FR2648255A1 - ELECTROMECHANICAL DEVICE FOR RECOGNIZING CHARACTERS EXECUTED MANUALLY - Google Patents

Abstract

An electromechanical device for the recognition of manually executed characters includes a module (MOD) comprising a support (SU) which has on its upper insulating surface a pre-determined distribution of conductor pads (P0-P8). The device also includes means, facing the pad array, for defining a field (F) onto which the character can be mapped and in which a single conductor pad can be selectively energized while being acted upon by a manual mapping instrument. Analysis of the energization sequence of said conductor pad makes it possible to recognise said character.

Description

Electromechanical character recognition device executed manually.

The invention relates to the recognition of characters, in particular alphanumeric characters, executed manually.

It finds an advantageous but non-limiting application in the field of alphanumeric interfaces between a user and a microcomputer for example.

The traditional alphanumeric keyboard proves to be an interface that, to provide optimal efficiency, requires a good typing speed and a certain skill in its use. It is therefore particularly interesting, for the input of data in a microcomputer, to be able to overcome such a keyboard and manually run alphanumeric characters, for example using a pen to ball, which can be recognized by the microcomputer.

However, the graphics of such characters are subject to the vagaries of manual writing and can sometimes lead to confusion in the interpretation of characters whose shapes are similar. However, such a risk of confusion must be extremely reduced to minimize as much as possible the number of recognition errors which, if it proved to be too high, would tend to discredit such a recognition device in the eyes of the user.

The necessary respect of this major constraint has not so far led to the realization of character recognition devices offering good reliability of operation while being simple to achieve at an industrially reasonable cost.

The invention aims to provide a solution to this problem.

An object of the invention is to provide a character recognition device technologically simple to perform and minimizing the risk of confusion in the recognition of these characters.

The invention also aims to provide a device of this type which is modular.

Another object of the invention is to allow the adaptation of such devices on commercial microcomputers.

The invention also relates to the production of a small device easily transportable.

The invention also aims to allow the realization of such a device at an industrially reasonable cost.

According to a general characteristic of the invention, the proposed electromechanical device for recognizing a character comprises a module comprising a support having on a insulating upper face a predetermined distribution of conductive pads, and means capable of defining a useful range of tracing said character, facing all the pellets, area within which is selectively excited a single conductive pad at a time under the action of a manual tracing instrument.

The analysis of this sequence of excitations of said pellets then allows the recognition of said character.

Other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is an exploded schematic view of a module of a device according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic cross-section of the module of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 illustrates in more detail a device according to the invention incorporating the module of FIG. 1; FIGS. 4 to 16 schematically illustrate examples of FIG. character plots, and - Figure 17 schematically illustrates a device according to the invention in a particular application.

The drawings are essentially elements of a certain character. As such they are an integral part of the description and can not only better understand the detailed description below but also contribute, if necessary, to the definition of the invention.

An essential element of the invention consists of an electromechanical module MOD whose different constituents are represented in FIGS. 1 and 2.

This module comprises a support SU having, on an insulating upper face, a predetermined distribution of conductive pads P-P8. In this example, the distribution comprises nine pellets regularly distributed within a rectangle and each connected to one of the edges of the support by a metal conductor. Thus, a printed circuit having nine outputs SZ-58 is defined.

On this support is placed a rigid intermediate insulating sheet D, in which is provided a distribution of UB-U8 openings respectively corresponding to the distribution of pellets P-P8. In other words, each pellet
Pi comes next to the corresponding opening U.

This stack continues with a plate P, elastically deformable, composed of a membrane C, conductive rubber material, resting on the rigid insulating sheet
D, and a flexible plastic membrane ME supported by the conductive membrane C. As will be seen hereinafter, it is on this membrane ME that the character is intended to be executed manually for example at the using the tip of a ballpoint pen. Also, it has been possible to choose the material of this membrane so as to keep a minimum of ink traces and to return to its original shape after tracing a character, so as to remain flat and clean despite repeated use.

It should be noted here that for the purposes of the present description, the terms "tracing" or "tracing" designate a manual execution of a character leaving no preference on the membrane but possibly leaving it if necessary. in some applications, these terms would be in this half then synonymous with a writing proper.

The MOD module finally features a rigid top plate
PS in which is provided a window F disposed opposite all the pellets, and delimiting a useful area of character tracing including consequently the set of openings U of the sheet D. The dimensions of this window must be preferably at least equal to those of a capitalized typeface. The criterion governing the choice of these dimensions is essentially ergonomic. The window must be generally of such dimensions that a user can perform his character without discomfort, using a ballpoint pen for example. It is considered for this purpose that a window 5 to 7 mm high and 4 to 6 mm wide meets these conditions.

The thickness of the rigid insulating sheet D is a few tenths of a millimeter. This dimension is sufficient so that, at rest, the membrane C does not come into contact with one of the pellets P-P8 through the distribution of openings, and so that, during the tracing of a character, the membranes C and ME bend together to make contact between the conductive membrane C and one of the pellets through the corresponding aperture just below the tip of the ballpoint pen G.

In addition to the MOD module, the device comprises processing means MT connected to the nine pellets P-P8. These processing means may be incorporated for example into those of the microcomputer and are associated with a memory MM whose function will be detailed below, and which may itself consist of at least part of the memory means of the micro-computer. computer.

MAE electrical supply means are connected to a terminal SC of the conductive membrane C, which therefore implies that the selective excitation of a chip during the tracing of the character is carried out by electrical type contact.

Also, during the drawing of the character, we will see appear, as and when it, a sequence of electrical pulses on the outputs S-S7 pellets, each corresponding to a local contact between the conductive membrane
C and a single pellet, the sequence of pulses then being connected to the displacement of the pen. The electrical excitation is selective because as the tip of the ballpoint pen moves inside the window F, an electrical connection is established between the terminal SC and one of the outputs SB-S8, to the exclusion of all the others, thanks in particular to the insulating separations between the different openings of the sheet D, these separations serving as spacers.

The processing means are then able to analyze said series of electrical contacts and recognize, by comparison with a reference information contained in the memory MM, the nature of which will be detailed below, the manually executed character and possibly display it, in a predefined format, on a display means
MAF such as for example the screen of the microcomputer.

The algorithm for recognizing a character contained in the processing means will now be described in detail. This description will be illustrated with the example of the plot of the letter B shown in FIG. 4. In this figure, the nine boxes respectively represent the nine pellets P-P8. Each of these boxes is assigned a number from 8 to 8 to identify it. The outline of the letter B shown in this figure is the ideal case.

It will be used to highlight the recognition algorithm but we will see that some line excursions are tolerated within certain limits.

For the description of the recognition algorithm, reference will also be made to eleven tables Tl-Tll, represented in the appendix.

When drawing the letter B as illustrated in FIG. 4, the conductive pads PR-P8 are selectively excited according to a basic sequence Q shown in the table T1. Each digit in this sequence is indicative of the number of the affected box.

A first step then consists in associating with each digit of the basic sequence, two numbers between B and 2 representing the X and Y coordinates of the position of the corresponding patch, inside the rectangular matrix of FIG. 4. Table T2 is then obtained in which n denotes the rank of the established contact, the first contact having by convention the value B.

From table T2 is elaborated a third table
T3 called Derivative Table DXn and DYn. For the purposes of the present description, -d denotes by derivative DXn of X at the point n the value of the difference (Xn-Xn-1). Similarly,
DYn is equal to (Yn-Yn-1).

From the tables T2 and T3, the means of analysis will determine the temporal evolution of the various positions of the tip of the pen and will extract certain particular characteristics.

Among these, it is necessary to define three basic characteristics of a graphic element that will be called "rupture", "cusp" and "jambing".

For the purposes of the present description, it is said that there is a break at the point n, when the coordinate Xn differs from the preceding coordinate Xn-1 by more than one unit, in absolute value.

The break exists also if the coordinate Yn differs from Yn-1 by more than one unit, in absolute value. Thus, referring to the table T2, a break is observed for the point n = 3 since the coordinate Y2 is equal to 2 and the coordinate Y3 is equal to ss. This is the only break in this chart. This is illustrated in Figure 5 in which the arrows-solid line indicate the actual line of the line, and the dashed arrows represent the paths "in the air" of the pen.

It is said that there is a reversal at the point n, when the coordinate Xn at the point of rank n is equal to that of the point of rank n-2 but differs from that of the previous rank n-1.

Cursing also exists if the same conditions are met for the Yn coordinate. By way of illustration, FIGS. 6 and 7 represent two forms of cusp that can generally be involved. For the particular case of letter B, it is found that there is a reversal at point n = 9 occurring in box 4, since
Xn = Xn-2 = 1 and that Xn-1 = (ie X9 = X7 = 1 and X8 =
To illustrate the setback, look at Table T3, starting at n = 4, for example, and moving towards the higher values of n.

Consider first the values of the derivatives DXn. It can be seen that when n varies from 4 to 6, the derivative DXn is either equal to 1 or equal to. It will then be appropriate to say that, in all this range, the derivative DXn is equal to 1, starting from the principle that the meeting of a null derivative does not change the sign of this one.

At the point n = 7, the derivative changes sign. It is said that there is then cambrement at the point n = 7. The derivative then remains equal to -1 up to the value n = 8 then changes again of sign for n = 9. There is thus also arching at the point 9, note being made that this arching is superimposed on a cusp as already indicated.

In general, there is cambrement at point n when at least one of the derivatives DXn and DYn changes sign at this point.

If we look further at Table T3, there is still a camber at point n = 12. For example, Figures 8 and 9 illustrate two cases of arching.

The next step in the algorithm is to step through the electrical contact sequence from n = 8 to higher values. In each point, the existence of the following particular characteristics is determined: rupture, reversal, arching, in this order of priority.

If at the current point n, none of these three characteristics are observed, we then move on to the next point. Here we define a notion of "segment" in the sequence. The segment starts at n = 8 and continues until all three of the above characteristics have appeared.

On the other hand, as soon as a characteristic appears, it will be agreed that a segment of higher rank starts from the point of appearance of this characteristic.

In the case of the letter B, the segment of rank B begins at the point n = 8 and continues at the point n = 1 and n = 2 since no characteristic is observed (table T4). At point n = 3, a break is observed. Segment 1 therefore begins at this point and continues to point n = 6. At point n = 7, a setback is observed, which marks the beginning of the rank 2 segment. The beginning of the rank 3 segment is at the point n = 9 at which a crawl was observed. Finally, the beginning of the rank 4 segment is at the point n = 12 since there is cambrement.

The letter B is thus composed of 5 segments which make it possible to define the following characteristic sequence: rupture, arching, crawling, arching.

At this stage of examination of the algorithm, one could already try to define the characteristic sequences of all the capital letters of the alphabet and the 1 digits. A sample is shown in Table T5 for the letters A, E, P, R.

It is therefore advantageous, especially for reasons of digital processing, to associate numbers for the different characteristics mentioned above. In this example, these numbers are represented in a decimal numbering system by numbers between P1 and 3. This is illustrated in Table T6, where an absence of characteristic in the base sequence results in the number, a break in the number 1, a cusp by the number 2 and a frame by a number 3. It is then possible to define with the help of these figures a numerical characteristic sequence which has for example the value 1.3.2.3 for the letter B.

However, the examination of the temporal evolution of the different positions affected during the drawing with the only characteristics mentioned above can create risks of confusion. Indeed, the letter F whose sequence is rupture-rupture can be confused with the letter A. Similarly, the letter D whose sequence is rupture-cambrement can be confused with the letter P.

 It is therefore necessary, for a better reliability of the device, to define new characteristics which will be respectively denominated "closed rupture", "open rupture", "global closure", "initial square".

A closed break is a break in which the tip of the tracing instrument returns to the starting point after breaking. If it is a first break, the starting point is that of the sequence, this is the case of the letter B. If it is a break of higher rank, the starting point is that of the segment beginning at the previous break.

An open break is a break in which the tracing instrument does not return to the starting point after breaking. This is particularly the case when drawing the letter
H whose plot is shown in Figure la and the basic sequence on the table T7. We then observe an open rupture at the point n = 3 and n = 6. At point n = 3, the tracing instrument jumps from box 6 to box 2 but does not return to the box which is the starting point of the sequence. Similarly, at point n = 6, the plotter jumps from box 8 to box 3 but does not return to box 2, which is the starting point of the row 2 segment after breaking at point n = 3 .

We will then associate the number 1 with any closed rupture and a succession of two digits 1 for an open rupture.

Thus, for example, the numerical characteristic of the letter H is then 1.1.1.1. since it contains two successive open breaks. It should be noted that this numerical characteristic would have been simply 1.1. if one had taken into account only the characteristic of rupture without distinguishing the fact that it is open or closed.

Global closure is said to occur if the last digit of the base sequence is equal to the first digit of it, as in the case of the letter O whose base sequence can be 1.83.6.7.8.5.2.1 or fine 8.3.6.7.8.5.2.1.8 according to the graphic.

It is also considered that there is global closure when the first characteristic of the basic sequence is a break and the end of the sequence coincides with the end of the rank segment. This is the case for example of the letter
D illustrated in Figure 11 whose basic sequence is 8.3.6.8.1.2.5.8.7.6. Indeed, there is a break at the point n = 3. The end of the rank 8 segment is the box 6. The basic characteristic sequence also ends on the box 6 and there is thus global closure. This is also the case for the letter B but this is not the case for the letter P for example.

It will then be necessary to add the number 1 after the numerical characteristic sequence when there is a global closure. An example of such characteristic sequences is shown in Table T8 for letters
B, P, D.

The characteristic, called initial square, only concerns the row segment. This segment has this characteristic when, for values of n between 8 and nl, one of the two coordinates Xn and Yn is constant, then for values of n between nl and the end of the segment, the other coordinate is constant. The character plot then materializes two orthogonal portions defining a square (Figures 14, 15, 16).

If the initial square translates to a descending vertical portion (Xn constant, Yn increasing) followed by a horizontal portion pointing to the right (Yn constant, Xn increasing, Figure 14), the segment B will be assigned the numbers 8.1 in the digital characteristic sequence.

If the initial square translates to a descending vertical portion followed by a horizontal portion pointing to the left (Yn increasing, Xn decreasing, Figure 15), segment 8 will be assigned the numbers.

If the initial square translates to a horizontal portion pointing to the right (Yn constant, Xn increasing) followed by a descending vertical portion (Xn constant, Yn increasing, Figure 16) the segment will be assigned the numbers.

The other combinations of vertical and horizontal oriented portions are not shown here because they do not appear in this alphanumeric writing system.

However, they could be considered in other graphic representations.

An example of a digital characteristic sequence comprising an initial angle characteristic is shown in Table T9 for the letters L, J, U as well as for the number 8.

We then obtain the table T1 providing the correspondence between the letters of the French alphabet, the numbers from to 9, and their respective characteristic sequences corresponding to current trace modes. For some characters, several sequences are indicated corresponding to different writing modes.

The maximum number of significant digits in a numeric characteristic sequence has been limited to 7 in this table. For reasons of homogeneity, all the numerical sequences will be supplemented by 8 to have the same length.

The examination of this table T1B reveals an extremely reduced risk of confusion if we take into account the entirety of the numerical characteristic sequence of each graphic.

However, the Applicant has observed that all capital letters and numbers from B to 9 can be represented virtually without confusion by taking into account only the first four digits of the numerical characteristic sequence.

Each of these digits being less than or equal to 3, can be represented by two bits in a binary system.

Thus, a subset of four digits of this sequence can be stored in memory by means of only eight bits.

If we consider that the first four digits of this series of decimal numbers, between 8 and 3, are the representation in a number-based numbering system 4 of a reference decimal number Nref, the latter will be between 8 and 255 since it will be obtained by adding the first digit of the subset with the second multiplied by 4, the third multiplied by 16 and the fourth multiplied by 64.

The table T1 indicates in its right part the different values of these reference numbers Nref.

Table T11 indicates in order, the reference numbers of 255 to the extent that they correspond to a real graphic, with, opposite the corresponding character or characters.

To return to the specific example of the letter B, Figures 12 and 13 illustrate two possible different paths of this letter which correspond to the same reference number equal to 237.

Table Tll reveals some residual ambiguities that can be easily raised, either by prohibiting certain plots or by taking into account in the algorithm, in case of ambiguity only, digits of the numerical characteristic sequence beyond the first four, as in the case of the lines of the letters E and H which correspond to the same reference number equal to 85. To remove this ambiguity, we can observe for example that the plot of the letter E comprises one segment more than that of the letter H Likewise, the lines of the characters G, 8 and 9, all three correspond to the reference number 191, but they respectively comprise 4, 5 and 7 segments.

In general, the number or reference information is stored in the memory MM. The processing means establishes the numerical characteristic sequence for any drawn character performed and compares it to an array of reference numbers.

Of course, if one is not limited by the capacity of the memory MM, one can further minimize the risk of confusion by using a subset of five or six digits of the numerical characteristic sequence for the establishment of the number reference, instead of the first four.

Although the invention finds its full advantages in this embodiment, it is conceivable that a particular user generates his own table of correspondence between the reference numbers and his own characters.

To do this, it is sufficient to initially provide a blank memory area and to ask the user to enter each graphic via the MOD module and to type in parallel on a conventional alphanumeric keyboard the corresponding character.

In this learning state, the processing means each generates a reference number and stores it in memory with respect to the character typed on the keyboard. The processing means then pass into their working state described above.

A particular embodiment of the device, used in the case of an interface with a microcomputer for example, is illustrated in FIG. 17.

The MAF screen of this microcomputer has for example 2 lines of 8 characters each. At the bottom of this screen are shown 8 windows F for character tracing. In other words, we have here 8f modules
Mutually identical MODs arranged adjacently.

On the right side of the screen, there is a column of 2 openings H respectively placed next to each line of the screen. The assembly is connected to the processing means of the computer via an R link.

The user begins, for example, by choosing a line y of the screen on which he wishes to materialize an alphanumeric character. It can then for this purpose push the tip of its pen into the corresponding opening Hy to establish a contact for example of the electric type. As long as he has not placed the end of his pen in other openings, the line will receive there one after the other the characters which he will trace in the windows F.

The operator having for example chosen the window Fx, draws it in the useful domain thus delimited and the processing means then recognize the character drawn using the algorithm described above.

The character is then displayed in standard format next to the Fx window on the y line. If this displayed character corresponds to the wishes of the operator, this one passes to the next character.

The passage from one character to another can be interpreted by the system as a validation of the recognition of the previous character. If, on the other hand, the user notices a recognition error, he redraws the character in the same window. The system can then search in memory for characters that are adjacent to the offending character and that are classified in this memory as likely to be tainted with ambiguity for a given graphic. The system can then offer the operator a second and possibly a third graphic.

One can also imagine that, at the end of the line, the system automatically goes to the next line and so on until the page is filled.

Note that the device according to the invention allows characters to enter any chosen point of the page which is particularly valuable for the realization of tables of letters and numbers and for corrections.

Additional AUX keys can be used to receive special functions such as "capital letters", "I pace".

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but embraces all variants including the following - the processing means may be incorporated into the MOD module itself in whole or in part - the algorithm of these processing means can be realized by software or by means of specific hard-wired components - the conductive part of the membrane C can be limited to the tracing area - the selective excitation of the pellets could be carried out by other means that the conductive membrane C, for example directly by means of a tracing instrument having a conductive tip - the processing means can recognize the character but not display it on a screen if a notion of confidentiality of the input data is required in a particular application - it may be so in the case of a validation of confidential code for example present in a credit card. For this purpose, the credit card would have a memory to house a predetermined PIN (the one usually associated with a credit card or another). The device would then be small and implanted on the card to allow the writing of the confidential code by the user. The power supply could be achieved using a photocell. In case of agreement between the confidential code written by the user, and recognized by the processing means and that stored in the memory, a light indicator placed on the card would certify that the user is the actual owner of this card. . As a variant, a separate box containing the processing means and capable of cooperating with the card by means of electrical contacts placed on the edge thereof can be provided.

other applications of the device according to the invention are envisaged. One of these may be a portable telephone directory the size of a small pocket calculator, similar to the directories found on the market, with the exception that the registration of names and numbers of phone is handwritten graphics on a tablet for this purpose rather than a keyboard. Another application may consist of a video film titling system.

Of course, some of the means described above may be omitted in the variants where they are not used.

ANNEX 1

<tb> T1 <SEP> Q: <SEP> 0 <SEP> 3 <SEP> 6 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 2 <SEP> 5 <SEP> 4 <SEP> 3 <SEP> 4 <SEP> 5 <SEP> 8 <SEP> 7 <SEP> 6
<tb><SEP> T2 <SEP> n: <SEP> 0 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 2 <SEP> 3 <SEP> 4 <SEP> 5 <SEP> 6 <SEP> 7 <SEP> 8 <SEP > 9 <SEP> 10 <SEP> 11 <SEP> 12 <SEP> 13
<tb><SEP> X: <SEP> 0 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 2 <SEP> 2 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 1 <SEP > 2 <SEP> 2 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 0
<tb><SEP> Y: <SEP> 0 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 2 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 1 <SEP > 1 <SEP> 2 <SEP> 2 <SEP> 2
<tb> T3 <SEP> n: <SEP> 0 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 2 <SEP> 3 <SEP> 4 <SEP> 5 <SEP> 6 <SEP> 7 <SEP> 8 <SEP> 9 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 11 <SEP> 12 <SEP> 13
<tb><SEP> DXn: <SEP> 0 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 0 <SEP> -1 <SEP> -1 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 0 <SEP> -1 <SEP> -1
<tb><SEP> DYn: <SEP> 0 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 1 <SEP> -2 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 0 <SEP> 0
<Tb>

<tb> 8 <SEP> I <SEP>'<SEP> 2 <SEP> 1 <SEP> [3 <SEP> 4 <SEP> 5 <SEP> 61 <SEP> t <SEP>! 9 <SEP> 16 <SEP> 1 <SEP> II <SEP> IZ <SEP> I
<tb><SEP>! Secen - ISeent <SEP> 31 <SEP> Seo. <SEP> 4
<tb><SEP> tRt <SEP> FW <SEP> e <SEP>{SEP>;<SEP> er. ~ <SEP> 1 <SEP> 1
<tb><SEP> 1RcF = 'rre <SEP> Fani = remenr <SEP> n
<tb><SEP>! C2-n-erer. ~ <SEP> i <SEP> Ca: <SEP> em.et
<Tb>

<tb> T5 <SEP> A <SEP> = <SEP> Rupture, <SEP> Rupture
<tb><SEP> E <SEP> = <SEP> Rupture, <SEP> Rupture, <SEP> Rupture
<tb><SEP> P <SEP> = <SEP> Break, <SEP> Substrate
<tb><SEP> R <SEP> = <SEP> Rupture, <SEP> Roughing, <SEP> Cursing
<tb> T6 <SEP> 0: <SEP> Absence <SEP> of <SEP> property
<tb><SEP> 1: <SEP> Rupture
<tb><SEP> 2: <SEP> Cusk
<tb><SEP> 3: <SEP> Camber
<tb><SEP> Q: <SEP> 0 <SEP> 3 <SEP> 6 <SEP> 2 <SEP> 5 <SEP> 8 <SEP> 3 <SEP> 4 <SEP> 5
<tb><SEP> T7
<tb> n: <SEP> 0 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 2 <SEP> 3 <SEP> 4 <SEP> 5 <SEP> 6 <SEP> 7 <SEP> 8
<tb> T8 <SEP> B: <SEP> 1 <SEP> 3 <SEP> 2 <SEP> 3 <SEP> 1
<tb><SEP> P: <SEP> 1 <SEP> 3
<tb><SEP> D: <SEP> 1 <SEP> 3 <SEP> 1
<tb> T9 <SEP> L: <SEP> 0 <SEP> 1
<tb><SEP> J: <SEP> 0 <SEP> 2 <SEP> 3
<tb><SEP> U: <SEP> 0 <SEP> 1 <SEP> 3
<tb><SEP> @: <SEP> 0 <SEP><SEP> 3 <SEP> 3 <SEP> 3 <SEP> 3 <SEP> 3 <SEP> 1
<Tb>
APPENDIX 2 TABLE 10 (1st part) @ character Basic sequence Characteristic sequence Nref numeric
A 1 4 3 6 1 4 5 8 3 4 5 0 2 1 1 1 1 0 88
B 0 3 6 0 1 2 5 4 3 4 5 8 7 6 1 3 2 3 1 0 0 237
C 2 1 0 3 6 7 8 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
D 0 3 6 0 1 2 5 8 7 6 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 29
E 0 3 6 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 85
E 0 3 6 7 8 0 1 2 3 4 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 84
F 0 3 6 0 1 2 3 4 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 21
G 2 1 0 3 6 7 8 5 4 5 3 3 3 2 0 0 0 191
H 0 3 6 2 5 8 3 4 5 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 85
H 0 3 6 3 4 5 2 5 8 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 10
I 1 4 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
J 2 5 8 7 6 3 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 56
J 2 5 8 7 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 8
K 0 3 6 2 4 3 4 8 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 37
L 0 3 6 7 8 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4
M 0 3 6 0 3 7 5 2 5 8 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 41
N 0 3 6 0 4 8 5 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 9
O 1 0 3 6 7 8 5 2 1 3 3 3 1 0 0 0 127
O 2 1 0 3 6 7 8 5 2 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 31
P 0 3 6 0 1 4 3 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 13
Q 1 0 3 6 7 8 5 2 1 4 8 3 3 3 3 3 0 0 255
Q 0 3 6 7 8 5 2 1 0 4 8 0 1 3 3 2 0 0 244
R 0 3 6 0 1 2 5 4 3 4 8 1 3 2 0 0 0 0 45
S 1 0 3 4 7 6 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 15
T 0 1 2 1 4 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
T 1 4 7 0 1 2 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 37
U 0 3 6 7 8 5 2 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 52
V 0 4 7 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
W 0 3 7 4 1 4 8 5 2 0 1 2 2 2 0 0 164
X 2 4 6 0 4 8 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 5
Y 0 4 2 4 6 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 10
Y 2 4 6 0 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 5
Z 0 1 2 4 6 7 8 3 4 5 0 3 2 1 1 0 0 108
ANNEX 3 TABLE 10 (2nd part)
Character Basic sequence Characteristic sequence Numeric nref 0 2 1 0 3 6 7 8 5 2 4 6 3 3 2 0 0 0 0 47 0 1 0 3 6 7 8 5 2 1 2 4 6 3 3 3 2 2 0 0 191 1 1 4 7 6 7 8 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 40 1 2 5 8 6 7 8 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 21 2 0 1 2 5 4 3 6 7 8 0 3 3 3 0 0 0 252 2 0 1 2 4 6 7 8 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 44 3 0 1 2 5 4 3 4 5 8 7 6 0 3 3 2 3 0 0 188 4 0 3 4 5 1 4 7 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 164 4 0 3 4 5 2 5 8 0 1 3 2 0 0 0 180 4 2 5 8 2 1 3 4 5 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 9 5 1 4 5 8 7 1 2 0 1 3 1 1 0 0 116 6 2 1 0 3 6 7 8 5 4 3 3 3 3 0 0 0 0 63 7 0 1 2 5 8 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 12 7 0 1 2 4 6 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 12 8 1 2 5 4 3 6 7 8 4 0 1 0 3 3 3 2 2 1 252 8 1 2 4 6 7 8 4 0 1 0 3 2 2 2 1 0 172 8 1 0 4 8 7 6 4 2 1 2 2 2 2 1 0 0 170 8 2 1 0 4 8 7 6 4 2 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 106 9 2 1 0 3 4 5 2 5 8 3 3 2 0 0 0 0 47 9 1 0 3 4 5 2 1 2 5 2 8 7 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 191
ANNEX 4
TABLE 11
Nref Character 8 I
2 TV
3 C
4 L
5 XY
8 J
9 N 4
1W HY
12 7
13 P
15 S
21 F 1
29 D
31 O
37 KT
4 1
41 M
44 2
45 R
47 W 9
52 U
56 J
63 6
84 E
85 EH
88 A
106 8
18 z
116 5
127 0
164 W 4
170 8
172 8
18 4
188 3
191 GW 9
237 B
244 Q
252 2 8
255 Q

Claims (13)

1. An electromechanical device for recognizing a character, characterized in that it comprises a module (MOD) comprising - a support (SU) having on an insulating upper face a predetermined distribution of conductive pads (P-P8), means for defining a useful tracing area of said character, with respect to all the pellets, a domain within which a single conductive pad can be excited selectively at the same time under the action of an instrument manual tracing, the analysis of the sequence of excitations of said pellets allowing the recognition of said character. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the selective excitation of the chip is made by electrical contact, and in that the device further comprises processing means connected to said pellets, capable of analyzing said following electrical contacts. 3. Device according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the module (MOD) further comprises a plate (P), located in the upper vicinity of the support and having said useful area of tracing said character, next to the set of pellets, a field within which said plate is capable of being elastically deformed under the action of said manual tracing instrument (G) to selectively excite a single conductive pad at a time. 4. Device according to claims 2 and 3 taken in combination, characterized in that, at least within the useful range, the lower face of the plate facing said pads, is electrically conductive. 5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises an intermediate insulating sheet (D), placed between the upper face of the support and said plate, and having, opposite the useful area, a distribution of openings (UW -US), respectively corresponding to the pellet distribution (PB-P8), and in that it further comprises an upper plate (PS) located on said elastically deformable plate (P), and provided with a window (F ) delimiting said tracing domain. 6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the support comprises nine pellets regularly distributed within a rectangle. 7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the processing means determine the position of each patch affected within said distribution, and the time evolution of these various positisons. 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the processing means determine the existence of particular characteristics of this temporal evolution belonging to the group of the following characteristics defined in the description: rupture, rupture rupture, open rupture, cusp, arching, global closure, initial square. 9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that following excitations of a character is associated a sequence of numbers, in that the processing means use at least a subset of this sequence. of numbers for the recognition of the character, and in that this recognition is performed by comparison of said subset with reference information derived from a series of reference numbers. 10. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that as a result of excitations is associated a sequence of decimal numbers greater than or equal to zero and less than or equal to three, in that said reference information is a decimal number of reference (Nref) whose decomposition in a 4-based numeration system corresponds to the first four digits of the sequence of decimal numbers. 11. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a display means (MAF) characters in a chosen format. 12. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of identical modules mutually arranged adjacent. 13. Application of the device according to one of the preceding claims, for the validation of a confidential code especially present in a credit card.