Watchman's tour recording system

• US 3,922,649 A
• Filed: 09/10/1974
• Issued: 11/25/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard J. Thome
• Original Assignee: Richard J. Thome
• Inventors: Thome, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fears, Terrell W.
• Application Number:
  US05/504,765
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 340/173R,306,309.1 346/59,60
• US Class Current: 340/306
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/20 Checking timed patrols, e.g. of watchman

Abstract

A watchman'"'"''"'"'s tour recording system which includes a watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit having a clock and a clock signal producing means, a station identification signal producing means, a signal memory and means for directing associated clock and station identification signals to corresponding locations in the signal memory when a watchman connects the unit to each check station along a predetermined tour route. At the end of the tour the unit is connected to a computer terminal and its signal memory is read out into the computer. In this way errors made during the tour, such as stations checked too early, too late, in improper order, or not checked at all, are noted.

Claims

1. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit for recording the checking of stations by a watchman, said unit comprising, memory means having a plurality of locations therein for storing signals applied thereto, clock means for generating time signals corresponding to elapsed time following an applied reset signal, station detector means for producing station signals corresponding to the identity of a station upon connection of the unit to a station being checked, and address means operative in response to the production of station signals to direct the time signals being generated to a particular location in said memory means, whereby each location in said memory means which receives a time signal corresponds to the particular station which was being checked during the occurence of said time signal.

2. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 1 wherein said memory is a digital bit storage device and wherein said clock means is operative to produce said time signals in binary coded digital form.

3. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 1 wherein said station detector means is operative to produce said station signals in binary coded digital form.

4. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 1 wherein said clock means comprises, an oscillator for producing a continuous series of pulses, binary counter means connected to the output of the oscillator for dividing down The number of pulses and a multiple stage binary register having outputs at each stage, the condition of said outputs corresponding to a binary coded digital representation of said elapsed time.

5. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 1 wherein said unit includes data entry means comprising means for generating a write pulse duration at a predetermined time following connection of said unit to a check station and means for applying said pulse to a write input terminal of said memory means.

6. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 5 wherein said means for generating a write pulse comprises first and second monostable multivibrators, said first monostable multivibrator being connected to be actuated upon connection of said watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit to a check station and said second monostable multivibrator being connected to be energized by the resetting of said first monostable multivibrator and means applying the output of said second monostable multivibrator to said write input terminal.

7. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 6 wherein said unit includes a third monostable multivibrator connected to be actuated by said resetting of said first monostable multivibrator and an indicator connected to be actuated by said third monostable multivibrator.

8. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 7 wherein said first monostable multivibrator is connected to be held in reset condition by said third monostable multivibrator.

9. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 1 wherein said address means is operative to direct said time signals being generated to locations in said memory means which correspond to the station signals.

10. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 9 wherein said clock means includes a multistage binary register a means for setting the various stages of said register in accordance with a binary code representative of elapsed time, and wherein said memory means includes a plurality of memory units, each having several binary code bit memory locations therein, each binary register stage being connected to a different one of said memory units.

11. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 9 wherein said address means comprises means for directing the outputs from said binary register stages to corresponding memory locations in said memory units in accordance with a station identification code.

12. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 9 wherein said memory is a digital bit storage device having at each of several bit locations a bit memory capable, when activated, of retaining bit information supplied thereto and wherein said address means comprises decoding means for activating different ones of said bit storage devices according to said station signals.

13. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 9 wherein said station detector means comprises a plurality of terminals and means for producing digital signals on various ones of said terminals in accordance with a binary digital representation of the identity of a station.

14. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 10 wherein the memory comprises a plurality of memory units corresponding in number to the number of stages of said binary register, each unit being connected to receive the binary output of a different one of said stages, and wherein said address means is operative to direct the binary outputs produced at a given time to corresponding locations in said memory units.

15. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 9 wherein each memory unit is a digital bit storage device having at each of several bit locations a bit memory capable, when activated, of retaining bit information supplied thereto.

16. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 1 wherein said memory means further includes a second plurality of locations therein for storing station signals, each of said second plurality of locations corresponding to a different one of the first mentioned plurality of locations, and wherein said address Means is operative in response to the production of station signals to direct the station signals and the simultaneously produced time signals to corresponding ones of said second and first plurality of locations.

17. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 16 wherein said memory is a digital bit storage device and wherein said clock means is operative to produce said time signals in binary coded digital form.

18. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 16 wherein said station detector means is operative to produce said station signals in binary coded digital form.

19. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 16 wherein said clock means comprises an oscillator means for producing a continuous series of pulses, and a multiple stage binary register for receiving and accumulating said pulse and having plural outputs whose pattern of energization corresponds to the accumulated number of pulses therein.

20. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit for recording the checking of stations by a watchman, said unit comprising, memory means having a plurality of data input terminals for receiving digitally coded data and a plurality of address terminals for directing received data to different locations therein corresponding to received address signals, time signal data producing means comprising pulse generator means for producing a continuous succession of pulses and multiple stage digital register for accumulating said pulses and attaining different states in its various stages corresponding to the number of accumulated pulses, means connecting the various stages of said register to said data input terminals of said memory means, station signal identification means for producing digitally coded station identification signals corresponding to a station key when applied thereto, and means directing said station identification signals to said address terminals of said memory means.

21. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 20 wherein said memory means has a plurality of data output terminals for connection to a terminal board and a plurality of address interrogation terminals for connection to a terminal board, said data output terminals and said address interrogation terminals being connected to said memory means in a manner such that interrogation signals applied in various patterns to said address interrogation terminals will cause said data output terminals to produce signals representative of the data in the memory locations corresponding to said patterns.

22. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit for recording the checking of stations by a watchman, said unit comprising memory means having a first plurality of data input terminals for receiving digitally coded time data and a second plurality of data input terminals for receiving digitally coded station identification data, time signal data producing means comprising pulse generator means for producing a continuous succession of pulses and a multiple stage digital register for accumulating said pulse and energizing a plurality of time data terminals according to patterns representative of the number of accumulated pulses, said time data terminals being connected to corresponding ones of said first plurality of data input terminals, station signal identification means for producing digitally coded station identification signals at a plurality of station identification terminals with the pattern of said signals corresponding to the identity of a station key applied to said unit said station identification terminals connected to corresponding ones of said second plurality of data input terminals, a common address means comprising a register having a plurality of output terminals, said register being responsive to the application of a station key to said watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit to change the pattern of energization of its output terminals according to a predetermined sequence, said output terminals each being connected to corresponding address terminals of said memory means, SAID memory means being responsive to the application of address signals to said address terminals to direct data at said first and second data input terminals to corresponding locations therein.

23. A watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit according to claim 22 wherein said memory means comprises a first signal storage unit having said first plurality of data input terminals and a first set of address terminals and a second signal storage unit having said second plurality of data input terminals and a second set of address terminals. and wherein said common address means output terminals are connected to corresponding ones of both said first and second sets of address terminals.

24. A security system comprising a plurality of station connectors distributed about a premises to be checked, at least one watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit, station identification signal producing means in said unit and operative to generate, in digital code format, station identification signals corresponding to the identification of different ones of said stations upon connection of said unit to said stations, clock means in said watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit for generating in digital code format time data signals representative of elapsed time from a given point in time, correlation means and memory means in said watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit to record therein, in correlated arrangement, the digitally coded station identification and time data signals produced when said unit is connected to one of said station connectors, and computer terminal means operative when connected to a watchman'"'"''"'"'s unit, to read out the signals stored therein.