FR2640782A1 - Message recording and indicating device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a message recording and indicating device intended more particularly but not exclusively to equip ski runs and winter sports centres, characterised by the use of cards whose access codes allow recording or reading schedules on place and time which are useful when searching for people. .Two types of cards exist: - TX card for reading and recording messages; - RX cards (RX1 - RX2 - RX3) for only reading messages. .The meaningful functions expressed by the device concern: - a proposal as to places (1 to 16) + b; - a proposal as to time c; - a recipient (RX1 - RX2 - RX3). Application according to the invention, to ski runs and winter sports centres, tourist or Olympic villages, public places, metro (underground rail) stops, stations.

Description

RECORDING DEVICE
MESSAGE INDICATOR. The present invention relates to an electronic device for recording and indicating messages and appointments intended to facilitate the search and the meeting of people of the same group located in places where the means of telecommunications are non-existent or inoperative; This is particularly the case for the ski areas of winter sports resorts.

. Detailed preliminary analyzes of the entire context of the environments relating in particular to skiing, made it possible to determine the essential criteria of the device described in this document. The object of the invention therefore relates to the particular and original design of the device as a specific end product for a given use.

. The practical applications of the system which is the subject of this patent are justified for the following reasons:
- telephone nonexistent on the ski slopes.

- inter-telephony by wire not possible between 2
hikers.

 - radio telephone quickly inoperative in the mountains.

(limited scope caused by the existence of natural obstacles
real).

- bulky radio equipment that is too expensive for the
General public.

- radio spectrum too narrow to contain a
network of several thousand communications.

 (C.B - 40 channels only).

The subject of this patent is an electronic device for recording and indicating messages and appointments
According to a characteristic of the invention, the device operates only by inserting or associating a card, whether it is of the magnetic @ type; optics; sound with bar code or with electrical contacts.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the access cards to the devices include, in encrypted form or not, a set of digital codes determining the following functions
- the validity of the card
- the memory address where messages are recorded
- the identity of the card.

AT/. The validity period of a card is 7 days; she
runs from Saturday to Saturday from midnight. The
weeks numbered 0 to 31 largely cover a
summer season.

B /. The memory addresses have 17 bits, which totals
reads a maximum of 131 072 addresses divided into
N zones proportional to the importance of the stations.

Example
VAL THORENS from 000 000 to 020 000
LES MENUIRES from 020 001 to 050 000
COURCHEVEL from 050 001 to 075 000
MERIBEL from 075 001 100,000
ST MARTIN-DE-BELLEVILLE from 100,001 to 105,000
LA PLAGNE from 105,001 to 131,000
This method of dividing into successive address zones makes it possible to use the same card in several neighboring stations without the risk of interference.

 As we will see later in the descriptive chapter of the reader-recorder device, each memory address contains 5 bytes, or 40 bits of data, necessary for processing information.

VS/. Cards (format 85 x 54 mm) will be sold in batches
4 units "domiciled" at the same address; each
differentiating itself from others by its own pro code
pre.

Two types of cards to be distinguished: (see fig. 1) 1 1 "Issuer" card (TX) held by the tenant-
holder of the memory-address and who can at any time
read, save, modify or cancel the story
naked messages.

3 "Receiving" cards (RX1 - RX2 - RX3) awarded
by the holder to his parents, friends, etc ... and who
only allow reading of messages named
addressed.

- RX cards bear the name of the tenant-holder
- The TX card has the 3 names of the
holders of RX cards (see fig. 1).

 Note that a dialogue is possible between several holders who have exchanged their RX card.

 In practice, a winter sports resort will be equipped with at least a dozen autonomous reader-recorder devices scattered in the village and especially in the ski area at high traffic points.

Cardholders will be able to write similar or different messages at several points in their roaming to the people of their choice (RX1 or RX2 or RX3), or even send collective messages (RX1 +
RX2 + RX3).

 Finally, the great mobility of skiers and the possibility for them to "receive" and "transmit" messages by electronic consignment in n stations covering a given geographical sector, constitute in a way a reliable means of telecommunications of a friendly character.

According to a characteristic of the invention, the part of the device assigned to the recording of messages allows the domiciliation of several users; precisely more than 2 users. In the example cited above, the device could contain 131,072 direct debit addresses
according to another characteristic of the invention, the reader-recorder device uses for its operation static or dynamic memories (RAM, ROM,
PROM, HPROM, etc ...).

 according to another characteristic of the invention, the reader-recorder device makes it possible to program and display by digital or alphanumeric means a place of arrival or departure of a ski lift.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the front face of the device presents in typed or screen-printed form a certain number of places (cafes, restaurants, shops, etc.) the selection of which is indicated by indicator light, or rear lighting of screen printing.

Other characteristics, advantages and details will appear more clearly with the aid of the explanatory description which follows, made with reference to the appended drawings given solely by way of example and in which * FIG. 1 represents an example of allocation of 4 because
personalized cards consisting of an EMET main card
TRICE (TX) and 3 RECEPTORAL secondary cards (RX).

* Figure 2A shows an RX card coupled to an affi
pocket choir; we notice the numerical indications
correlative of hours and places as well as the index
vertical placement (with LCD diodes).

* Figure 2B shows the function block diagram
operation of the pocket display.

* Figure 3 shows a facial view of the device lec
recorder with its main functions and the
corresponding displays.

* Figure 4 shows the general block diagram of
electrical operation of the appliance.

 The cards (fig. 1) will include in graphic form (bar code), or electric form (programmable mask) or according to any other process, a quantity of digital codes (BITS) allowing the validation of the card, its addressing and its identification.

The quantities by function are as follows
- VALIDITY (week 0 to 31) 5 BITS
- ADDRESS (000,000 to 131,071) 17 BITS
- IDENTITY (TX-RXl-RX2-RX3) 2 BITS
- DEVICE (pocket display) 2 BITS
A total of 26 BITS
According to a characteristic of the invention, the indications of places and times read on the autonomous reader-recorder station, can be kept on oneself in digital and visual form thanks to a pocket memory display (FIG. 2A and 2B) using a shift register and liquid crystal diodes (LCD).

 An integrated watch can, by comparison of the real time with that programmed for the appointment, trigger an alarm reminding the wearer of the information collected.

 The format of this small pocket device matches that of TX / RX cards; it is however a little shorter (60 x 54 mm) to allow its introduction into the input connector of the reader-recorder.

 The displayed data is received in series from the reader-recorder and is converted in parallel mode through a shift register with 28 output bits; the latter being incremented by a clock signal comprising a train of 28 pulses.

The data displayed are - the actual time displayed by the watch (HR) - the scheduled meeting time (HP) - the ski lift number (RM) - 16 possibilities of locations indicated by an LCD index * d
vertical placement (X). A flexible plastic label
self-adhesive available at stations and including
the 16 proposed places mentioned on the posts
player-recorder, will be carefully applied to the
frame right (B); thus ensuring a horn return
information.

To be usable, the lots of cards sold
virgins in distribution points, will receive thanks
a weekly counter-date device (initialized
sarPedis à OH) their seal of validity as well as an address
Finally the back of the cards can be a sup
advertising port of choice for local advertisers,
regional or national (radios; brands of products from
sports, restaurants, sports shops).

FIG. 3 represents a facial view of the device whose functional parts delimited by a frame relate to the
- Meeting places (a)
- Ski lift numbers (b)
- Appointment hours + waiting time (c)
- Recipient (s) of the message (d).

 According to a characteristic of the invention, the device displays a menu composed of 16 proposed locations selected by push button or by rotary switch (19) - indicated by indicator lights (1 to 16). The first 2 indicators (1) and (2) relate to the start and finish of the ski lifts.

 According to a characteristic of the invention, a counter programmed by push buttons (21) and (22), displays the number of the lift chosen, thus conferring remarkable accuracy on the meeting place.

 Mountain cafes / restaurants are particularly privileged meeting and information points, by providing the public with autonomous reader-recorder messages.

 Figure 3 (a) gives some examples of location assignments, in this case mountain café-restaurants located in the Oisans massif in France (2 Alpes resort).

 The frame (c) of FIG. 3 gives the hourly indications of the appointments with possibly the display of the waiting time in the event of delay. Push buttons (23-24-25-26) control the 7-segment displays.

 Finally, the frame (d) of FIG. 3 is specialized in the selection of the people for whom the messages are intended.

 The combination of the 3 pushbuttons (27-28-29) adds up to 7 possible destinations.

(RX1 t RX2 t RX3; RX1 + RX2; RXl + RX3 t ETC ...)
The absence of messages during any interrogation of an RX card in the machine is indicated by an indicator light (18) positioned in the screen-printed frame, entitled "NO MESSAGES".

 According to a characteristic of the invention, any operation of reading or recording messages will be done by inserting a card into a fitted slot (17). Only TX cards will allow information to be stored in memory thanks to a validation bit entered in the card's access code. After selection of the displayed menu, sending by push button (20) allows instant entry of data into the memories at the address established by the TX card (READ / WRITE) (by a code written in the card) this by simple sending by the push button (20) of data in the memory address (READ / WRITE).

 FIG. 4 represents the block diagram of operation of the apparatus, the structure of which, beating around a memory (M) with an addressing capacity of 17 bits, determines a number of 131 072 memory addresses usable by as many tenants - holders (TX cards).

 The 38 bits of data necessary for the storage of information are obtained by parallel coupling of several memories.

Ex: - 5 memories of 8 bits of data or 40 bits
- 3 memories of 16 bits of data or 48 bits.

- VL frames; A and VP represent the signaling devices of the device
- VL: the display of 16 places by LED indicators
4 bits)
- A: all 8 digital 7-segment displays
(32 bit)
- VP: viewing the selection of people
(2 bits).

- PL, PA executives; PP represent the circuits of com
control using scales of various types (RS, T, JK,
etc) or even rotary switches with binary output
or decimal.

- Bi-directional doors Gl, G2, G3 authorize or not
the passage of the program control signals P according to
the device is in recording or
reading.

- The serial output of the contents of the memory addresses is operated using a shift register (R) whose loading in parallel mode on 28 data bits comprises
- 16 location suggestions (index or indicators) (4 bits)
- programmed time (hours and minutes) (16 bits)
- number of ski lift (8 bits)
The register (R) is incremented by a clock (H) delivering - at its output Hi a train of 28 pulses of T = - at its output Hs a weekly accounting pulse
weeks (O å 31) in a 5-bit counter (K).

- The logical comparator (Cv) allows the confrontation of
counter-date signals (K) with validation code
registered in the card.

- Finally, a second comparator (Ci) allows identification
RX cards, according to the program established during registration
message recording (frame d in Figure 3).

 The sum of the logic states provided by the validity (Cv) and identity (Ci) comparators validates the operation of the power supply circuits of the displays and indicators; at the same time that it operates the conversion of the register (R) in serial mode.

 The rocker (E) allows the sending (20 of fig 3) of information in the memory (M) by switching the W / R input in write mode.

 The operating diagram of the pocket display is shown in Figure 2B.

The register (R ') incremented by the clock signals (28 pulses) converts the signals received in series at the point
D, in parallel on its outputs in 28 bits of data distributed in - 4 bits for the 16 location indications (LEDS) - 24 bits for the relative digital displays 8:
- time programming
- the number of the ski lift.

 The circuit (C) compares the real time generated by a quartz clock (W) integrated in the pocket display (see fig 2A) and the programmed time, displayed and stored in the circuit (A ').

 The parity of the signals triggers an alarm reminding the wearer of the device of the information collected.

 Of course, the invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described and shown which have been given only by way of example. In particular, it includes all the means constituting technical equivalents of the means described, as well as their combinations, if these are carried out according to the spirit and implemented in the context of protection as claimed.

Claims (8)

1 - Recorder and message indicator device  intended to equip more particularly (but not ex  clusively) the tracks and the sports stations  winter, characterized by the use of lots of cards  complementary (fig. 1) domiciled at a meme  memory address and comprising in magnetic form,  graphic (barcode) or electric (P.A.L) a co  of function and identification programming the  say cards for recording or reading  messages (TX / RXl, RX2, RX3). 2 - Device according to claim 1, characterized by  the use of a unit of random access memories, read only,  static or dynamic, especially RAM, ROM,  PROM, EPROM, (fig. 4 M). 3 - Device according to claim 1 characterized by  the use of 7-segment digital LED displays or  F LCD. 4 - Device according to claim 1, characterized by  the use of alphanumeric LED or LCD displays. 5 - Device according to claims 1 to 4, character  se by the use of cards whose access code com  carries a set of bits relating to a m-address  moire, a function (TX / RX) a period of validity. 6 - Device according to claim 1, characterized by  the use of a pocket memory display (fig. 2A  and 2B) allowing storage and indication of  by means of LCD displays, information visible on  the player-recorder. 7 - Device according to claims I and 6, character  rised by the use of a quartz watch or clock (W). 8 - Device according to claims 6 and 7, character  laughed at by the use of an audible alarm device (S)  magnetic or piezoelectric type.