METHOD AND DEVICES FOR INTERFACING A PLURALITY OF MOBILE ELEMENTS WITH A COMPUTER SYSTEM IN REAL TIME

• US 20130157690A1
• Filed: 09/02/2011
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starbreeze Paris
• Original Assignee: EPAWN
• Inventors: Lefevre, Valentin, Duteil, Christophe
• Granted Patent: US 8,923,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00665 using inductance
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/73 for taking measurements, e.g. using sensing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters

Abstract

The subject of the invention is in particular the real-time interfacing of a plurality of mobile elements with a computing system. After having selected at least one location module integrated into a mobile element, the at least one location module is activated sequentially. At least one signal is then received from the at least one activated location module and at least one item of information relating to the position of the mobile element including the at least one activated location module is calculated in real time on the basis of the at least one signal received. A single location module may be activated at a given instant.

Claims

1. Method for interfacing in real time a plurality of mobile elements (110, 110′

) with a computer system, the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps,

transmission (1015, 1114, 1305) of an activation signal to at least one localisation module (700, 700-1, 700-2) incorporated in at least one mobile element of said plurality of mobile elements;

sequential activation of said at least one localisation module, said activation comprising a switching step to excite a radiating element of said at least one localisation module;

reception of at least one signal from said at least one activated localisation module;

calculation (1020, 1116), on the basis of said at least one received signal, of at least one item of information on the position of said mobile element comprising said at least one activated localisation module,

a single localisation module being able to be activated at a given instant.

2. Method according to claim 1 wherein said activation signal comprises an item of data making it possible to identify a localisation module in order to selectively activate a single localisation module.

3. Method according to claim 1 wherein said activation signal is a common activation signal for common control of the activation of a plurality of localisation modules.

4. Method according to claim 3 further comprising a step to calculate a time delay value for each localisation module of said plurality of localisation modules, said time delay value representing a time interval between the reception of an activation signal and the activation of the localisation module.

5. Method according to claim 4 wherein each time delay value is determined according to an item of localisation module identification data.

6. Method according to claim 4 wherein each time delay value is dynamically determined.

7. Method according to claim 6 wherein each time delay value is determined according to a time-division multiple access algorithm.

8. Method according to claim 3 wherein said common activation signal is induced by a signal used independently of said method.

9. Method according to claim 1 further comprising a step to calculate at least one item of information on the orientation of said mobile element, said mobile element comprising at least two localisation modules.

10. Method according to claim 1 further comprising a step of transmitting at least one item of data from said at least one localisation module to said computer system.

11. Method according to claim 1 further comprising a step to check the validity (1010, 1112) of said at least one localisation module, said step of sequential activation of said at least one localisation module being performed in response to said validity check step.

12. Method according to claim 11 further comprising a step of assigning (1138, 1140) a state of validity or invalidity to said at least one localisation module, said state of validity or invalidity being determined according to said at least item of position information.

13. Method according to claim 1 wherein said step of reception of at least one signal comprises a step of sequential selection of a plurality of receivers, said at least one signal being received by least one receiver selected from said plurality of receivers.

17. Device for interfacing a plurality of mobile elements (110, 110′

) with a computer system, the device comprising means suitable for the implementation of each of the steps of the method according to claim 1.

14. Mobile element (100, 110′

) for a device to interface a plurality of mobile elements with a computer system, said mobile element being characterized in that it comprises at least one localisation module (700, 700-1, 700-2), said localisation module comprising the following means,

means (730) for emitting a signal for making it possible to calculate the position of said localisation module;

means (720, 725) for generating an excitation signal of said means for emitting a signal;

switching means (715) for controlling the transmission of said excitation signal to said means for emitting a signal; and

,

means (710) for receiving an activation signal and, according to at least one item of information of said activation signal, activating said switching means to enable the emission of a signal which can be used to calculate the position of said localisation module.

15. Mobile element according to claim 14, said means for receiving an activation signal comprising means for calculating a time delay value, said time delay value representing a time interval between the reception of an activation signal and the activation of said switching means.

16. Mobile element according to claim 14, said at least one localisation module comprising at least one solenoid, excitable by induction, for supplying electric power to components of said at least one localisation module.

18. Mobile element according to claim 15, said at least one localisation module comprising at least one solenoid, excitable by induction, for supplying electric power to components of said at least one localisation module.