the edges of two separate supports of the device.

According to a particular embodiment of the device according to the invention, the aforementioned physical link connecting an edge of a removable medium to an edge of another removable medium is flexible.

According to this embodiment, it is therefore possible to obtain a certain freedom of movement between the two supports considered, even if these supports are made of rigid material. This freedom of movement can be applied along the longitudinal axis of each edge of the two supports involved in the connection, when the edges are parallel. In addition, the flexibility of the connection between two supports allows the device, in certain configurations of arrangement and type of supports, to be compressible in several directions, so that it is possible to fold or unfold the device, and therefore to modify its shape, and this without harming the overall rigidity of the dispositi f which may consist for example of rigid panels.

Thanks to the flexible nature of the connection between two supports, a device according to the invention can change shape and volume under the effect of an external constraint. This possibility of bending and modifying the shape of the device makes it possible to increase the adaptability of the device to environments and / or to increase its functionalities. For example, the device according to the invention will thus be able to adapt to different climatic environments which force the latter to retract during the winter and to expand during the summer to maintain constant heat; or conversely, to expand in winter to capture more light, and to retract in summer when the sun is more present, to keep the same level of solar energy captured at best. This flexibility of the joints between supports can also make the device more reliable and more suitable for variable climatic environments than devices having a more conventional architecture of fixed rectangular shape. Furthermore, given that it is possible to separate the physical links of some of the edges of the different supports of the device according to the invention, it is possible to transform such a device from a three-dimensional object into a plane object and from it easily add other supports. The transformation of the device into a flat object which resembles an unfolding of the device also makes it possible to facilitate the maintenance of the object, since a person in charge of the maintenance of the device, can more easily handle a component in a flat configuration. of the device than in the initial three-dimensional configuration of the latter. In fact, in this latter configuration, the components are difficult to access, even in the case of an open three-dimensional structure (that is to say with at least one access to the interior of the structure).

According to a particular embodiment of the device according to the invention, at least one given medium from among the removable media comprises at least one connection module comprising at least one connector symmetrically distributed with respect to the middle of at least one edge of the given medium.

Thanks to this embodiment, the interconnection of the various supports of the device according to the invention is facilitated by an alignment of at least one connector of a connection module with at least one connector of another connection module of another device support. In this embodiment, at least one connector can be located at the center of the edge of the support considered if there is only one connector on this edge or symmetrically with respect to the center of the edge if there are several connectors on. the edge. This arrangement of connectors on the edges of the supports makes it possible to simplify the interconnection between supports. A simple rule is thus defined for the arrangement of one or more connectors on a support of the device according to the invention so that the connector or connectors are distributed symmetrically with respect to the center of the considered edge of the support. By proceeding in this way on other supports, a device is then obtained comprising a coherent and uniform mesh of connectors on the edges of its supports. This embodiment of the invention therefore makes it possible to facilitate the creation of a wired network of connection modules distributed over a set of faces of the supports of the device and in order to be able to connect various external equipment items thereto. This set of faces of the device constituting the useful surface of the aforementioned network of modules, is in able to connect external equipment on the faces, and the interconnection of the connection modules and the communication module of the device allows the latter to communicate with any external equipment that would be connected to a connection module of the device.

According to another particular embodiment of the communicating device according to the invention, said at least one connection module is connectable to an electrical and communication link.

Thus, it is possible to interconnect certain connection modules of the device with each other, via an electrical and communication link. This electrical and communication link can take different forms, such as for example a set of flexible sheet electric cables, thus providing flexibility in the electrical and communication links between the different connection modules, which is important to obtain an object. three-dimensional capable of changing shape or bending, and whose supports of its outline are totally connected to each other. The distribution of the connectors relative to the center of the edges of the device supports allows two supports considered to have adequate alignment of their respective connectors; thus, certain mechanical constraints linked to the electrical and communication link between the various connectors on either side of the edges of the supports are reduced or even eliminated. This is particularly the case with mechanical stresses which operate transversely, that is to say those for which forces are exerted parallel to the two respective edges of supports which are interconnected.

According to a particular embodiment of the communicating device according to the invention, each of the removable media comprises at least three straight edges.

Thanks to this embodiment, it is possible to realize a communicating device comprising supports having a simple geometric shape such as triangles, rectangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons etc. In addition, this makes it possible to create all kinds of polyhedra, for example so-called convex polyhedra having at least three faces per vertex, etc. It is thus possible to consider any geometric shape from the use of these simple geometric shapes. These shapes have the advantage of being easy to produce while being functional since having a large number of faces that can be associated with different functionalities. In addition, in the case where the supports are of simple and identical geometric shape - as is the case for three-dimensional shapes such as the cube, the tetrahedron, the octahedron etc., whose edges all have the same dimension -, then the modularity of the device is optimal. In fact, the device supports are interchangeable without prior reconfiguration of the external equipment connected to the device. In addition, the direction of connection of an external equipment is not important given the symmetry of the connectors of the connection modules with respect to the center of the edges of the supports of the device.

According to a particular embodiment, an external device that can be connected to a removable medium is a data processing and backup unit.

Thanks to this embodiment, it is possible to provide the device according to the invention with data processing and saving capacities in order to enable it to control the other equipment items connected to the device, such as the communication module or, for example, any sensor or actuator or any management module. The data backup function is also useful in order to be able to save temporary data necessary for data processing, for example data relating to operational measures.

According to a particular embodiment, an external device which can be connected to a removable medium is an electrical power supply unit.

By virtue of this electrical supply unit, the device according to the invention is capable of supplying its various electrical components with electricity. The device can also be configured so as to be able to connect to one or more energy sensors, such as solar collectors for example, on one or more faces of the supports of the device, in order to capture energy whatever the position of the device. device in space. The device according to the invention can also integrate different types of solar cells, specific for example to the capture of energy inside or outside buildings, or to one or more determined spectral lines. The energy captured by these sensors is then conveyed, via the network of connection modules and electrical connections, of the device according to the invention, to the external power management units. electrical and, if necessary, energy storage. Such an electric power supply unit can thus store energy in a battery and restore it on request from the external equipment or from the data processing unit of the device according to the invention. Thanks to this embodiment, it is therefore simpler to create self-sufficient energy objects because the internal volume of the device makes it possible, on the one hand, to embed a sufficiently large battery to power the device and, on the other hand, to distribute the faces of the device judiciously in order to facilitate the capture of energy. Such a device according to the invention can therefore be left in a place lit by daylight for example, and continue to be supplied with energy even if it is slightly moved.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly on reading the following description of particular embodiments, given by way of illustrative and non-limiting examples, and the accompanying drawings, among which:

- Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a device according to the invention;

- Figure 2 shows another embodiment of a device according to the invention;

- Figure 3 shows examples of specific ordering of connectors according to the invention;

- Figure 4 shows examples of connection modules according to the connector ordering examples of Figure 3;

- Figure 5 shows examples of connection modules implementation according to the embodiment of the device illustrated in Figure 2; and

- Figure 6 shows another embodiment of a device according to the invention.

detailed description

• General principle of the invention

The invention presented below proposes a new type of object or communicating device, of which each of the internal or external faces of its outline carries one or more specific functions. According to the invention, each face of the device can be connected or disconnected from the other faces, each of the faces being able to accommodate external equipment providing one or more functionalities to the device. The possibility of connecting or disconnecting the faces of the device thus makes it possible to change one or more functionalities according to the needs of the moment. The device according to the invention makes it possible to take advantage of the functionalities present on all of its faces thanks to connection modules, and to different buses (data, energy), also referred to as an electrical and communication link, which run through all of the faces , thus making it possible to supply power to the external equipment on each side and to communicate unidirectional or bidirectional with these equipment.

The use of each face of the device to perform all or part of one or more functions makes it possible in practice to minimize the size of the device by taking full advantage of the entire surface offered by each of the faces of the device and of the volume defined by the contour of the device to integrate bulky components. A communicating object in the field of the Internet of Things can have a set of functions such as a data processing unit such as a microcontroller (in abbreviated notation pc, or uc or even MCU in English). Other units or external equipment can be added to this device to expand its functionality. This new type of communicating object makes it possible to use all of these functionalities in a reduced environment, thanks in particular to an innovative communication system that connects all the faces. Such an object thus makes it possible to respond to various problems such as:

- reduce the size of communicating objects as much as possible by taking advantage of their three-dimensional shape to house all the necessary electronic components;

- create a new family of objects thanks to the energy collection part, these objects using the existing energy in their environment to operate independently, and not having a battery (and therefore no need to change the batteries regular frequency). These objects can thus be created and deposited in places where they are entirely autonomous and can thus be "forgotten" in their place, while having the assurance of their functioning thanks to the ambient energy;

- allow the creation of generic communicating objects, of which each face of a considered object can be easily modified or updated by connecting / disconnecting it from the assembly as needed, and thus allow its scalability and facilitate its maintenance, notably thanks to the updating of the functions associated with the components integrated on the various faces of the object. • Particular embodiments of the invention.

There is described below, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, a communication device according to the invention comprising a plurality of supports delimiting its outline.

In FIG. 1, at DI and at D2, two diagrams defining a communication device comprising two supports are illustrated. As illustrated in Dl, the contour of the device can be represented in three dimensions by, on the one hand, an ellipsoid which is cut by a plane and, on the other hand, the surface corresponding to the ellipse intersection of this plane and of the ellipsoid. In this simple case, the device is represented by two supports S1 and S2. As illustrated in D2, it is also possible to define, by means of a diagram, the various interactions between at least two supports of the device. In Dl, the first support SI can be represented by an elliptical dome having two faces, an inner face F12 and an outer face Fi l, and a single edge B1 defined by the ellipse intersecting said plane and said elliptical dome. The second support S2 represents an elliptical disc having two faces, an internal face F22 and an external face F21, and a single edge B2 defined by the ellipse intersecting said plane and said elliptical dome. The edge B1 and the internal face F 12 of the support SI include an MC 12 connection module composed of a set of pins. In this case, the connection module MC 12 is common to the edge B1 and to the internal face F 12. The connection module can be common to two surfaces and one edge when the surfaces are adjacent to this same edge.

Likewise, there may be one or more connection modules per surface and / or per edge. All the combinations of connection modules between the different surfaces and the one or more edges of the supports of the device can be envisaged, provided that there is at least one connection module on the support concerned. D2 clearly illustrates the fact that the connection module MC 12 is linked both to the face F12 and to the edge B1. Likewise, the edge B2 and the face F22 of the support S2 are linked to the connection module MC22. The connection module can be linked to the whole of the face F22 or only to the contour of this face as is the case in FIG. 1 at Dl. The two MC 12 and MC22 connection modules can be interconnected by an electrical and communication link L1222. This L1222 link is not essential in order to interconnect the two modules. However, the electrical and communication link provides flexibility in the connection between certain modules of the device. For example, if a support is able to pivot relative to another support, then it is more suitable to use a flexible electrical and communication link of the cable sheet type between the connection module (s) linked to these two supports. .

D2 illustrates that the MC 12 connection module is connected to an MCom communication module. Likewise, the MC22 connection module is connected to an external device of the UTD data processing unit type. This unit is equipped with an MCU. The MCU is an integrated circuit that brings together the essential elements of a computer: processor, memories (read only memory and random access memory), peripheral units and input-output interfaces. Microcontrollers are characterized by a higher degree of integration, lower power consumption, lower operating speed (from a few megahertz up to over one gigahertz) and lower cost compared to general purpose microprocessors (CPUs) used in personal computers. However, the data processing unit UTD can define any data processing equipment equipped with a processor, a RAM type RAM and / or a ROM type ROM.

The MC22 connection module can connect external equipment such as:

A data backup unit comprising an internal or external recording medium. The recording medium can be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium may include a storage means, such as a ROM, for example a CD ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM, or else a magnetic recording means, for example a USB key or a hard disk. On the other hand, the recording medium can be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, which can be routed via an electrical or optical cable, by radio or by other means. Alternatively, the recording medium can be an integrated circuit.

Sensors, of different types, which make it possible to retrieve data in the environment of the device, for example data on temperature, humidity, brightness, presence, vibration, a camera, etc. Actuators that allow interaction with the device, of different types. Examples: beeper (buzzer), LED screen (Light-Emitting-Diodë) etc.

Additional communication equipment. Communication equipment allows the device to communicate with its environment using a communication protocol. For example Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, LTE-M, 4G, LoRa etc. communication equipment.

An ambient energy sensor. This equipment makes it possible to capture ambient energy in the surrounding environment by various sources. For example, this equipment can be a solar sensor (via one or more photovoltaic panels), vibrations, water or air flow, Peltier effect by temperature difference etc.

An energy management system from the different sources of the device (battery, ambient energy sensor).

An energy storage system for later use by the object.

Any other existing or future functions that could be integrated by communicating objects such as the device according to the invention.

The above list of external equipment that can be connected to a connection module of the device according to the invention is not restrictive. Any device of the peripheral type to a computer having a connector system adapted to the connection modules of the device of the invention can be connected to the MC22 module. In addition, any equipment not equipped with electronic components having the adapted connector system is able to connect to the MC22 module.

The contour of the device illustrated in FIG. 1 is defined by the faces Fi l, F21. This configuration of a device according to the invention is one of the simplest because it only involves two supports. Each support having two faces and only one edge. However, the invention provides for more complex configurations with more than two supports, several edges, several connection modules per face etc.

In Figure 2, there is illustrated a particular embodiment of the invention. At D3, there is illustrated a three-dimensional view of a communication device of tetrahedral shape, comprising four supports S1, S2, S3 and S4. This tetrahedral shaped device also includes four external devices MCom, UTD, EE2 and EE3. These devices are each connected to a separate connection module, such as:

the support S 1 is connected to a data processing unit UTD of the data processing unit type such as an MCU;

the S2 support is connected to an external equipment EE2 of the energy management and storage unit type;

the support S3 is connected to an external equipment EE3 of the temperature sensor type;

the S4 support is connected to an MCom communication module.

It is illustrated in D3, a view of the arrangement of the four external devices in or on the device. In this configuration, the structure is said to be closed because there is no direct access to the interior of the device. The four supports of the device are identical and have the shape of an equilateral triangle with two flat faces and three thin edges. In this example, all faces of the four supports include connection modules. It is illustrated at D4 a flattened view of the two internal faces of the supports SI and S3 of the device illustrated at D3.

These two supports S1 and S3 are connected by a physical link LP31 illustrated at D5, by their respective edges B1 and B32. This physical bond is a flexible bond and the supports of the tetrahedron are detachable from each other. These characteristics allow the device to be completely spread out on a flat surface. The faces Fi 1 and F12 of the support SI all include a connection module, as do the faces F31 and F32 of the support S3. The connection modules of the device are also interconnected by flexible electrical and communication links (not shown in Figure 2), of the data and energy bus type, in the form of a web for example.

In this particular embodiment, each edge of each of the supports is linked to another edge of another support by a physical link. In the flattened view at D4, there is illustrated the external faces F31 and Fl 1 respectively of the supports S3 and SI and respectively the two edges B32 and B1 l adjacent to these two supports. In addition, in this embodiment, each face has a connection module. This connection module extends to each of the edges of the support. In D5, the different interactions between the SI and S3 media of the device are illustrated, associated with the interconnection between the external equipment EE3 and the processing unit of UTD data. Indeed, D4 illustrates the connection modules MC31 and MC 12 which are respectively linked to the faces F31 of the support S3 and F12 of the support SI. However, this view does not make it possible to have a clear view of the physical and electrical interactions between the various electrical items of equipment connected to the device.

D5 shows an example of a connection between the UTD data processing unit and the EE3 temperature sensor. The data processing unit is connected to the MC 12 connection module located inside the device in order to take advantage of the available volume to integrate the components of the data processing unit but also to protect these components from the environment outside. On the other hand, in this example, the temperature sensor EE3 must be placed outside the device because the objective is to capture the outside temperature. The EE3 sensor is then connected to the MC31 connection module located on the outer face F31 of the S3 support. In this case, there is an electrical and communication link L3112 which connects the MC31 and MC 12 modules. However, in the case where a connection module is arranged on the entire support (faces and edges included), for the SI and S3 supports, then the L3112 link is not essential.

It can be noted that there is, in this example, a physical link LP31 between the two supports S3 and SI in order, for example, to stiffen the device. Likewise, the different connections could be illustrated, according to this particular embodiment, by that between the connection modules MC31 and MC42 with respectively the temperature sensor EE3 and the communication module MCom which is located inside the device on the support S4 (see Fig. 2, D3). This particular embodiment therefore makes it possible to construct a device having eight faces (four supports and two faces per support) therefore seven possibilities of connecting external equipment, because according to the invention, the communication module is essential. These seven connection possibilities can already offer a wide range of functionalities to the device. It is also possible that several faces of the device are dedicated to a single functionality.

It is also possible for a face to be equipped with a multi-functionality device or with several devices each having one functionality. The invention also allows a combination of these particular cases. In this exemplary embodiment, the temperature sensor EE3 is connected on the face external F31 of the support S3 in order to be able to capture the temperature of the environment in which the device is located. The MCom communication module allows the device to communicate with an external module such as a computer or a server, for example, or, more simply, to communicate with the various devices connected to the device.

The EE2 energy management and storage unit supplies electrical energy to all of the device's equipment through the various connection modules and the electrical and communication links. The external face of the S3 holder has a solar sensor to capture the energy of light rays from the environment of the device. All of this equipment connected to the device can make it possible to make the latter completely autonomous in terms of energy without requiring an electric battery. The energy management unit is able to deliver this energy to all faces of the object. In addition, the UTD data processing unit represents the unit capable of storing and running an operating system, applications and device equipment management drivers. This unit (UTD) must be able to interact with all of the other connection modules. According to this embodiment of the invention, it is therefore possible to create a communicating and autonomous temperature sensor. Such a device has the advantage, compared to other products available on the market, of being compact due to its tetrahedral shape, autonomous thanks to its energy management system and its solar collector, and flexible, therefore able to adapt to various mechanical and thermal constraints.

In addition, the device according to the invention can be used as an optional temperature sensor module and interconnectable with another more generic module, also implemented according to the invention, but not having a temperature sensing function. As the physical links are flexible and removable, the device can be assembled in a two-dimensional (flat) or three-dimensional (in volume) way. A communication device according to the invention has, among other things, the ability to make all of its faces interact, regardless of the functionalities and electronic components present on the faces.

In FIG. 3, there is illustrated a particular embodiment of the invention. In the case of a regular polyhedron (we can cite for example 5 regular polyhedra of space, known as Plato's polyhedra, which are respectively the tetrahedron, the cube, the octahedron, the dodecahedron and the icosahedron), that is to say comprising identical and regular faces and of which all its vertices are identical (there is the same number of edges which converge at each vertex), according to the invention there is proposed a configuration of a device such that the connector or connectors associated with each edge of a support are always connected or connectable with the connector or connectors of another support of the device, regardless of the way in which the faces of these supports are assembled. There are many possible arrangements of the connectors on a support.

In D6, there is illustrated an exemplary embodiment of a connector arrangement which comprises a connector bus having three energy connectors at the center of a part, such as an edge for example, of one of the supports of the device. . This bus includes a connector for the E0 ground in the center of the support part and two connectors for the positive E + polarity on either side of the ground connector. The E + connectors are symmetrical to the E0 ground connector. The connectors transporting the data IOl to IOn can be 2n in number (2 multiplied by n, n being greater than or equal to 1 (n> = l)), and are distributed on either side of the 3 energy connectors distributed symmetrically to the E0 earth connector with n connectors on one side and n connectors on the other.

Another example of a bus is shown in D7. This bus, called inverted energy bus, has three energy connectors including one positive polarity E + connector in the center of part of the support and two E0 ground connectors on either side and symmetrical to the positive polarity connector. E +. The connectors carrying the data IOl to IOn can be 2n in number (2 multiplied by n (n> = l)) distributed on either side of the 3 energy connectors in a symmetrical distribution with the positive polarity connector.

In D8 is illustrated another example of a bus such as a connector of positive polarity E + which is arranged in the center of a part of the support and at least 2n (2 multiplied by n (n> = l)) data connectors IO1 to IOn evenly distributed on either side of the positive polarity E + connector. In addition, there are two E0 ground connectors at the ends of this set of data connectors. The ground connectors are also symmetrical to the positive polarity connector. According to the invention, it is possible to create any other imaginable bus format provided that all of the connectors are well centered and symmetrical with respect to the geometry of the support.

FIG. 4 illustrates different embodiments of connection modules using the connector arrangements illustrated in FIG. 3.

In D9, for example, the connectors are centered on the edges of the supports of the device according to the invention and are only present on the edges or at their periphery. In D10, the connectors are distributed relative to the vertices of the supports of the device and are present only on the vertices or at their periphery.

According to the invention, it is also possible to mix the two aforementioned arrangements, by making connectors arranged on the tops and connectors arranged on the center of the edges of the supports. These connectors can be electronic tracks of the multilayer printed circuit type or cables glued or soldered to the surface of a support. The invention is not limiting concerning the types of connectors and the modes of integration of these connectors with the supports. Indeed, according to the invention it is possible that each support of the device may have connectors present on each of its edges or on each of its vertices, including whether the vertices and the edges are fully connected to each other or not. This obviously comes under the design of the device according to the needs and expectations of the designer. In addition, with a set of connectors fully arranged as illustrated by the examples of Figures 3 and 4, the invention makes it possible to dispense with an imposed direction of assembly. Indeed, according to the invention it is possible to position the energy and data connectors always adequately, that is to say face to face, whatever the rotation in the plane that is carried out on the face. manipulated when connecting to another face.

In D11, there is illustrated an embodiment of a connection module having connectors fully arranged on the face of a support on the basis of the arrangement made at D9. This embodiment makes it possible to facilitate the interconnection of the faces of two separate devices produced according to the invention. Another example of the same type is illustrated in D12 on the basis of the embodiment illustrated in D10. FIG. 5 illustrates a particular embodiment of a set of connection modules fixed on four supports forming a tetrahedron. The supports being unfolded on the same plane. The connection modules are arranged according to one of the examples illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 and are interconnected with one another so as to create a set of connection modules capable of transporting the energy and data of the various devices to all the devices connected to the device. device.

Thus, in D13 is illustrated such a set of connection modules, according to the arrangement illustrated in D9. In D14 is illustrated such a set of connection modules, according to the arrangement illustrated in Dl l. The embodiment illustrated in D14 has the advantage of comprising a network of connectors making it possible to ensure a reliable connection of the connection modules to each other, but also to equipment or other devices implementing the invention, thanks to the length of each connector. . In addition, in the configuration illustrated in D14, it is not necessary for the connection module to be connected to external equipment to allow data transport to the various connection modules with which it is interconnected. In addition, the example illustrated in D14 provides power supply and data transport, even in the event that a device or a connection module is no longer operational.

Figure 6 illustrates another embodiment of a device according to the invention. In this example, the outline of the device is in the shape of a cube. The cube has six external faces and six internal faces, which increases the possibilities of adding equipment compared to the device shown in Figure 2. The arrangement of equipment external to the device is facilitated. For example, we can consider the following configuration as illustrated in D15:

On the external upper face of the device: either an EE4 device such as a sensor / actuator; either no specific functionality and no connection module - that is to say that this face is "bare" -; or either one or more external connection modules to combine other faces or other devices according to the invention, etc.

On the internal left side of the device: a communication module

Mcom. On the external front face of the device: either an EE1 device of the sensor or actuator type; either a storage module (flash memory, microSD card, etc.); or no specific functionality and no connection module, that is to say that this face is "bare".

- On the external rear face of the device: either an EE3 sensor or actuator type device; or no specific functionality and no connection module, that is to say that this face is "bare".

On the internal right side of the device: EE2 energy management and storage equipment (via energy harvesting or a battery or a combination of both).

On the internal underside of the device: a UTD data processing unit, of the CPU / MCU type.

Claims

1. Communicating device comprising a plurality of supports delimiting its outline, characterized in that:

- The plurality of supports comprises at least two removable supports that can be connected to one another;

- at least one of said removable media comprises a communication module;

- at least one of said removable media is connectable to at least one external device.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein each of said supports

removable has two sides and at least one edge.

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein said removable media are linked together by at least one physical link connecting one edge of a removable medium to an edge of another removable medium.

4. Device according to claim 3, wherein said at least one physical link is flexible.

5. Device according to claim 2, wherein said at least one given support from among said removable supports comprises at least one connection module comprising at least one connector symmetrically distributed with respect to the middle of at least one edge of said given support.

6. Device according to claim 5, wherein said at least one connection module is connectable to an electrical and communication link.

7. Device according to claim 5, wherein each of said supports

removable includes at least three straight edges.

8. Device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one external device is a data processing and backup unit.

9. Device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one external equipment is a power supply unit.