Remote supervisory and controlling system

• US 4,780,872 A
• Filed: 11/12/1986
• Issued: 10/25/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works Ltd (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works Ltd (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hamada, Akihiko, Yamada, Osamu, Masuda, Toshiyuki, Kanaya, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Application Number:
  US06/929,379
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 370/94, 370/92, 370/90, 370/96, 340/825.52, 340/825.07
• US Class Current: 370/475
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/14 Calling by using pulses

Abstract

A remote supervisory and controlling system in which a central control unit generates a dummy transmission signal until receipt of an interruption signal from one of a plurality of input terminal units. In response to the interruption signal, the control limit accesses the input terminal generating the interruption signal, which returns its input data.

Claims

1. A remote supervisory and controlling system comprising:

a central control unit operable in any one of a normal mode, an address confirmation mode, and an access mode, and including means for continuously generating a time multiplex divisional dummy signal containing a start pulse signal, an address data signal, and a return wait signal when said control unit is operating in said normal mode; and

a plurality of input terminal units electrically connected to said central control unit, each input terminal unit including;

means, responsive to said dummy signal, for generating a time multiplex divisional input data signal in synchronism with said return wait signal when an address indicated by said address data signal corresponds to a preset address of the input terminal unit;

means for generating an interrupt signal indicative of an interrupt condition and for sending said interrupt signal to said control unit in synchronism with said start signal;

means for generating and sending to said control unit a specific address signal in response to an address confirmation mode signal; and

means for generating and sending to said control unit said input data signal in response to an access mode transmission signal;

said control unit being adapted to operate temporarily in an address confirmation mode in response to receipt of said interrupt signal, and including means for generating said address confirmation mode signal when said control unit is operating in said address confirmation mode, and to operate temporarily in an access mode in response to receipt of said specific address signal and including means for generating said access mode transmission signal when said control unit operates in said access mode.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of control terminal units electrically connected to said central control units, each control terminal including means, responsive to said dummy signal, for causing an associated load to operate in accordance with said central data signal when an address indicated by said address data signal corresponds to a preset address of the central terminal.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said central control unit further includes timer means for counting a predetermined time to control said loads according to counted time, in response to said input data.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said loads comprise lighting equipment, said input terminal units include a dimming terminal unit for providing lighting ON and OFF data as well as dimming data of said lighting equipment in response to predetermined data, and said central control unit includes memory means for storing lighting ON and OFF control data as well as dimming control data for the lighting equipment in response to a predetermined input data.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said input terminal units include a pattern input terminal unit for preparing an input data for controlling said loads in unit groups, said pattern input terminal unit being provided with a mode selector switch which provides to said central control unit a selection data between a mode for setting the loads belonging to each unit group and their operation and a mode of normally controlling the loads.