FR3072204A1 - ASSEMBLY FOR SPATIALLY CHECKING INFORMATION SUPPORTED BY A SUPPORT - Google Patents

Abstract

A set for spatially verifying information comprising a medium (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,40) having printed areas (40) on said medium comprising: a source of electrical power (3), a calculator (1), a reader (2), a selector (4) to which is connected at least one RFID type antenna (5), a speech synthesis (7) and at least one autonomous device (41) constituted by an antenna (20) RFID type, an electronic module (21) able to transmit a unique identifier via said antenna (20), characterized firstly, in that said antennas (5) are integrated in the support and that said zones ( 40) are judiciously positioned above said antennas (5) and, secondly, in that said computer (1) can select at least one of said antennas (5) to determine the position of at least one autonomous device ( 5) on said support.

Description

The present invention relates to an assembly for spatially verifying information carried on a support.

In French patents FR2597211 and FR2597212, a detector device and an assembly intended to cooperate with electrically conductive areas are described. These zones, conductive or not, are made with specific ink having electrical conductivity properties. It is therefore a question of the user placing and pressing said device on the targeted area so that the internal electronics detect the possible passage of an electric current within their read head.

This system has the following disadvantage:

- It is necessary to make precise physical contact between an information medium and a sensor, which is not easy in the context of a fun application for children.

The present invention overcomes this drawback. It targets a system comprising an information medium, for example of the book type, and autonomous devices, in which:

- the autonomous devices consist of:

o on their outer faces, unique visual information allowing the user to identify them, o a means of data communication and energy recovery, of the RFID type, o a unique representative identifier.

- The information medium consists of:

o a power supply (of the battery type), o an electronic means: the reader, of the RFID type, for communicating with autonomous devices, o an electronic means of speech synthesis with a means of auditory reproduction, such as a loudspeaker for example, o a means of selecting these different antennas, o And a microcontroller containing a program making it possible to control the various electronic components listed above, and a program carrying out the different scenarios of tests carried by said information medium.

o And several RFID antennas positioned judiciously,

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, these different constituent means of the information carrier are integrated into the cover of the information carrier.

This set for spatially verifying information including:

A support (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,40) comprising printed areas (40) on said support comprising:

o a source of electrical energy (3), a computer (1), a reader (2), a selector (4) to which is connected at least one antenna of the RFID type (5), a speech synthesis (7) , • and at least one autonomous device (41) constituted by an antenna (20) of the RFID type, an electronic module (21) capable of transmitting a unique identifier via said antenna (20), is characterized on the one hand, in that that said antennas (5) are integrated in the support and that said zones (40) are positioned judiciously above said antennas (5); on the other hand, in that said computer (1) can select at least one of said antennas (5) in order to determine the position of at least one autonomous device (5) on said support.

The manner in which the invention can be carried out and the advantages which result therefrom will emerge more clearly from the example of embodiment which follows, given by way of indication and not limitation, with the support of the figures of the appended figures.

Figure 1 is a functional representation of the components integrated into the cover of the information carrier. We find there the computer (1) responsible for communicating with the RFID reader (2) itself connected to the selector (4) of the RFID antenna (5) and the speech synthesis (7). On this representation 3 antennas have been represented, this number being only one example of realization. The energy source of the device (3) is judiciously produced with at least one button-type battery. The selection command (6) of the antenna listened to by the computer is connected to the selector (4).

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the unique identifier of an autonomous device (21,20). In the RFID modules (called TAG in English) generally used by those skilled in the art, there is a memory in which an identifier code is written. This memory has a cost and functions which are not used in the present invention. In order to reduce the price of the autonomous device, the unique identifier code for the TAG will be produced using straps composed of conductive wires which will be welded to electrical tracks connected to the internal electronics of the TAG. With 5 straps, 2 power 5 values can be coded, that is to say 32 values, which is more than sufficient for the various scenarios envisaged in the context of the invention. Thus, in FIG. 2, the code “19” is defined by the following binary code: “1 0 0 1 1”, since an electrical connection is made on the first, fourth and fifth position of straps.

FIG. 3 represents an embodiment of the various RFID antennas (5) which will be integrated into the cover of the information carrier. These antennas will be made using electrically conductive ink. These antennas are generally formed by a winding of electrical conductors. In our embodiment using conductive ink, the printing of this winding undoubtedly causes a short circuit (33) between two tracks. In order to solve this difficulty, the printing of these antennas will be done in 3 steps. Step 1 will consist of printing the antenna with conductive ink except the output connection of the back turn. Step 2 consists of depositing insulating ink (32) on the tracks already printed and potentially in electrical contact with the connection of the last turn. Finally, step 3 consists in printing, using still conductive, the missing connection (31) between the last turn and the connection of the antenna.

FIG. 4 represents a mode of presentation conforming to the description of a previously explained scenario. The printed areas (40) on a page of the information medium are judiciously positioned above the antennas (5) integrated in the cover of said medium. The autonomous devices (41) are placed by the user on the predefined areas and allowing the reading of their unique identifiers.

The information medium is formed, for example, of a book. This book consists of a back cover and which will contain internal electronics (at least one battery, a microprocessor type calculator, a speech synthesis, an RFID data reader, several RFID type antennas and an electronic function called " selector "to choose the RFID antenna in operation).

Those skilled in the art are fully aware of the operating principles of an RFID type data transmission in which a reader (in the invention, the information medium) supplied to a passive module (in the invention the device autonomous) via an antenna, the energy necessary to power its internal electronics and allow the transmission of data (in the invention a unique identifier) to said information medium. In the present invention, we integrate into the cover of the information carrier (the book) several antennas of the RFID type which will be judiciously arranged on the surface of the page. In a preferred embodiment, the selector is connected to the various antennas and the computer will indicate to the selector module which antenna must be in operation so that the RFID data reader can interpret the data which will be read by the antenna. It will then be understood that the computer alternately switches the different antennas to detect whether an autonomous device is positioned and thus obtain its unique identifier and the spatial position of this autonomous device on the information medium.

In one embodiment, the autonomous device in the form of a token on which letters or numbers are written. Equipped with this device, the user will have to verify information requested by the scenario described in the pages of the book. For example, as part of a calculation test, 5 blank areas are drawn on a page of the book forming, for example a mathematical operation on which the user can affix the autonomous devices. For example, the user places the first autonomous device on which the number "3" is screen printed on a first area of the book representing the first operand of the calculation operation. At the same time, and judiciously for the entire duration of the calculation test, the computer integrated into the support switches (scans) the various antennas integrated into the support. In the context of the current example, the autonomous support on which the number "3" is screen printed will be detected by the antenna positioned under the position of the first operand of the operation. The unique identifier of this autonomous device will be read by said antenna and transmitted to the computer via the reader. From then on, the computer will trigger the speech synthesis module with the corresponding data by voice to the digit "3". The user will then hear the number "3" pronounced by the speech synthesis device integrated in the support.

Then, the user decides to position a second autonomous device on which the character "+" is screen printed, on a second area of the book. The reader steps of the identifier explained above are reproduced identically.

Thirdly, the user places a third autonomous device on which the figure "2" is screen printed on a third area of the book which, as for my previous steps, triggers, after analysis of the unique identifier received from the autonomous device, voice announcement.

Then, the user places an autonomous screen printing device with the character "=". Therefore, an example of global vocal reproduction could be for example: "Three plus two equal", then a silence, then "give me your answer"

For the next step, for example, the user places the stand-alone device on the specific area of the support intended for the result of the calculation operation, on which the number "7" is screen printed.

The figure "7" is not the result of the calculation operation presented, the program present in the calculator will announce via speech synthesis a false result and ask the user to try again.

Of course, the scenario described above is only an example of implementation. Many other exercises and educational games can be carried out on the basis of the invention. For example, the user will have to spell correctly words proposed by the program integrated into the calculator. Similarly, one can imagine an information medium on which a theater stage is drawn, a set on which autonomous devices of the “figurine” type will be positioned on said medium and will generate, via the program integrated in the calculator, sentences , noises or any other auditory restitution specific to the figurine affixed and to its position on the book.

Similarly, we can imagine another scenario using at least two autonomous devices representing two famous people. The program integrated into the calculator will generate, via voice synthesis, a dialogue between these two characters, the content of this dialogue being conditioned by a third autonomous device.

In another embodiment, the antenna selector (4) is controlled by the computer (1). Said selector, as a function of command 5 of said computer, will be connected to one of the antennas integrated in the information carrier. If an autonomous device is positioned in the electromagnetic field of said antenna, the latter will obtain the unique identifier of said autonomous device. The computer knowing the antenna currently connected in operation, and therefore its position on the information carrier 10, it can therefore deduce based on these various information (antenna number, identifier of the autonomous device) the information to be sent to the speech synthesis and modify or continue according to the scenario pre-established in the program contained in its memory.

Claims (6)

1. Set for spatially verifying information including: a support (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,40) comprising printed areas (40) on said support comprising: - a source of electrical energy (3), a computer (1), a reader (2), a selector (4) to which is connected at least one antenna of the RFID type (5), a speech synthesis (7) , and at least one autonomous device (41) consisting of an antenna (20) of the RFID type, an electronic module (21) capable of transmitting a unique identifier via said antenna (20), characterized: - on the one hand, in that said antennas (5) are integrated in the support and, - That said zones (40) are positioned judiciously above said antennas (5); - on the other hand, in that said computer (1) can select at least one of said antennas (5) in order to determine the position of at least one autonomous device (41) on said support. 2. Assembly according to claim 1 characterized in that said antennas (5) of said support are printed on said support with electrically conductive ink. 3. An assembly according to the preceding claims characterized in that said unique identifier of said autonomous device is defined using the establishment of electrical connection between two connections. 4. Assembly according to the preceding claims, characterized in that 5 said electrical connections (22 to 26) make it possible to define 32 unique identifiers of said autonomous devices. 5. Method of manufacturing an RFID type antenna according to claim 2 characterized in that it consists in printing at first, the different turns of the antenna with ink 10 electrically conductive except the connection of the last turn, in a second step, to print insulating ink (32) on the tracks already printed and finally to print with electrically conductive ink the missing bond ( 31) between the last turn and the antenna output connection (5).