Object encoding information by permuting electric potentials

Abstract

The invention relates to an individualised accessory comprising an insulating or dielectric body having a voltage divider bridge (100) inside of same, the accessory also comprising, in an accessible manner, two reference terminals (25, 26) that can be polarised electrically independently of one another and each electrically connected to one of the two ends of the voltage divider bridge (100) in order to form a potential gradient. The accessory further comprises a plurality of terminals for reading electric potential that can be sorted if not sorted so as 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 of the voltage divider bridge (100) so as to allow a series of potentials taken from the gradient to be read on the series of reading terminals.

Description

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

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

[0002] Small, lightweight objects are commonly used as accessories for branding. These may include, for example, labels affixed to - or attached to - a commercial or industrial product. They may also be any other decorative or individual object attached to a larger object due to its size or function.

[0003] Machine-readable codes, such as barcodes, are commonly used on these accessories. These codes are optically readable, with a reader detecting alternating black and white lines. More recently, two-dimensional barcodes such as QR codes (QR stands for quick response) have appeared. Conventional barcodes or QR codes are optically readable - without contact, but in the presence of visible light, and are decoded by a computer program. A common QR code contains just under a hundred alphanumeric characters. There is an advantage to encoding these characters in this way, for example, to make a URL address easily available to access a website. Other applications exist, but the amount of information stored is limited by the technology used.

[0004] Modern 3D printing techniques now open up new possibilities for creating a wide variety of objects, including accessories. Cost control and original practical aspects, including versatility and performance, are constantly sought.

[0005] Patent application FR2211305 of 28.10.2022 teaches the use of additive manufacturing and encoding to generate a multi-layered three-dimensional object, with surface measurement points and internal paths allowing measurements to be made in relation to lengths which, together, were determined before manufacturing by the encoder. The set of lengths, combined with a measurement method made possible by the use of paths, such as the measurement of electrical resistance, makes it possible to encode information in the body of the object. The measurement of electrical resistance is based on a ratio between a voltage between two ex- ends of a path and an intensity of current flowing on the path.

[0006] Overall, available methods remain limited in the amount of information that can be encoded, or complicated to implement quickly, cost-effectively, and reliably. We also want solutions 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 resolve these questions, an individualized accessory is proposed comprising an insulating (or dielectric) body inside which is present a voltage divider bridge with two ends, the accessory further comprising, accessible, two terminals each electrically connected to one of the ends 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 series of terminals for reading, the accessory comprising conductors each connecting via the inside of the body a terminal of the series of terminals to a respective point of the voltage divider bridge so as to allow the reading on the series of terminals of a series 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, we have coded information in the individualized accessory, since the order of the potentials, which we read on the conventionally pre-ordered terminals, constitutes a permutation which constitutes 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 bridge, and knowing the order convention of the terminals, the permutation present inside the accessory, and deduce the message encoded in the accessory.

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

[0011] We choose conductors with a resistance of at least a few ohms per meter, and we take potential readings, by circulating a very low current, which can be assimilated to a zero current, in the sense that it does not produce a measurable or significant loss of potential between the two ends of the conductor.

[0012] According to advantageous and optional features: - the voltage divider bridge may be a continuous voltage divider bridge consisting of a strip or any wire of resistive conductive material; thus, all the potential values ​​between the two potentials applied to the two ends of the voltage divider bridge can be chosen; the body can comprise an edge, the voltage divider bridge being positioned along said edge; the body can comprise a face, the reading terminals being positioned on said face; Construction and handling are then facilitated. conductors can be in at least two successive rectilinear portions on either side of one or more bends; the body can 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 coordinated on an axis perpendicular to the faces) on either side of a transverse connection of change of dimension, which brings the conductor closer to one of the faces of the object and moves it away from the other face;Thus, the body is organized in 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 terminal for associated reading - it is then necessary to circulate in the conductors a non-negligible current, sufficient for a measurement of a loss of potential and indirectly of the resistance, within the framework of a secondary reading, carried out in addition to the reading of the potentials which is done with a negligible current (not producing a loss of potential); the information coded in the length of the conductors can be totally independent (or additional) with respect to the information coded in the permutation of the potentials;and in this embodiment, resistive conductors are preferred, for example made of charged polylactic acid, to facilitate the measurement of the resistance; the body may comprise several edges, the reading terminals then all being distributed on two opposite edges of the body, and the two terminals connected to the ends of the voltage divider bridge also being each positioned on one of said two opposite edges; thus, as the voltage divider bridge has two terminals, the reading terminals are separated into two groups, which gives symmetry, and therefore practicality of use to the accessory; the conductors and the voltage divider bridge may be made of one or more deposited materials, for example by extrusion, and for example of an extruded and deposited mixture, the mixture being for example based on polylactic acid (PL A) and containing a filler to ensure the conductivity of the mixture; polylactic acid is a material that is easy to deposit by printing; three-dimensional or additive manufacturing using molten wire; 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. It is thus possible to introduce additional information into the accessory, hidden in the structure but readable by reading the potentials on the terminals (this reading is done with a negligible current and therefore without measurable loss of potential, like reading the permutation of the potentials);

[0013] A method of 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 reading on the series of terminals of said permutation of potentials, taking into account a pre-established convention of order of the reading terminals. List of figures

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

[0015] [Fig. 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 body (dielectric) being, for the figure, not shown.

[0017] [Fig.5] is a front view of the internal structures of the accessory of 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] shows extracts from the views of Figures 5 and 7, allowing comparison of the two embodiments.

[0020] [Fig.9] is a representation of several variations of one aspect of the invention. Detailed description of the figures

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

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

[0023] But alternatively and cleverly, and as is represented in [Fig.l], the voltage divider bridge 100 is a continuous bridge, consisting of a single elongated structure, of constant cross-section from one end to the other, and formed of a homogeneous resistive material along its length. The resistive material is electrically conductive, without it being necessary for it to be a very good electrical conductor. It may be, for example, polylactic acid PLA, deposited by an additive manufacturing technique - three-dimensional printing, such as fused filament deposition. Its surface, for example one of its lateral surfaces, is the starting point for long and thin electrical connectors, each intended for the transmission of a potential between Vcc and Vgnd at a distance from the voltage divider bridge 100.The surface of the voltage divider bridge being potentially accessible at any point of the elongated structure between the two ends 101 and 102, and the size of the connectors being 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 one or the other of the ends 101, 102 of the elongated structure at which the connector is placed.

[0024] [Fig. 1] thus shows three connectors 110, 111 and 112. They each have one end connected to the voltage divider bridge, already mentioned, and a free end. These connectors are sufficiently electrically conductive to allow communication, for each of them, of the potential taken from the voltage divider bridge by the conductor to the free end of the latter. They can be good conductors, like a copper wire, or resistive. The use of wires made by depositing charged PLA polylactic acid is preferred, within the framework of a joint manufacture of the assembly made up 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 bridge 100 at three points distinct from each other and distinct from the end potentials, making it possible to sample the potentials U0, U1 and U2, with Vgnd < U2 < U1 < U0 < Vcc. The connectors 110, 111 and 112 are each arranged along a specific path which does not create electrical contact with the other connectors, in particular due to the presence of insulating material (dielectric) between the conductors, up to their respective free ends which each carry a reading terminal which may be a rectangular or square flat surface on which an attached electrical contactor may be affixed.

[0026] The reading terminals 120, 121 and 122 are referenced for the user or a reading machine according to an order which 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 potentials U0, U1 and U2, or which may differ from the order of potentials U0, U1 and U2 by a permutation.

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

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

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

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

[0032] U0, Ul, U2 ([Fig.l]), 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 according to the invention is shown. It consists of a body 10 of insulating (dielectric) material, flat with two substantially square rectangular faces opposite each other and four thin lateral edges connecting the two faces. The ratio of face side length to thickness is more than 20, this value, mentioned as an example, is not limiting - essentially we are discussing here a fairly thin object, even if this is not essential.

[0035] The product therefore has two faces, and for the purposes of discussion, the face visible in the figure will be referred to as the upper face 11, but since the product can be turned over, this is largely a convention of language. 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 succeeding one another from one end of the part to the other on its edge, and thus forming two lines of terminals 21 and 22, the terminals within a line being naturally ordered by their position in the succession they constitute, along one of the edges concerned. In the figure, there are 12 terminals on each row, or 24 terminals in total. The number of terminals and their exact positions can be freely adjusted to create product variants.

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

[0037] The mode of use of the object is known by convention, and in particular materialized in a reading tool. It is planned in particular that some of the terminals, in limited number, have a particular role and that others form a set of reading terminals, of which it is important that the number is not too small, on the contrary. In particular, in the view of [Fig.2], the two leftmost terminals, which face each other on two opposite edges, are polarization terminals 25 and 26 to apply Vcc and Vgnd on either side of the voltage divider bridge which was mentioned previously. The application of these two potentials in this order is generally imposed, and consequently, the polarization terminals 25 and 26 are differentiable from each other, by the geometry of the object, and it is by convention that we apply Vcc on one and Vgnd on 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 out, that is, 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 - apart from the polarization terminals 25 and 26 - are all reading terminals which must be ordered - and they can be ordered in different ways, according to a convention which must be pre-established and which can result quite simply and naturally from the geometry of the body 10 and the arrangement of the reading terminals thereon. This convention is preferably materialized in the reading tool, or exceptionally, it appears in an instruction manual.

[0040] An example of a convention for ordering these two lines of reading terminals is, for example and without this necessarily being the most advantageous solution, the fact of traversing from end to end the two lines of terminals 21 and 22 in a certain direction fixed in advance in the convention - ignoring the polarization terminals, which, not being reading terminals, do not have to be ordered in the succession of reading terminals - they are, on the other hand, identified, including one in relation to the other.

[0041] It is also possible to define in the convention which of the two terminal lines 21 and 22 constitutes the first line, as well as the end at which a line must begin to be read. For this, we use, for example, any asymmetry in the structure of the part. Such a asymmetry is visible in the figure, since on each of the two terminal lines, we see that one end ends with the presence of a terminal flush with the edge transverse to the terminal line, while at the other end of the terminal line, the last terminal before the edge of the part is at a distance from it. This makes it possible to differentiate the two ends of the line.

[0042] This asymmetry also makes it possible to recognize the polarization terminals 25 and 26, which are for example the two terminals which are flush on an edge - it is also specified that they face each other, which facilitates the presence of the voltage divider bridge in the body 10 of the part, perpendicular to the two sides which carry the two successions of terminals, and parallel to the sides of the square which do not carry 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 bridge will appear later.

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

[0044] Nevertheless, other terminal order conventions may 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, at the rate of 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 having started the route on the side of the polarization terminals 25 and 26, and moving away from them, at the same rate on the two sides of the body 10. Table Tab.l shows this numbering.

[0045] [Tab.l]

[0046] As a variant, instead of looking at the terminals one by one alternately on the two lines, it is also possible to look at the terminals always 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 are shown the part in [Fig.2], seen from the same angle. The dielectric body is absent from the representation, to allow the visualization, artificially, of the internal structures. We recognize the terminals which are aligned on two parallel lines of terminals 21 and 22, on either side of the square. The voltage divider bridge 100 is present on the left, and connects the two terminals furthest to the left in the figure, namely the polarization terminals 25 and 26, which are at the left ends of the lines of terminals 21 and 22. The voltage divider bridge 100 is buried in the thickness of dielectric material of the body, which protects it from untimely contacts, in particular. 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 an uninterrupted track of conductive material. The reading terminals form a set of terminals in two parts referenced 50.

[0048] Conductors originate at different sides of the voltage divider bridge 100 and extend perpendicularly to it, all on the same side of it, parallel to the faces of the part. These conductors are protected from untimely contacts in the volume of the dielectric body. There are 16 of them, which is less (strictly, but equality would have been possible) than the number of reading terminals which is 22 - the invention in fact 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 originating 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 contributes to defining, by separating them, two main rectilinear 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 of the conductors, the main rectilinear sections are a first main rectilinear section originating on the voltage divider bridge 100 and developing perpendicularly to it, and a second main rectilinear section ending at a reading terminal (selected from the lines of terminals 21 and 22) and approaching it perpendicularly to the line of reading terminals of which this reading terminal is part. This architecture in two main rectilinear sections is nevertheless not the only possible one - it still constitutes an easy solution to implement.

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

[0054] All the first main rectilinear sections of the different conductors are, as announced, 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 rectilinear sections of the conductors have been referenced 33, 3i and 3n - they are referenced 331, 3i 1 and 3nl.

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

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

[0057] The conductors have no contact with each other, and are buried in the volume of the part, 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 rectilinear sections, in particular 331, 3il and 3nl are in the background and extended from left to right. The second main rectilinear sections are in the front of the representation, extended from bottom to top or from top to bottom. The terminals are present in the foreground as well.

[0059] [Fig.6] [Fig.6] shows a bottom view of the same structure, again without the dielectric body shown, according to the same principle as [Fig.5]. The bridge Voltage divider 100 is again on the left, extended from top to bottom, but in front of the figure this time, and the first main straight sections are in the foreground as well, extended from left to right. The second main straight sections are this time at the rear of the representation, extended from bottom to top or from top to bottom. The terminals are present in the background, whether the bias terminals 25 and 26, or the read terminals which constitute the bulk of the terminals of terminal lines 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 polarization terminals 25 and 26. The branches for the conductors 33, 3i and 3n are referenced in [Fig.5]: these are branches 43, 4i and 4n.

[0061] In these figures 5 and 6, we see a general layout largely linked, if not necessary, to the operation of the object and more secondary specific layouts aimed at optimizing the use of the volume of the room.

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

[0063] Thus in the view of [Fig.5], starting from the end of the voltage divider bridge 100 placed in the lower part of the figure, the 16 successive conductors are directed towards the side placed at the top in the figure (H) or the side placed 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 placed at the top H1 to Hl 1 and the 11 terminals of the side placed at the bottom B1 to Bl 1 (Bl, Bl 1, H1 and Hl 1 have been indicated in [Fig.4]), then the 16 successive conductors are directed towards the following terminals: Bl 1, H9, B9, H6, B6, H3, B4, B8, B5, Hl 1, B2, Bl, Hl, H4, H7. Terminals H2, H5, H8, B3, B7 and BIO are not electrically connected. Naturally, choices of selections and sequences of different terminals are possible and even provided, since they allow to code an in- different formation in the object.

[0064] In general, the conductors comprise, as they move away from the voltage divider bridge 100, an elbow that faces 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, an elbow looking towards one or the other of the sides of the part. The second main straight portion starts at this level and goes towards the reading terminal with which the conductor is associated, in a straight line in the embodiment shown in Figures 3 to 5.In the embodiment presented, the association of the conductor with this reading terminal is obtained by placing the first of the bends at the correct distance from the voltage divider bridge 100, which amounts to saying that the length of the first main rectilinear section has been chosen to reach the intended reading terminal, ensuring that the second bend is placed in line with it after a simple displacement in the thickness of the part perpendicular to the faces. The conductors are as short as possible with this method, while still allowing the principles of the invention to be applied, namely to define a permutation of the ordered potentials defined by the branches on the voltage divider bridge 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 makes it possible to encode 44 bits, since log2(16!) « 44.3.

[0066] The special arrangement that is added in the figure to the general arrangement just described relates to the optimization of the product design, and is less essential. It involves manufacturing the conductors according to a geometry that is easy to implement quickly and reliably with the three-dimensional printing technique or additive manufacturing that is used and to skillfully use the internal space of the part, while dimensioning the conductors in a way that is satisfactory for their manufacture, and their durability over time.

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

[0068] In [Fig.5], we also see that the first conductor (from the top) also has 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] In [Fig.6], the voltage divider bridge 100 is visible in the foreground, and it can be observed that the polarization terminals are offset outwardly relative to the body of the bridge, this being the result that on the one hand these polarization 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 that on the other hand, the voltage divider bridge body is placed deep in 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 originating always along the entire length of the voltage divider bridge and ending at the same reading terminals on the sides of the body 10. It therefore encodes the same permutation as the configuration of figures 3 to 5. The representation is from the same point of view 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 an original manner compared to the previous figures, numerous bends are introduced into the paths constituting the conductors, to form additional loops which make the total length of the conductor, for several of the 16 conductors without necessarily being for all, higher than the length which was used in the simplest embodiments of figures 4 to 6. This higher length is chosen as part of an encoding process in the lengths of the paths, the lengths being able to be read by measuring the resistance of the conductors, from one end to the other of each of these according to principles already presented in application ER2211305 of 28.10.2022. It is then necessary that the conductive material be resistive, and we will therefore not favor very good conductors such as copper for example.

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

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

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

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

[0076] Quite differently, in view (b) which is extracted from [Fig.7], this conductor, referenced 3c', after having originated at the same point of the voltage divider bridge 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 close to the upper face. It ends at the same reading terminal as in view (a), but after a significantly longer path, whose resistance is higher.

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

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

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

[0080] The principles thus discussed were presented by only mentioning two planes in which to arrange the main rectilinear sections - a plane near the upper face and a plane near the lower face - but it is possible to provide more, and in particular to firstly 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 can then be a little different, since a greater thickness is required.

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

[0082] It is first of all possible, and this is what was considered above, to distribute these potentials in a regular manner by using the entire interval between Vcc and Vgnd. This is what is represented in the left part of the figure - column (a) - which shows any part of the voltage divider bridge (interrupted in the lower part and the upper part, the potentials being more numerous than the only 5 potentials represented. The distribution is described as uniform.

[0083] It is also possible to proceed with the coding of more or less complex information in the sequence of differences between two consecutive potentials of the sequence of potentials, these being able to take several values ​​for this purpose, 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 one higher. Thus, if the low value is symbolized by 0, and the high 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 part of the figure, it is possible to use a code with more symbols. Thus, a permutation coding 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, we could have a triangular structure, or even other shapes. It has been proposed here to divide the reading terminals into two groups, to extend the fact that the terminals of the voltage divider bridge are two in number, and that it is natural to position them on either side of a body. However, other arrangements are envisaged.

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

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

Claims

Claims

1. Individualized accessory (1) comprising an insulating or dielectric body (11) inside which is present a voltage divider bridge (100) with two ends, the accessory further comprising, accessible, two terminals (25, 26) each electrically connected to one of the ends of the voltage divider bridge (100) to form a potential gradient inside the body, the accessory (1) further comprising a plurality of accessible terminals for reading electrical potential (50) which can be ordered so as to form a series of terminals for reading, the accessory comprising conductors (33, 3i, 3n, 3a, 3b, 3c;3a', 3b', 3c') each connecting via the interior of the body (11) a terminal of the series of terminals (50) to a respective point of the voltage divider bridge (100) so as to allow the reading on the series of terminals (50) of a series 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 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 constituted by a strip or a 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 reading terminals being positioned on said face.

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

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

7. Individualized accessory (1) according to 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 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 code information by binary encoding or by more than two symbols.

9. Method for transmitting information comprising the additive manufacturing of an individualized accessory (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, 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 reading on the series of terminals of said permutation of potentials, taking into account a pre-established convention of order of the reading terminals.

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