Inductively-coupled signalling system
First Claim
1. In a safety signalling system for exchanging information between a vehicle and a storage facility, a separable, signal-coupling device comprising in combination:
- (a) a signal transmitting coil,(b) means including a housing, for mounting said transmitting coil at an accessible location on the vehicle,(c) a signal receiving coil and a housing surrounding the same, said housings being adapted for operative juxtaposition to each other so as to locate the said coils in inductive relation,(d) mutually attractive holding means on said housings, including a magnetic keeper part on one of said housings and a magnet part on the other housing, for releasably holding the said housings in said operative juxtaposition,(e) said receiving coil housing and one of the parts of said holding means constituting a substantially complete magnetic shield for the receiving coil to minimize stray pick-up of spurious signals thereby, and(f) said holding means on the housings being force-release responsive so as to permit virtually instantaneous separation of the housings in the event that the vehicle is inadvertently driven off while the housings are still operatively juxtaposed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An inductively-coupled signalling system having multiple waveforms, for exchanging information between a vehicle and a storage facility, said system including a safety, separable signal-coupling device comprising a signal-transmitting coil carried in a housing and disposed at an accessible location at or on the vehicle, and a signal-receiving coil carried by a cable having a second housing, said cable leading to a signal-receiving and deciphering means located at the storage facility. The two housings of the coupling device are adapted for juxtaposition to each other so as to locate the coils thereof in inductive relation. A magnetic keeper part on one of the housings and a magnet part on the other housing releasably retain the housings in operative relation when the coupling device is in use. The receiving coil housing constitutes almost a complete magnetic shield for the receiving coil so as to minimize stray pick-up of spurious signals. In addition, the magnet and keeper parts are force-release responsive so as to permit virtually instantaneous non-destructive separation of the housings in the event that the vehicle is inadvertently driven off while the housings are still operatively coupled.
26 Citations
41 Claims
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1. In a safety signalling system for exchanging information between a vehicle and a storage facility, a separable, signal-coupling device comprising in combination:
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(a) a signal transmitting coil, (b) means including a housing, for mounting said transmitting coil at an accessible location on the vehicle, (c) a signal receiving coil and a housing surrounding the same, said housings being adapted for operative juxtaposition to each other so as to locate the said coils in inductive relation, (d) mutually attractive holding means on said housings, including a magnetic keeper part on one of said housings and a magnet part on the other housing, for releasably holding the said housings in said operative juxtaposition, (e) said receiving coil housing and one of the parts of said holding means constituting a substantially complete magnetic shield for the receiving coil to minimize stray pick-up of spurious signals thereby, and (f) said holding means on the housings being force-release responsive so as to permit virtually instantaneous separation of the housings in the event that the vehicle is inadvertently driven off while the housings are still operatively juxtaposed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A signalling system to provide information from a carrier vehicle to a storage facility, comprising in combination with said vehicle and facility:
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(a) a device at said vehicle, for generating waveforms, (b) means for selecting two of said waveforms to correspond to a predetermined signal, (c) a two-part coupling, one part comprising means connected to said generating device for radiating the waveform energy therefrom, and the other part comprising means closely coupled to said radiating means, to pick up said radiated waveform energy, (d) holding means for normally maintaining said radiating and pick up means in close, operative proximity, (e) said holding means enabling a non-destructive separation of said waveform radiating and pick up means in response to the application of sufficient force to said coupling parts, (f) a cable connected to said pick up means, for carrying said picked up waveforms, (g) a waveform decoder at the said storage facility, associated with said cable for decoding the waveforms carried by the cable, and (h) a control device at said storage facility, responsive to said decoded waveforms. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of remotely monitoring at a product storage facility, digital information in the form of digital input signals that are generated on separate lines and which relate to multiple parameters characterizing a product-carrying vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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(a) applying said digital information on said separate lines to a waveform encoder so as to produce, for each possible combination of digital input signals, a unique pair of alternating current signals of different discrete frequencies, (b) applying said alternating current signals to a transmitting coil disposed on the vehicle, (c) physically positioning a receiving coil that is associated with the storage facility adjacent to the transmitting coil in inductively coupled relation thereto and in a force-release manner so as to enable a non-destructive separation of the coils to take place in the event that the vehicle is inadvertently driven off while the receiving coil is in its operative position adjacent to the transmitting coil, and (d) applying the received pair of alternating current signals to a tone decoder so as to produce, on multiple output lines thereof, combinations of digital levels which correspond uniquely with each combination pair of alternating current signals received, so as to indicate, at the storage facility, the parameters that characterize the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method of remotely monitoring at a product storage facility, information that is generated at a product carrying vehicle and which relates to multiple parameters that characterize the vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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(a) generating a signal in a transmitter disposed on the vehicle and applying said transmitted signal to a transmitting coil disposed on the vehicle, (b) physically positioning a receiving coil that is associated with the storage facility adjacent to the transmitting coil and in inductively coupled relation thereto, to enable the receiving coil to pick up said signal, said receiving coil being held in a force-release manner so as to enable a non-destructive separation of the coils in the event that the vehicle is inadvertently driven off while the receiving coil is in its operative position adjacent to the transmitting coil, and (c) applying the signal from the receiving coil to a receiver and decoder, so as to provide an indication, at the storage facility, of the magnitude of the parameters that characterize the vehicle.
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Specification