NFC AUDIO BOX MUSIC IDOLS

Abstract

A device capable of playing audio content via an artist figurine equipped with an NFC chip (figure for abbreviation: figure 6)

Description

Title of the invention: NFC AUDIO MUSIC IDOLS Box

[0001] Introduction

[0002] The goal is to create a device capable of reading audio content via an artist figurine equipped with an NFC chip.

[0003] This audio content will be available in internal memory previously downloaded from a secure server.

[0004] Definitions - API: Application Programming Interface - NFC: Near Field Communication - POC: Proof Of Concept - REST: Representational State Transfer - SSID: Service SET Identifier

[0005] WPS: Wi-Fi Protected Setup

Claims

Demands

1. Functionality The device must allow: - reading an NFC tag - storing content in flash memory - streaming audio content via one or more stereo speakers - streaming audio content via Bluetooth or Chromecast (Firecast, etc.) - connecting to the home network and the internet via Wi-Fi - adjusting the volume using buttons - skipping to the next or previous track using buttons - monitoring internal storage space - managing the Wi-Fi connection - managing the Bluetooth connection - being used with or without a power outlet. All connections to an internet server (or cloud) must be secure. Stored files must also be secure and cannot be copied.

2. Mobile Interface The mobile interface, compatible with Android and iOS, must allow - to configure the case - Wifi connection: scan, listing, connection, WPS, manual SSID, password. - Connecting Bluetooth speakers: scan, connection, pin code. - manage storage space (display and delete tracks) - choose whether the device downloads audio files to its internal memory or plays them directly via the cloud. - to restore the factory settings - to control the device - Volume up / down - Next / previous song - View the current title (cover art, artist and title) => provide a visual element with the audio tracks. - To see the available storage space, to delete tracks, etc. Initially, these functionalities can be accessed via a web interface. Eventually, the mobile application will be able to use the API of this web interface to control the device. Technical requirements Wi-Fi - Bluetooth - NFC reader - Flash storage (32 GB / 64 GB) - Audio speaker - Buttons - LEDs

3. General operation Upon receiving the device, you must first charge it or plug it in electrically. Next, it needs to be configured via the mobile app. To do this, the app must connect to the device to perform the initial setup. Once connected to the device, the application will allow you to: - Connect the device to Wi-Fi - Connect a Bluetooth speaker - Cast (via Chromecast / Firecast or other) - Configure the device: - Offline playback - Online playback - Resume playback - Download completion notifications - etc... This device offers a new way to play albums by musical artists. When a tag (artist icon) is placed on the player, the device downloads the associated audio tracks from a server or plays them directly, depending on the configuration. When the tag is removed from the player, playback stops. If the tag is placed back on the player, playback resumes where it left off (this behavior can be configured). The internal memory must be large enough to hold approximately 1000 audio tracks (knowing that a track is approximately 4 MB, the internal memory can be 32 GB or 64 GB).

4. Technical Operation of the Device: During the initial boot, the configuration file is empty (it does not contain a saved Wi-Fi SSID). The device therefore switches to Point-to-Point Wi-Fi so that the mobile application can connect to it (SSID and password to be defined and entered in the mobile application). Subsequently, it should be possible to scan for nearby Wi-Fi networks and connect to them. When the device is connected to the home Wi-Fi network, the mobile application must find the device's IP address to connect to it (Method to be defined). Device Server Section: The device will have a server section to communicate with the mobile application. This server section will contain a REST server that will respond to a defined API. Here are the APIs that may be required: - get_config - wifi_scan - wifi_set - bluetooth_scan - bluetooth_set Configuration The configuration file can be in "ini" format. This file must be encrypted as it will contain the passwords for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Data encryption will be addressed in the security section and can be configured later. Example configuration file: [settings] play_mode=offline resume=on [wifi] SSID=my_wifi password=my_passwordl234 ip_config=auto [Bluetooth] pairl=my_bose etc... For the 'summary' function, you need to remember the last tracks played (the last 5 should be sufficient) and the current timecode. It's acceptable to record the timecode in the configuration file every 5 or 10 seconds. Once the target number of tracks is reached (5 tracks), the first and oldest track is overwritten and replaced. The configuration file must be different from the wifi configuration file and may not be encrypted. Example: [summary] titleO= titleO_timecode= 140 tilel= title 1 _timecode=

5. etc... Checking for updates When the device starts up, it connects to a predefined URL to retrieve a file containing the new version available on the server. If this version is higher than the current application version (hardcoded into the application during compilation), the application downloads the update file and applies the update (format and method to be defined: compressed file, download error handling, etc.). NFC data When an NFC tag is read, it generates an identifier. A request via a URL allows this identifier to be matched with a list of audio tracks to download or play. The server part The server must be able to respond to simple REST requests: - Authentication: the ability to authenticate a device to ensure it has the right to connect to the server. This can be done using a certificate and unique data from the chipset (see security section). - get_datalist_from_id: transforms an identifier into a list of audio tracks. - get_data: downloading audio files (via HTTPS directly). To link the ID to the audio file, a database must be defined to hold this information. The `get_datalist_from_id` function will search the database to return the list of files available for that ID. Security Housing For security reasons, the firmware should be in a different memory location than the audio data and configurations. The firmware must be secure. Firmware updates must also be made via a cloud server. The bootloader cannot be updated. The server will need to be able to authenticate a device to know if it has the right to communicate with it. Data Data must not be transmitted unencrypted over the network. Cloud connections must be made using at least SSL / TLS. Audio data must be encrypted server-side and decrypted on the device.

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