REMOTE MONITORING AND REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEMS

• US 3,812,462 A
• Filed: 11/17/1972
• Issued: 05/21/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiscor Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Edward J. Crossland, James H. Blossom, Lester Q. Krasin
• Inventors: Crossland, Edward J., Blossom, James H., Krasin, Lester Q.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Application Number:
  US05/307,494
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 340/163,150,151,168S 178/66R 343/178
• US Class Current: 375/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/14 Calling by using pulses

Abstract

Four basic modules serve as flexible building blocks for the construction of remote monitoring and remote control systems of any desired degree of simplicity or complexity. Remotely located addressable transceiver modules may each initiate up to four control actions and may monitor up to 12 Boolean variables or their equivalent. A multiplexer module enables a single transceiver module to initiate up to 16 control actions and to monitor up to 48 Boolean variables or their equivalent. An accumulator module enables a transceiver module to count the occurrences of up to 12 different events. An analog-to-digital converter module enables a transceiver module to monitor up to 10 analog signals. Remotely located module arrays are assembled and are connected to a centrally located transceiver by any suitable two-way, voice-grade communications system. The monitoring and control system is then operated by having the centrally located transceiver address commands to and receive data back from individual remotely located module arrays. A system may include anywhere from one to over 4,000 remotely located arrays of one to four modules each. The remotely located arrays draw very little current and may typically be powered by conventional batteries for more than a year without maintenance.

Claims

1. A data transceiver comprising:

a shift register having a serial data input, a serial data output, a parallel data input, a parallel data output, and a shift input;

tone-signal receiver means responsive to an incoming tonemodulated signal for extracting data from the tone-modulated signal and for loading the data into said shift register, said receiver means comprising mark tone detector means for generating an output when a mark tone is presented by said tone-modulated signal, space tone detector means for generating an output when a space tone is presented by said tone-modulated signal, synchronization tone detector means for generating an ouTput when a synchronizing tone is presented by said tone-modulated signal, a flip-flop having an output and arranged to be placed in a first state by an output of the mark tone detector means and arranged to be placed in a second state by an output of the space tone detector means, means coupling the output of said flip-flop to the serial data input of said shift register, and means for supplying the output of said synchronization tone detector to the shift input of said shift register;

a decoder connecting to selected portions of the parallel data output of said shift register and generating an output signal when said selected portions present a predetermined set of data;

data output gates connecting to other selected portions of the parallel data output of said shift register and actuated by the output signal of said decoder to transfer data out of said shift register;

data input gates connecting to the parallel data inputs of said shift register;

means responsive to said decoder output signal for enabling said data input gates to load data into said shift register; and

tone transmitter means for converting the contents of said shift register into a tone signal suitable for transmission, said transmitter means comprising a clock generating first and second signals or signal levels placed into operation in response to said address decoder output signal, tone generator means having an input connecting to said clock and another input connecting to said shift register serial data output for generating;

a first tone corresponding to a synchronizing tone when said clock is generating said first signal or signal level; and

a second or third tone in dependence upon the data presented by said shift register at said serial data output when said clock is generating said second signal or signal level, and means coupling said clock to the shift input of said shift register for advancing the data within said shift register one data position for each generation of said first and second signals or signal levels.

2. A data transceiver in accordance with claim 1, wherein all of the elements set forth in claim 9 are modularized, and wherein the resultant transceiver is intended to interconnect with other modules, including the following:

an analog-to-digital conversion module including an analog-to-digital converter, including a plurality of analog signal inputs, including a control input suitable for interconnection with said data output gates, also including means for interconnecting said converter to particular ones of said analog signal inputs in response to the presentation by said data output gates of differing combinations of data, and having a digital output suitable for interconnection with said data input gates.

3. A data transceiver in accordance with claim 1, wherein all of the elements set forth in claim 1 are modularized, and wherein the resultant transceiver is intended to interconnect with other modules, including the following:

an accumulator module containing a plurality of counters having outputs, including means for advancing said counters in response to pulse signals, including a control input suitable for interconnection with the data output gates and a data output suitable for interconnection with said data input gates, and including means responsive to data applied to said control input for connecting selected ones of said counter outputs to said data output.

4. A data transceiver in accordance with claim 1, wherein all of the elements set forth in claim 9 are modularized, and wherein the resultant transceiver is intended to interconnect with other modules, including the following:

a multiplexer module including a control input suitable for interconnection with said data output gates, including a plurality of decoded-command signal outputs, and including means for energizing a different one of said decoded-command signal outputs in response to each different input data combination which is applied to said control input.

5. A data transceiver in accordance with claim 1, wherein all of the elements set forth in claim 9 are modularized, and wherein the resultant transceiver is intended to interconnect with other modules, including the following:

a multiplexer module including a plurality of external status data inputs, including gates connecting groups of said external input to a plurality of output data lines suitable for interconnection with said data input gates, and including control means having a control input suitable for interconnection with said data output gates for causing selected sets of said external inputs to be presented to said transceiver for transmission in response to selected data appearing at said control input.

6. A data transceiver in accordance with claim 1 and further including detector means connecting to a plurality of the outputs of said shift register for generating a signal when said register contains no more data for transmission, and means for terminating the operation of said clock in response to the signal from said detector means.

7. A tone transceiver in accordance with claim 1 to which is added a relay having a plurality of contracts, and means coupling said relay to said tone transmitter means for actuating said relay whenever a tone signal is produced.