Data collection system

• US 6,021,137 A
• Filed: 02/14/1997
• Issued: 02/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uniden Corporation (Cornwall Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: Uniden Corporation (Cornwall Capital Management LP)
• Inventors: Seki, Kazuhiko, Kato, Shuzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOLKOW, FREDERIC D
• Application Number:
  US08/800,332
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 370/479, 370/458, 370/342, 370/441, 340/310.06, 340/825.07, 340/825.54, 375/259
• US Class Current: 370/479
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/707 using direct sequence modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5437 Wired telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines

Abstract

A data collection system in which, in communications between each of terminal units and a data collector through a power line, the data collector subjects a polling signal generated by a polling generating circuit to spread spectrum modulation by a spreading section, and superimposes the spread signal on the power line, while each of the terminal units subjects the incoming spread signal thereto superimposed on the power line to de-spread spectrum demodulation and recognizes it, and superimposes the data subjected to spread spectrum modulation on the power line after a certain period of time different from that in other terminal unit has passed. The data collector collects the data obtained by subjecting spread signals successively coming thereinto each by being superimposed on the power line to de-spread spectrum demodulation according to the polling.

Claims

1. A data collection system comprising:

a plurality of terminal units each having a memory for storing therein data to be collected by the data collection system;

a data collector; and

a power line connecting each of said plurality of terminal units to said data collector with data communication being executed between each of said plurality of terminal units and said data collector via said power line,

each terminal unit including

a modulating circuit configured to read out data from the memory of the respective terminal unit according to a common request signal transmitted from said data collector and subject said data to spread spectrum modulation, and

a data transmitting circuit configured to transmit via said power line data modulated by said modulating circuit to said data collector, and

said data collector including

a request signal transmitting circuit configured to transmit said common request signal via said power line to each of said plurality of terminal units,

a demodulating circuit configured to subject data from each of said plurality of terminal units received via said power line, after transmission from said request signal transmitting circuit, to spread spectrum demodulation, and

a data collecting circuit configured to collect data according to the data demodulated by said demodulating circuit, wherein

said plurality of terminal units execute spread spectrum modulation using a common specified spread code in said modulating circuit and said demodulating circuit is a shared reversely spreading circuit for subjecting data modulated by each of said plurality of terminal units to reverse spread spectrum demodulation using said specified spread code.

2. A data collection system comprising:

a plurality of terminal units each having a memory for storing therein data to be collected by the data collection system;

a data collector; and

a power line connecting each of said plurality of terminal units to said data collector with data communication being executed between each of said plurality of terminal units and said data collector via said power line,

each terminal unit including

a modulating circuit configured to read out data from the memory of the respective terminal unit according to a common request signal transmitted from said data collector and subject said data to spread spectrum modulation, and

a data transmitting circuit configured to transmit via said power line data modulated by said modulating circuit to said data collector, and said data collector including

a request signal transmitting circuit configured to transmit said common request signal via said power line to each of said plurality of terminal units,

a demodulating circuit configured to subject data from each of said plurality of terminal units received via said power line, after transmission from said request signal transmitting circuit, to spread spectrum demodulation, and

a data collecting circuit configured to collect data according to the data demodulated by said demodulating circuit, wherein

said request signal transmitting circuit is further configured to subject said specified request signal to spread spectrum modulation and transmit the modulated request signal, and each of said plurality of terminal units is configured to subject said specified request signal to spread spectrum demodulation and receive the demodulated request signal.

3. A data collection system according to claim 2, wherein said specified request signal is a polling signal.

4. A data collection system comprising:

a plurality of terminal units each having a memory for storing therein data to be collected by the data collection system;

a data collector; and

a power line connecting each of said plurality of terminal units to said data collector with data communication being executed between each of said plurality of terminal units and said data collector via said power line,

each terminal unit including

a modulating circuit configured to read out data from the memory of the respective terminal unit according to a common request signal transmitted from said data collector and subject said data to spread spectrum modulation, and

a data transmitting circuit configured to transmit via said power line data modulated by said modulating circuit to said data collector, and

said data collector including

a request signal transmitting circuit configured to transmit said common request signal via said power line to each of said plurality of terminal units,

a demodulating circuit configured to subject data from each of said plurality of terminal units received via said power line, after transmission from said request signal transmitting circuit, to spread spectrum demodulation, and

a data collecting circuit configured to collect data according to the data demodulated by said demodulating circuit, wherein

said data collector is connected to a telephone line interface connected to a telephone line and executes cable data communication with an external device connected through said telephone line interface to said telephone line.

5. A data collection system comprising:

a plurality of terminal units each having a memory for storing therein data to be collected by the data collection system;

a data collector; and

a power line connecting each of said plurality of terminal units to said data collector with data communication being executed between each of said plurality of terminal units and said data collector via said power line,

each terminal unit including

a modulating circuit configured to read out data from the memory of the respective terminal unit according to a common request signal transmitted from said data collector and subject said data to spread spectrum modulation, and

a data transmitting circuit configured to transmit via said power line data modulated by said modulating circuit to said data collector, and

said data collector including

a request signal transmitting circuit configured to transmit said common request signal via said power line to each of said plurality of terminal units,

a demodulating circuit configured to subject data from each of said plurality of terminal units received via said power line, after transmission from said request signal transmitting circuit, to spread spectrum demodulation, and

a data collecting circuit configured to collect data according to the data demodulated by said demodulating circuit, wherein

said data collector is further connected to a radio line interface connected to a radio terminal, and executes radio data communication with an external device connected via said radio line interface and said radio terminal to the radio line.

6. A data collection system comprising:

a plurality of terminal units each having a memory for storing therein data to be collected by the data collection system;

a data collector; and

a power line connecting each of said plurality of terminal units to said data collector with data communication being executed between each of said plurality of terminal units and said data collector via said power line,

each terminal unit including

a timer configured to measure a certain period of time in any of said plurality of terminal units different from that in other terminal units according to a common request signal simultaneously transmitted from said data collector to said plurality of terminal units,

a modulating circuit configured to read out data from the memory of the respective terminal unit according to said common request signal and subject said data to spread spectrum modulation, and

a data transmitting circuit configured to transmit via said power line data modulated by said modulating circuit to said data collector at a point of time when measurement of said certain period of time by said timer is attained, and

said data collector including

a request signal transmitting circuit configured to transmit said common request signal via said power line to each of said plurality of terminal units,

a demodulating circuit configured to subject data from each of said plurality of terminal units received via said power line in response to transmission of said common request signal from said request signal transmitting circuit, to reverse spread spectrum demodulation, and

a data collecting circuit configured to collect data according to the data demodulated by said demodulating circuit, wherein

said plurality of terminal units execute spread spectrum modulation using a common specified spread code in said modulating circuit and said demodulating circuit is a shared reversely spreading circuit for subjecting data modulated by each of said plurality of terminal units to reverse spread spectrum demodulation using said specified spread code.

7. A data collection system comprising:

a plurality of terminal units each having a memory for storing therein data to be collected by the data collection system;

a data collector; and

a power line connecting each of said plurality of terminal units to said data collector with data communication being executed between each of said plurality of terminal units and said data collector via said power line,

each terminal unit including

a timer configured to measure a certain period of time in any of said plurality of terminal units different from that in other terminal units according to a common request signal simultaneously transmitted from said data collector to said plurality of terminal units,

a modulating circuit configured to read out data from the memory of the respective terminal unit according to said common request signal and subject said data to spread spectrum modulation, and

a data transmitting circuit configured to transmit via said power line data modulated by said modulating circuit to said data collector at a point of time when measurement of said certain period of time by said timer is attained, and

said data collector including

a request signal transmitting circuit configured to transmit said common request signal via said power line to each of said plurality of terminal units,

a demodulating circuit configured to subject data from each of said plurality of terminal units received via said power line in response to transmission of said common request signal from said request signal transmitting circuit, to reverse spread spectrum demodulation, and

a data collecting circuit configured to collect data according to the data demodulated by said demodulating circuit, wherein

said request signal transmitting circuit is further configured to subject said specified request signal to spread spectrum modulation and transmit the modulated request signal, and each of said plurality of terminal units is configured to subject said specified request signal to reverse spread spectrum demodulation and receive the demodulated request signal.

8. A data collection system according to claim 7, wherein said specified request signal is a polling signal.

9. A data collection system comprising:

a plurality of terminal units each having a memory for storing therein data to be collected by the data collection system;

a data collector; and

a power line connecting each of said plurality of terminal units to said data collector with data communication being executed between each of said plurality of terminal units and said data collector via said power line, each terminal unit including

a timer configured to measure a certain period of time in any of said plurality of terminal units different from that in other terminal units according to a common request signal simultaneously transmitted from said data collector to said plurality of terminal units,

a modulating circuit configured to read out data from the memory of the respective terminal unit according to said common request signal and subject said data to spread spectrum modulation, and

a data transmitting circuit configured to transmit, via said power line, data modulated by said modulating circuit to said data collector at a point of time when measurement of said certain period of time by said timer is attained, and

said data collector including

a request signal transmitting circuit configured to transmit said common request signal via said power line to each of said plurality of terminal units,

a demodulating circuit configured to subject data from each of said plurality of terminal units received via said power line in response to transmission of said common request signal from said request signal transmitting circuit, to reverse spread spectrum demodulation, and

a data collecting circuit configured to collect data according to the data demodulated by said demodulating circuit, wherein

said data collector is connected to a telephone line interface connected to a telephone line and executes cable data communication with an external device connected through said telephone line interface to said telephone line.

10. A data collection system comprising:

a plurality of terminal units each having a memory for storing therein data to be collected by the data collection system;

a data collector; and

a power line connecting each of said plurality of terminal units to said data collector with data communication being executed between each of said plurality of terminal units and said data collector via said power line,

each terminal unit including

a timer configured to measure a certain period of time in any of said plurality of terminal units different from that in other terminal units according to a common request signal simultaneously transmitted from said data collector to said plurality of terminal units,

a modulating circuit configured to read out data from the memory of the respective terminal unit according to said common request signal and subject said data to spread spectrum modulation, and

a data transmitting circuit configured to transmit via said power line data modulated by said modulating circuit to said data collector at a point of time when measurement of said certain period of time by said timer is attained, and

said data collector including

a request signal transmitting circuit configured to transmit said common request signal via said power line to each of said plurality of terminal units,

a demodulating circuit configured to subject data from each of said plurality of terminal units received via said power line in response to transmission of said common request signal from said request signal transmitting circuit, to reverse spread spectrum demodulation, and

a data collecting circuit configured to collect data according to the data demodulated by said demodulating circuit, wherein

said data collector is further connected to a radio line interface connected to a radio terminal, and executes radio data communication with an external device connected via said radio line interface and said radio terminal to the radio line.

11. A data collection system comprising:

a plurality of terminal units each having a memory for storing data therein to be collected by the data collection system;

a data collector; and

a power line connecting each of said plurality of terminal units to said data collector with data communication being executed between each of said plurality of terminal units and said data collector via said power line,

each terminal unit including

a timer configured to provide a clock time,

a modulating circuit configured to read out data from the memory of the respective terminal unit at a point of time when the clock time provided by said timer reaches a present clock time, different from the preset clock time set in any other terminal unit among said plurality of terminal units, and subject said data to spread spectrum modulation, and

a data transmitting circuit configured to transmit via said power line data modulated by said modulating circuit to said data collector, and

said data collector including

a demodulating circuit configured to subject data received via said power line from each of said plurality of terminal units to reverse spread spectrum demodulation, and

a data collecting circuit configured to execute data collection according to the data demodulated by said demodulating circuit, wherein

said plurality of terminal units execute spread spectrum modulation using a common specified spread code in said modulating circuit and said demodulating circuit is a shared reversely spreading circuit for subjecting data modulated by each of said plurality of terminal units to reverse spread spectrum demodulation using said specified spread code.

12. A data collection system comprising:

a plurality of terminal units each having a memory for storing data therein to be collect ed by th e data collection system;

a data collector; and

a power line connecting each of said plurality of terminal units to said data collector with data communication being executed between each of said plurality of terminal units and said data collector via said power line,

each terminal unit including

a timer configured to provide a clock time,

a modulating circuit configured to read out data from the memory of the respective terminal unit at a point of time when the clock time provided by said timer reaches a present clock time, different from the preset clock time set in any other terminal unit among said plurality of terminal units, and subject said data to spread spectrum modulation, and

a data transmitting circuit configured to transmit via said power line data modulated by said modulating circuit to said data collector, and

said data collector including

a demodulating circuit configured to subject data received via said power line from each of said plurality of terminal units to reverse spread spectrum demodulation, and

a data collecting circuit configured to execute data collection according to the data demodulated by said demodulating circuit, wherein

each of said plurality of terminal units stores therein identification data different from those stored in other terminal units among said plurality of terminal units, said modulating circuit is further configured to add said identification data to data read out from its own memory and subject the combined data to modulation, and said data collecting circuit is further configured to manage said demodulated data according to the identification data included in said data for each of said plurality of terminal units.

13. A data collection system comprising:

a plurality of terminal units each having a memory for storing data therein to be collected by the data collection system;

a data collector; and

a power line connecting each of said plurality of terminal units to said data collector with data communication being executed between each of said plurality of terminal units and said data collector via said power line,

each terminal unit including

a timer configured to provide a clock time,

a modulating circuit configured to read out data from the memory of the respective terminal unit at a point of time when the clock time provided by said timer reaches a present clock time, different from the preset clock time set in any other terminal unit among said plurality of terminal units, and subject said data to spread spectrum modulation, and

a data transmitting circuit configured to transmit via said power line data modulated by said modulating circuit to said data collector, and

said data collector including

a demodulating circuit configured to subject data received via said power line from each of said plurality of terminal units to reverse spread spectrum demodulation, and

a data collecting circuit configured to execute data collection according to the data demodulated by said demodulating circuit, wherein

said data collector is connected to a telephone line interface connected to a telephone line and executes cable data communication with an external device connected through said telephone line interface to said telephone line.

14. A data collection system comprising:

a plurality of terminal units each having a memory for storing data therein data to be collected by the data collection system;

a data collector; and

a power line connecting each of said plurality of terminal units to said data collector with data communication being executed between each of said plurality of terminal units and said data collector via said power line,

each terminal unit including

a modulating circuit configured to read data from the memory of the respective terminal and subject the data to spread spectrum modulation using a spread code different from a spread code allocated to any other terminal unit among said plurality of terminal units, and

a data transmitting circuit configured to transmit data modulated by said modulating circuit via said power line to said data collector, and

said data collector including

a demodulating circuit containing spread codes allocated to each of said plurality of terminal units respectively, and configured to subject data received via said power line from each of said plurality of terminal units to reverse spread spectrum demodulation using the spread code identical to the spread code used for spread spectrum modulation for the received data, and

a data collecting circuit configured to execute data collection according to the data demodulated by said demodulating circuit.

15. A data collection system according to claim 14, wherein said data collecting circuit is further configured to multiplex data from said plurality of terminal units demodulated by said demodulating circuit.

16. A data collection system according to claim 14, wherein each of said plurality of terminal units stores therein identification data different from those stored in other terminal units among said plurality of terminal units, said modulating circuit is further configured to add said identification data to data read out from its own memory and subject the combined data to modulation, and said data collecting circuit is further configured to manage said demodulated data according to the identification data included in said data for each of said plurality of terminal units.

17. A data collection system according to claim 14, wherein said collector is connected to a telephone line interface connected to a telephone line and executes cable data communication with an external device connected through said telephone line interface to said telephone line.

18. A data collection system according to claim 14, wherein said data collector is further connected to a radio line interface connected to a radio terminal, and executes radio data communication with an external device connected via said radio time interface and said radio terminal to said radio line.

19. A data collection system comprising:

a plurality of terminal groups having one or a plurality of terminal units each having a memory for storing data therein to be collected by the data collection system;

a data collector; and

a power line connecting each of said plurality of terminal groups to said data collector with data communication being executed between each of said plurality of terminal groups and said data collector via said power line,

each terminal unit including

a timer configured to measure a certain period of time in a group of terminal units among said plurality of terminal unit groups according to a common request signal simultaneously transmitted from said data collector to said plurality of terminal groups,

a modulating circuit configured to read out data from the memory of the respective terminal unit according to said common request signal and subject said data to spread spectrum modulation using a spread code different from the spread code allocated to any other terminal unit in at least the same terminal group, and

a data transmitting circuit configured to transmit via said power line data modulated by said modulating circuit to said data collector at a point of time when measurement of said certain period of time by said timer is attained, and

said data collector including

a request signal transmitting circuit configured to transmit said common request signal via said power line to each of said plurality of terminal units,

a demodulating circuit containing therein spread codes allocated to each of said plurality of terminal units respectively, and configured to subject data received after transmission from said request signal transmitting circuit via said power line from each of said plurality of terminal units to reverse spread spectrum demodulation using the spread code identical to the spread code used in spread spectrum modulation for said data, and

a data collecting circuit configured to execute data collection according to data demodulated by said demodulating circuit, wherein

said request signal transmitting circuit is further configured to subject said specified request signal to spread spectrum modulation and transmit the modulated request signal, and each of said plurality of terminal units is configured to subject said specified request signal to spread spectrum demodulation and receive the demodulated request signal.

20. A data collection system according to claim 19;

wherein said specified request signal is a polling signal.

21. A data collection system comprising:

a plurality of terminal groups having one or a plurality of terminal units each having a memory for storing data therein to be collected by the data collection system;

a data collector; and

a power line connecting each of said plurality of terminal groups to said data collector with data communication being executed between each of said plurality of terminal groups and said data collector via said power line,

each terminal unit including

a timer configured to measure a certain period of time in a group of terminal units among said plurality of terminal unit groups according to a common request signal simultaneously transmitted from said data collector to said plurality of terminal groups,

a modulating circuit configured to read out data from the memory of the respective terminal unit according to said common request signal and subject said data to spread spectrum modulation using a spread code different from the spread code allocated to any other terminal unit in at least the same terminal group, and

a data transmitting circuit configured to transmit via said power line data modulated by said modulating circuit to said data collector at a point of time when measurement of said certain period of time by said timer is attained, and

said data collector including

a request signal transmitting circuit configured to transmit said common request signal via said power line to each of said plurality of terminal units,

a demodulating circuit containing therein spread codes allocated to each of said plurality of terminal units respectively, and configured to subject data received after transmission from said request signal transmitting circuit via said power line from each of said plurality of terminal units to reverse spread spectrum demodulation using the spread code identical to the spread code used in spread spectrum modulation for said data, and

a data collecting circuit configured to execute data collection according to data demodulated by said demodulating circuit, wherein

said data collector is connected to a telephone line interface connected to a telephone line and executes cable data communication with an external device connected through said telephone line interface to said telephone line.

22. A data collection system comprising:

a plurality of terminal groups having one or a plurality of terminal units each having a memory for storing data therein to be collected by the data collection system;

a data collector; and

a power line connecting each of said plurality of terminal groups to said data collector with data communication being executed between each of said plurality of terminal groups and said data collector via said power line,

each terminal unit including

a timer configured to measure a certain period of time in a group of terminal units among said plurality of terminal unit groups according to a common request signal simultaneously transmitted from said data collector to said plurality of terminal groups,

a modulating circuit configured to read out data from the memory of the respective terminal unit according to said common request signal and subject said data to spread spectrum modulation using a spread code different from the spread code allocated to any other terminal unit in at least the same terminal group, and

a data transmitting circuit configured to transmit via said power line data modulated by said modulating circuit to said data collector at a point of time when measurement of said certain period of time by said timer is attained, and

said data collector including

a request signal transmitting circuit configured to transmit said common request signal via said power line to each of said plurality of terminal units,

a demodulating circuit containing therein spread codes allocated to each of said plurality of terminal units respectively, and configured to subject data received after transmission from said request signal transmitting circuit via said power line from each of said plurality of terminal units to reverse spread spectrum demodulation using the spread code identical to the spread code used in spread spectrum modulation for said data, and

a data collecting circuit configured to execute data collection according to data demodulated by said demodulating circuit, wherein

said data collector is further connected to a radio line interface connected to a radio terminal, and executes radio data communication with an external device connected via said radio line interface and said radio terminal to the radio line.

23. A method of collecting data from a plurality of terminals comprising the steps of:

generating a common polling signal at a central location to request responses from each of said plurality of terminals;

performing spread spectrum modulation of the common polling signal;

transmitted the modulated common polling signal to said plurality of terminals;

at least one of said plurality of terminals performing spread spectrum demodulation of the modulated common polling signal and

sending a response from said at least one of said plurality of terminals to said central location after a predetermined time interval after receiving the modulation-polling signal, wherein

said predetermined time interval is unique for each of said plurality of terminals.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said modulated polling signal is transmitted via a power line.