WO2011151552A1

WO2011151552A1 - Data communications system for use by the disabled

Info

Publication number: WO2011151552A1
Application number: PCT/FR2011/051061
Authority: WO
Inventors: Philippe Lemaire; Gérard FEILTER
Original assignee: Phitech
Priority date: 2010-06-04
Filing date: 2011-05-12
Publication date: 2011-12-08
Also published as: FR2961047B1; EP2577644A1; FR2961047A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for communicating data from at least one transmitter beacon to a portable appliance carried by a user passing close to the beacon or beacons and to a data communications method. The system is characterized in that the communications means is incorporated into a portable electronic appliance (8) in everyday use used mainly for some function other than communication with the beacon (1), the prior downloading of a software application into said appliance (8) dedicating an actuating means (5) provided on said appliance (8) to the emission of the activation signal. Application to any system for communicating data to a user, notably to a system for guiding someone with a disability.

Description

Information communication system for use by persons with disabilities

Technical area

The present invention relates to a system for communicating information from at least one transmitting beacon with a limited transmission radius to a portable apparatus of a user passing near the beacon or beacons as well as a communication method of communication. information.

More particularly, the system comprises a plurality of transceiver beacons located at predetermined locations that can be used to guide the user carrying a means of communication with a respective beacon when it is close to it.

Advantageously, such an information communication system can be used for the orientation of handicapped persons such as visually impaired or deaf but this is not limiting.

Prior art

FIG. 1 shows a diagram of the operation of the information communication system according to the prior art. By way of example, this system will be described by being used for guiding a user with a visual or auditory deficit as mentioned above.

The information communication system according to this prior art comprises at least one transmitting-receiving beacon 1 that can be part of a group of beacons forming all the emitting sources marking the path of a user or indicating a difficulty present on his way. This beacon 1 is intended to convert data received, for example from an electronic display 2 in particular in the form of an information panel, a computer network 3, for example Ethernet or Wi-Fi, or a memory internal 4 or other sources of information in a file, advantageously audio or visual, to the user to warn him of his position. In a wider use of the system, it can transmit to the user any data that may be of interest, for example data on where it is located.

To activate the transmission of this file by a tag 1 by signaling the presence of the user in his environment, the user has a remote control 7 which sends an activation message to the tag 1 by pressing a key of the one or by any other means of activation of the remote control 7 him to send an activation signal. In the path followed by the user, when the user enters their transmission field, the beacons 1 thus communicate in turn in transmission-reception with the remote control 7, serving as the human-machine interface (HMI) of the system worn by the user. The remote control 7 has a reduced transmission and reception range and the beacons are kept spaced so that only one beacon is activated at a time and can communicate with the remote control. The activation message of the beacon 1 by the remote control is advantageously in the form of a radio signal.

After activation of the beacon 1 due to its solicitation by the remote control 7, the beacon 1 emits by appropriate means an audio signal or image to the remote control 7. The remote control 7 is connected to a means of broadcasting or display or broadcasting 6 of the audio file or image received, for example a loudspeaker for an audio file or a screen for an image file in order to bring it to the attention of the user and to transmit to him the information that the tag 1 has given him; transmitted.

This system has been satisfactory but requires the use of a remote control 7 associated with a display or broadcast means 6, which can be restrictive for said user, particularly for a disabled user on the move.

On the other hand, there are systems for communicating information between at least one beacon and a portable electronic device of a user, but this communication is done using a communication system outside the device or device. the beacon, for example by the network of a telephone operator when the device is a mobile phone. This requires loading complicated application software and makes the quality of the communication of this external system dependent.

There is therefore a need to replace this remote control by a secure and simple means of communication carried by the user, this without going through an additional communication system outside the beacon and the means of communication carried by the user, said means of communication can emit an activation signal to the tag and receive in return at least one file by bringing it to the attention of the user.

Presentation of the invention

The present invention aims to solve the aforementioned drawbacks by providing an information communication system between at least one beacon and a user provided with a portable communication means able to send to said tag a beacon activation signal when the user is close to said beacon and adapted to receive directly by radio frequency back at least one file, this means of communication being coupled with a means for displaying or broadcasting the file bringing it to the attention of the user, characterized in that the communication means is integrated in a commonly used electronic portable device mainly used for a function other than communication with the beacon, the prior loading of an application software in said apparatus dedicating an actuating means provided on said apparatus to the emission of the activation signal.

Thus, according to the invention it is possible to use a portable device of common use already available to the user for a function other than that of communication with the beacon, this other function being its main function and the adapt in a simple way to integrate it into the information communication system between the beacon and the user by direct transmission between the beacon and the portable device.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the portable device available to the user integrates means for displaying or broadcasting the received file thus eliminating the display or broadcasting means associated with the remote control of the state. of the technique.

The system according to the invention may further optionally have any of the following characteristics:

the portable apparatus has a means of detecting the beacon prior to the solicitation of said beacon, this detecting means being coupled to a means of warning the user that the beacon has been detected,

- the portable electronic device of current use is a mobile phone, a positioning system (GPS), a portable audio unit, including the MP3 type, a personal digital assistant (PDA), an electronic game console or similar device ,

the transmission and reception between the beacon and the portable electronic device in common use is by a low-power radio frequency technology and / or short-range type Bluetooth or Wi-Fi,

the file received by the portable electronic device is an image file, an audio file or a text file,

the text file is transformed into an audio or image file by the portable electronic device, means for processing the text file being provided in the mobile phone, the text file is transformed into audio file or image by the tag, no means of processing the text file being provided in the mobile phone,

the actuation means provided on the electronic portable apparatus dedicated to the emission of the activation signal can be identified by a tactile mark or a sound signal,

the beacon is connected to an electronic display of information presentation and / or has an internal memory and / or is connected to a database by a computer network,

the system comprises at least two tags, each tag emitting a respective file allowing its identification by the user,

the beacons can be connected to each other by an Ethernet or Wi-Fi network by being able to communicate in transmission as in reception.

The invention also relates to a method of communicating information with at least one tag communicating with an electronic device, worn by a user and not specifically dedicated to this communication, this method comprising the following steps:

- loading application software into the portable device,

activation of the beacon by sending a radiofrequency signal by the portable device when the user is in the vicinity of said beacon, this by activation by the user of an actuation means provided on said apparatus for the emission of an activation signal and selected during the loading of the application software,

- radiofrequency transmission by the tag of at least one file to the portable device,

- Display or direct broadcast by the portable device of the received file.

Advantageously, the method comprises the step of detecting a beacon by means of detection and warning of the user that a beacon is in its proximity and the information step given to the user of the beacon. the presence of a beacon by sound message, jingle or vibrator on his mobile device.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will be better understood from the following description given with reference to the following appended figures:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information communication system according to the state of the art, Fig. 2 is a block diagram of an information communication system according to the present invention.

Best way to realize the invention

Figure 1 has already been described in the introductory part of the present invention.

In what follows, it is understood by display or distribution of the file any form of communication, for example audio or visual, carrying the file to the knowledge of the user of the portable electronic device in common use.

The commonly used electronic portable device, serving as a means of communication of the system according to the present invention and available to the user, can be any portable device available to the user and not just a mobile phone, as shown in Figure 2. It is only required that this portable electronic device can load application software that allows the user to use one of the means of actuating the device as a means of activation of the tag.

By means of actuation, it is understood any means allowing the user to control an operation on the portable apparatus in its commonly used operation, for example a key, a rotary knob or a lever, this actuating means then having as auxiliary use to be the activation means of the beacon of the communication system according to the invention.

In Figure 2, the tag 1 and its associated elements 2 to 4 for data storage remain unchanged. This beacon 1 is however able to communicate with a mobile phone 8 by a radio frequency module 9 of low power and short distance of the Bluetooth or Wi Fi type, this module 9 being advantageously integrated into the beacon 1.

This mobile telephone 8 then has the auxiliary function of replacing the remote control 7 shown in FIG. 1 as a means of communication carried by the user, said means communicating directly with the beacon 1 without having to go through an additional communication system, in particular a network of a telephone operator. To do this, an application software is loaded into the mobile phone 8 prior to the communication between the beacon 1 and the mobile phone 8, this software to identify a tag 1 and devote a means of operating the mobile phone 8, this means being in Figure 2 in the form of a key of this phone 8, for sending a file from the tag 1 to the mobile phone 8. It should be borne in mind that the preferential communication between a beacon 1 and the mobile phone 8 is done directly between beacon and low-frequency radiofrequency telephone and does not use the network of the telephone operator. It can certainly be provided a communication between beacon and telephone involving an external network but this is only an auxiliary communication. The same applies when the electronic device carried by the user is a GPS, in which case the GPS function is not mandatory for the implementation of the communication system according to the invention.

The user detects the presence of a beacon 1 in his environment by an alarm, for example a visual or audible alarm, sent by the beacon 1 to the mobile phone 8 worn by the user. The user then proceeds to send an activation signal to the tag 1 by his mobile phone 8. A simple press of a key 5 of the mobile phone 8, preferably the key corresponding to the number 5 of the keyboard, such a 5 button usually having side marking marks for recognition by blind, allows remission of an activation signal for the tag 1 as would a remote control of the state of the art.

The tag 1 then transmits the file, advantageously audio or image, this is not limiting since this file can be a text file that can be transformed by the mobile phone 8 after it has received it. The file may have been stored in the internal memory 4 of the tag 1 or this file may have been received by the tag from a database via a computer network 3 Ethernet or Wi-Fi cellphone 8 which it broadcasts it on its loudspeaker or displays it on its screen, the loudspeaker or the screen representing the means of displaying or broadcasting the mobile phone. Alternatively, this file can come from an electronic display of information presentation to which the tag or tags 1 is linked. For example, without this being limiting, the electronic display of information presentation may be an information display panel, for example a display panel of schedules of means of locomotion, information that is brought to the attention of a user via his mobile phone 8 as a means of portable communication of the user.

Thus, the mobile phone 8 replacing the remote control 7 of the prior art incorporates the display or broadcasting means 6 connected to this remote control as shown in Figure 1. Communication between the beacon 1 and the mobile phone 8 of the user is advantageously by a low-power radio system and low-range type Bluetooth, Wifi or equivalent.

According to the present invention, since the mobile phone 8 is used as a simple remote control, it is not necessary for the user to have to download a database relating to the place where the user is for any other information. first solicit the tag 1 and then directly receive files, including audio or image files.

The tag 1 converts the data in its possession from its internal memory 4, a computer network 3 and / or an electronic display 2 and all other sources of information into an appropriate file to be brought to the attention of the user by the display or broadcast means of the telephone. The file sent by the tag 1 may be an audio message or text for a visually impaired person or an image message for a person with hearing loss.

It is possible to send a text message to the mobile phone of the user, this text message can be worked locally to be transformed into an audio message or can be displayed as such by the screen of the mobile phone 8.

For example, for an audio message, it can be obtained via a speech synthesis engine (TTS or Text To Speech), present either to the source of information related to the transmitting beacon, or in the transmitting beacon or in the mobile phone of the user. Voice synthesis consists in transforming a text into sounds that are as close as possible to human speech and thus finding a preferential application for the visually impaired.

The tag 1 can thus create an audio file or the mobile phone can process a file from the tag to put it in a suitable format, for example in a format WAV or MP3, WMA, ATRAC3, ADPCM, PCM or others. In the first case, the beacon 1 then transmits the signal via a radio frequency to the mobile phone 8, the audio file then being broadcast.

For the reception of the activation signal sent by the user's mobile phone 8 to the beacon 1 and for the return transmission of the file, notably an audio file or image from the beacon 1 to the mobile phone 8 of the user, the tag 1 is associated with a radiofrequency transmitter 9. This transmitter 9 can operate according to a Bluetooth or WIFI technology without this being limiting. The present invention may allow, at a beacon 1, simultaneously manage the communication with several mobile phones 8.

Advantageously, the information communication system according to the invention comprises at least two tags 1, each tag 1 emitting a respective file allowing its identification by the user. Thus, it is possible to create an interactive beacon network forming part of the information communication system for one or more users, each of the users being provided with his own portable communication means.

Advantageously, the beacons 1 are connected to each other by an Ethernet or Wifi network by being able to communicate in transmission as in reception, the communication between a beacon 1 and the means of communication carried by the user, for example in the form of a mobile phone 8, however remaining unchanged.

The information communication method according to the present invention with at least one tag 1 communicating with an electronic device 8 carried by a user not specifically dedicated to this communication, comprises the following steps:

loading application software into the portable device 8,

- Activation of the tag 1 by sending a radiofrequency signal by the portable device 8 when the user is in the vicinity of said tag, this by activation by the user of an actuating means 5, provided on said apparatus 8 at the emission of an activation signal and selected during the loading of the application software,

- radiofrequency transmission by tag 1 of at least one file to the portable device 8,

- Display or direct broadcast by the portable device 8 of the received file.

This method may also include the step of detecting a beacon 1 by means of detection and warning of the user that a beacon 1 is in its vicinity, as well as the information step given to the user. user of the presence of a tag 1 by sound message, jingle or vibrator on his mobile device 8.

Claims

System for communicating information between at least one beacon (1) and a user equipped with a portable communication means (8) able to send to said beacon (1) an activation signal of the beacon (1) when the beacon user is close to said tag (1) and adapted to receive directly by radiofrequency back at least one file, the communication means (8) being coupled with a means for displaying or disseminating the file carrying it to the knowledge of the user, characterized in that the communication means is integrated in a portable electronic device (8) of current use mainly used for a function other than communication with the tag (1), the prior loading of software application in said apparatus (8) dedicating an actuating means (5) provided on said apparatus (8) to the emission of the activation signal.

Communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that the portable apparatus (8) has means for detecting the beacon (1) prior to the solicitation of said beacon (1), said detecting means being coupled to a means warning of the user that the tag (1) has been detected.

Communication system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the portable electronic device (8) of current use is a mobile phone, a positioning system (GPS), a portable audio unit, in particular of the MP3 type a personal digital assistant (PDA), an electronic game console or similar device.

Communication system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmission and reception between the beacon (1) and the portable electronic device (8) in common use is by a low radio frequency technology Power and / or short range type Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

Communication system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the file received by the portable device (8) is an electronic image file, an audio file or a text file. Communication system according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the text file is transformed into an audio file or image by the portable device (8) electronic, text file processing means being provided in the mobile phone (8).

Communication system according to claim 5, characterized in that the text file is transformed into an audio file or image by the tag (1), no means of processing the text file being provided in the mobile phone (8).

Communication system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuating means (5) provided on the portable device (8) dedicated to the emission of the activation signal can be identified by a tactile mark. or a sound signal. Communication system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the beacon (1) is connected to an electronic information display (2) and / or has an internal memory (4) and / or is connected to to a database via a computer network (3).

Communication system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the system comprises at least two tags (1), each tag (1) transmitting a respective file allowing its identification by the user.

Communication system according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the beacons (1) can be connected to each other by an Ethernet or Wifi network by being able to communicate in transmission as in reception.

A method of communicating information with at least one tag (1) communicating with an electronic device (8), carried by a user and not specifically dedicated to that communication, the method comprising the following steps:

loading application software into the portable device (8),

- Activation of the tag (1) by sending a radiofrequency signal by the portable device (8) when the user is close to said tag, this by activation by the user of a means of actuation (5), provided on said apparatus (8) at the emission of the activation signal and selected during the loading of the application software,

- radiofrequency transmission by the tag (1) of at least one file to the portable device (8),

- Display or direct broadcast by the portable device (8) of the received file. Method according to the preceding claim, comprising the step of detecting a beacon (1) by a means of detection and warning of the user that a beacon (1) is in its proximity and the step thus the information step given to the user of the presence of a tag (1) by sound message, jingle or vibrator on his mobile device (8).