Multi-element information transmission system

• US 4,727,539 A
• Filed: 03/26/1986
• Issued: 02/23/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Arita, Setsuo, Ichinose, Yuji, Kitaura, Wataru, Fukunishi, Kohyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Application Number:
  US06/844,321
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 370/89, 370/90, 370/96, 370/95, 370/85, 370/86, 340/825.5, 340/825.51
• US Class Current: 370/461
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 15/12 the signals being represented by pulse characteristics in transmission link
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/423 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/14 Calling by using pulses

Abstract

A plurality of slave stations receive a plurality of apparatus information signals concerning apparatus to be controlled (or sensors), and a master station allots the apparatus information signals to time slots in a transmission path and receives a specified apparatus information signal with priority from the respective slave stations. A priority change information signal adder in the master station adds a priority change information signal for changing priority of the information signals transmitted from each slave station to an information transmission signal string containing a sync signal and various information signals transmitted to each slave station. A multi-element information signal separator/processor in the master station separates and processes the multi-element information signals transmitted from each slave station, on the basis of the priority change information signal. A detector/counter in each slave station detects the sync signal transmitted from the master station and counts the number of time slots following the sync signal. A transmission pattern reconstructor in the slave station reconstructs transmission patterns of the respective slave stations in accordance with the priority change information signal when a count value coincides with a predetermined value.

Claims

1. A multi-element information transmission system comprising:

a plurality of slave stations supplied with a plurality of apparatus information signals concerning apparatus to be controlled and/or apparatus to be monitored; and

a master station for transmitting to and receiving from each of said slave stations other information signals and said apparatus information signals;

said master station being operable to transmit to the respective slave stations a priority change information signal which instructs each slave station to transmit a specified apparatus information signal with priority, said respective slave stations being operative to reconstruct information transmission patterns based on said priority change information signal and transmit said apparatus information signals in accordance with said reconstructed information transmission patterns.

2. A multi-element information transmission system comprising:

a plurality of slave stations operatively inputted with a plurality of apparatus information signals concerning apparatus to be controlled and/or apparatus to be monitored; and

a master station for allotting said apparatus information signals to selected time slots in a transmission path, said time slots being selected such that a specific one of said apparatus information signals can be received by said master station preferentially to the other apparatus information signals;

said master station including;

means for adding a priority change information signal for changing priority of the information signals transmitted from each slave station to said master station so as to specify any one of said apparatus information signals to be received by said master station preferentially to the other apparatus information signals to an information transmission signal string to be transmitted to each slave station, said signal string containing a sync signal alloted to a time slot for synchronization of information transmission between said master station and said respective slave station and various information signals inclusive of said apparatus information signals to be transmitted from each slave station to said master station which are allotted to other time slots; and

means for separating and processing the information signals transmitted from each slave station, on the basis of said priority change information signal,

said respective slave stations including;

means for detecting the sync signal contained in the information transmission signal string transmitted from said master station and counting the number of time slots following the time slot alloted with the sync signal; and

means for reconstructing transmission patterns of the respective slave stations in accordance with said priority change information signal when a count value from said detecting and counting means coincides with a value of a switching command designated by said priority change information signal.

3. A multi-element information transmission system according to claim 2, wherein said priority change information signal comprises information indicative of an address of a slave station designated for transmission of the specified apparatus information signal with priority, information indicative of the kind of the specified apparatus information signal to be transmitted with priority, time slot allotment information for designating which time slot is used for the priority transmission, information indicative of the period of the priority transmission, and a switching command indicative of time for commencement of the priority transmission.

4. A multi-element information transmission system according to claim 2, wherein said adding means allots the priority change information signal to a predetermined time slot.

5. A multi-element information transmission system according to claim 2, wherein said adding means allots the priority change information signal in the form of a special code to a time slot.

6. A multi-element information transmission system according to claim 5, wherein the special code is different from a code of the other information signals.

7. A multi-element information transmission system according to claim 2, wherein said separating and processing means of said master station comprises means for detecting a sync signal contained in an information transmission signal string transmitted from each slave station and counting the number of time slots following a time slot allotted with the sync signal, and means for reconstructing receiving patterns in accordance with said priority change information signal when a count value from said detecting and counting means coincides with a value of a switching command designated by said priority change information signal transmitted to each slave station, thereby processing various information signals at the rate of time slot.

8. A multi-element information transmission system according to claim 2, wherein said information transmission signal string is of a multi-element information transmission signal string.

9. A multi-element information transmission system according to claim 7, wherein said information transmission signal string is of a multi-element information signal string.