DATA TRANSMISSION METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 3,836,726 A
• Filed: 10/25/1971
• Issued: 09/17/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Albert S. Sabin, Joel D. Wells, William J. Kahn, William K. Wigner
• Original Assignee: Albert S. Sabin, Joel D. Wells, William J. Kahn, William K. Wigner
• Inventors: Wigner, William K., Wells, Joel D., Sabin, Albert S., Kahn, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Claffy, Kathleen H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kundert, Thomas L.
• Application Number:
  US05/191,855
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 179/41A,15BA,15AL 325/4,53,54,55,64 343/176,204 178/50,69.5
• US Class Current: 340/7.27
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/022 One-way selective calling networks, e.g. wide area paging
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A plural transmitter, digital data transmission and remote control system in the environment of a paging system in which mutual interference by the transmitters is eliminated through the sequencing thereof. Embodiments compatible with existing tone systems are disclosed for both plural system-single area operation and for plural system-plural area operation. A novel receiver and method of receiver synchronization and time slot selection as a function of received signal characteristics are also disclosed, as is the novel evaluation of a digital data signal, power conservation, and fail safe operation with existing telephonic switching equipment.

Claims

1. A paging system comprising:

a plurality of transmitters spaced at predetermined locations within a paging area;

a master station including means responsive to telephone dialing signals designating an assigned subscriber paging number for generating a digital signal including an address portion representing the designated subscriber and a synchronizing portion;

means for transmitting said generated digital signal from said master station sequentially to each of said transmitters during separate time slots, said transmitters being responsive to the synchronizing portion of said digital signal to transmit said digital signal including said subscriber designating portion and saId synchronizing portion as a radio signal; and

a plurality of portable receivers each including means for storing a digital address word assigned to the designated subscriber, means for receiving said transmitted digital signal, means for generating clock pulses responsively to said received digital signal, means for selecting one of said separate time slots responsively to the synchronizing portion of said received digital signal, means for evaluating the address portion of said digital signal received in said selected time slot with respect to said stored digital address word responsively to said clock pulses, and means for alerting the designated subscriber in response to the evaluating means.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said master station includes means for verifying the validity of the subscriber paging number designated by the telephone dialing signals.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said receivers includes means for deenergizing said receiving means for a predetermined period of time of at least substantially one time slot in duration after selecting said one of said time slots.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of transmitters has a predetermined propagation pattern, the spacing between the transmitters being such that the combined propagation pattern of said transmitters covers said paging area.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the propagation patterns of adjacent of said transmitters overlap.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said digital signal is transmitted to said transmitters in accordance with a predetermined sequence, said sequence excluding the transmission of said digital signal from immediately adjacent transmitters during the same time slot.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said digital signal is transmitted to a plurality of transmitters during each of said time slots, said digital signal being transmitted to immediately adjacent transmitters in different time slots.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein a predetermined plural number of said time slots defines a major frame, said digital signal being transmitted to each of said transmitters in only one time slot during a major frame so that adjacent of said transmitters are not simultaneously transmitting said digital signal.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein a different digital signal including said synchronizing portion and a portion representing a different designated subscriber is transmitted from said master station to said transmitters at least once during successive major frames.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein each of said receivers includes means for deenergizing said receiver for a predetermined period of time between the selected time slot in one major frame and the selected time slot in a successive major frame.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the time slots are selected in every other major frame.

12. A paging system comprising:

means for transmitting a digital signal including a subscriber designating portion and a synchronizing portion during each of a plurality of separate time slots;

means for receiving said transmitted digital signal; and

, means responsive to the synchronizing portion of said digital signal for evaluating the subscriber designating portion of said received digital signal with respect to a stored, digital subscriber designating word during a selected one of said time slots.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the synchronization portion of said transmitted signal comprises an area code assigned to a predetermined paging area and wherein said evaluating means includes means for evaluating said area code in said received signal with respect to a predetermined area code assigned to said receiving means, and means for selecting said one of said time slots in response to a successful evaluation of said area code in said received signal by said area code evaluating means.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said subscriber designating portion of said digitaL signal includes a plurality of serially arranged subscriber address signals each designating a different subscriber.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said synchronizing portion of said digital signal includes a synchronization acquisition signal preceding said subscriber designating portion and a synchronization maintenance signal intermediate adjacent of said plurality of subscriber address signals.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said evaluating means comprises:

means for detecting a difference in binary signal level between each binary bit of each of said subscriber address signals and the corresponding binary bit of said stored, digital subscriber designating word and for generating an error signal in response to each such detection; and

, means for counting the number of error signals generated.

17. The system of claim 16 including means responsive to said counting means for indicating when the total number of error signals generated is less than a predetermined number.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein said subscriber designating portion of said digital signal includes a plurality of serially arranged subscriber address signals, and wherein a plurality not greater than four of said subscriber address signals designate the same subscriber.

19. The system of claim 18 including means for indicating which of said plurality of same subscriber address signals has been received.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein said transmitting means includes:

a central station for generating said digital signal;

a plurality of transmitters spaced at predetermined locations within a paging area; and

, means for selectively applying said generated digital signal from said central station to said transmitters.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein each of said plurality of transmitters has a predetermined propagation pattern, the spacing between the transmitters being such that the combined propagation pattern of said transmitters covers said paging area.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the propagation patterns of adjacent of said transmitters overlap.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said digital signal is applied to at least one of said plurality of transmitters during each of said time slots, said digital signal being applied to immediately adjacent of said transmitters in different time slots.

24. The system of claim 20 wherein said generated digital signal is applied to at least one of said plurality of transmitters in a plurality of different time slots.

25. The system of claim 15 wherein the synchronization maintenance signal comprises an area code assigned to a predetermined paging area and wherein said evaluating means includes means for selecting said one of said time slots in response to said area code.

26. A paging system comprising:

a central station;

means remote from said central station for designating thereto a subscriber to be paged;

means at said central station for generating a plural binary bit, digital address signal responsively to said subscriber designating means, and representing the designated subscriber;

means for transmitting said digital address signal in each of a plurality of successive time slots; and

, means for receiving said digital address signal including;

means for detecting difference in binary signal level between each bit position of said digital address signal and each corresponding bit position of a stored subscriber address signal and generating an error signal in response to each detected difference;

means for counting the number of error signals generated; and

, means for alerting a subscriber in response to a count by said counting means below a predetermined number in a selected one of said time slots.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein said subscriber designating means comprises means for establishing a telephonic connection between said central station and a remote location and means for transmitting a subscriber desiGnation number from said remote location to said master station via said telephonic connection.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein said subscriber designating means includes a plurality of tone generators;

and, wherein said central station is responsive to said plurality of tone generators.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein said telephonic connection is established by the first three digits of a seven digit number, and wherein said subscriber designating number is the last four digits of said seven digit number.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein said telephonic connection is established by a seven digit number, and wherein said subscriber designation number includes at least four additional digits.

31. The system of claim 27 wherein said subscriber designating means includes a pulse generator and means for converting pulses to tones for transmission by said transmitting means from said remote location to said master station.

32. A paging system comprising:

means for generating a digital subscriber identifying signal;

means for repetitively transmitting said digital signal during successive time slots including a plurality of spaced transmitters each assigned to transmit during at least one of said time slots in accordance with a sequence which excludes the transmission by adjacent transmitters during the same time slot; and

, a plurality of individual receivers for receiving said signal transmitted during at least one of said time slots, each of said receivers including means for deenergizing said receiver during at least some of the remaining time slots.

33. A data transmission system comprising:

means at a central station for successively transmitting a data signal, including a synchronizing portion and an address portion, to each of a plurality of spaced transmitter sites during separate time intervals; and

, means at each of said transmitter sites for transmitting a radio signal modulated by said data signal responsively to the recognition of said synchronizing portion.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein said means for transmitting said radio signal includes:

means for generating a transmitter enabling signal in response to said synchronizing portion;

means for delaying said data signal by an amount at least equal in duration to said synchronizing portion; and

, means for transmitting said radio signal modulated by said delayed data signal responsively to said enabling signal.

35. The system of claim 33 including means at said central station for receiving data signals over a plurality of identifiable telephone lines, and means for modifying the synchronizing portion of said data signal responsively to the identity of the telephone line over which the data signal is received.

36. A central station for use in a paging system comprising:

means responsive to user initiated telephone dialing signals for establishing a telephonic connection between the central station and a user;

means responsive to subsequent user initiated telephone dialing signals designating a subscriber paging number for generating a digital address signal related to said designated subscriber, said subsequent dialing signals being initiated by the user over said established telephonic connection;

means for temporarily storing a plurality of said generated digital address signals in a waiting queue;

means for generating a digital message word including a plurality of said stored, digital address signals each encoded in accordance with a redundant, plural binary bit code having at least six bit differences between any two adjacent codes; and

, means for sequentially and repetitively transmitting said message word from said central station during a plurality of separate time slots.

37. The central station of claim 36 including means for comparing the designated subscriber paging number with a list of stored subscriber paging number to determine the validity thereof.

38. The centraL station of claim 36 including means for transmitting an audible indication to said user responsively to establishing said telephonic connections.

39. The central station of claim 36 wherein said digital message word generating means includes:

means for encoding said generated digital address signal; and

, means for combining said encoded address signal with a synchronizing signal to generate said digital message word.

40. The system of claim 36 wherein said queue is a first-in, first-out queue.

41. The system of claim 36 in which said queue may have priority positions, and wherein the position of a selected digital address signal in said queue is related to the identity of the digital address signal.

42. The system of claim 36 including means for differentiating between the telephone lines through which said telephonic connection is established and, means for modifying said digital message word responsively to said differentiating means.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein said digital message word includes a synchronizing portion;

and, wherein said synchronizing portion is modified responsively to said differentiating means.

44. The system of claim 42 including means for selectively modifying the portion of said digital message word representing said address signal in response to said differentiating means.

45. A method of paging a subscriber with a digital signal comprising the steps of:

a. transmitting a digital signal including a subscriber designating portion and a synchronizing portion during each of a plurality of separate time slots;

b. receiving the transmitted digital signal;

c. evaluating the synchronizing portion of the received digital signal; and

, d. selecting one of the plurality of time slots for evaluation of the subscriber designating portion of the received digital signal responsively to the evaluation of the synchronizing portion to the digital signal.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein the synchronizing portion of the received digital signal is evaluated in successive time slots until favorably evaluated;

and, wherein only the subscriber designating portion received immediately subsequent to the favorably evaluated synchronizing portion is evaluated.

47. The method of claim 46 including the further step of inhibiting receipt of the transmitted digital signal for a predetermined time interval following evaluation of the subscriber designation portion of the received digital signal in one time slot.

48. The method of claim 45 wherein the synchronizing portion of the digital signal comprises an area code assigned to a predetermined paging area and wherein the synchronizing portion of the received signal is evaluated by:

evaluating the area code in the received signal with respect to a predetermined area code; and

, generating a distinctive signal responsively to a successful evaluation of the area code in the received signal, the one of the plurality of time slots being selected in response to said distinctive signal.

49. A method of paging a subscriber comprising the steps of:

a. providing a plurality of transmitters spaced throughout an area;

b. transmitting a plurality of subscriber designation signals from one of the plurality of transmitters during a first time slot;

c. transmitting the same plurality of subscriber designation signals from another of the plurality of transmitters in a second time slot; and

, d. receiving the transmitted subscriber designation signals at each of a plurality of portable receivers in at least one time slot.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein the plurality of subscriber designation signals is transmitted by a plurality of nonadjacent transmitters in each of the time slots.

51. The method of claim 50 including the steps of evaluating the subscriber designation signals received in one of the time slots;

and, inhibiting the evaluation of the transmitted subscriber designation Signals for at least one time slot in response to the evaluation of the subscriber designation signals in one of the time slots.

52. The method of claim 49 including the steps of evaluating the subscriber designation signals received in one of the time slots;

and, inhibiting the evaluation of the transmitted subscriber designation signals for at least one time slot in response to the evaluation of the subscriber designation signals in one of the time slots.

53. The method of claim 51 wherein the subscriber designation signals are digital.

54. The method of claim 49 wherein the subscriber designation signals are digital.

55. A dual system paging method comprising the steps of:

a. storing a first group of subscriber designation numbers;

b. storing a second group of subscriber designation numbers;

c. transmitting the first group of subscriber designation numbers to a first plurality of remote transmitters for simultaneous broadcast in a first time interval; and

, d. transmitting the second group of subscriber designation numbers to a second plurality of transmitters for broadcast by a selected first one of the second plurality of transmitters in a second time interval and for broadcast by a selected second one of the second plurality of transmitters in a third time interval.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein the second group of subscriber designation numbers are broadcast as binary data from the second plurality of transmitters.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein the first group of subscriber designation numbers are broadcast as tones from the first plurality of transmitters.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein the cumulative propagation patterns of the first and second plurality of transmitters are substantially the same.

59. The method of claim 55 wherein the second group of subscriber designation numbers are broadcast as binary data from the second plurality of transmitters.

60. The method of claim 55 wherein the cumulative propagation patterns of the first and second plurality of transmitters are substantially the same.

61. A method of paging a subscriber comprising the steps of:

a. providing a plurality of transmitters spaced throughout a paging area;

b. generating a digital address signal for each of a plurality of subscribers to be paged;

c. generating a digital paging signal including a plurality of the generated address signals preceded by a synchronization acquisition signal and each separated by a synchronization maintenance signal;

d. selectively transmitting the paging signal from a first group of the plurality of transmitters in a first time interval;

e. selectively transmitting the same paging signal from a second group of the plurality of transmitters in a second time interval, at least some of the transmitters in the first group of transmitters differing from the transmitters in the second group of transmitters; and

, f. receiving at least a portion of the paging signal at each of a plurality of portable receivers.

62. The method of claim 61 wherein all of the transmitters in the first group of transmitters differ from the transmitters in the second group of transmitters.

63. A method of paging a subscriber comprising the steps of:

a. providing a plurality of transmitters spaced throughout an area;

b. receiving at a master station a plurality of subscriber designation signals from a plurality of telephonic connections;

c. selectively transmitting a first group of the plurality of subscriber designation signals from one of the plurality of transmitters during a first time interval, the propagation pattern of the one transmitter defining a first area;

d. selectively transmitting a second group of the plurality of subscriber designation signals from another of the plurality of transmitters in a second time interval, the propagation pattern of the other transmitter defining a second area; and

, e. receiving at least a portion of the transmittEd subscriber designation signals at each of a plurality of portable receivers, the group of transmitters from which a subscriber designation signal is transmitted being selected responsively to the telephonic connection from which that subscriber designation signal is received at the master station.

64. The method of claim 63 wherein the subscriber designation signals are binary in form.

65. The method of claim 63 wherein the first group of the plurality of subscriber designation signals are sequentially transmitted from a plurality of transmitters in the first time interval;

and, wherein the second group of the plurality of subscriber designation signals are sequentially transmitted from a plurality of transmitters in the second time interval.

66. A paging method comprising the steps of:

a. providing a plurality of transmitters spaced at predetermined locations with a paging area;

b. generating at a master station a digital signal including a synchronizing portion and a portion representing a plurality of designated subscribers;

c. transmitting said generated digital signal from said master station to each of the plurality of transmitters, said transmitters being responsive to the synchronizing portions of said digital signal to transmit said digital signal during separate time intervals;

d. storing a different digital address word assigned to a designated subscriber in each of a plurality of portable receivers;

e. receiving at least part of the transmitted digital signal including the synchronizing portion and a plurality of subscriber designations at each of the portable receivers;

f. selecting one of the time slots responsively to the synchronizing portion of the received part of the digital signal;

g. evaluating the subscriber designating portion of the digital signal received in the selected time slot with respect to the stored digital address word; and

, h. alerting the designated subscriber in response to a favorable evaluation.

67. The method of claim 66 wherein the subscriber designating portion of the digital signal generated at the master station is generated in response to telephone dialing signals received at the master station over a plurality of voice quality telephone lines;

and, wherein the synchronizing portion is variable responsively to the identification of the telephone line over which the subscriber designations are received at the master station.

68. The method of claim 66 wherein said digital signal includes synchronization maintenance portions spaced throughout the subscriber designating portion.

69. The method of claim 66 including the said step of inhibiting receipt of the digital signal by each of the portable receivers for a predetermined period of time following the evaluation of the subscriber designating portion of the digital signal.

70. A method of initiating broadcasting from a remote transmitter comprising the steps of:

a. receiving at a remote transmitter a digital signal including a synchronizing portion and a data portion;

b. energizing the transmitter in response to receipt of the digital signal;

c. storing the received digital signal;

d. applying the stored digital signal to the transmitter;

e. evaluating the synchronizing portion of the received digital signal relative to a predetermined digital signal; and

, f. enabling the transmitter responsively to a favorable evaluation of the synchronizing portion of the received digital signal to broadcast the digital signal in its entirety.

71. A method of selecting a zone for broadcasting data comprising the steps of:

a. providing a plurality of transmitters spaced throughout an area;

b. transmitting to each of the plurality of transmitters a digital signal including a broadcast zone designation portion and a data portion; and

, c. selectively broadcasting the entire digital signal from the plurality of transmitters responsively to the zone designatinG portion thereof.

72. A method of paging a subscriber comprising the steps of:

a. providing a plurality of transmitters spaced throughout an area;

b. transmitting a plurality of subscriber designation signals from one of the plurality of transmitters during a first time slot;

c. transmitting a plurality of subscriber designation signals from another of the plurality of transmitters in a second time slot;

d. receiving the transmitted subscriber designation signals at each of a plurality of portable receivers in at least one time slot; and

;

e. evaluating the plurality of subscriber designation signals received in at least one of the time slots with respect to a plurality of stored subscriber designation signals at each of the plurality of receivers.

73. A paging system including:

a plurality of transmitting means at spaced locations throughout a paging area, each of said transmitting means being operable to broadcast a carrier signal modulated by a binary bit digital signal;

a central station for generating a plurality of plural binary bit digital address signals each representing a paging system subscriber, said central station including means for sequentially transmitting a group of said plurality of digital address signals to each of said plurality of transmitters for modulation of said carrier signal and broadcast of said group of digital address signals, at least some of the plurality of digital address signals of said groups of signals representing different paging system subscribers, the sequence of transmission being such that broadcast of said group of digital address signals by adjacent of said transmitters is mutually exclusive and no two adjacent transmitters are broadcasting said group of digital address signals simultaneously and, a plurality of portable receivers each including means for receiving and demodulating said broadcast carrier signal to recover said group of plural binary bit digital address signals and means for evaluating each plural binary bit digital address signal of said recovered group of signals with respect to a plural binary bit digital address signal assigned to the receiver.

74. A paging system comprising:

means for generating a digital subscriber identifying signal;

means for repetitively transmitting said digital signal during successive time slots including a plurality of spaced transmitters each assigned to transmit during at least one of said time slots in accordance with a sequence which excludes the transmission of the digital signal from adjacent of the transmitters during the same time slot;

a plurality of individual receivers for receiving the signal transmitted during at least one of said time slots, each of said receivers including means for determining an error rate of the received signal in excess of a predetermined value in at least some of said time slots; and

, means responsive to said excessive error rate determining means for selectively receiving said transmitted signal in only one of said time slots, said selective receiving means including means for deenergizing said receiver during at least some of the remaining time slots.

75. The system of claim 71 wherein each of said receivers includes means for deenergizing said receiver during all but the selected time slot.