Computer-controlled electronic system monitor

• US 4,964,065 A
• Filed: 09/09/1988
• Issued: 10/16/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Allen Telecom Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Decibel Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Hicks, John R., Mailandt, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/243,326
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 364/480, 364/481, 364/483, 364/514, 364/550, 364/551.01, 364/148, 364/152, 455/67, 455/68, 455/115, 324/103 R, 324/140 R, 324/141, 324/142, 324/58 R, 324/58 A, 324/58.5 R, 324/58.5 B, 324/58 B, 340/514, 340/517, 340/526, 340/635, 340/653, 340/660, 340/661, 340/540, 340/541, 340/552
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/08 using a common indicating element for two or more variables
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/00 Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/327 Received signal code power [RSCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

An electronic communication system monitor in one embodiment has sensors for sensing electrical and environmental conditions for communication system elements. Control relays connect the elements to a programmable controller. The programmable controller has a keyboard, display, printer and modem for remote communication of information; especially alarms providing notice of operating conditions outside acceptable parameters. A second embodiment provides a logic circuit connected to selected sensors which determines when a combination of conditions exist to cause alarm and automatically activates a remedial device to alleviate a potential problem. The central processor also has: a message synthesizer and a connector for communicating a message using dual-tone multifunction coded signals or digitized voice signals to maintenance, emergency and security personnel or remote computers as appropriate; a memory for accumulating information and report preparation instructions for preparing reports of current alarms, alarm history, current status, relay status, channel monitor, and channel on time reports; and instructions for set-up. Manual or automatic operation is provided.

Claims

1. An electronic monitoring apparatus for monitoring a communications system having a transmitter and an antenna comprising:

sensor means for connection between the transmitter and antenna for producing selected power measurements;

a programmable controller connected to the sensor means, said programmable controller including first means operatively connected to the sensor means for continuously monitoring the power measurements, comparator means for comparing the power measurements with preselected tolerable upper and lower power limits and second means connected to the comparator means for generating digitized information signals indicative of a need for maintenance operations prior to failure of the communications system; and

communication means connected to the programmable controller for automatically communicating the digitized information signals over a communication media.

2. The electronic monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the second means produces dual tone multifunction coded digitized signals for transmission over the communication means.

3. The electronic monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the second means includes means for producing digitized voice signals, and said communication means is a wireless radio for communication over the air.

12. The electronic monitoring apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the communication means is a telephone.

4. An electronic communication system monitoring system comprising in combination:

a central processing means for executing programmed instructions, the central processing means including an input/output means, a memory driver and memory connected to the input/output means; and

a plurality of sensor means connected to the central processing means, said plurality of sensor means including a plurality of selected system element sensors and a plurality of environment sensors for measuring operational conditions of a communication system including system element operating conditions and environmental conditions at the communication system and a plurality of relays interconnecting sensed communication system elements to the central processing means for operational control;

said central processing means further including first means connected to the plurality of selected system element sensors for receiving a plurality of condition indicating signals for elements whose operational status is necessary for correctly determining any potential problem, second means connected to the first means and responsive to the plurality of condition indicating signals for outputting a control signal to a protective means for seletively controlling operation of the protective means, and a protective means connected to the second means and responsive to a control signal for automatically alleviating conditions indicated by the plurality of selected system element sensors which if not corrected will ultimately lead to system failure.

5. The electronic communication system monitoring system according to claim 4 wherein the plurality of environment sensors of the plurality of sensor means include a plurality of relays and the central processing means further includes a plurality of alarms and the input/output means includes a portable display and keyboard means connected to the central processing means for on-site interrogation and interpretation of data relating to a group of data consisting of alarm status, relay status, on-site measurements, and remote data transfer.

6. An electronic communication system monitoring system comprising in combination:

a central processing means for executing programmed instructions, the central processing means including an input/output means, a memory drive and memory connected to the input/output means; and

a plurality of sensor means connected to the central processing means, said plurality of sensor means for measuring operational conditions of a communication system and environmental conditions at the communication system, and a plurality of relay means for selectively connecting the plurality of sensor means to the central processing means for operational control;

said central processing means further including means connected to the plurality of sensor means for comparing sensed operation conditions with preselected limits and outputting an alarm signal when conditions outside the preselected limits exist, a voice message synthesizing means connected to the central processing means and responsive to the alarm signal for preparing a message for dispatch, and communication means connected to the central processing means and responsive to the alarm signal for communicating the message to preselected recipients.

7. The electronic communication system monitoring system according to claim 6 wherein the communication means is a modem preselected for telephone communications and radio communications.

8. The electronic communication system monitoring system according to claim 6 wherein the central processing means further includes a report means connected to the central processing means memory for producing reports selected from a group of reports consisting of alarm history, status, relay status, channel monitor, and channel-on timer reports.

9. The electronic communication system monitoring system according to claim 6 further including a display means connected to the central processing means and wherein the central processing means further includes means for generating a manual contral menu for display by the display means, and means connected to the display means for providing display prompts for manual control guidance.

10. The electronic communication system according to claim 6 further including a display means connected to the central processing means and wherein the central processing means further includes means connected to the display means for producing a setup menu for display, and means connected to the display means for providing display prompts for setup guidance.

11. An electronic monitoring apparatus for monitoring a communications system having a transmitter and an antenna comprising:

sensor means connected between the transmitter and antenna for producing selected power measurements;

a programmable controller connected to the sensor means, said programmable controller including first means operatively connected to the sensor means for continuously monitoring operation of the communications system including power measurements, comparator means connected to the first means for comparing the power measurements with preselected tolerable upper and lower power limits and outputting signals indicative of a need for maintenance operations prior to failure of the communications system, a second means connected to the comparator means and responsive to the signal output thereof for preparing a maintenance message, storage means connected to the programmable controller and containing a preselected number of telephone numbers of key personnel, and third means connected to the storage means and responsive to the output signals of the comparator means for sequentially obtaining the key personnel telephone numbers for automatically dialing; and

a communication means connected to the programmable controller for communicating the maintenance message indicator of the need for a maintenance operation to the key personnel.

13. An electronic communication system monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of transmitting antennas for transmitting electromagnetic energy;

a plurality of communication transmitter channels connected to the plurality of transmitting antennas, the plurality of communication transmitter channels including a plurality of transmitters for transmitting electromagnetic energy, a plurality of power circulators connected to the plurality of transmitters and a plurality of combiners connected to the plurality of power circulators, said plurality of power combiners being connected to the plurality of transmitting antennas;

a plurality of power sensors operatively connected to the plurality of communication transmitter channels including a plurality of analog signal producing sensor means connected to the plurality of communication transmitter channels for producing analog signals indicative of input powers (IPF) of the plurality of transmitters to the plurality of combiners and reflected transmitter powers (IPR) on input sides of the plurality of combiners;

a plurality of analog signal producing sensor means connected to the plurality of communication transmitter channels for producing analog signals indicative of reflected powers (OPR) from antenna sides of the plurality of combiners and combiner powers (OPF) to the plurality of transmitting antennas;

a controller station including a programmable controller and a plurality of environmental sensors connected to the programmable controller for producing signals indicative of controller station environmental conditions taken from a group consisting of analog and digital signals;

said programmable controller having;

first means connected to the plurality of power sensors for producing IPF, IPR, OPF, and OPR measurements, second means selectively connected to the first means for computing transmitter and antenna voltage standing wave ratios, third means connected to the first means for determining combiner insertion loss per channel, a clock means connected to the programmable controller, a fourth means connected to the clock means for obtaining time and date of measurements, fifth means connected to the fourth means for recording the time and date of most recent channel measurements, sixth means connected to the environmental sensors for automatically producing alarm signals indicative of abnormal environmental conditions, comparator means selectively connected to the first means for comparing the measurements to preselected acceptable normal measurements and producing alarm signals indicative of outside the normal measurements, display means connected to the programmable controller for displaying locally the measurements made, data input means connected to the programmable controller for reading operating parameters into and writing measurement information from the programmable controller, said programmable controller having a communication port means for connecting a printer, and a signal digitizing means connected to the comparator means for generating digital information signals indicative of a need for maintenance;

a transmitter/receiver means connected to the signal digitizing means for communicating the digital information signals over a communication media; and

a remotely located station includinng a means connected to the transmitter/receiver means for reading operating parameters into, writing data including measurement data and alarm data from the programmable controller, and receiving the digitized information signals for audio reproduction.