Digital communications system for residential and custodial-care environments, office and the like

• US 8,792,383 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2007
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Universidad de Zaragoza
• Original Assignee: Universidad de Zaragoza
• Inventors: Moreno Carbonel, Juan Carlos, Leza Espanol, Jorge
• Primary Examiner(s): Cho, Un C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Siming
• Application Number:
  US12/225,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20090116408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,713 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 379 37- 563, 340/870.09, 340/901
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances

Abstract

The system is based on the arrangement of a plurality of terminals (1), (I′) . . . (Iⁿ), which are interconnected with one another to form a digital network by means of two databuses, one write and one read, by means of differential transmission, with a hybrid connection topology based inter alia on UTP-type cables (4). Each terminal is constituted by a DLP-type card (7), which contains a programmable logic device for the management of a series of cards associated with the card (7), said cards being a main card (8) and a user-interface card (9), which enable the user to configure the various system options, it being possible, also, to incorporate one or more extension cards (H-H′) for the input and output of audio/video signals, the Internet, a telephone line or an automatic-door-entry line, and also a remote-control and alarm card (10) for activating external loads, activating alarms and receiving signals originating from sensors.

Claims

1. A digital communications system for residential, custodial-care environments, and offices for integrating different communications services within a single network, the system comprising a set of terminals forming a fault tolerance ring network that are interconnected through data transmission cables including a read bus and a write bus, each terminal comprising:

a PLD (programmable logic device) card comprising a programmable logic device for managing a series of cards coupled to the PLD card, a port to program the PLD card with a personal computer (PC), a slot to program the PLD card with a memory, a regulator system to power the card and the series of cards coupled to the PLD card, and connectors for connecting the series of cards to the PLD card, the series of cards comprising;

a main card comprising;

A/D and D/A audio converters coupled to the read and write busses;

connectors for interconnecting the terminals with the data transmission cables;

analog circuits that treat an audio signal before it reaches an input of the audio converters;

analog circuits that treat an output signal;

a double output music channel having a line output to feed a line input of an amplifier and an amplified output to feed a speaker;

a double output voice channel having an output for a telephone receiver and another output for hand'"'"'s free systems;

two integrated circuits for providing hourly and calendar information, and temperature level information; and

a recharging system that prevents loss of hourly information information;

a user interface card including a display, a keyboard, and piezoelectric buzzers for configuring system options and receiving notification of conditions;

an expansion card for input or output of audio, video, Internet, telephone line or entryphone line signals; and

a remote control and alarm card for activating external loads and alarms, and for gathering signals from sensors.