Loading dock management system employing daisy-chained communications modules
First Claim
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1. A monitoring system for a dock facility having a plurality of positions and including sensing means for monitoring the state of conditions at each position, said monitoring system comprising:
- a module for each position arranged for receiving state condition signals from sensing means thereat, master control means, and means for coupling said modules to provide a chain of modules arranged for serial transfer of data to said master control means.
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Abstract
A management system includes a daisy chain arrangement for serial transfer of dock status data from one module to another of a group of monitoring modules and to a master control box, each module being located at a dock of a multi-dock facility. The master control box periodically receives dock status data from one or more groups of modules, determines whether any change of status has occurred and transmits data to a central processing unit.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A monitoring system for a dock facility having a plurality of positions and including sensing means for monitoring the state of conditions at each position, said monitoring system comprising:
- a module for each position arranged for receiving state condition signals from sensing means thereat, master control means, and means for coupling said modules to provide a chain of modules arranged for serial transfer of data to said master control means.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A data transfer module, comprising:
- terminal means for coupling to interconnecting cables to interconnect said data transfer module in a chain of like modules and including data input terminal means for receiving data signals, data output terminal means for transmitting data signals and clock signal terminal means for receiving a train of clock pulses, shift register means having a plurality of stages including an input stage and an output stage, means coupled to said input terminal means for applying received data signals to said input stage of said shift register means, means coupled to said output terminal means for applying data signals from said output stage of said shift register means to said data output terminal means, and means for applying said train of clock pulses to said shift register stages to shift received data signals through said stages and from said output stage to said output terminal means.
- View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
- 8. A management system including a master control means which includes means for periodically generating trains of clock pulses, and a plurality of data transfer modules each including terminal means for coupling to interconnecting cables to interconnect said data transfer module in a chain of like modules and to said master control means and including data input terminal means for receiving data signals from one adjacent module of said chain, data output terminal means for transmitting data signals to a second adjacent module of said chain, and clock signal terminal means for receiving trains of clock pulses from said master control means, shift register means having a plurality of stages including an input stage and an output stage, means coupled to said input terminal means for applying received data signals to said input stage of said shift register means, means coupled to said output terminal means for applying data signals from said output stage of said shift register means to said data output terminal means, and means for applying said train of clock pulses to said shift register stages to shift received data signals through said stages and from said output stage to said output terminal means.
Specification