Method for powering dual voltage integrated circuits

The present invention relates to a figure
data input device, for example
to an educational figure data input device used
in simulation learning for a social education on surrounding environments that change in response to placement of figure pieces.

Today's educational input device comprises: a plurality kinds of small pieces replicating environmental factors, such as a factory, a tree, and a house; a large board provided with section forming planes each partitioned vertically and horizontally from the others, so that one piece can beplaced on only one of these sections; a plurality kinds of cards with descriptions of environmental simulation data printed on them; and a personal computer that displays environmental simulation data outputted as a change in surrounding environments in response to input of the descriptions on these cards.

The educational input device is used, for example, by a small group of children as if they were playing a game. More specifically, children draw a card in turn, and place a piece on the board as per description on the card. Meanwhile, they input manually the descriptions on the cards, and the kinds and a total number of the pieces placed on the board into the personal computer, whereupon the personal computer shows on its screen a gradual change in response to the input, thereby assisting the children to learn how the environments change.

However, manipulation of the foregoing educational input device is tedious and time-consuming, because children have to input data related to the placement state of each piece on the board to the personal computer manually. Also, the latency for an image to be displayed on the screen reduces learning efficiency. Moreover, children may make a mistake in the input manipulation, thereby reducing input reliability. In view of the foregoing, there has been an increasing need to develop an educational input device for realizing prompt and accurate simulation learning.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a figure data input device for realizing prompt and accurate simulation learning by automatically reading out kind identifying data and location data of a figure piece the instant at which the figure piece is placed on a mounting boards.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention provides figure data input device including: a figure piece composed of a figure portion replicating an outward appearance of an object and a storage unit for storing a kind of the figure portion, which are combined into one body; a mounting board provided with a plurality of sectional mounting planes in such a manner that one figure piece is placed on only one of the plurality of sectional mounting planes; and a reading device, incorporated in the mounting board, for reading out kind identifying data stored in the storage unit of the figure piece placed on the mounting board.

According to the present invention, the kind identifying data stored in the storage unit of an arbitrary figure piece is read out by the reading device the instant at which the user picks up and places the figure piece on one of the sectional mounting planes of the mounting board. Also, the location data of the figure piece is detected from the reading position of the reading device.

Thus, the user can obtain both the kind identifying data and location data of a figure piece simultaneously by merely placing the figure piece on the mounting board. Forthis reason, if the read out data is sent to a linked machine, such as a personal computer, an environmental change in response to the user's placing manipulation is displayed on the display screen the instant at which the user places the figure piece on the mounting board, thereby realizing prompt and accurate simulation learning that responds to the user's placing manipulation.

In particular, because the reading action starts automatically the instant at which the user places the figure piece on the mounting board, not only can the user omit a manipulation to manually input the kind identifying data and location data, but also the latency for the input data to be outputted to the CRT can be eliminated, thereby making it possible to enhance learning efficiency.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the ensuing detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

• Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an outward appearance of figure data input device;
• Fig. 2 is an explanatory view showing figure pieces in the making;
• Fig. 3 is an explanatory view showing complex figure pieces in the making;
• Fig. 4 is a view showing a writing example of tag data;
• Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing a control circuit in the educational figure data input device;
• Fig. 6 is an explanatory view schematically showing a mounting board in the making; and
• Fig. 7 is a view showing an example of environmental simulation learning.

The following description will describe one embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a view showing a figure data input device 11 for environmental simulation learning. The figure data input device 11 comprises a plurality
kinds of small figure pieces 12 and a large mounting board 13.

As shown in Fig. 2(A), each figure piece 12 is composed of two portions combined into one body: a figure portion 14 replicating an outward appearance of an object, such as a house and a tree, and an RF-ID tag (hereinafter, referred to simply as the tag) 15 used as a data carrier that stores data identifying the kind of the figure portion 14 in a readable manner by an external device via a wireless communication.

In this case, the figure portion 14 and tag 15 are combined with each other in the manner as shown in Fig. 2(B). More specifically, for example, the small tag 15 is fitted into a figure portion 14a replicating a house so as to be incorporated therein at the lower portion, or the tag 15 is coupled to a figure portion 14b replicating a tree at the bottom surface of the latter. Because the figure piece 12 faces the mounting board 13 downward, when a communication with the mounting board 13 is concerned, it is most preferable to attach the tag 15 to the figure portion at its lower end portion.

When the tag 15 is not readily attached to the figure portion 14 due to the complex configuration of the latter, the figure piece 12 is made in the following manner. That is, as shown in Fig. 3(A), if the bottom configuration of the figure portion 14 is complex as a figure portion 14c replicating an automobile or a figure portion 14d replicating an animal, a pedestal 16 with the tag 15 incorporated therein can be used. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 3(B), the figure piece 12 is made by combining the figure portion 14c replicating an automobile and the pedestal 16 into one body, or the figure piece 12 is made by combining the figure portion 14d replicating an animal and the pedestal 16 into one body.

Fig. 4 is a view showing a writing example of tag data, in which identification data encoded uniquely for each kind of the figure pieces 12 is written into the tag 15 in such a manner that the kind identified by the kind identifying data written into the tag 15 matches with the kind of the figure portion 14 to which the tag 15 is attached.

For example, in case of the tag data shown in Fig. 4, if the figure piece 12 replicates a house, the tag data encoded as "1010h" is written into the tag 15 to match the identified kind with the kind of the figure portion 14 to which the tag 15 is attached. Likewise, if the piece figure 12 replicates a factory, the tag data encoded as "1011h" is written into the tag 15, and if the piece figure 12 replicates a tree, the tag data encoded as "1012h" is written into the tag 15, so that the identified kinds match with the kinds of their respective figure portions 14 to which these tags 15 are attached.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the mounting board 13, on which the foregoing figure pieces 12 are placed, is provided with on its top surface a plurality of substantially square sectional mounting planes 17 partitioned by vertical and horizontal lines uniformly like squares printed on a graph paper, so that one figure piece 12 is placed on only one of the sectional mounting planes 17. Also, the mounting board 13 incorporates reading devices 18 in a one-to-one correspondence with the sectional mounting planes 17 at the inner position facing the latter.

Each reading device 18 reads the kind identifying data stored in the tag 15 in the figure piece 12 placed on the corresponding sectional mounting plane 17, and comprises a plurality of antenna coils 19 positioned to face the corresponding sectional mounting plane 17, and a control circuit 22 having an antenna coil control circuit 20 and a CPU 21 both for controlling the plurality of antenna coils 19 as one group. For example, one antenna coil group is composed of a 4 by 4 (4 x 4) array of 16 antenna coils 19 with each serving as a reading position, and these 16 antenna coils 19 are controlled collectively when activated for a reading action. Thus, by providing a plurality of the reading devices 18, a desired size as large as the mounting board 13 can be obtained, and the communication areas 19a each being composed of one group of the antenna coils 19 are provided in the matching number with the reading devices 18 in a reliable manner.

Consequently, when the figure piece 12 is placed on one of the sectional mounting planes 17, the kind identifying data, which is written into the tag 15 incorporated into the figure piece 12 as an integral portion thereof, is placed on the communication area 19a, whereby all the antenna coils 19 positioned to face the communication area 19a start the reading action.

The control circuit 22 controls each of the 16 antenna coils 19, and reads and keeps track of data in real time as to what kind of piece figure 12 is placed on which of the l6 divided positions in a particular reading device 18.

At the same time, in order to read and keep track of the placement state of each figure piece 12 independently, the control circuit 22 in each reading device 18 is linked to a high-order machine, such as the personal computer 24 for the external output use, via an interface circuit 2-3 to establish a communication, and therefore, the address number of the reading device 18 and the placement state of the figure piece 12 are sent to the personal computer 24 instantaneously.

By receiving the identification address number of the reading device 18 and the location data of the subject figure piece 12 via the interface circuit 23, the personal computer 24 can keep track of all the figure pieces 12 placed on the mounting board 13 and run an environmental simulation software program based on their latest locations. Then, as shown in Fig. 7, the personal computer 24 displays on its CRT (display unit) 25 a resulting 3-D image in response to an environmental change. The personal computer 24 can also display numerical parameters 26 identifying the kinds of the corresponding environments changing elements for better understanding.

Because the readout information from each reading device 18 is sent to the personal computer 24 repetitively via the interface circuit 23, the personal computer 24 can keep track of the locations of all the figure pieces 12 on the mounting board 13 and respond to a change in the locations instantaneously. Hence, the running result of the environmental simulation software program changes from moment to moment in real time, thereby realizing prompt and accurate simulation learning on town planning.

The following description will describe a case where the above-arranged educational figure data input device 11 is used for simulation learning on town planning.

When the user picks up and places an arbitrary figure piece 12 on an arbitrary sectional mounting plane 17 of the mounting board 13, the kind identifying data stored in the tag 15 incorporated in the figure piece 12 is read out by the reading device 18 at that instant. Also, location data of the reading device 18 and that of the figure piece 12 within the communication area 19a of the reading device 18 are detected from the reading position of the reading device 18, which are sent to the high-order personal computer 24.

Meanwhile, the personal computer 24 displays on the CRT 25 an environmental change occurring in response to the user's placing manipulation of the figure piece 12. Consequently, the efficient simulation learning on town planning that responds to the user's placing manipulation can be realized.

As has been discussed, the user can obtain both the kind identifying data and location data of a figure piece simultaneously by merely placing the figure piece on the mounting board, and the latest town planning state can be displayed on the CRT of the personal computer instantaneously. In particular, because the reading action starts automatically the instant at which the user places the figure piece on the mounting board, not only can the user omit the manipulation to manually input the kind identifying data and location data, but also the latency for the input data to be outputted to the CRT can be eliminated, thereby making it possible to enhance learning efficiency.

In the above embodiment, a house, a tree, a factory, etc. were explained as examples of the objects replicated by the figure pieces 12 of the present invention, and the RF-ID tag 15 was explained as an example of the storage unit. It should be appreciated, however, that the present invention is not limited to the arrangements described in the above embodiment, and can be modified in various manners in accordance with the technical idea disclosed in the following claim.

For example, in the above embodiment, the location data of the figure piece 12 was detected based on the presence or absence of wireless communication data in the antenna coils 19. However, coordinates touching points may be provided in each sectional mounting plane 17 of the mounting board 13, so that the location data is detected from these coordinates touching points.

Also, the present invention was used for the environmental simulation learning on town planning by using houses, trees, factories, etc. However, the use of the present invention is not limited to the foregoing, and can be extended to the simulation learning on distribution of living creatures by using figure pieces replicating animals, fishes, birds in each region, or the simulation learning on a disaster by using the figure pieces replicating a typhoon, a flood, an earthquake, a fire, etc.

According to the above invention, as soon as the user picks up and places an arbitrary figure piece on one of the arbitrary sectional mounting planes of the mounting board, the kind identifying data stored in the storage unit incorporated in the figure piece is read out by the recording device, and the location data of the figure piece is also detected from the reading position of the reading device.

Consequently, the user can obtain both the kind identifying data and location data of a figure piece simultaneously by merely placing the figure piece on the mounting board. Thus, if the read out data is sent to a linked machine, such as a personal computer, an environmental change in response to the user's placing manipulation is displayed on the display screen the instant at which the user places the figure piece on the mounting board, thereby realizing prompt and accurate simulation learning that responds to the user's placing manipulation.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may bemade without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

The present invention is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with a future data input device for educational purposes.

Reference numerals in the drawings:

FIG. 1

11

12

13

FIGURE DATA INPUT DEVICE

FIGURE PIECE

MOUNTING BOARD

FIG. 2(B)

14,14a,14b

15

FIGURE PORTION

F-ID TAG

FIG. 3(B)

12

14c,14d

15

16

FIGURE PIECE

FIGURE PORTION

RF-ID TAG

PEDESTAL

FIG. 5

12

13

14

15

18

24

18

19

20

22

23

24

FIGURE PIECE

MOUNTING BOARD

FIGURE PORTION

RF-ID TAG

READING DEVICE

PERSONAL COMPUTER

READING DEVICE

ANTENNA COIL

ANTENNA COIL CONTROL CIRCUIT

CONTROL CIRCUIT

INTERFACE CIRCUIT

PERSONAL COMPUTER (HIGH-ORDER MACHINE)

FIG 6.

12

13

17

19a

FIGURE PIECE

MOUNTING BOARD

SECTIONAL MOUNTING PLANE

COMMUNICATION AREA

FIG. 7

24

PERSONAL COMPUTER