WO2012016987A1

WO2012016987A1 - Method, apparatus and system for calling up and locally storing data

Info

Publication number: WO2012016987A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/063302
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hannes Eisele
Original assignee: Qing Holdings Ltd.
Priority date: 2010-08-03
Filing date: 2011-08-02
Publication date: 2012-02-09
Also published as: DE102010033270A1

Abstract

Apparatus (100) and method (300) for calling up and locally storing data, having a detector element (102), a processor element (202) and a local memory element (204), wherein the detector element (102) is designed to identify a first optical global code (106), wherein the first optical global code (106) provides a first referencing of first data. The processor element (202) is designed to determine whether the first data is already stored in the local memory element (204). The processor element (202) is also designed to store the first referencing in the local storage element (204) if the first data is not yet stored in the local memory element (204). The processor element (202) is also designed to activate the first data if the first data is already stored in the local memory element (204). The processor element (202) is also designed to repeatedly identify and store further different global codes, before all the locally unavailable data is called up.

Description

Method, device and system for retrieving and locally storing data

The present invention relates to providing and processing data.

In particular, the present invention relates to a method for retrieving and locally storing data, a device for retrieving and locally storing data, a system comprising a device according to the invention as well as a printed medium, a program element and a computer readable medium.

Today's multimedia teaching systems are not only able to provide information on a particular topic in a modality, such as written language, to a user, but may also, for example, offer supplemental or further information on a topic in another modality, such as audio playback or video presented topic for a user plastically transparent and clear.

Thus, for example, it may be advantageous to supplement information, which can be found, for example, in a printed book, for a user by means of a suitable link with other media, for example an associated audio or video recording.

For example, another application may be a textbook, for example a dictionary for learning a new language, which may be additional

provide multimedia information, for example for pronunciation and emphasis on the foreign word, to the reader in an appropriate manner.

Here, a reference between the content of the book as well as extended context information, such as an audio file with a matching

Pronunciation of a word, be necessary. Such a connection may

for example, by linking the printed word information in the book with a separate audio file, eg stored on a suitable playback device, using an optical, in the book at a suitable location, for

corresponding to printed code, which provides a logical link between word and data, e.g. an audio file. Optical code identification (OID) from Sonix Technology, for example, may be used as such a code.

A corresponding codeword, an optical code, may in this case be arranged at a suitable location in a printed medium, and by means of a suitable code

Reader read and thus recognized. For example, the reader may have stored associated information about a particular book and may play that information appropriately upon recognition of the corresponding code. Such a playback device may, for example, belong to the scope of delivery of a book.

However, such prefabricated playback devices are limited in their applicability to a particular book and thus have a low flexibility.

It may be understood as an aspect of the present invention, a method for retrieving and locally storing data, a device for retrieving and locally storing data, and a system comprising a device according to the invention as well as a printed medium, which have an increased flexibility, display. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of retrieving and locally storing data referenced via an optical code, comprising the steps of detecting a first optical global code, the first optical global code providing referencing of first data, Determining whether the first data is already stored locally and storing the first reference in a local storage element if the first data is not yet locally available or activating the first data if the first data is already locally available, the detecting and storing steps are executable repeatedly for other different global codes before retrieving locally unavailable data.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a device for retrieving and locally storing data is displayed, comprising a detector element, a processor element, and a local memory element. The detector element is configured to detect a first optical global code, wherein the first optical global code provides a first referencing of first data. The processor element is configured to determine whether the first data is already stored in the local storage element. The processor element is further configured to store the first referencing in the local memory element if the first data is not yet stored in the local memory element and to activate the first data if the first data is already in the local memory

Memory element are stored. The processor element is hereby set up to repeatedly execute the detection and storage for further different global codes before retrieving all locally unavailable data.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system comprising an apparatus according to the invention arranged to carry out the method according to the invention and a printed medium, in particular a book. The device is hand-guided and may in particular have a pin shape. The printed medium has at least one optical global code which references the medium, and a plurality of index codes, each of which has data for reproducing a signal, e.g. an acoustic signal, referencing.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a program element that, when executed on a processor, directs the processor to perform the method of the invention is displayed.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable medium having stored thereon a program element that, when stored on a computer Processor is instructed, the processor instructs to perform the inventive method displayed.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a printed medium, for example, a textbook for learning the Chinese language, hence a German-Chinese language dictionary, may be displayed. In particular, the book may be addressed to a German-speaking user who wants to learn Chinese as a new language. A corresponding dictionary may thus represent German words and at the same time their equivalent in Chinese characters or symbols.

Without appropriate assistance, however, a reader of the book may not be able to obtain a correct pronunciation of the Chinese words or characters. For this he may need external help, for example audiovisual support, in the form of an audio file with the spoken version of the corresponding Chinese word or Chinese characters.

In this respect, in order to allow convenient access to corresponding voice information, a device may be used which, on the one hand, keeps the corresponding audio files or audio data in stock and at the same time provides a logical link between the audio files and the printed word in the book. For example, a corresponding logical link may be using a

Codes or code symbols take place, which is arranged at a suitable location on the word in the book and which is recognized by the device for reproducing the audio files, for example by an optical detection element.

The user may thus use the device, for example a mobile, portable stick-shaped object, to recognize a corresponding code in a book, whereupon the device in turn, for example, directly with the playback of the matching audio file begins and in this way the user

Provide pronunciation hints for a written Chinese word.

A corresponding basis for a code, for example, provides Optical Identification (OID) of the company Sonix Technology. Corresponding symbols can here u.a. Use OID 1.0, OID 1.5, or OID 2.0.

For example, in the case of using OID 2.0, but also using any other suitable code, an unlimited number of distinct code symbols may not result. That's how OID can do it

2.0, for example, to identify, differentiate or reference only 65,536 different codes.

For a universal reader, it may therefore seem appropriate to allow for appropriate further discrimination of the codes.

For example, using OID 2.0, and assuming that an average instructional dictionary has about 5000 words, ultimately only a total of 13 books could be coded, each having the code base code 1 to code 5000 for book 1, code 5001 to 10,000 for Book 2, etc. would use.

Here it may now be advantageous to distinguish between a global code which, for example, references a particular book and other local codes or index codes, which in turn refer to any information in the book selected in each case via the global code.

For example, OID codes like 1 to 10,000 for words in a book

While codes 10.001 to 65.536 can be used to distinguish books. The content codes or index codes 1 to

10,000 are thus allocated for each book the same, while the global codes

10,001 to 65,536 are used to identify a particular book. Thus, for the use of a device according to the invention together with a particular book, it may first be necessary to tell the device what book it is exactly. This may be done, for example, by scanning a global code located at or in the book at a central location to first notify the device of which book or specific book data is subsequently accessed via the index codes 1 through 10,000. On the one hand, this already makes it possible to distinguish twice as many words per book (10,000 versus 5,000, as explained in the previous example).

On the other hand, now, e.g. a total of 55,536 different books differ.

However, the user must ensure that, on the one hand, before each use of the device according to the invention with a particular book, he communicates the respectively associated global code or book code or medium code of the device, so that the device subsequently responds to the respectively correct or

associated data can access the following index codes, which have been activated by this. Furthermore, it is possible in particular with such an amount of possible

Books that a universal reader according to the present invention may not have already stored in the delivery state all data on all possible books locally in the device. If, for example, a new book is purchased, then first the global code, for example on the book cover, on the first page of the book or on the

Be scanned book back to check to what extent the inventive device already holds relevant data stored. In the event that the

Device subsequently detects that no data is locally available, which are needed for a particular book, the device can inform a user, for example, by acoustic signal or optical signal to apply appropriate data to the device. The user may, prompted by the device to provide new data of the device, connect it, for example, via an interface with a PC or the Internet, in order to use this from a suitable central points,

For example, a database, which is accessible on the Internet, download locally to the device.

In other words, in the event that the device does not yet contain the relevant data required for a particular book, the user receives information that he must first download this data, for example from the Internet, to the device before using it together with a, for example, newly purchased, book can use.

In the event that the device already contains the corresponding data, for example because it was already stored when a book-pen combination was delivered, or because a corresponding download has already taken place earlier, the device may activate the corresponding data, thus following the corresponding data access if an index code would be recognized from the corresponding book, thereby acoustically reproducing the associated data, such as a spoken Chinese word via a built-in speaker.

In order not necessarily to start a download every time a new book has been identified, the device may be configured to store several global codes that have been determined to have the associated data not yet available in an internal memory and may like, for example, retrofitted to a PC, collected collected. In this way, for example, a large amount of books can be identified, which are subsequently all automatically downloaded to the device at once. Thus, the recognition of multiple global index codes from previously non-locally available data represents a kind of off-line referencing which subsequently retrieves an online data download,

for example, from a database on the Internet. However, the device according to the invention is not limited to the reproduction of an audio signal after recognition of a printed symbol, but many different implementations are conceivable. For example, a video file or video information or written, for example, further textual information may also be reproduced, while at the same time the optical code may also be displayed, for example, on a monitor or the like and recognized by it.

It may also be conceivable, for example, a built-in camera in one

Use mobile phone to create a photo of a corresponding code 104, 106, which code is subsequently recognized by a processor element and thus decoded to retrieve the information then via a data connection of the mobile phone from the Internet and in a corresponding

Storage area in the mobile phone for playback. In the case of the recognition of an index code 104, the mobile phone may now like the reproduction of the corresponding downloaded data in the form of an audio and / or

Video signals begin.

The data may be in compressed or uncompressed form

Memory element present.

Further exemplary embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the dependent claims. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below and set forth using the figures.

The figures are schematic and not to scale, but may reflect qualitative quantities.

Show it: Figures 1 a, b an exemplary embodiment of a system comprising a device according to the invention and a printed medium according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the invention

Apparatus for retrieving and locally storing data in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of the method for retrieving and locally storing data according to the present invention. Figure 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a system comprising a fiction, contemporary device and a printed medium according to the

present invention.

Figure la represents a printed medium 1 12, here exemplarily a book, which is shown open. The book has, for example, as a dictionary, printed information and further exemplarily has a total of three codes 104, 106. The codes 104, 106 are formed as printed, optical codes that can not or hardly be perceived by the human eye. In the event that the codes are not or are difficult to perceive, they may continue to be configured with a separate marker, such as a framing or the like, to indicate their position.

In FIG. 1a, two index codes 104 and one global code 106, which is arranged at a central location, here by way of example on the spine of the book, are shown by way of example.

In this case, the global code 106 is able to identify or reference the book itself; the codes 104 in turn are able to reference text passages, text passages or individual words, in the case of a dictionary a single word or an expression.

Illustrated in FIG. 1 b is an enlarged detail of the book 1 12 with an index code 104. An apparatus according to the present invention 100 Reader, is brought close to the optical code 104 and, using a detector element 102, is capable of detecting the optical code 104 and thus of decoding it. A positive and / or negative recognition of the code may be clarified, for example, by an acknowledgment tone or by an optical signal. Not shown is a control element, which may be used, for example, to tell the reader 100 that it should now start a detection process. The detection process may also be automatic, for example, by simply approaching the device 100 to the surface of the book 112.

In this case, for example, a distance measuring element may be used on an optical / acoustic basis.

Still referring to Figure 2, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for retrieving and locally storing data in accordance with the present invention is shown.

In Figure 2, the code element 104,106 is now only exemplified. This exemplary code element 104,106 is within visual range of the detector element 102, for example configured as a camera module or a CCD camera. A barcode scanner or laser scanner may also be used.

Functionally connected to the detector element 102 is microprocessor element 202. Microprocessor element 202 may receive information from detector element 102, which may already be processed digitally, and in turn may

Decode the code 104,106, thus exemplifying the conversion of the recognized code element into a number from 0 to 65,536.

The device 100 may be formed pin-shaped and thus in particular have an easy manual handling. Connected to microprocessor 202 is a first and / or second local memory element 204. The first local memory element and the second local memory element may also be a single, common memory element.

The local memory element 204 may be set up to store recognized codes 104, 106 or their decoding or referencing and at the same time to set it up to record data which are subsequently referenced for reproduction via codes 104, 106. So storage element 204 on the one hand

By way of example, record three different global codes of data that are not yet stored locally, so still to apply to the device 100, as well as hold data, for example, 20,000 files of information to various books.

Schematically connected to the microprocessor 202 is a display element 206, for example a loudspeaker or a piezo element, as well as an optical element 208, for example an LED or a display. Display element 206 may be set up on the one hand to reproduce acknowledgment tones as well as to reproduce data stored in memory element 204 in case an index code of a printed medium is read. In this case like

Device 100 directly with the reproduction of the Inde code associated with or by this referenced data on playback element 206 begin.

Alternatively, data stored in memory element 204 and itself representing video data may be rendered via display element 208, for example in the case of a display as video.

The device 100 further comprises an interface 210, for example a wired interface such as USB or a wireless interface such as WLAN or Bluetooth, and may thereby be connectable, for example, to a personal computer which subsequently cooperates with the device to obtain new data not yet stored locally in memory element 204, to be stored thereon, for example by downloading from an Internet-based database. Thus, a plurality of global codes may be recognized by the device, successively stored in memory element 204, and after connecting device 100 using interface element 210, download the corresponding data to device 100.

Memory element 204 may also have a memory area in which a program may be stored, which is automatically loaded or started, for example when connecting the device 100 to a PC via interface 210, or started manually. For example, this program may provide a download functionality of data to the device 100 independently of the computer. The program may preferably be arranged in an exclusively readable area of the memory element 204, thus preventing accidental erasure of the program.

Device 100 may have a data dictionary structure in which the user can manually add or delete data to remove old data, for example, in case the storage space of new data storage element 204 is no longer sufficient for a new book. The read-only stored program may also provide such administrative functions as erasing, downloading, compressing, decompressing files, and copying data from the device 100 for

Caching on a PC as a backup or backup so that you do not have to download data from a remote database from the Internet every time. Thus, a local cache function on a like with the

Device 100 connected PC be possible.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of the method for retrieving and locally storing data according to the present invention.

The method 300 for retrieving and locally storing data first comprises the step of detecting 302 a first optical global code 106, wherein the first optical global code 106 provides a first referencing of first data. Further, it is determined 304 whether the first data is already stored locally. In the event that no first data is still locally available, the corresponding referencing or the optical global code 206, possibly in decoded form, is stored 306 in a local memory element 204. In the case where the first data are already locally available this activated, thus released for playback or indexed.

The steps of detecting 302 and storing 306 may be repeatedly executable before a retrieval of all locally unavailable data is carried out, in particular, therefore, a plurality of optical global codes 106, which are different, or the associated referencing or decoding, respectively, are stored in the memory element 204, before a download of the data takes place. In the case where data is to be downloaded, a connection to a remote data source is provided, for example via an interface element, whereupon the data is removed from the remote

Data source, for example, be retrieved from a database on the Internet 312. During retrieval, the data is stored 314 locally in a storage element 204. In the event that first data is already locally available and thus activated, there results a recognition 316 of an optical index code 104, followed by rendering the signal stored in the data

Information depending on the optical index code.

In the event that data is not stored locally in memory element 204, it may be signaled 320, for example optically or acoustically, that the

corresponding data referenced by a global code is not yet locally available.

Alternatively, individual data elements each referenced by an index code can be downloaded only with the respective requirement request by means of the index code. In particular, memory areas in the memory element 204 can thereby be reduced to the respectively required data requirement. In addition, it should be noted that one or both do not exclude a plurality and that expressions such as having and comprehensively are not to be interpreted exhaustively. Furthermore, features listed in connection with different categories can also be combined.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

100 device

102 detector element

104 index code

106 global code

110 system

112 printed medium, book

202 microprocessor

204 memory element

206 acoustic reproduction element

208 optical display element

210 interface element

300 Methods for retrieving and locally storing data

302 Step: Detecting a first optical global code

304 Step: Determine local storage of first data

306 Step: Storing the first referencing

308 Step: Activate the first data

310 Step: Repeat Steps Detect and Drop 312 Step: Retrieve Data

314 Step: Local storage of data

316 Step: Detecting an optical index code

318 Step: Play a signal

320 step: signaling

Claims

claims

A method (300) for retrieving and locally storing data referenced via an optical code (106), comprising the steps of:

Detecting (302) a first optical global code (106), the first optical global code (106) providing a first referencing of first data;

Determining (304) if the first data is already stored locally; and

Storing (306) the first referencing in a first local

Memory element (204) if the first data is not yet locally available or activating the first data if the first data is already locally available;

wherein the steps of detecting (302) and discarding (306) are repeatedly executable for further different global codes (106) before retrieving all locally unavailable data.

The method of claim 1, further comprising

Retrieving (312) the data from a remote data source; and

locally storing (314) the data in a second local memory element

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the data enable a reproduction of an acoustic signal.

4. The method according to claim 3; still having

Detecting (316) an optical index code (104); and

Reproducing (318) the acoustic signal in response to the optical index code (104).

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising

Signaling (320) that data referenced by a global code (106) is not locally available.

A device (100) for retrieving and locally storing data, comprising a detector element (102); a processor element (202); and

a local storage element (204);

wherein the detector element (102) is arranged to detect a first optical global code (106), the first optical global code (106) providing a first referencing of first data;

wherein the processor element (202) is arranged to determine whether the first data is already stored in the local storage element (204); wherein the processor element (202) is arranged to store the first reference in the local memory element (204) if the first data is not yet stored in the local memory element (204); and wherein the processor element (202) is arranged to activate the first data if the first data is already stored in the local storage element (204);

wherein the processor element (202) is arranged to repeatedly execute the detection and discard for further different global codes (106) before retrieving all locally unavailable data.

Device according to claim 6,

wherein the device (100) is manageable, in particular has a pin shape.

Apparatus according to any one of claims 6 or 7, further comprising an acoustic display element (206) for reproducing an acoustic signal;

wherein the acoustic signal is reproducible using at least a portion of the first data.

Apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 8, further comprising

an optical display element (208).

Device according to one of claims 8 or 9,

wherein the device is set up using the acoustic reproduction element (206) and / or the optical reproduction element (208) to inform a user whether referenced data is already stored locally in the storage element (204).

The device according to one of claims 8 or 9, further comprising an interface element (210);

wherein the interface element (210) is arranged to retrieve non-locally available data from a remote data source.

Device according to claim 1 1,

wherein the interface element (210) is an element selected from the group consisting of serial interface, parallel interface, radio interface, USB interface, Firewire interface, Ethernet interface; wireless LAN interface, WiFi interface and Bluetooth® interface.

System (1 10), comprising

an apparatus (100) according to at least one of claims 6 to 12, arranged to carry out the method (300) according to at least one of claims 1 to 5; and

a printed medium (1 12), in particular a book;

the device (100) being hand-guided, in particular having a pin shape; and

wherein the printed medium (1 12) comprises at least one optical global code (106) which references the medium, and a plurality of index codes (104), each of which references data.

A program element that, when executed on a processor, instructs the processor to perform the method of at least one of claims 1 to 5.

A computer readable medium having stored thereon a program element which, when executed on a processor, instructs the processor to carry out the method according to at least one of claims 1 to 5.