Sequential and/or random polling system with virtually instantaneous response time
First Claim
1. A communication system in which a controller is coupled over a communication path with two or more transponders, at least two of which transponders have different addresses, which controller and transponders communicate by using a polling technique which incorporates time periods to allow communication between the controller and a selected transponder, and means, including the controller, for defining at least one preferred time segment which occurs at a predetermined time in a poll, during which time segment one or more transponders can simultaneously reply to the controller regardless of whether the transponders simultaneously have been specifically addressed by the controller.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communication system in which a controller ordinarily polls addressable transponders in a sequential or random manner normally allows the transponders to respond only in their respective assigned time period. Certain of the transponders are connected to allow response in a predefined time segment from those transponders so connected if (1) the transponder is in fact programmed for response during this predefined time segment, and (2) the predefined time segment is now occuring. By providing the predefined time segment at the same position in the response time period of each transponder, a "public time" is provided to allow virtually instantaneous identification and verification of a high priority interrupt (such as a holdup alarm). In addition the transponders programmed to respond during public time on a high priority basis can be subdivided into separate groups, and the groups can be identified at the controller.
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Citations
22 Claims
- 1. A communication system in which a controller is coupled over a communication path with two or more transponders, at least two of which transponders have different addresses, which controller and transponders communicate by using a polling technique which incorporates time periods to allow communication between the controller and a selected transponder, and means, including the controller, for defining at least one preferred time segment which occurs at a predetermined time in a poll, during which time segment one or more transponders can simultaneously reply to the controller regardless of whether the transponders simultaneously have been specifically addressed by the controller.
- 7. A communication system in which a controller is coupled over a communication path with a plurality of transponders, at least some of which transponders have different addresses, which controller and transponders communicate by using a polling technique whch incorporates successive time periods, to allow communication between the controller and a selected transponder during one of said time periods, and means, including the controller, for defining at least one public time segment which occurs at a predetermined time in a poll, during which public time one or more transponders, from one or more specified groups, can simultaneously reply to the controller regardless of whether the transponders simultaneously replying have bee specifically addressed by the controller.
- 13. A communication system in which a controller is coupled over a communication path with a plurality of transponders, which transponders have different addresses, and in which the controller and transponders communicate by using a sequential polling technique which incorporates successive time periods to allow communication between the controller and successively selected transponders, and means, including the controller, for defining at least one public time segment which occurs at a predetermined time in a poll, during which public time one or more transponders, from one or more specified groups, can simultaneously reply to the controller regardless of whether the transponders simultaneously replying have been specifically addressed by the controller.
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19. The method of polling a plurality of addressable transponders in a regular manner to effect bidirectional data transmission, in which certain of said transponders include means for effecting a high-priority interrupt which differs from the usual data transmission, including the steps of:
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regularly polling the transponders to effect usual data transmission, in which each successive transponder communicates with the controller during a predetermined time period; allocating, for certain of said transponders, a predefined time segment in the time period of each of said certain transponders during which a high-priority interrupt can be transmitted to the controller even though that particular transponder has not been addressed; and identifying to the controller that a high-priority interrupt signal has been transmitted from one of said certain transponders. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification