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Remote supervisory monitoring and control apparatus connected to monitored equipment

  • US 4,996,703 A
  • Filed: 01/28/1988
  • Issued: 02/26/1991
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1986
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A monitoring and control apparatus including an apparatus connected to equipment components at a work site, said apparatus comprising:

  • monitoring means connected to said components for sensing parameters representing equipment conditions at monitored points in said components and for producing data signals representing the sensed parameters;

    programmable means including a microprocessor means having input and output ports;

    said programmable means having a memory means storing programs which operate said microprocessor means to receive at said input ports and store status signals from said monitoring means, to process control commands derived from a first source when in an operator-controlled mode and from a second source when in an automatic mode, and to produce at said output ports control signals of different form to control the monitored equipment in response to control commands from one of the sources, a first form of control signal producing a first type of equipment response and a second form of control signal producing a second type of equipment response to control equipment conditions;

    telephone interface means for transmitting over a public telephone network a predetermined sequence of dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signals, for transmitting synthesized voice signals to an operator of an off-hook telephone, and for receiving operator-generated DTMF signals representing the first source of control commands to control equipment conditions;

    voice synthesizer means operated by said microprocessor means to produce and transmit over the telephone network via said interface means oral announcements of component conditions based upon the status signals;

    said programmable means also having memory means storing programs which provide the second source of control commands when in the automatic mode and;

    (a) recognize the source of control commands as operator-generated DTMF signals if the apparatus is in operator-controlled mode or as signals produced by preprogrammed operation of said programmable means responsive to a particular condition in said components if the apparatus is in automatic mode; and

    (b) define the response to the control commands represented by the form of the control signals supplied to at least one of the output ports of said microprocessor means;

    an equipment component including a motor having a rotor connected to a parameter-adjusting element;

    switch means connected to said at least one of said output ports for receiving the control signals and to said motor for energizing said motor;

    wherein a program stored in said memory means defines a response to a control command in the form of control signals which actuate said switch to energize said motor to shift said parameter-adjusting element to a desired state and thereby incrementally adjust the parameter; and

    wherein said microprocessor means is operative to produce the control signals at said at least one of said output ports in accordance with a control command from one of said sources.

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