An object that encodes information by permuting electrical potentials

Abstract

An individual accessory comprising an insulating or dielectric body within which is present a voltage divider bridge (100), the accessory further comprising two accessible reference terminals (25, 26) that can be electrically polarized independently of each other and are each electrically connected to one of the two ends of the voltage divider bridge (100) to form a potential gradient. The accessory further comprises a plurality of electrical potential reading terminals that can be ordered or otherwise arranged to form a series of reading terminals, the accessory comprising conductors (33, 3i, 3n) each connecting one terminal of the series of reading terminals (50) to a respective point on the voltage divider bridge (100) so as to allow the reading of a series of potentials taken from said gradient on the series of reading terminals. Abbreviated figure: 4

Description

Title of the invention: Object encoding information by permutation of electrical potentials Scope of the invention - technical context

[0001] The invention falls within the field of coded marking, and finds applications for example in the field of product or service authentication, or the transmission of any information placed in a small, easily movable medium.

[0002] Small, lightweight objects are commonly used as marking accessories. These may include, for example, labels affixed to—or attached to—a commercial or industrial product. They may also include any other decorative or individualizing object connected to a larger object by virtue of its size or function.

[0003] On these accessories, it has become customary to place machine-readable codes, such as barcodes, which are optically readable with a reader that detects alternating black and white lines. More recently, two-dimensional barcodes of the QR code type (QR stands for quick response) have appeared. Both traditional barcodes and QR codes are optically readable—without contact, but in the presence of visible light—and they are decoded by a computer program. A typical QR code contains slightly fewer than one hundred alphanumeric characters. There is an advantage to encoding these characters in this way, for example, to make a URL readily available for accessing a website. Other applications exist, but the amount of information stored is limited by the technology used.

[0004] Modern three-dimensional printing techniques now open up possibilities for creating diverse objects, including accessories. Cost control and original practical aspects, including versatility and performance, are constantly being sought.

[0005] French patent application FR2211305 of October 28, 2022, teaches the use of additive manufacturing and encoding to generate a multilayered, three-dimensional object with surface measurement points and internal paths for taking measurements related to lengths that were determined by the encoder prior to manufacturing. The set of lengths, combined with a measurement method made possible by the use of paths, such as the measurement of electrical resistance, allows information to be encoded within the object. The measurement of electrical resistance is based on a ratio between a voltage between two ex- thresholds of a path and the intensity of the current flowing along the path.

[0006] Overall, available methods remain limited in terms of the amount of information that can be encoded, or complicated to implement quickly, cost-effectively, and reliably. Solutions are also desired that are adaptable to the specific situations of end users, who often have different needs. The question of encoding and reading methods and equipment is, of course, important. Features and advantages of the invention

[0007] To solve these problems, an individualized accessory is proposed comprising an insulating (or dielectric) body inside which is present a voltage divider bridge at two ends, the accessory further comprising two accessible terminals electrically connected each to one end of the voltage divider bridge to form a potential gradient inside the insulating (dielectric) body, the accessory further comprising a plurality of accessible terminals for reading electrical potential, said terminals being orderable so as to form a sequence of terminals for reading, the accessory comprising conductors connecting via the inside of the body each one terminal of the sequence of terminals to a respective point of the voltage divider bridge so as to allow the reading on the sequence of terminals of a sequence of potentials taken in said gradient.

[0008] The material used for the body is insulating, dielectric, and / or several orders of magnitude less conductive than the material of the conductors.

[0009] Thanks to these principles, coded information is available in the individual accessory, since the order of the potentials, which is read on the conventionally pre-ordered terminals, constitutes a permutation that represents the coded information. The recipient of the coded information can therefore read, with a reading device capable of applying a voltage to the terminals of the voltage divider, and knowing the terminal order convention, the permutation present inside the accessory, and deduce the message encoded in the accessory.

[0010] Thus, information is encoded in the accessory in the form of a permutation of potentials, taking into account a pre-established convention for the order of the reading terminals.

[0011] Conductors are chosen having a resistance of at least a few ohms per meter, and potential readings are taken by passing a very small current, which can be considered as zero current, in the sense that it does not produce a measurable or significant potential loss between the two ends of the conductor.

[0012] According to advantageous and optional features: - The voltage divider bridge can be a DC voltage divider bridge made of a strip or any wire of resistive conductive material; thus, all potential values ​​between the two potentials applied to the two The ends of the voltage divider bridge can be chosen; The body may include an edge, with the voltage divider bridge positioned along said edge; the body may include a face, with the terminals for reading positioned on said face; Construction and handling are then facilitated. conductors may be in at least two successive straight portions on either side of one or more bends; the body may be flat and, in the thickness of said body, conductors are then in two successive portions each of constant dimension (taken orthogonally to the plane, or coordinate on an axis perpendicular to the faces) on either side of a transverse change of dimension fitting, which brings the conductor closer to one of the faces of the object and away from the other face; Thus, the body is organized into layers associated with a dimension (an altitude), and this facilitates the manufacture and arrangement of the elements in the body. Conductors can be made of tracks or cables of resistive conductive material of lengths encoding information to be read by measuring the resistance of the conductors between the voltage divider bridge and the associated reading terminal - it is then necessary to circulate a non-negligible current in the conductors, sufficient for a measurement of a potential loss and indirectly of the resistance, as part of a secondary reading, carried out in addition to the reading of the potentials which is done with a negligible current (not producing a potential loss); the information encoded in the length of the conductors can be totally independent (or additional) with respect to the information encoded in the permutation of the potentials; and in this embodiment, resistive conductors are preferred, for example in charged polylactic acid, to facilitate the measurement of the resistance; The body may have several edges, with the reading terminals distributed across two opposite edges of the body, and the two terminals connected to the ends of the voltage divider also positioned on one of these two opposite edges. Since the voltage divider has two terminals, the reading terminals are separated into two groups, providing symmetry and thus ease of use for the accessory. The conductors and the voltage divider may be made of one or more deposited materials, for example, by extrusion, and for example, of an extruded and deposited mixture. The mixture may be based on polylactic acid (PLA) and contain a filler to ensure the conductivity of the mixture. Polylactic acid is a material easily deposited by printing. in three dimensions or additive manufacturing using molten filament; other plastic bases are possible; - the sequence of potentials taken in the gradient can be a sequence of regularly spaced potentials, or a sequence of potentials in which differences between pairs of consecutive potentials encode information by binary encoding or by encoding with more than two symbols. We can thus introduce additional information into the accessory, hidden in the structure but readable by reading the potentials on the terminals (this reading is done with negligible current and therefore without measurable potential loss, like reading the permutation of potentials);

[0013] A method for transmitting information is also proposed, comprising the additive manufacturing of an individualized accessory as mentioned above, in which the information is coded in the form of a permutation of potentials, the conductors being connected to the voltage divider bridge so as to allow the reading on the sequence of terminals of said permutation of potentials, taking into account a pre-established convention of the order of the reading terminals. List of figures

[0014] Figures 1 and 2 are a schematic representation of the principles of the invention.

[0015] Figure 3 is a three-quarter view of an accessory according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0016] Fig. 4 is a view, from the same angle, of the internal structures of the accessory of Fig. 3, the insulating (dielectric) body being, for the figure, not shown.

[0017] Fig. 5 is a front view of the internal structures of the accessory in Figures 3 and 4, and Fig. 6 is a front view seen from the other side.

[0018] Fig. 7 represents another embodiment of an accessory according to the invention, seen from the same angle as Fig. 5.

[0019] Fig. 8 represents extracts from the views of figures 5 and 7, allowing comparison of the two embodiments.

[0020] Figure 9 is a representation of several variants of an aspect of the invention. Detailed description of the figures

[0021] [Fig.1] Fig.1 represents the general principles of the invention. This is based on a voltage divider bridge 100 whose ends 101 and 102 are biased at potentials Vcc and Vgnd respectively.

[0022] A voltage divider bridge can be constructed by a succession of resistors in series, terminals being accessible each between two successive resistors of the bridge to obtain potentials in finite number, between Vcc and Vgnd.

[0023] But alternatively and cleverly, and as shown in [Fig. 1], the A voltage divider bridge 100 is a continuous bridge consisting of a single elongated structure with a constant cross-section from one end to the other, made of a homogeneous resistive material along its length. The resistive material is electrically conductive, though it does not need to be a very good conductor. For example, it could be polylactic acid (PLA), deposited using an additive manufacturing technique—three-dimensional printing, such as fused filament fabrication. Its surface, for example, one of its lateral surfaces, serves as the starting point for long, thin electrical connectors, each designed to transmit a potential between Vcc and Vgnd away from the voltage divider bridge 100.Since the surface of the voltage divider bridge is potentially accessible at any point along the elongated structure between the two ends 101 and 102, and the size of the connectors is small compared to the length of the elongated structure, it is possible to select a large number of different potentials between Vcc and Vgnd. The value of each of these potentials is deduced from the two extreme values ​​Vcc and Vgnd by a linear relationship based on the distance to either end 101, 102 of the elongated structure at which the connector is located.

[0024] Figure 1 shows three connectors 110, 111, and 112. Each has one end connected to the voltage divider bridge, already mentioned, and a free end. These connectors are sufficiently electrically conductive to allow the potential taken from the voltage divider bridge to be transmitted by the conductor to its free end. They can be good conductors, such as copper wire, or resistive. The use of wires made by depositing filled polylactic acid (PLA) is preferred, within the framework of a combined manufacturing process of the voltage divider bridge and the connectors by additive manufacturing.

[0025] The three connectors 110, 111, and 112 are connected to the voltage divider 100 at three points distinct from each other and distinct from the end potentials, allowing the potentials U0, U1, and U2 to be taken, with Vgnd < U2 < U1 < U0 < Vcc. The connectors 110, 111, and 112 are each arranged along a dedicated path that does not create electrical contact with the other connectors, due in particular to the presence of insulating (dielectric) material between the conductors, up to their respective free ends, each of which carries a reading terminal that may be a rectangular or square flat surface on which an attached electrical contactor can be affixed.

[0026] The reading terminals 120, 121 and 122 are referenced for the user or a reading machine in an order that is defined by convention.

[0027] But they are connected to conductors 110, 111 and 112 in an order identical to the order presented above of the potentials U0, U1 and U2, or which may differ from the order of the potentials U0, U1 and U2 by a permutation.

[0028] On [Fig.1], there has been no permutation: the reading terminals 120, 121 and 122 are connected to the conductors 110, 111 and 112 in that order and therefore carry the potentials U0, Ul, U2 in that order.

[0029] [Fig.2] In [Fig.2], there has been a permutation, and this permutation is such that - terminal 120, positioned in the first place, is connected to conductor 110 and has the potential U0 (this is unchanged from the configuration of [Fig.1]), - but a crossing 140 - without contact - between conductors 111 and 112 means that terminal 121 is connected to conductor 112 and carries the potential U2, and that terminal 122 is connected to conductor 111 and carries the potential Ul.

[0030] Thus, the potentials U0, Ul and U2 are permuted in the order U0, U2, Ul.

[0031] There would have been other possible permutations, which are presented here:

[0032] U0, Ul, U2 ([Fig.1]), U0, U2, Ul ([Fig.2]), Ul, U0, U2 (not shown), Ul, U2, U0 (not shown), U2, U0, Ul (not shown) and U2, Ul, U0 (not shown), i.e. 6 permutations.

[0033] This number 6 is the factorial of the number of potentials, that is to say the factorial of 3: 3! = 3x2x1 = 6

[0034] [Fig.3] In [Fig.3], an embodiment of an accessory 1 is shown according to The invention. It consists of a flat body 10 made of insulating (dielectric) material, with two substantially square opposite rectangular faces and four thin lateral slices connecting the two faces. The ratio of the side length to the thickness is greater than 20; this value, mentioned as an example, is not limiting—essentially, we are discussing a fairly thin object, although this is not essential.

[0035] The product therefore has two faces, and for the purposes of this discussion, the face visible in the figure will be referred to as the upper face 11, but since the product can be inverted, this is largely a matter of convention. The other face, of course, will be referred to here as the lower face. On two opposite edges of the upper face 11 are terminals running along its edge from one end to the other, thus forming two rows of terminals 21 and 22. The terminals within a row are naturally ordered by their position in the sequence they form, along one of the edges concerned. In the figure, 12 terminals are visible in each row, for a total of 24 terminals. The number of terminals and their exact positions can be freely adjusted to create product variations.

[0036] These elements are the main visible features from the outside of the product. Conductors are embedded within the body and are therefore not visible, although in one embodiment, part of the internal conductive structure may be apparent. It is planned to produce parts with this external appearance in large quantities, but encoding different information inside the part in a way that is not immediately apparent to the naked eye.

[0037] The operating method of the object is known by convention, and in particular embodied in a reading tool. It is intended that some of the terminals, a limited number of which, have a specific function, and that others form a set of reading terminals, the number of which is important not to be too small; on the contrary, it is sufficient. In particular, in the view of [Fig. 2], the two leftmost terminals, which face each other on opposite edges, are biasing terminals 25 and 26 for applying Vcc and Vgnd on either side of the voltage divider mentioned previously. The application of these two potentials in this order is generally required, and consequently, the biasing terminals 25 and 26 are distinguishable from one another by the geometry of the object, and it is by convention that Vcc is applied to one and Vgnd to the other, and not the other way around.

[0038] The other terminals are potential reading terminals. There are therefore 22 potential reading terminals (whereas there were 3 in figures 1 and 2), in two rows of 11. The presence of the terminals does not necessarily imply that they are all used - some may be left aside, i.e. not connected inside the body of the part, without this being visible from the outside of it.

[0039] The terminals present on the two lines—disregarding the polarization terminals 25 and 26—are all reading terminals that must be ordered. They can be ordered in different ways, according to a convention that must be pre-established and that can be derived quite simply and naturally from the geometry of the body 10 and the arrangement of the reading terminals on it. This convention is preferably implemented in the reading tool, or exceptionally, it is included in the operating instructions.

[0040] An example of a convention for ordering these two lines of reading terminals is, for example and without necessarily being the most advantageous solution, to go through the two lines of terminals 21 and 22 from end to end in a certain direction fixed in advance in the convention - abstracting from the polarization terminals, which, not being reading terminals, do not have to be ordered in the succession of reading terminals - they are, however, identified, including with respect to each other.

[0041] The convention can also define which of the two terminal lines 21 and 22 constitutes the first line, as well as the endpoint at which a line should begin to be read. For this purpose, an asymmetry in the structure of the part is used, for example. Such an asymmetry is visible in the figure, since on each of the two terminal lines, one end terminates with a terminal flush with the transverse edge of the terminal line, while at the other end In the line of terminals, the last terminal before the edge of the part is at a distance from it. This allows the two ends of the line to be differentiated.

[0042] This asymmetry also allows the polarization terminals 25 and 26 to be identified; these are, for example, the two terminals that are flush on one edge—it should be noted that they face each other, which facilitates the placement of the voltage divider in the body 10 of the part, perpendicular to the two sides bearing the two sets of terminals, and parallel to the sides of the square that do not bear terminals, and more precisely along one of these two sides, which is the leftmost side in the figure. The exact positioning of the voltage divider will be shown later.

[0043] The terminals present on the two terminal lines 21 and 22 can optionally be ordered by taking the two lines one in continuity with the other: one can thus continuously traverse a first of the two terminal lines in a certain direction fixed in advance in the convention, then in a second time the second terminal line also in a direction fixed in advance in the convention, and also from end to end and continuously, and throughout the journey, give order numbers to the terminals by incrementing the number by 1 at each new terminal.

[0044] However, other terminal ordering conventions can be used, and in particular it may be advantageous to order the terminals by taking the terminals one by one alternately on the two lines of terminals 21 and 22, by one terminal from the first line, then one terminal from the second line, then one terminal from the first line and again one terminal from the second line, and so on, in particular by starting the journey on the side of the polarization terminals 25 and 26, and moving away from them, at the same rate on both sides of the body 10. Table Tab.1 shows this numbering.

[0045] [Table 1] Reading terminals Line 21 Vcc bias terminal 25 No. 1 No. 3 No. 5 No. 7 No. 9 No. 11 No. 13 Line 22 Vgnd bias terminal 26 No. 2 No. 4 No. 6 No. 8 No. 10 No. 12 No. 14

[0046] As an alternative, instead of looking at the terminals one by one alternately on the two lines, it is also possible to look at the terminals again alternately on the two lines but in groups of n terminals, for example n= 2.

[0047] [Fig.4] In [Fig.4], the internal electrically conductive structures of The part in [Fig. 2], viewed from the same angle. The dielectric body is omitted from the representation to allow for the artificial visualization of the internal structures. The terminals are visible, aligned on two parallel lines of terminals 21 and 22, on either side of the square. The voltage divider 100 is located on the left and connects the two leftmost terminals in the figure, namely the bias terminals 25 and 26, which are at the left ends of the lines of terminals 21 and 22. The voltage divider 100 is embedded within the thickness of the dielectric material of the body, which protects it from accidental contact, among other things. It is located closer to the lower face than to the upper face (the upper face being face 11 in [Fig. 2]). It consists of a continuous trace of conductive material. The reading terminals form a two-part terminal block, referenced as 50.

[0048] Conductors originate at different sides of the voltage divider 100 and extend perpendicularly to it, all on the same side, parallel to the faces of the component. These conductors are protected from accidental contact within the volume of the dielectric body. There are 16 of them, which is less (strictly speaking, but equality would have been possible) than the number of reading terminals, which is 22 – the invention generally provides that the number of conductors is less than or equal to the number of reading terminals.

[0049] Three of these conductors have been referenced in the figure: the third conductor which originates closest to the polarization terminal 25, referenced 33, the second conductor which originates closest to the polarization terminal 26, referenced 3n and a conductor in an intermediate position, referenced 3i.

[0050] These conductors each have, at a certain distance from the voltage divider bridge 100, this distance being different for each of the conductors, a succession of close bends, the presence of which helps to define, by separating them, two main straight sections, separated from each other in the continuity of conductive material by the bends and a short structure joining the bends.

[0051] Each of the conductors consists of an uninterrupted track of conductive material, which forms bends as shown.

[0052] For each conductor, the main straight sections consist of a first main straight section originating on the voltage divider 100 and extending perpendicularly to it, and a second main straight section terminating at a reading terminal (selected from terminal lines 21 and 22) and approaching it perpendicularly to the reading terminal line of which this reading terminal is a part. This architecture with two main straight sections is not, however, the only possible one—it nevertheless constitutes a solution that is easy to implement.

[0053] [Fig. 5] Fig. 5 shows a top view of the structure of Figures 3 and 4, at The new diagram shows the dielectric body without it, to facilitate observation of the internal structures. The 100 voltage divider bridge is on the left, partially hidden as it is in the background.

[0054] All the first main straight sections of the various conductors are, as stated, parallel to each other and parallel to the sides of the square carrying the terminal lines, since they are perpendicular to the voltage divider bridge. In [Fig. 5], the first main straight sections of conductors 33, 3i and 3n are referenced – they are referenced as 331, 3i1 and 3n1.

[0055] All the second main straight sections are parallel to each other and parallel to the voltage divider bridge 100. In [Fig.5], the second main straight sections of conductors 33, 3i and 3n have been referenced - they are referenced as 332, 3i2 and 3n2.

[0056] Furthermore, the first main straight sections are arranged with the voltage divider 100 in an internal area near the face of the part not bearing the terminals, i.e., the so-called lower face, while the second main straight sections are arranged in an internal area near the face of the part bearing the terminals, i.e., the so-called upper face (upper face 11 in [Fig. 3]). For each conductor, right-angle bends define a path of conductive material between the two main straight sections and accommodate changes in height and direction.There are at least two bends, which is necessary to change depth in the room, i.e. to move away from one face and towards the other while continuing the path to a terminal, but other bends can be integrated to make the best use of the internal volume of the room by improving the distribution of the second main straight parts of the conductors in the internal area near the upper face 11, including at the voltage divider bridge 100 (see further comments on this implementation aspect).

[0057] The conductors do not have contact with each other, and are buried in the volume of the room, separated from each other by the dielectric material which electrically insulates them, allowing each of them to adopt over their entire length the electrical potential which is applied to them by their end connected to the voltage divider bridge 100.

[0058] In [Fig. 5] the first main straight sections, in particular 331, 3il and 3nl, are in the background and extend from left to right. The second main straight sections are in the foreground of the representation, extending from bottom to top or top to bottom. The boundary markers are also in the foreground.

[0059] [Fig. 6] Fig. 6 shows a bottom view of the same structure, again without that the dielectric body be represented, according to the same principle as in [Fig. 5]. The bridge Voltage divider 100 is again on the left, extending from top to bottom, but in the foreground this time, and the first main straight sections are also in the foreground, extending from left to right. The second main straight sections are this time in the background of the representation, extending from bottom to top or top to bottom. The terminals are present in the background, whether they are the bias terminals 25 and 26, or the readout terminals which constitute the bulk of the terminals in terminal blocks 21 and 22.

[0060] The potential applied to each conductor is a function of the position on the voltage divider bridge 100 of the branch between the conductor and the voltage divider bridge 100. This position is defined by the distance between this branch and the terminals Vcc and Vgnd - namely the bias terminals 25 and 26. The branches for conductors 33, 3i and 3n are referenced on [Fig.5]: these are branches 43, 4i and 4n.

[0061] In these figures 5 and 6, we visualize a general arrangement largely linked if not necessary to the functioning of the object and more secondary particular arrangements aimed at optimizing the use of the volume of the room.

[0062] The general arrangement is that each conductor originates on the voltage divider 100, which thus carries several branches that are the starting points of the conductors. These are spaced here, preferably occupying the entire length of the voltage divider, and in the figures, regularly and equidistantly, although other solutions are possible. The lengths of the first main straight sections differ from one conductor to another, and the conductors, by the orientation of their bends joining the first main straight section to the second main straight section, are directed either to one side or the opposite side, and are finally connected to a reading terminal located on the relevant side. Some of the terminals may remain unconnected if there are more of them than the connectors. The connectors, however, are all connected to a terminal.

[0063] Thus, in the view of [Fig. 5], starting from the end of the voltage divider bridge 100 located in the lower part of the figure, the 16 successive conductors are directed towards the side located at the top of the figure (H) or the side located at the bottom (B) according to the following sequence: B, H, B, H, B, H, B, B, B, H, H, B, B, H, H, H. And more precisely, if we reference the 11 terminals of the side located at the top H1 to H11 and the 11 terminals of the side located at the bottom B1 to B11 (B1, B11, H1 and H11 have been indicated on [Fig. 4]), then the 16 successive conductors are directed towards the following terminals: B11, H9, B9, H6, B6, H3, B4, B8, B5, H11, B2, B1, H1, H4, H7. Terminals H2, H5, H8, B3, B7, and B10 are not electrically connected. Naturally, different terminal selections and sequences are possible and even expected, since they allow for encoding an in- different formation within the object.

[0064] In general, the conductors comprise, as they move away from the voltage divider 100, a bend facing the upper face, then a short intermediate straight section that brings the conductor into a plane close to the upper face without, however, reaching it, and, as they approach this upper face, a bend facing one or the other side of the part. The second main straight section begins at this point and runs towards the reading terminal to which the conductor is connected, in a straight line in the embodiment shown in Figures 3 to 5.In the embodiment presented, the conductor is connected to the reading terminal by placing the first bend at the correct distance from the voltage divider 100. This means that the length of the first main straight section has been chosen to reach the intended reading terminal, ensuring that the second bend is positioned directly above it after a simple displacement within the thickness of the part, perpendicular to the faces. The conductors are as short as possible with this method, while still allowing the application of the principles of the invention, namely, defining a permutation of the ordered potentials defined by the branches on the voltage divider 100.

[0065] Figures 4 to 6 show a permutation, taking into account the order given to the terminals in Table Tab. 1, of the 16 potentials taken between Vcc and Vgnd, and there are in total 16! « 21 billion permutations of these 16 potentials, which allows 44 bits to be encoded, since log2(16!) ~ 44.3.

[0066] The specific arrangement shown in the figure, in addition to the general arrangement just described, relates to product design optimization and is less essential. It involves manufacturing the conductors according to a geometry that is easy to implement quickly and reliably using the three-dimensional printing or additive manufacturing technique employed, and making skillful use of the internal space of the part, while dimensioning the conductors in a way that is satisfactory for their manufacture and long-term durability.

[0067] In Figures 5 and 6, it can be seen that the fourth conductor (counting from the top of [Fig. 5] and therefore from the bottom of [Fig. 6]) has a third bend, defining a second intermediate straight section parallel to the first main section but in a plane closer to the upper surface. This allows the second main straight section of this conductor to begin above the voltage divider 100, in a space that would otherwise be unused. This is why this conductor is almost hidden in [Fig. 5]. This arrangement also allows the voltage divider 100 to be placed, at low cost, well protected deep within the dielectric body, and not just under a thin layer of dielectric material, which would be a weak point.

[0068] On [Fig.5], we also see that the first conductor (from the top) also includes an additional elbow system, to facilitate its manufacture, the first main straight section being very close to the reading terminal to which the conductor must be attached.

[0069] On [Fig.6], the voltage divider bridge 100 is visible in the foreground, and it can be observed that the biasing terminals are offset outwards relative to the body of the bridge, this being the result that on the one hand these biasing terminals are placed at the face limit and edge limit on the body of the part (see [Fig.2]), which allows them to be identified, and on the other hand, the body of the voltage divider bridge is placed deep within the dielectric body, which guarantees its protection, as already mentioned.

[0070] [Fig.7] Another configuration with 22 reading terminals is shown in [Fig.7] and 16 conductors originate along the entire length of the voltage divider bridge and terminate at the same reading terminals on the sides of the body 10. It therefore encodes the same permutation as the configuration shown in Figures 3 to 5. The representation is from the same viewpoint as that of [Fig. 4]. The connections at each end of the conductors remain the same as in the previous figures, and the same terminals are unused.

[0071] In a novel way compared to the previous figures, numerous bends are introduced into the paths constituting the conductors, to form additional loops which result in the total conductor length being, for several of the 16 conductors but not necessarily for all, greater than the length used in the simplest embodiments of Figures 4 to 6. This greater length is chosen within the framework of an encoding process in the path lengths, the lengths being read by measuring the resistance of the conductors, from one end to the other of each of them according to principles already presented in application FR2211305 of 28.10.2022. It is therefore necessary that the conductive material be resistive, and very good conductors such as copper are therefore not preferred.

[0072] [Fig.8] Some paths are thus lengthened to encode additional information comment.

[0073] In [Fig.8], to compare the embodiments of [Fig.5] and [Fig.7], extracts of these figures showing elements relating to the left part of the views have been represented.

[0074] The illustrative example chosen is the fifth conductor 3c counting from the top of the voltage divider bridge 100 in the views. The third and fourth conductors 3a and 3b (also defined counting from the top of the voltage divider bridge) are also shown.

[0075] This fifth conductor 3c, in view (a) which is extracted from [Fig.5], comprises in this configuration a first relatively short straight part then two bends which bring it into the plane near the top face, then a second fairly long straight part up to a reading terminal.

[0076] In a rather different manner, in view (b) taken from [Fig. 7], this conductor, referenced 3c', after originating at the same point on the voltage divider 100 as in view (a), has numerous bends and first forms a loop in the lower plane, then passes into the upper plane and follows a long path in successive loops, occupying space in the plane near the upper face. It terminates at the same reading terminal as in view (a), but after a significantly longer path with higher resistance.

[0077] Conversely, the third and fourth conductors referenced 3a' and 3b' were not modified between the two configurations.

[0078] Other drivers are required to adapt their route to, without necessarily lengthening it, make room for another driver who has been decided to have a longer route.

[0079] The principle used is that of stochastic optimization using operations of addition, subtraction, modification of conductor segments, preserving the continuity of each path, the inclusion of the paths in the volume of the part and the prohibition of overlaps and continuities of paths.

[0080] The principles thus mentioned were presented by referring to only two planes in which to arrange the main straight sections—one plane near the upper face and one plane near the lower face—but it is possible to provide more, and in particular to initially provide simply a single intermediate plane between the two previous ones, and to take advantage of the space thus created to arrange the desired lengths of conductors. Several intermediate planes can be used. The form factor of the object may then be slightly different, since a greater thickness is required.

[0081] [Fig.9] With reference to [Fig.9], several ways of distributing the po are presented. potentials between Vcc and Vgnd.

[0082] First, it is possible, and this is what was considered above, to distribute these potentials evenly using the entire range between Vcc and Vgnd. This is shown in the left part of the figure – column (a) – which presents an arbitrary portion of the voltage divider bridge (interrupted at the top and bottom, the potentials being more numerous than the only 5 potentials shown). The distribution is described as uniform.

[0083] It is also possible to encode more or less complex information in the sequence of differences between two consecutive potentials of the sequence of potentials, which for this purpose can take several values, and no longer just one as in the previous embodiment presented. This is represented in the form of non-limiting examples in columns (b) to (d).

[0084] Firstly, and as shown in the middle of the figure, a short-long binary coding is proposed, using two potential difference values, one lower and the other higher. Thus, if the lower value is symbolized by 0, and the higher value by 1, then the figure shows a code 001100 on the left - column (b) - and a code 010101 on the right - column (c).

[0085] Secondly, and as shown in the right-hand part of the figure, it is possible to use a code with more symbols. Thus, a permutation encoding with 6 symbols is shown, and the message 103542 - column (d) - then the message 314052 - column (e). Concluding remarks

[0086] Instead of a square structure, a triangular structure, or even other shapes, could be used. It has been proposed here to divide the reading terminals into two groups, to extend the fact that the voltage divider bridge has two terminals, and that it is natural to position them on either side of a body. However, other arrangements are considered.

[0087] It has been mentioned that the invention can be placed in an ornamental or personalizing object connected to a larger object by virtue of its size or function. It is thus possible to incorporate it into keychains, credit card-sized cards, or tokens.

[0088] The entire structure can advantageously be manufactured by three-dimensional printing by fusion of filament of material to be deposited with a highly insulating material for the body, and a slightly conductive material, for example a filled plastic polymer, for the tracks.

Claims

Demands

1. Individual accessory (1) comprising an insulating or dielectric body (11) within which is present a voltage divider bridge (100) at two ends, the accessory further comprising two accessible terminals (25, 26) electrically connected each to one end of the voltage divider bridge (100) to form a potential gradient within the body, the accessory (1) further comprising a plurality of accessible terminals for reading electrical potential (50) orderable to form a sequence of terminals for reading, the accessory comprising conductors (33, 3i, 3n, 3a, 3b, 3c;3a', 3b', 3c') connecting via the interior of the body (11) each a terminal of the sequence of terminals (50) to a respective point of the voltage divider bridge (100) so as to allow the reading on the sequence of terminals (50) of a sequence of potentials taken in said gradient, information being coded in the accessory in the form of a permutation of potentials, taking into account a pre-established convention of the order of the reading terminals.;

2. Individualized accessory (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the voltage divider bridge (100) is a continuous voltage divider bridge made up of a strip or wire of resistive conductive material.

3. Individualized accessory (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the body (11) comprises an edge, the voltage divider bridge (100) being positioned along said edge, the body (11) further comprising a face, the terminals for reading being positioned on said face.

4. Individualized accessory (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that conductors are in at least two successive straight portions on either side of one or more bends, the body being otherwise flat and, in the thickness of said body, the two successive straight portions are each in a plane of constant dimension and on either side of a transverse change of dimension fitting.

5. Individualized accessory (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that conductors (3a', 3b', 3c') are made up of tracks or cables of resistive conductive material of lengths encoding information to be read by measuring the resistance of the conductors between the voltage divider bridge and the associated reading terminal.

6. Individualized accessory (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, ca- characterized in that the body comprises several edges, the terminals for reading being distributed on two opposite edges of the body, and the two terminals connected to the ends of the voltage divider bridge also being positioned each on one of said two opposite edges.

7. Individualized accessory (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the conductors and the voltage divider bridge are made of at least one deposited material.

8. Individualized accessory (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the sequence of potentials taken in the gradient is a sequence of regularly spaced potentials, or a sequence of potentials in which differences between pairs of consecutive potentials encode information by binary encoding or by more than two symbols.

9. A method for transmitting information comprising the additive manufacturing of an individualized accessory (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the information is encoded in the form of a permutation of potentials, the conductors being connected to the voltage divider bridge so as to allow the reading on the sequence of terminals of said permutation of potentials, taking into account a pre-established convention of the order of the reading terminals.

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