TELEMETRY SYSTEM

• US 3,609,729 A
• Filed: 01/06/1969
• Issued: 09/28/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Time Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wilmer C. Anderson
• Inventors: Anderson, Wilmer C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mooney, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US04/789,209
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 340/203,206,347 235/92
• US Class Current: 340/870.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/24 using time shift of pulses

Abstract

A telemetry system including a transmitter wherein a numerical count proportional to a parameter is momentarily stored in a series arrangement of multistage counters and wherein additional pulses are applied to the multistage counters in succession to develop a plurality of time positioned pulses suitable for transmission. The system also includes a receiver for displaying the transmitted data.

Claims

1. A transmitter for a telemetry system comprising a plurality of multistage counters interconnected in a series arrangement;

variable frequency signal generating means for producing a first electrical pulse signal having a repetition rate proportional to the magnitude of a parameter applied thereto;

gating means interconnected between said signal generating means and said counters to apply said first electrical pulse signal to said counters during a predetermined interval to store a pulse count therein;

second signal generating means for providing a second electrical pulse signal having a fixed repetition rate;

circuit means interconnecting said second signal generating means and said counters to apply said pulses having a fixed repetition rate to said multistage counters in succession causing each in turn to reach a full count; and

means coupled to said counters and operative to transmit a signal each time one of said multistage counters reaches a full count.

2. A transmitter for a telemetry system according to claim 1 wherein said multistage counters are decade counters.

3. A transmitter for a telemetry system according to claim 1 wherein said circuit means comprises a ring counter and a plurality of AND circuits, said second signal generating means being connected to said ring counter to control the operation thereof, and said ring counter being connected to control the routing of signals from said second signal generating means to said multistage counters, in succession, via said AND circuits.

4. A transmitter for a telemetry system according to claim 1 further comprising binary circuit means for activating said gating means and said circuit means alternately to provide separate data accumulation and data transmission intervals.

5. A transmitter according to claim 1 wherein said means coupled to said multistage counters and operative to transmit a signal each time one of said multistage counters reaches a full count includes a carrier frequency oscillator 46 for producing sonic signals.

6. A transmitter for a telemetry system according to claim 1 wherein;

said predetermined interval is a data accumulation interval;

said circuit means interconnecting said second signal generating means and said counter applies said pulses during a data transmission interval; and

further comprising;

ring counter means connected to said second signal generating means and controlled thereby, said ring counter means being connected to control said first and second gate circuit means.

7. A transmitter for a telemetry system comprising:

a variable frequency signal generating means for producing a first electrical pulse signal having a repetition rate proportional to the magnitude of an analog signal applied thereto;

circUit means connected to said variable frequency signal generating means for alternately applying a selected one of a plurality of analog signals thereto;

a plurality of multistage counters interconnected in a series arrangement;

gating means interconnected between said signal generating means and said counters to apply said first electrical pulse signal to said counters during a predetermined interval to store a pulse count therein;

second signal generating means for providing a second electrical pulse signal having a fixed repetition rate;

circuit means interconnecting said second signal generating means and said counters to apply said pulses having a fixed repetition rate to said multistage counters in succession causing each in turn to reach a full count; and

means coupled to said counters and operative to transmit a signal each time one of said multistage counters reaches a full count.

8. A transmitter for a telemetry system according to claim 7 wherein said multistage counters are decade counters.

9. A transmitter for a telemetry system according to claim 7 wherein said circuit means comprises a ring counter and a plurality of AND circuits, said second signal generating means being connected to said ring counter to control the operation thereof, and said ring counter being connected to control the routing of signals from said second signal generating means to said multistage counters, in succession, via said AND circuits.

10. A transmitter according to claim 7 wherein said means coupled to said multistage counters and operative to transmit a signal each time one of said multistage counters reaches a full count includes a carrier frequency oscillator for producing sonic signals.

11. A transmitter for a telemetry system comprising a variable frequency pulse generator having a frequency range not including zero for providing a first electrical pulse signal having a frequency proportional to the magnitude of an applied input signal;

a plurality of multistage counters interconnected in a series fashion;

gating means interconnected between said variable frequency oscillator and said counters to permit transference of said first electrical pulse signal into said counters during a predetermined data accumulation interval;

circuit means connected to said plurality of multistage counters and operative to detect an initial count therein equal to that provided when said applied input signal has a predetermined magnitude and for discarding said initial count during said predetermined interval;

a fixed frequency pulse generator circuit means interconnecting said fixed frequency pulse generator and said counters so that a predetermined number of pulses is applied to each of said multistage counters in succession during a transmission interval; and

carrier signal generating means coupled to said counter and operative to transmit a signal each time one of said multistage counters reaches a full count.

12. A method of encoding an analog signal comprising the steps of converting said analog signal into a first pulse train having a repetition rate proportional to the magnitude of said analog signal;

counting pulses in said first pulse train during a predetermined data accumulation interval to obtain a multidigit count; and

generating a pulse position modulated pulse train including a data pulse for each digit of said multidigit count, each such pulse being time positioned according to the complement of the respective digit count.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein said multidigit count is on a base 10.

14. The method according to claim 12 wherein said second pulse train is developed including a reference pulse preceding each group of data pulses.

15. The method according to claim 12 for encoding a plurality of analog signals wherein different ones of said analog signals are converted to form said first pulse train during successive ones of said accumulation intervalS.

16. In a telemetry system, the combination of a transmitter comprising:

means for converting an input signal into a first pulse train having a repetition rate proportional to said input signal;

a plurality of decade counters connected to said converting means in a serial fashion to count pulses in said pulse train during a predetermined data accumulation interval;

circuit means coupled to said decade counters to develop, during a transmission interval, a second pulse train including a reference pulse followed by a data pulse for each of said decade counters, said data pulses being time positioned in accordance with count in the respective one of said decade counters; and

carrier frequency generating means coupled to said circuit means for transmitting a carrier frequency pulse for each of said pulses in said second pulse train; and

a receiver comprising;

a tuned circuit responsive to said carrier frequency pulses, and circuit means coupled to said tuned circuit for reproducing said second pulse train.

17. In a telemetry system, the combination of a transmitter comprising:

a plurality of multistage counters interconnected in a series arrangement;

variable frequency signal generating means for producing a first electrical pulse signal having a repetition rate proportional to the magnitude of a parameter applied thereto;

gating means interconnected between said signal generating means and said counters to apply said first electrical pulse signal to said counters during a predetermined interval to store a pulse count therein;

second signal generating means for providing a second electrical pulse signal having a fixed repetition rate;

circuit means interconnecting said second signal generating means and said counters to apply said pulses having a fixed repetition rate to said multistage counters in succession causing each in turn to reach a full count; and

means coupled to said counters and operative to transmit a first pulse train including a reference pulse followed by a time positioned data pulse occuring each time one of said multistage counters reaches a full count; and

a receiver comprising;

tuned circuit means for receiving signals from said transmitter and for reproducing said first pulse train, local pulse generating means coupled to said tuned circuit means for producing a second pulse train of regularly spaced pulses synchronized to the occurrence of pulses in said first pulse train;

coincidence circuit means connected to said tuned circuit means and said local pulse generating means to pass only pulses which are coincident in said first and second pulse trains; and

recorder means connected to said coincidence circuit means to record said coincident pulses.