FR2765002A1 - Synchronisation method for activities relying upon accurate time-keeping - Google Patents

Abstract

The method for synchronising activities includes use of a number of EEPROM memory chips which are each loaded with the same program. These are connected to a common source by a temporary connection, and synchronised exactly before the start of the operations which must be controlled. During the whole of the subsequent operation these EEPROM chips then operate and maintain synchronisation. The EEPROM units may be temporarily connected by a HF radio link, by a wire link or by an IR link. In operation during their timing action, the devices may be programmed to produce sound warnings at set times, or play short extracts of music to flag specific times. Music interrupted by short beeps can provide the most accurate time indication.

Description

Method and device for synchronizing sound and other markers

  control programs, and their applications The present invention relates to the technical sector of the synchronization of sound cues or other signals, programs and controls, and its applications, among others, to certain sports disciplines such as, without limitation, parachuting sports, and to control computer programs or control industrial machines. The invention relates generally to an electronic device which allows a group of people, in particular sports paratroopers, to listen to synchronized music or another synchronous sound while maintaining complete autonomy, and the corresponding synchronization method, or a group of machines (whatever the type of machine in the broad sense, including computers, industrial robots, etc.) to receive information

  and / or perfectly synchronized commands.

  The invention will be explained in detail by reference to sports parachuting, but without this constituting any limitation. It will be understood that the invention applies, or can be adapted directly, to any activity having the same kind of imperatives. In general, we can distinguish in the field of sports parachuting the disciplines of relative flight (group figures), of "sky-surf" or fall piloted on a board, of "free-style" or acrobatics in free fall, contact or figure sail with parachute (sail)

  open, and "free-fly" or fall in free flight.

  All these disciplines, and undoubtedly still others to come, have in common the need to work closely as a team and therefore to communicate with great precision. The team is composed either

  only a paratrooper who performs the figures and a "video-

  man "or video operator, ie several paratroopers and a video operator. The video operator is an essential element, except possibly in free training, because the quality of his shooting

  greatly influences the "score" or score obtained in competitions.

  It is easy to see that the video operator must be a permanent member of the team, since he himself must acquire reflexes and automatisms (adaptations to figures and other paratroopers) without which his shooting, and in particular his framing, would be of lower quality. He can also be an active member who directs the team by signals. On the whole, we can speak without hesitation of real

o choreography.

  As for the parachutist (s) performing the tricks, it is naturally necessary that they have (s) common benchmarks over time, as precise and exact as possible, on the one hand with their teammates, on the other hand with the video-man. The more approximate the synchronization of the marks, the more the figure will be approximate and the more the shooting

will be imperfect.

  In a fairly comparable area, that of aerobatic aircraft patrolling figures, team members blindly obey orders and "tops" launched by the patrol leader. In this case, the synchronization problem does not arise because the pilots

  communicate in real time by radio.

  We tried to adapt this system to sport parachuting. However, at least two crippling problems have been encountered; on the one hand, the transmitters interfere with the airwaves of air traffic, which is obviously unacceptable, and on the other hand, during the fall or the free flight, the team members can be separated by great distances: it is then necessary powerful and multidirectional transmitters, therefore bulky and producing strong interference, and receiving antennas of great development, bulky and unattractive, and / or difficult to orient. This system is acceptable for occasional "beeps", but cannot be used for a continuous broadcast of music by

  example, necessary for the choreography.

  We then had recourse to several "solutions" which are only

palliative more or less happy.

  A first palliative consists in jumping provided with a music player emitting music either in the protective helmet, or by earphones fixed to the jumping glasses which, them, are essential. These portable players are independent of the safety devices, also producing audible (beep or alarm alarm) and / or visual alarms (LED or light-emitting diode as a visual signal at the corner of the telescope in the visual field, etc.) depending on the altitude, and / or the speed at such altitude, etc .... The function of the portable music player is therefore only to produce a musical background either for solo pleasure or for the setting of figures in flight of group. In the latter case, even if the group is reduced to a solo paratrooper and his video operator, synchronization can only be done by mechanically activating the scrolling of the sound medium (magnetic tape or compact disc) at a top given by the either. This inevitably results in a slight time lag. If the group is larger, each team member has their own difference and the precision is noticeable, especially in competition. Jumps are also practiced where the video operator is responsible for sending short end-of-figure signals to team members, for the purposes of sequencing the figures. There is however either the drawback of the transmitters and antennas mentioned above, or that of imprecise manual signs which may not be clearly distinguished. In fact, this only works in the specific case of the relative flight discipline for which the team members operate in a very limited space and the video operator is placed a few meters away.

  overhang, perfectly placed and immobile.

  These problems have existed since the appearance of sport parachuting, that is to say at least twenty years, and have not been resolved. One of the merits of the invention is to have rethought the problem in other terms

  than palliative, and to propose a simple and effective solution.

  Furthermore, the problem of precise synchronization of several sound reproduction devices is not simple. It is not enough to synchronize the start of the reader. It is imperative that we

  can then resume its autonomy without losing synchronization.

  Each player must also have recorded exactly the same program and read it at exactly the same speed. By way of example, we will take up the prior art which consists of jumping with a walkman. A synchronous start of reading would only be possible by connecting all the devices to the same power supply. This is possible in theory, but obviously very impractical. In addition, there would be the problem of the power supply relay, when each team member disconnected. And anyway, there would always be an offset in the position of the tape or compact disc at startup, an additional offset due to the inertia of each device, and a

reading speed offset.

  According to the invention, each team member carries at least one device for broadcasting (playing) sound cues (by sound cues, we mean here any sound program, as well - possibly - occasional beeps as music or sound produced continuously; for example, a musical piece can punctuate the entire free fall, but we can also consider intersecting it with beeps forming even more precise marks, and interrupting it with usual alarm signals; these will either be integrated to the piece broadcast, either will be broadcast by

  separate devices that will take precedence over music, as described above

  after), whose characteristic is to include an EEPROM which has been loaded by the planned sound program, and whose operation (reading of the sound program recorded in the EEPROM) is triggered before the jump by a signal emitted by a synchronizer (which is preferably one of the diffusers) to which all the diffusers are temporarily connected before the jump. After the synchronous triggering of all the diffusers, these are disconnected and each

  paratrooper carries a synchronous sound program.

  According to a variant, each team member can take a program

  different, but the start of which has been synchronized according to the invention.

  We can see here the possible extension to any type of activity

  with the same imperatives, including in the industrial field.

  For example, several machines can receive a control program or sequences of commands whose start-up and progress will be exactly synchronized by the means of the invention. Likewise, several industrial robots can receive identical or different programs, the starting and

  exact coordination in time will be synchronized according to the invention.

  The invention therefore relates to a general means according to which the devices or devices for diffusing sound cues of each team member (or, in general, of commands or programs in other sectors of activity; we will limit ourselves in the following, for simplicity, with the sound marks) each comprise at least one EEPROM o is stored an identical sound program (or, in a variant, may be different), and are put into operation (reading of the program (s)) exactly synchronous before the jump by temporary connection with a synchronizer which is disconnected before the jump, after which the sound program (s) takes place in

continuous throughout the jump.

CURRENT STATE OF THE ART

  Digital sound recorder / reproducer based on EEPROM: These systems have existed for several years and are widely used in the public domain. Digital dictaphones for example use this space-saving system without mechanical elements (Cf. US - A 5,535,356; Kim, et al. Jul. 9, 1996, "Digital data recording / playback system utilizing EEPROM and ROM memories as a storage medium "(Play-back recording and playback system using ROMs (" read only memory "or

  memory for reading) and EEPROM as storage medium).

  Transmitter / receiver H / F or by wire These systems are also very widespread in aeromodelling by

  example and in many other areas.

  Synchronization of several devices The state of our knowledge indicates to us that to synchronize different devices a permanent connection is necessary during all the duration of their operation to maintain this synchronization. For example a central transmitter and a set of receivers. Current synchronizers require a permanent connection which impedes freedom of movement. A wire connection system requires proximity and relative immobility of synchronized devices. A wireless connection system requires a certain proximity and the absence of elements interposed between the synchronized devices. A system of this type is moreover subject to radio interference problems and to strict regulations for security reasons (National Defense, air communications, etc.). In addition, a long range system

poses congestion problems.

  The invention solves these problems.

  In general, the invention relates to a method for the perfect synchronization of one or more program (s) comprising sound cues, or of control program (s), necessary for teamwork or for synchronization. of machines, of apparatuses for conducting scientific experiments, robots, and in particular in sports parachuting, and the corresponding devices, characterized in that the diffusers of sound marks or programs of each team member or of each machine, apparatus or robot each comprise at least one EEPROM responsible for the program (s) and are put into operation exactly synchronously before the jump, or respectively before the start of the operations of the machines, apparatus or robots, by temporary connection with a synchronizer which is disconnected before the jump, or respectively before the start of operations, after which the program (s) run (s) continuously during the entire jump or respectively during to all operations. According to a preferred variant, the usual safety equipment will be kept by audible and / or visual alarms triggered by altimeters, etc. which are known. The invention also relates to a module according to which the volume of the sound can be modulated so as to optimize listening while taking account of external conditions and disturbances. There are two main types of techniques: - regulation as a function of pressure or of pressure variation, by means of pressure sensor (s); - regulation according to the intensity of the external noise, using decibel (dB) sensors, the ambient noise being a function of the position

  of the head in space, and the speed of movement.

  In both cases, known sensors for measuring

  ambient outside pressure and noise.

  According to an entirely preferred variant, the diffuser comprises an analog output SA and a digital output SN. Background sound is generally received via the analog output. When a known safety device sends an alarm signal, the sound program is diverted by the device according to the invention, automatically, to the digital output, and therefore is no longer audible, while the alarm signal East

received via analog output.

  Also according to a preferred variant, the sound program will be broadcast automatically and continuously until the safety signal giving the order to open the parachute or sail, which will have priority. With the glider open, a manual contact will allow the parachutist to return to listening to the sound program by returning to the initial synchronization (whatever the time of manual switching because the EEPROM used will have continued its synchronous scrolling during the corresponding listening interruption at the opening of the parachute). Thus, the invention makes it possible to safely ensure the maneuvers of opening the sail, excluding listening, while providing the possibility of then performing synchronous "under sail" figures up to

close to the ground.

  The safety signals will, as has just been said, take priority over the program, and may come either from usual known external devices, or from comparable systems which may be, according to a

  variant of the invention, integrated into the diffuser.

  The broadcast time by EEPROM is limited; it will therefore be possible to provide either continuous loop operation or several

EEPROM.

  The temporary connection will be made either on the ground, by wire for example, and with a continuous scrolling of the sound program until the time of the jump, the jump being ordered to coincide with the start of the program, or on the plane shortly before the jump, by wired connection (admissible and harmless because the lengths are short), or by any other means such as a transfer by infrared or similar, or by a low power radio transmitter (because the signal crossing distance is very weak), emitting a brief and coded synchronization signal, for example in HF, therefore not causing

no notable interference.

  DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

  OF A SYNCHRONIZATION APPARATUS ACCORDING TO

THE INVENTION:

  The portable device or synchronous sound program broadcaster according to the invention is divided into two parts, a so-called "musical" part for recording and reproducing a sound program and a signal transmission / reception part for linking the

  devices together to get a simultaneous start.

  The so-called "musical" part is a sound recorder / reproducer system using one or more EEPROMs as support. It allows audio data to be recorded on EEPROM from an analog or digital source. It also makes it possible to broadcast this audio data stored on EEPROM to a

analog or digital output.

  To operate, this system therefore requires at least: - a logic input, EL - an analog input, EA - a logic output, SL - an analog output, SA - an analog / logic converter, CAL

  - a set of EEPROMs for storing audio data.

  The transmission / reception part: this is a system allowing the different devices of the same group to be connected together during startup in order to achieve an exact start.

  synchronized from different devices.

  On each device, this part includes a transmitter (E) and a receiver (R). The function of this system is, for one of the broadcasters selected to be the synchronizer, to send a logic signal

  punctual which will be received simultaneously by all connected devices.

  This signal is received by the receivers of the various devices and makes them pass from state 0 (stop) to state 1 (on = reproduction) by means of a JK flip-flop for example. This change of state triggers the

reading the program.

  Several means can be used to achieve this system: A basic HF transmission / reception system allowing wireless connection, upon reception of a signal transmitted by one of the

  devices, all devices go to state 1 simultaneously.

  - A wire system connecting logical inputs of the various devices to each other and therefore in the same state. When one of the devices enters state 1 manually, the other devices switch

  simultaneously by their connection.

  - An infrared or similar connection.

SYNCHRONIZER PROCESS:

  The transmitter / receiver system, combined with the EEPROMs, makes it possible to simply obtain a synchronized start of the reading mode of the

different connected devices.

  The audio recorder / reproducer system allows the same data to be loaded into each device through the use of EEPROM. It also allows to obtain an identical reading in speed

  thanks to the absence of mechanical elements, and free from any lag.

Description of operation:

  Fig. 1 represents the mode of loading or recording of the sound program (s) in all the devices; Fig. 2 represents the diagram of the synchronous starting of the

reading of the program (s).

  The details of the electronics used are known, as well as the

  electronic components to be used, and will therefore not be described here.

  1 - Initially, the EEPROMs are responsible for

same numerical data.

  In recording mode, devices that were on standby

  start recording when the signal to be recorded is received.

  A sensor detects the signal emission and controls the

recording phase.

  Two systems are possible to achieve this result - All the analog inputs EA of the various devices are connected to an analog source SA ("hi-fi" or high fidelity system, CD compact disc player and the like). When the source transmits, the devices record on reception of the signal and therefore record the same data at the same time. The signal sent by the analog source is converted (in the analog / logic converter CAL) into a digital signal to be stored by the EEPROMs. At the end of this operation, the data contained by the EEPROMs are all identical.

  - A first device is charged by an analog SA source.

  The logic output SL of this device is then connected to the logic input EL of a second device. The second device is in standby, waiting for the signal to be recorded. When the first device transmits through its logic output, the second device takes care of the content of the EEPROM set of the first device. The data is therefore duplicated. The operation is repeated as many times as there are devices to synchronize. At the end of this operation, the data contained by the

EEPROM are all identical.

  Memories can be loaded from an analog source, for sound programs in particular, or from a digital source

  for programs, and soon musical or sound data.

  It should be noted that a single program can be loaded with different coded marks or control programs which do not

  will only be recognized by the distributor (s) for which they are intended.

  Thus, one can program several robots, for example, using a single program, each robot executing only the commands of which its receiver has recognized the code. You can also load different programs into different machines intended to work together (in a coordinated manner, according to very precise sequences), the progress of each program having to be synchronized with the others to obtain perfect coordination. We will quote for example the

assembly lines and the like.

  2 - Secondly, the devices, whose EEPROMs were thus responsible for the planned sound program, are connected (in the general sense) to each other for a simultaneous start of the reading mode. The start signal is sent by one of the devices, performing a temporary synchronizer function, or by an auxiliary device of a type known to send such a signal, that is to say a separate synchronizer (transmitter) to which all diffusers are temporarily connected. For simplicity, we prefer that one of the devices

  diffusers temporarily plays the role of synchronizer.

  The broadcasting devices simultaneously start reading the loaded program, they become autonomous. The initial connection is therefore no longer necessary. The wires (or other connection mode, HF system, IR and the like) can be disconnected and each team member regains full freedom of movement including

  away from the field of visual signals if necessary.

  3 - The diffusers being identical, without elements

  mechanical, the reading speed is constant throughout the broadcast.

  The startup having been simultaneous, the devices are synchronized.

APPLICATION AREAS:

  The invention can be used as an audio program synchronizer in all sports or artistic fields (Parachuting, Skiing, Mountain Biking, Scuba diving ...) using a wire or wireless connection according to the constraints specific to

each area.

  The synchronization system can be applied to areas other than audio. The data loaded into the EEPROMs can indeed be of any kind (Action sequence for experiments

  scientists, programming machines, robots etc ...).

  The invention applies generally to all work in teams or several machines, etc., as indicated in the preamble to the present application, requiring synchronization as perfect as possible, while retaining freedom of

  movement and possibly total distance.

  Other applications, variants, improvements and embodiments of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art, and

are part of the invention.

Claims (12)

  1 - Method for the synchronization of one or more program (s) comprising sound cues, or control programs, necessary for team work, in particular in sport parachuting, or for the synchronization of machines, driving devices scientific experiments, robots, characterized in that the diffusers of sound marks or programs of each team member or of each machine, apparatus or robot each comprise at least one EEPROM responsible for the program (s) and are put into operation exactly synchronously before the jump, or respectively before the start of the operations of the machines, apparatus or robots, by temporary connection with a synchronizer which is disconnected before the jump, or respectively before the start of the operations, after which the program (s) takes place in   continuous throughout the jump or respectively during all operations.   2 - Method according to claim 1, characterized in that each team member or machine or apparatus or robot carries at least one program diffuser comprising at least one EEPROM responsible for said program, the operation of which was triggered by a signal emitted by a synchronizer to which all the diffusers were temporarily connected by HF connection or by wire or by infra-red connection before the jump or respectively before the start of the operations, in that these were disconnected after the synchronous triggering of all the diffusers, and in what each team member, machine, device or robot carries a program sound or synchronous control.   3 - Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, for teamwork, the program (s) includes (s) sound cues which consist of punctual beeps and / or a piece of music and /or one its product continuously.   4 - Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the sound marks consist of a musical piece, interspersed with beeps   forming even more precise benchmarks.   - Method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, the sound marks consisting of a musical piece, it is interrupted   by alarm signals incorporated into the sound program.   6 - Method according to any one of claims 3 or 4,   characterized in that alarm signals are emitted by usual separate devices or integrated into the broadcasters, and take precedence over the program (s) broadcast (s) by the synchronous broadcasters.   7 - Method according to any one of claims 1 or 2,   characterized in that it comprises a first step consisting in storing one or the program in the EEPROM of each program broadcaster of each team member, machine, apparatus or robot, by connecting the source of the sound or control program to the input analog of the broadcaster, and converting the received analog signal into a digital signal in a   analog / logic converter before directing it to the EEPROM.   8 - Process according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises a second step consisting in synchronizing the start of the reading of the   program by receiving a signal.   9 - "Diffuser" device for the dissemination of one or more program (s) comprising sound cues, or control program (s), necessary for team work, in particular in sports parachuting, or for the synchronization of machines , of apparatuses for conducting scientific experiments, robots, and for the diffusion of different programs in different machines intended to work together (in a coordinated way, according to very precise sequences), characterized in that it comprises an EEPROM in which is stored on program of each broadcaster.   10 - Device according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises an analog / logic converter for converting the analog signal received from the program source into a digital signal which is then directed to the EEPROM.   11 - Device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that it comprises a receiver for receiving a signal to start reading the program. 12 - Device according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises a transmitter capable of sending the read start signal   from the program to the receiver of other broadcasting devices.   13 - Device according to any one of claims 9 to 12,   characterized in that it includes, for teamwork, a module according to which the volume of the sound can be modulated so as to optimize listening   taking into account external conditions and disturbances.   14- Device according to claim 13, characterized in that one carries out a modulation of the sound volume by: - regulation as a function of the pressure or the pressure variation, by means of pressure sensor (s); - regulation according to the intensity of the external noise, using decibel (dB) sensors, the ambient noise being a function of the position of the   head in space, and the speed of movement.