Optical master unit alarm collector and translator

• US 10,453,330 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2018
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Guwaisem, Badie Ali Hassan, Alhelal, Hassan Taher Salman
• Primary Examiner(s): Bee, Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US16/131,433
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/01 characterised by the transmission medium
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/04 Monitoring of the detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/06 Monitoring of the line circuits, e.g. signalling of line faults
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/16 Security signalling or alarm systems, e.g. redundant systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25 Arrangements specific to fibre transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/29 Repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/14 Monitoring arrangements for SDH/SONET rings H04J3/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A computer-implemented system includes the following. A remote terminal unit (RTU) is configured to receive alarm information and communicate alarm event information to a control center. An optical master unit (OMU) is configured to receive alarm information from sensors at remote locations. A circuit board is configured to serve as a middle device between the RTU and the OMU. A circuit board includes a microcontroller that communicates with the OMU and processes replies from the OMU to confirm the existence of and identify the type of an alarm at a particular remote location. The circuit board also includes multiple output relays connected to the RTU and corresponding to remote alarms, each output relay associated with a particular sensor at a remote location. The computer-implemented system also includes an input relay for communicating with the OMU.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system, comprising:

a remote terminal unit (RTU) configured to receive alarm information and communicate alarm event information to a control center;

an optical master unit (OMU) configured to receive alarm information from sensors at remote locations; and

a circuit board configured to serve as a middle device between the RTU and the OMU and comprising;

a microcontroller that communicates with the OMU and processes replies from the OMU to confirm the existence of and identify the type of an alarm at a particular remote location;

multiple output relays connected to the RTU and corresponding to remote alarms, each output relay associated with a particular sensor at a remote location; and

an input relay for communicating with the OMU.

2. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein receiving alarm information includes polling a remote repeater for the alarm information.

3. The computer-implemented system of claim 2, wherein the polling is through a single strand fiber link.

4. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein communication with the OMU is through a serial RS-232 connection.

5. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the RTU is an alarm monitoring system.

6. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface.

7. The computer-implemented system of claim 6, wherein the user interface includes a graphical liquid crystal display (LCD), pushbuttons, and indicator LEDs.

8. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at a remote terminal unit (RTU), alarm information and communicating alarm event information to a control center;

receiving, at an optical master unit (OMU), alarm information from sensors at remote locations; and

operating a circuit board configured to serve as a middle device between the RTU and the OMU, the operating comprising;

communicating, by the circuit board and using a microcontroller, with the OMU and processing replies from the OMU to confirm the existence of and identify the type of an alarm at a particular remote location;

communicating, using multiple output relays connected to the RTU and corresponding to remote alarms, information from each output relay associated with a particular sensor at a remote location; and

communicating, using an input relay, with the OMU.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein receiving alarm information includes polling a remote repeater for the alarm information.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the polling is through a single strand fiber link.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein communication with the OMU is through a serial RS-232 connection.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the RTU is an alarm monitoring system.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising receiving user input through a user interface.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the user interface includes a graphical liquid crystal display (LCD), pushbuttons, and indicator LEDs.

15. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions executable by a computer system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at a remote terminal unit (RTU), alarm information and communicating alarm event information to a control center;

receiving, at an optical master unit (OMU), alarm information from sensors at remote locations; and

operating a circuit board configured to serve as a middle device between the RTU and the OMU, the operating comprising;

communicating, by the circuit board and using a microcontroller, with the OMU and processing replies from the OMU to confirm the existence of and identify the type of an alarm at a particular remote location;

communicating, using multiple output relays connected to the RTU and corresponding to remote alarms, information from each output relay associated with a particular sensor at a remote location; and

communicating, using an input relay, with the OMU.

16. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein receiving alarm information includes polling a remote repeater for the alarm information.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the polling is through a single strand fiber link.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein communication with the OMU is through a serial RS-232 connection.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the RTU is an alarm monitoring system.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising receiving user input through a user interface.