Mass transit inductive data communication system
First Claim
1. A mass transit information communication system, comprising:
- a first mechanical connector;
a second mechanical connector for mating with said first mechanical connector to form a mechanical connection, said mechanical connection for removing coins stored in a farebox through said first and second mechanical connectors;
first data transmitter means for providing sequences of first current changes in response to first transmitter input data;
a first inductive transformer half mounted on said first mechanical connector and connected to said first data transmitter means for providing sequences of first flux changes in response to said sequences of first current changes;
a second inductive transformer half mounted on said second mechanical connector for providing sequences of second current changes in response to said sequences of first flux changes, said first inductive transformer half and said second inductive transformer half being disposed such that they may be placed into sufficient proximity that each said first flux change may induce a corresponding second current change in said second inductive transformer half;
first data receiver means for providing first receiver output data corresponding to said first transmitter input data in response to sequences of said second current changes;
second data transmitter means for providing sequences of third current changes in response to second transmitter input data;
a third inductive transformer half mounted on said second mechanical connector and connected to said second data transmitter means for providing sequences of second flux changes in response to said sequences of third current changes;
a fourth inductive transformer half mounted on said first mechanical connector for providing sequences of fourth current changes in response to said sequences of second flux changes, said third inductive transformer half and said fourth inductive transformer half being disposed such that they may be placed into sufficient proximity that each said second flux change may induce a corresponding fourth current change in said second inductive transformer half; and
first data receiver means for providing receiver output data in response to sequences of said fourth current changes.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A transmitter circuit and a receiver circuit couple inductively to allow data communication between a mass transit vehicle farebox and an external computer. Data communication may be performed simultaneously with removal of coins from the farebox via a vacuum hose. Two mating connectors each carry a wire coil; one coil is connected to the transmitter circuit and the other is connected to the receiver circuit. Furthermore, the same connectors that carry the coils may be used to form the vacuum hose connection. A modulated signal representing encoded binary data is applied to the transmitter coil to cause corresponding flux changes. When placed in close proximity to one another, the magnetic flux changes across the gap induce a corresponding modulated signal in the receiver coil. The induced signal in the receiver coil is then decoded to recover the original binary data. The coils thus function as halves of a transformer.
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Citations
5 Claims
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1. A mass transit information communication system, comprising:
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a first mechanical connector; a second mechanical connector for mating with said first mechanical connector to form a mechanical connection, said mechanical connection for removing coins stored in a farebox through said first and second mechanical connectors; first data transmitter means for providing sequences of first current changes in response to first transmitter input data; a first inductive transformer half mounted on said first mechanical connector and connected to said first data transmitter means for providing sequences of first flux changes in response to said sequences of first current changes; a second inductive transformer half mounted on said second mechanical connector for providing sequences of second current changes in response to said sequences of first flux changes, said first inductive transformer half and said second inductive transformer half being disposed such that they may be placed into sufficient proximity that each said first flux change may induce a corresponding second current change in said second inductive transformer half; first data receiver means for providing first receiver output data corresponding to said first transmitter input data in response to sequences of said second current changes; second data transmitter means for providing sequences of third current changes in response to second transmitter input data; a third inductive transformer half mounted on said second mechanical connector and connected to said second data transmitter means for providing sequences of second flux changes in response to said sequences of third current changes; a fourth inductive transformer half mounted on said first mechanical connector for providing sequences of fourth current changes in response to said sequences of second flux changes, said third inductive transformer half and said fourth inductive transformer half being disposed such that they may be placed into sufficient proximity that each said second flux change may induce a corresponding fourth current change in said second inductive transformer half; and first data receiver means for providing receiver output data in response to sequences of said fourth current changes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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Specification