Apparatus and method for establishing a radio frequency communications link between a controller and a remote controllable system

• US 5,884,146 A
• Filed: 05/27/1993
• Issued: 03/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Simmons, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THANH C
• Application Number:
  US08/068,357
• Time in Patent Office: 2,119 Days
• Field of Search: 455/66, 455/78, 455/87, 455/88, 455/89, 455/38.3, 455/58.1, 455/73, 455/69, 455/70, 455/38.1, 455/507, 455/517, 455/527, 455/575, 455/310, 375/8, 375/222, 102/355
• US Class Current: 455/68
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3838 Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/02 Reducing interference from electric apparatus by means located at or near the interfering apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A radio frequency data link that establishes communications between a controller and a remote controllable system is disclosed. The controller includes an interface device that produces command signals indicative of desired system functions. A transmitting RF modem receives the command signals and responsively generates radio frequency signals that are representative of the command signals. A remote controllable system includes a receiving RF modem that receives the radio frequency signals and responsively converts the signals into control signals. A logic device receives the control signals, performs the desired function, and produces a reply signal that indicates the status of the function.

Claims

1. A radio frequency data link to establish communications between a controller and a remote controllable system, comprising:

interface means for producing command signals indicative of desired system functions;

transmitting RF means for receiving the command signals and responsively generating radio frequency signals representative of the command signals, the transmitting RF means including an RF modem having a serial number;

a remote controllable system, including;

a switch being selectable to a plurality of positions, each switch position representing a predetermined ID number that identifies the remote controllable system;

receiving RF means for receiving the radio frequency signals and responsively converting the radio frequency signals into control signals, the receiving RF means including an RF modem having a serial number, wherein the radio frequency signals include information representing the serial number of the transmitting RF modem and the predetermined ID number associated with the receiving remote controllable system; and

logic means for receiving the control signals, performing the desired function, and producing a reply signal that indicates the serial number of the receiving RF modem to establish point-to-point communication between the transmitting and receiving RF modem pair.

2. A radio frequency data link, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the microprocessor includes an EEPROM and including means for writing data to the EEPROM in response to microprocessor processing failures, the failure data including the type of microprocessor failure and program address of the processing failure.

3. A radio frequency data link, as set forth in claim 2, including means for reading the failure data that is stored in the EEPROM.

4. A radio frequency data link, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the remote controllable system includes a microprocessor, whereby the microprocessor internal clocks are stopped to reduce electromagnetic interference in response to the reply signal.

5. A radio frequency data link, as set forth claim 4, wherein one of the command signals includes a wakeup command signal, the wakeup command signal causing an external interrupt to be delivered to the microprocessor to start the microprocessor internal clocks to allow the microprocessor to perform the desired function.