METHOD FOR DATA TRANSMISSION BETWEEN MEASURING APPARATUSES AND A DATA PROCESSING DEVICE IN A MEASURED DATA RECORDING SYSTEM

• US 20160309242A1
• Filed: 04/11/2016
• Published: 10/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Draeger Safety Incorporated (Dragerwerk AG)
• Original Assignee: Draeger Safety Incorporated (Dragerwerk AG)
• Inventors: MBUSZ, Andreas, MLLER, Johannes
• Granted Patent: US 9,693,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/30 using a wired architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A method for data transmission, between measuring apparatuses (5) and a data processing device (3, 3′) in a measured data recording system (1, 1′) with a controller (7, 7′), includes repeated execution of exchange steps by the controller. The exchange steps include reception of analog measured signals from the measuring apparatuses (5) and/or the digital exchange of digital messages between the measuring apparatuses and the controller (7, 7′). The exchange steps are started with a predefined time lag. A digital data packet is sent by the data processing device (3, 3′) to the controller. The digital data packet contains the code of one of the plurality of measuring apparatuses (5) and a digital message. The controller extracts the code from the digital data packet by the controller (7, 7′) and sends the digital message to the one of the plurality of measuring apparatuses, after the completion of the digital exchange.

Claims

1. A method for data transmission between measuring apparatuses and a data processing device in a measured data recording system, which has a plurality of measuring apparatuses and at least one controller, the method comprising the steps of:

assigning an unambiguous code to each of the plurality of measuring apparatuses;

providing a measuring line between each measuring apparatus and the controller for sending analog measured signals by the measuring apparatuses to the controller via the measuring lines and exchanging digital messages, via the measuring lines, between the controller and the measuring apparatuses;

connecting the data processing device to the controller via a terminal of the controller for receiving digital data packets at the controller from the data processing device and sending digital data packets to the data processing device;

repeatedly executing exchange steps by the controller, wherein an exchange step comprises a reception of analog measured signals from the measuring apparatuses or a digital exchange of digital messages between the measuring apparatuses and the controller or both the reception of analog measured signals from the measuring apparatuses and the digital exchange of digital messages between the measuring apparatuses and the controller, wherein the exchange steps are started with a predefined time lag;

sending of a first digital data packet by the data processing device to the controller, wherein the first digital data packet contains the code of one of a plurality of measuring apparatuses and a first digital message;

extracting of the code from the first digital data packet by the controller; and

sending of the first digital message to the one of the plurality of measuring apparatuses by the controller after a completion of the digital exchange.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the one measuring apparatus sends a digital reply message, as a reply to the first digital message sent by the controller, to the controller and the controller sends the digital reply message in a digital reply data packet to the data processing device.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the controller determines the free time that remains until a start of the next digital exchange after the completion of a digital exchange and compares the free time that remains with a first transmission time, which is needed for sending the first digital message to the one measuring apparatus;

the first digital message is sent if the free time is longer than the first transmission time, and

the sending of the first digital message takes place after the execution of the next digital exchange if the free time is shorter than the first transmission time.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the first digital message is stored in a shift register;

the controller determines, after the completion of a digital exchange, free time that remains until a start of the next digital exchange and compares the free time with a first transmission time that is needed for sending a next digital message to be output by the shift register to a measuring apparatus; and

the next digital message to be output by the shift register is sent and deleted from the shift register if the free time is longer than the first transmission time.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4, wherein:

a second digital data packet is sent by the data processing device to the controller;

the second digital data packet contains the code of a second of the plurality of measuring apparatuses and a second digital message;

the second digital message is stored in the shift register;

if no additional digital messages are being stored in the shift register, the controller compares a remaining second free time that remains until the next digital exchange with a second transmission time that is needed for sending the second digital message to the second measuring apparatus;

the second digital message is sent to the second measuring apparatus and is deleted from the shift register if the second free time is longer than the second transmission time; and

if additional digital messages are present in the shift register, the second free time that remains until the next digital exchange is compared with the transmission time that is needed for sending the next digital message outputted from the shift register, and the next digital message is sent and is deleted from the shift register if the second free time is longer than the transmission time needed for sending the next digital message.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the data processing device sends a digital data packet to the controller;

the digital data packet contains the code of one of the plurality of measuring apparatuses, a start signal and a first digital message;

the repeated execution of the digital exchange is interrupted by the controller;

the controller extracts the code from the digital data packet and sends the digital message to the one measuring apparatus;

the data processing device sends additional digital data packets with digital messages to the controller and the controller sends the digital messages to the one measuring apparatus;

the data processing device sends a digital data packet with a digital message and with an end signal to the controller; and

the repeated execution of the digital exchange, which is started with a predefined time lag, is resumed by the controller.

7. A measured data recording system comprising:

a plurality of measuring apparatuses, an unambiguous code being assigned to each of the plurality of measuring apparatuses;

a controller

a measuring line between each measuring apparatus and the controller for sending analog measured signals by the measuring apparatuses to the controller via the measuring lines and exchanging digital messages, via the measuring lines, between the controller and the measuring apparatuses;

a data processing device;

a terminal connection connecting the data processing device to the controller via a terminal of the controller for receiving digital data packets at the controller from the data processing device and sending digital data packets to the data processing device, the data processing device being configured to send a first digital data packet to the controller, wherein the first digital data packet contains the code of one of a plurality of measuring apparatuses and a first digital message, the controller being configured to;

repeatedly execute exchange steps, wherein an exchange step comprises a reception of analog measured signals from the measuring apparatuses or a digital exchange of digital messages between the measuring apparatuses and the controller or both the reception of analog measured signals from the measuring apparatuses and the digital exchange of digital messages between the measuring apparatuses and the controller, wherein the exchange steps are started with a predefined time lag;

receive the first digital data packet sent by the data processing, wherein the first digital data packet contains the code of the one of a plurality of measuring apparatuses and the first digital message;

extract the code from the first digital data packet; and

send the first digital message to the one of the plurality of measuring apparatuses by the controller after a completion of the digital exchange.

8. A measured data recording system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the one measuring apparatus is configured to send a digital reply message, as a reply to the first digital message sent by the controller, to the controller and the controller is configured to send the digital reply message in a digital reply data packet to the data processing device.

9. A measured data recording system in accordance with claim 7, wherein:

the controller is configured to determine the free time that remains until a start of the next digital exchange after the completion of a digital exchange and compares the free time that remains with a first transmission time, which is needed for sending the first digital message to the one measuring apparatus;

the controller is configured to send the first digital message if the free time is longer than the first transmission time, and

the controller is configured to send the first digital message after the execution of the next digital exchange if the free time is shorter than the first transmission time.

10. A measured data recording system in accordance with claim 7, wherein:

a shift register is provided connected to or as a part of the controller;

the first digital message is stored in the shift register;

the controller is configured to determine, after the completion of a digital exchange, free time that remains until a start of the next digital exchange and to compare the free time with a first transmission time that is needed for sending a next digital message to be output by the shift register to a measuring apparatus; and

the controller is configured such that the next digital message to be output by the shift register is sent and deleted from the shift register if the free time is longer than the first transmission time.

11. A measured data recording system in accordance with claim 10, wherein:

the data processing device is configured to send at least a second digital data packet to the controller;

the second digital data packet contains the code of a second of the plurality of measuring apparatuses and a second digital message;

the second digital message is stored in the shift register;

the controller is configured such that if no additional digital messages are being stored in the shift register, the controller compares a remaining second free time that remains until the next digital exchange with a second transmission time that is needed for sending the second digital message to the second measuring apparatus;

the controller is configured to send the second digital message to the second measuring apparatus and to delete the second digital message from the shift register if the second free time is longer than the second transmission time; and

the controller is configured to, if additional digital messages are present in the shift register, compare the second free time that remains until the next digital exchange with the transmission time that is needed for sending the next digital message outputted from the shift register, send the next digital message and delete the next digital message from the shift register if the second free time is longer than the transmission time needed for sending the next digital message.

12. A measured data recording system in accordance with claim 7, wherein:

the data processing device sends a digital data packet to the controller;

the digital data packet contains the code of one of the plurality of measuring apparatuses, a start signal and a first digital message;

the repeated execution of the digital exchange is interrupted by the controller;

the controller extracts the code from the digital data packet and sends the digital message to the one measuring apparatus;

the data processing device sends additional digital data packets with digital messages to the controller and the controller sends the digital messages to the one measuring apparatus;

the data processing device sends a digital data packet with a digital message and with an end signal to the controller; and

the repeated execution of the digital exchange, which is started with a predefined time lag, is resumed by the controller.