EP0919959A1 - Portable object, in particular a watch, containing multiple selectable electronic modules - Google Patents

Abstract

Allows personnel and simultaneous selection of a number of different services. The case (2) of the wristwatch is associated with antennas (41,42) and contains at least two different electronic modules (28,30,32), each permitting access to a particular service. The wristwatch also includes a selector and activation unit (22) for one of the electronic modules (28,30,32) as a function of the service required by the user. The unit (22) controls the displacement of an electrical contact (26) which connects the modules (28,30,32) to the service required by the user. The modules (28,30,32) are inserted in an independent electrical circuit (34,36,38). These electrical circuits are normally open, the contact (26) closes one of these circuits, when the user selects a particular service

Description

The present invention relates to a portable object, in particular a timepiece, including a case which is associated with an electronic module intended for allow contactless and wireless communication between the portable object and an external terminal provided for this purpose.

The present invention relates to a multitude of situations or places where you control for example whether a person has a paid access right or not.

The invention relates in particular to control systems access to industrial sites (research laboratories and development, production units etc.) and to public buildings (stadiums, museums, cinemas or similar) in which the portable object is presented by its holder of a control device which does not authorize access to the site or building only if the information stored in the object worn by the person corresponds to access authorization, payment of an amount sufficient or a validity deadline suitable.

We know access control systems that use cards with a track magnetic suitable to be introduced into the slot of a access control terminal inside which information carried by the magnetic stripe is read. When this information is recognized, an authorization access is issued and new information may be registered on the magnetic strip.

Magnetic card access control systems are however sometimes not very easy to use, especially due to the narrowness of the slot in which card must be inserted for reading specifies its content. So when a system of magnetic card access control is used on certain equipment such as, for example, ski lifts mechanical in winter sports resorts, the handling of the magnetic card by users whose hands are not free turns out to be particularly slow and inconvenient. On the other hand, the repeated introduction of the card in the terminal slot causes wear of the magnetic stripe on which the useful information.

To remedy this drawback, a proposal has been made. automatic identification and control system of objects in which a portable object contains, in a housing, an electronic module comprising in particular a memory to store useful information such as an identification code, a transmission device and for receiving radio signals, and an antenna electrically connected to the transmission / reception device. In this object control system, the device transmitting / receiving is capable, when coupled with an external terminal provided for this purpose, to issue broadcast signals corresponding to the reading of information stored in the memory circuit and the if necessary, to receive broadcast signals for the re-entry of new useful information in this memory circuit. So when the external terminal transmits an interrogation signal, the detection of this signal by the portable object causes the transmission, for example an identification code of this object, which allows then at the terminal to identify this object and by Therefore check the identity of its holder.

The above automatic object identification system provides many benefits.

Access controls, paid or not, are returned easier and faster. Indeed, the information identification or other necessary are written and read in contactless and wireless memory. So by example, the operation of mechanical insertion of a card in a reader slot, often made difficult by the circumstances, is deleted. On the other hand, this system is entirely passive, i.e. it does not require no clean energy source. The energy necessary for her operation is provided by the waves electromagnetic that the terminal emits for identification of the object.

At present, however, the various manufacturers on the market offer systems contactless control of objects that differ from each other others in particular by the structure of the modules used in the objects to be checked, which makes these systems completely incompatible with each other. The user is therefore obliged to acquire, for each service sought, for example for ski lifts of several ski resorts, for opening the door of a hotel room as for payments at his bar, the object that matches. It will be easily understood, such situation is inconvenient for the user. She multiplies the number of portable objects, increases risk of theft, loss or forgetting of these objects, and leads to a considerable increase in costs.

The object of the present invention is to remedy the problems and disadvantages described above in proposing a portable object, in particular a wristwatch, which allows to select personally and simultaneously a plurality of different services.

To this end, the invention relates to a portable object for contactless access control systems, comprising a box with which at least one antenna is associated, characterized in that the housing has at least two different electronic modules, each module electronic allowing access to a particular service, the portable object further comprising means of selection and activation of one of said modules depending on the service desired by the user.

Thanks to the features of the present invention, the user can access, simultaneously and with a great ease, with a plurality of different services, for example access to the ski lifts of several winter sports resorts, opening the door of a hotel room, payment of a cinema seat and others, using a single portable object. Risk of loss, theft or forgetting of the object is minimized, and the costs reduced.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the selection and activation means control the displacement of an electrical contact part for placing that of the electronic modules which corresponds to the service sought by the user.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'une montre-bracelet selon l'invention comprenant des moyens de sélection et d'activation des modules électroniques ;
• la figure 2 est un schéma électrique de raccordement des modules électroniques correspondant aux différents services souhaités sur lequel est représentée la pièce de contact électrique permettant la mise en circuit ou hors circuit de ces modules, et
• la figure 3 est une représentation schématique des différents blocs fonctionnels constituant un module électronique.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of an embodiment of the invention, given purely by way of non-limiting illustration, this description being made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. wherein :

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wristwatch according to the invention comprising means for selecting and activating the electronic modules;
• FIG. 2 is an electrical diagram for connecting the electronic modules corresponding to the various services desired, on which the electrical contact part is shown, enabling these modules to be switched on or off, and
• Figure 3 is a schematic representation of the different functional blocks constituting an electronic module.

It will now be noted that the present invention is not limited to specific frequency ranges for the antennas integrated in the housing, and is not also not limited to specific services. Else share, although the following description relates to timepieces, in particular a wristwatch, the present invention is not limited to such parts, and can easily be applied to any other object portable in which at least two modules are arranged electronic devices allowing the reception and the emission of broadcast signals corresponding to playback information stored in a memory circuit, and the re-entry of new information if necessary useful in this memory circuit.

We will first refer to Figure 1 on which is shown a timepiece according to the invention, designated as a whole by the reference general digital 1.

Timepiece 1 conventionally comprises a housing 2 made for example of a plastic material according to a well known injection technique.

The timepiece 1 further comprises a horometric movement (not shown) housed inside of the housing 2 and coupled to indicators 4, 6 and 8 forming respectively an hour hand, a minutes and a seconds hand.

Timepiece 1 is made waterproof by means a lens 10 and a bezel 12. The latter is fixed mounted on the housing 2, for example by gluing or by ultrasonic welding.

The case 2 includes a middle part 14 which carries in particular a winding crown 16, for example for wind the horometric movement of the coin 1 or to adjust the display of the indicators 4, 6 and 8.

The strands 18 and 20 of a bracelet (not shown) are fixed on the middle part 14 of the case 2.

According to the invention, the middle part 14 of the case 2 carries, in addition to the winding crown 16, means for selection and activation 22 of the desired service.

In the example shown in Figure 1, these means selection and activation 22 appear under the form of a switch 24, operable manually, and is sliding to move in a guide groove 26 formed in the middle part 14 of the case 2, opposite the crown winder 16.

The switch 24 can be moved for example between three different positions designated by the alphabetical references A , B and C in FIG. 1. Each of these three positions A , B and C corresponds to the selection and activation of a service particular, for example access to the ski lifts of a winter sports resort, unlocking the room from a hotel door or even paying for a cinema seat. To simplify the task of the user, and allow him to quickly select the service he wishes, one can, for example, engrave on the ice 10 of the timepiece 1 a code or an indication making it possible to identify visually which service corresponds to the position of the switch 24 which it has chosen.

It is understood that the present invention is not not limited to a given number of services, nor to a type determined of services (ski, hotel, cinema, transactions or similar). On the other hand, we can imagine give the selection and activation means 22 a other than that of a switch 24. It can in particular to be a push crown. Likewise, we may consider displaying the code or indication to identify the service chosen by means of a cell with electro-optical display.

The movement of the switch 24 from one of its selection / activation positions A , B or C to the next or previous position causes the corresponding movement of an electrical contact part 26 (Figure 2), which causes the setting circuit of that of the three electronic modules 28, 30 or 32 which corresponds to the service selected by means of said switch 24.

More specifically, the three electronic modules 28, 30 and 32 are housed in the housing 2 of the timepiece 1. As will be understood, each module 28, 30 or 32 corresponds to a particular service and is inserted in an independent electrical circuit, respectively 34, 36 and 38. As can be seen in FIG. 2, these electrical circuits 34, 36 and 38 are normally in the open state. Only the movement of the switch 24 from one of the positions A , B or C to the next or previous position can control the movement of the electrical contact piece 26 which then electrically closes the circuit 34, 36 or 38 in which is inserted the electronic module, respectively 28, 30 or 32, corresponding to the chosen service. When the circuit 34, 36 or 38 is electrically closed by the contact piece 26, the energy necessary for the operation of the corresponding electronic module 28, 30 or 32 is supplied by the electromagnetic waves emitted by the external control terminal provided for the identification of the timepiece 1.

The electronic module 28 is electrically connected to a first antenna 40 whose resonant frequency can be adjusted to 125 kHz. This frequency is particularly well suited to services that do not require nor great security in transactions between the object portable and external control terminal (lifts mechanical for example), nor data exchange flows important. Advantageously, the portable object can be quite far from the external control terminal when transaction, typically of the order of 20 to 50 cm.

Still by way of illustrative example only, the electronic modules 30 and 32 are electrically connected in parallel with a second antenna 42 whose frequency of resonance can be set at 13.56 MHz. This frequency is well suited to services requiring security of major transaction (banking transactions in particular) and involving significant data exchanges.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to specific frequencies, and that it can be provided as many antennas as there are modules electronics in the case of the portable object. Else apart, we can also plan to house the modules electronics 28, 30, 32 and their antennas 40, 42 by example in the bezel 12 of the case 2.

For example, the electronic module 28 connected electrically to the antenna 40 whose frequency of resonance is fixed at 125 kHz can be constituted by a integrated circuit marketed by the company EM Microelectronic SA in Marin, Switzerland, under the reference V4050. It will nevertheless be understood that, in accordance with the invention, all the electronic modules from different manufacturers present on the market by the hour current can be associated with box 2 of the room watchmaking 1.

We now examine with reference to FIG. 3 the different functional blocks that make up such integrated circuit.

The antenna 40 is electrically connected to an alternating current / direct current converter CONV which transforms the alternating electromagnetic radiation received by the antenna 40 into a continuous internal supply voltage of the integrated circuit.

A POW power control device ensures that the level of the internal DC voltage supplied by the CONV converter is sufficient to allow the proper functioning of the integrated circuit.

The signal picked up by the antenna 40 is also demodulated and decoded by a DATA data extraction chain and a CLOCK clock signal chain to supply the logic levels and the internal frequency to a logic control circuit CTRL .

The control logic circuit CTRL governs the operation of the integrated circuit. It provides high operational security to the system thanks, in particular, to a 32-bit password and a protected read area for organizing security. Each CTRL control logic circuit is unique and is distinguished from the others by an identification number and a serial number programmed by laser in a ROM type memory.

The control circuit CTRL also contains an algorithm which makes it possible to code the transactions and therefore to increase the security of the system vis-à-vis any attempt at fraudulent use. It also ensures the protection of data recorded in read and write. Finally, the CTRL control circuit makes it possible to choose between different operating modes of the integrated circuit in which it is installed.

For the recording of useful information, each integrated circuit is provided with a MEM memory of type EEPROM of 1 kBits.

Finally, the electronic circuit transmits the information to the external control terminal in the form of bit signals via an ENC coding device and a MOD modulator.

It goes without saying that beyond the means described, various simple variants and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (7)

Portable object for access control systems contactless, comprising a housing (2) to which is associated with at least one antenna (40, 42), characterized in that the housing (2) comprises at least two modules different electronics (28, 30, 32), each module (28, 30, 32) allowing access to a particular service, the portable object further comprising means of selection and activation (22) of one of said modules electronic (28, 30, 32) depending on the desired service by the user. Portable object according to claim 1, characterized in that the selection means and activation (22) control the movement of a workpiece electrical contact (26) for switching it on electronic modules (28, 30, 32) which corresponds to service sought by the user. Portable object according to claim 2, characterized in that each electronic module (28, 30, 32) is inserted into an electrical circuit (34, 36, 38) independent, these electrical circuits (34, 36, 38) being normally in the open state, the contact part electric (26) closing the electric circuit (34, 36, 38) in which the electronic module (28, 30, 32) corresponding to the service selected by the user. Portable object according to any one of previous claims, characterized in that the selection and activation means (22) are presented in the form of an actuatable switch (24) manually, and moving slidingly in a guide groove (26). Portable object according to any one of previous claims, characterized in that the resonant frequency of the antenna (40, 42) is adjusted to 125 kHz. Portable object according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the frequency antenna resonance (40, 42) is adjusted to 13.56 MHz. Portable object according to any one of previous claims, characterized in that the electronic module (28) electrically connected to the antenna (40) whose resonant frequency is adjusted to 125 kHz consists of an integrated circuit marketed by the EM Microelectronic SA under the reference V4050.

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