Remote-control communication device, for example for communicating information to a supermarket customer

Holder (s) (74) Representative (s): Cabinet Regimbeau. Corre, Martin, Schrimpf. Warcoin and Ahner.

by remote control, for example for the communication of information to the customer of a

The present invention relates to a remote control communication device comprising a plurality of sdtoeisem members 10A, 10B, 10C. fixed-line, transmitting specific respective efs signals, and at least one receiving device

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teer moMe 20A. 2OB. 20C which comprises: a receiver module 22 aomible to the coded signals emitted by the selective units. a decoder module 23 capable of discriminating between the coded iNgnans received successively by the receiver module. "R as a function of the movement of the mobile receiving device by Menait to the selection members, and a jersey transmitter module) 25 activated by the decoder module to generate a message associated with the coded signal received on the receiver module 22. message chosen from a plurality of messages stored in a main memory 24 and associated respectively with selector organs 10A 10B. 10C.

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Ves des fescicules i (IMPRIMERIE NATIONALE. 27. rue de la Convention - 75732 PARIS CEDEX 15

The present invention relates to a remote control communication device .

The present invention relates more precisely to a device suitable, for example but not exclusively, for communicating to customers of a big box store specific information of the place, counter or department, where customers are located.

The present invention provides a remote control communication device which comprises a plurality of selector devices, at a fixed station, transmitting specific respective coded signals and at least one mobile receiving device which comprises: a receiver module sensitive to the coded signals transmitted by the selector organs, a decoder module able to discriminate the coded signals received successively by the receiver module as a function of the movement of the mobile receiver device relative to the selector organs and a message transmitter module activated by the decoder module for generating a message associated with the coded signal received on the receiver module, message chosen from a plurality of messages stored in a main memory and associated respectively with the selector members.

Other characteristics, objects and advantages of the present invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows, made with reference to the appended FIG. 1 which schematically illustrates the general structure of a remote control communication device according to the present invention, and of the appended FIG. 2 which diagrammatically represents the operating flow diagram of a mobile receiver device mentioned above, according to a preferred embodiment.

In the appended FIG. 1, a plurality of selector members 10 ^, 10jj, 10q can be distinguished which emit respective and specific coded signals illustrated diagrammatically by arrows referenced 11A, 11B,

11C respectively, towards a plurality of receiving devices 20A, 20B, 20C.

In Figure 1 attached, there is schematically shown three selector members 10A, 10B and

10C and three receiving devices 20A, 20B and 20C.

The appended figure represents only a schematic and nonlimiting illustration of the device according to the present invention. In practice, a greater number of selector organs 10A, 10B, 10C and receptor devices 20A are preferably provided,

20B, 20C, the number of these latter being able to differ very widely from the number of selector organs.

The selector organs are arranged at a fixed position. In the case of use in a big box store the selector members can be placed on the counters themselves or on the ceiling above these counters.

Preferably, the selector organs> 10A, 10B, 10C emit specific respective coded signals in the form of electromagnetic waves coded from the infrared domain. However, in general, the respective specific coded signals 11 A, 11 B, 11C generated by each of the selector organs 10A, 10B and 10C can be chosen in the UHF or VHF domain or in the visible or infrared domain, or else in the ultrasonic field. The specific coded signals 11 A,

B, 11C emitted respectively by the selection members 10A, 10B, 10C can correspond to the emission of a specific pure carrier wave or of a modulated carrier wave for example on the basis of a coded, binary or other specific message.

Each mobile receiver 20A, 20B, 20C comprises: a receiver module 22 sensitive to coded signals 11 A, 11B, 11C emitted by the selector organs 10A, 10B, 10C, a decoder module 23 capable of discriminating the coded signals received successively by the receiver module 22 as a function of the movement of the mobile receiver device 20A,

20B, 20C with respect to the selector organs, a main memory 24 capable of storing a plurality of messages associated respectively with the selector organs 10A,

10B, 10C and a message transmitter module 25 activated by the decoder module 23 to generate a message associated with the coded signal 11 A, 11B or 11C received on the receiver model and read in the aforementioned main memory 24.

The various elements making up each mobile receiving device 20A, 20B, 20C are controlled by a central unit 21 with a conventional microprocessor per se.

The use of transceiver systems such as the selector organ systems 10A, 10B, 10C receiver module 22, working with coded signals is conventional for those skilled in the art. To this extent, this arrangement will not be described in more detail later. The coded selector-receiver module 22 system can for example be essentially analogous to the arrangements described in the French patent application published under N. 2 420 008 or similar to remote control devices used to control, switch or adjust electronic distraction devices such as in particular televisions.

The decoder module 23 advantageously generates an address signal making it possible to select in the main memory 24 the message, associated with the selector member 10A, 10B or 10C considered and therefore with the coded signal 11A, 11 B, 11C received on the receiver module 22, to be issued at module 25.

.ΛPreferably the transmitter module 25 is formed by a flat display screen such as a flat liquid crystal screen or a flat plasma screen, an electroluminescent screen or a flat cathode ray tube screen.

However, the transmitter module 25 can be adapted to generate a message in audible form.

For this, the transmitter module 25 can be formed in combination with the main memory 24 of a voice synthesizer. One can also consider making the main memory 24 in the form of a recording medium such as a magnetic tape or a disc and the message transmitter module in the form of a device for reading the recording medium and a speaker.

In the case of the use of remote control communication devices in accordance with the present invention in big box stores, the mobile receiving devices 20A, 20B,

20C can be placed on the trolleys made available to customers to collect items at the different departments or counters. The messages stored in the main memory 24 and generated by the module 25, whether in optical or audio form, can be used to draw the attention of customers to a particular product presented in the department.

The remote control communication device proposed in the context of the present invention can also be adapted to interrogate customers on prices, presentation, quality of service or other

- similar parameters.

/ 5 &lt;For this, each mobile receiving device 20A, 20B, 20C further comprises a data input element 26 associated with an auxiliary memory 27 controlled by the aforementioned central unit 21.

The data entry element can be formed simply of a keyboard comprising a limited number of keys.

The data input element can also be formed of a voice receiver, such as a microphone associated with an auxiliary memory 27 of the type recording device on magnetic tape or equivalent.

The arrangement thus proposed by the present invention comprising in combination at each receiving device 20A, 20B, 20C a data input element 26 associated with an auxiliary memory 27 allows by transferring the data stored in the memory 27 in a unit of central processing 30 of the microcomputer or equivalent type, to carry out a simple and rapid survey on the wishes of the customers, and to frequently refresh the results of this survey.

We will now describe, by way of nonlimiting example, an example of a message capable of being transmitted on a transmitter module 25 of a device.

20A, 20B, 20C in accordance with the present invention, placed on a rolling cart made available to customers at the entrance to a large-scale sales store.

The selector member 10A associated with the cheese department and placed at the ceiling of the store emits a coded signal

11A specific received by the receiver module 22 when approaching the aforementioned radius and decoded by the decoder module 23. The latter generates an address signal applied to the memory 24 which controls the display on the transmitter module 25 of a message

CHEESE RADIUS-GIVE A NOTE TO YOUR CHOICE. The customer can answer the question thus posed by intervening on the data entry element 26, for example in the case of a keyboard by pressing one of the keys of the latter. The customer's response is stored in memory 27. The central unit 21 after detection of the response to the question asked can increment the address of the main memory 24 and thus successively control the transmission to the transmitter module 25 of a series of messages relating to the same radius, such as: CHEESE RADIUS-GIVE A NOTE TO OUR PRICES, CHEESE RADIUS-GIVE A NOTE TO OUR PRESENTATION ...

When the customer moves close to another department, the selector member associated with the latter sends a specific coded signal received by the receiver module 22 and decoded by the decoder module 23. The latter then generates another address signal applied to the main memory 24 to control the transmission by the module 25 of a new specific message.

Of course, the selector members 10A, 10B, 10C as well as the portable transmitting devices 20A, 20B, 20C and the processing unit 30 can be the subject of numerous embodiments.

Similarly, the aforementioned application to the big box sales store currently considered preferential should not be considered as limiting.

The remote control communication device proposed by the present invention can be used in many other applications such as for example to serve as a guide in museums or the like comprising distributed over the course of the visit a plurality of selector organs 10A, 10B and 10C.

In such a case, it is not necessary for the mobile receiving devices 20A, 20B,

2OC are equipped with a data input element 26 and an auxiliary memory 27. The main memory 24 of each of the mobile devices 20A, 20B,

20C contains a plurality of messages relating to historical / technical explanations or artistic or other comments concerning the objects or premises to be successively examined by the wearer of the devices 20A, 20B, 20C. The selector members 10A, 10B, 1 OC placed respectively in the vicinity of the objects or premises to be examined control / when they are detected by the decoder modules 23 integrated into the devices 20A, 20B, 20C, the emission, by the module 25, of the message respectively associated, stored in memory 24.

There is shown schematically in FIG. 2 the operating flow diagram of an aforementioned mobile receiving device suitable for carrying out surveys of the customers of a big box store.

The process begins with an initialization step 100 schematically represented in FIG. 2.

The central unit 21 then proceeds, continuously, as illustrated in step 102, to monitoring the detection of a coded signal 11A, 11B or 11C coming from a selector member 10A, 10B or 10C.

It will be assumed for the remainder of the description that the main memory 24 is divided into a plurality of address areas to which are stored messages respectively associated with the selector members 10A, 10B or 10C, each of these areas containing more precisely a succession of messages associated with the same selector organs 10A, 1OB or 10C.

When a coded signal from a selector 10A, 10B, 10C is detected by the module

S receiver 22 and the decoder module 23, the central unit controls the transmission of an address x of an address area X corresponding to the coded signal received and applies this address signal to the main memory 24 (step 104 in Figure 2).

The central unit then controls, as illustrated in step 106 in FIG. 2, the transmission of the message stored at address x in the memory 24 using the module 25.

For example, it may be the message indicated above: CHEESE-DONATE RADIUS

A NOTE TO YOUR CHOICE.

The central unit 21 then monitors possible intervention by the client on the element 26 as illustrated in step 108 in FIG. 2.

In the case where the client performs such an intervention on the element 26, the central unit 21 controls, as illustrated in step 114 in FIG. 2, a memorization of the intervention in the memory 27 and an incrementation of the signal addresses and repeats the above steps 104 and 106. By way of example, the central unit then successively orders, at the rate of interventions on the element 26 by the client and corresponding address increments / the emission of

3Ç following messages: CHEESE RADIUS-GIVE A

NOTE TO OUR PRICES, CHEESE RADIUS-GIVE A NOTE TO OUR PRESENTATION ...

.1

As schematically illustrated by step 110 in FIG. 2 in parallel with the monitoring of an intervention on the data input element 26, the central unit 21 performs monitoring of the detection of a new signal coded from another selector member by the receiver module 22 and the decoder module 23.

In the absence of detection of such a new coded signal the central unit 21 periodically repeats the above-mentioned monitoring steps 108 and 110. On the other hand, as illustrated in step 112 in FIG. 2 when a new coded signal is detected by the receiver module 22 and the decoder module 23, which corresponds to the movement of the device 20A, 20B or 20C near d '' a new selector 10A, 10B or 10C, the central unit controls the emission of a new address signal corresponding to the initialization of a new address area of ​​the main memory 24 at the level of which the messages associated with said new selector member are memorized in order to control , as illustrated in step 106 in FIG. 2, the transmission to module 25 of the associated messages.

Of course, the flowchart shown in Figure 2 is given only by way of non-limiting example.