Environment monitoring telephone network system

• US 6,356,625 B1
• Filed: 11/15/1999
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: DellʼAquila, Nicola, Castellani, Franco
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US09/439,344
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 379/1, 379/6, 379/9, 379/10, 379/12, 379/14, 379/15, 379/22, 379/24, 379/28, 379/29, 379/32, 379/33, 379/34, 379/2, 370/242, 370/244, 370/245, 370/250
• US Class Current: 379/32.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C

Abstract

An environment monitoring telephone network system comprises:

a plurality M of environment parameters detecting and transmitting units (16), which transmit data toward the remote acquisition exchange (7), said units being provided with N analog input sensors;

at least a telephone network private line, in order to transmit detected data to the remote acquisition exchange, where a Data Logger (5) is located, and to supply remotely the detecting and transmitting unit;

a plurality M of receiving units (18), each interconnected with a specific detecting and transmitting unit, said receiving units being located at the remote acquisition exchange and being linked with the input channels of a Data Logger, which in turn is linked, by means of a modem, to a storing and processing center, through a switched telephone network (6).

Claims

1. Environment monitoring telephone network system characterized in that it comprises:

a plurality M of environment parameters detecting and transmitting units (16) linked with a remote acquisition exchange (7), each of said units being provided with N analog input sensors;

at least a telephone network private line for each detecting and transmitting unit, in order to transmit detected data to the remote acquisition exchange (7) where is located a Data Logger (5) and to supply remotely the detecting and transmitting unit (16);

a plurality M of receiving units (18), each being provided for the interconnection with a specific detecting and transmitting unit (16), said receiving units (18) being located at the remote acquisition exchange (7) and being linked with the input channels of the Data Logger (5), which in turn is linked, by means of a modem, to a storing and processing center, through a switched telephone network (6), each said peripheral detecting and transmitting unit (16) further comprising;

I—

an analog-to-digital converter (11);

II—

a transmission driver (8);

III—

a line interface (29) receiving through the telephone pair the remote direct voltage and transmitting the data signal; and

IV—

a DC/DC converter (30) of suitable size in order to supply the devices on the electronic card and the sensor set;

V—

a double jumper (27), which is closed to perform a continuous mode functionality with the devices continuously fed, and which is open when it is desired to perform a discontinuous mode optional functionality, so that the apparatus are cyclically supplied and not supplied;

VI—

a clock (25), selector switches (24) and a controlled double throw switch (28) to be employed with the external battery (23) to perform the discontinuous mode optional functionality.

2. Environment monitoring telephone network system according to claim 1 characterized in that each receiving apparatus (18) located in the remote acquisition exchange (7) includes:

I—

a microprocessor (14) with an internal RAM memory;

II—

an EPROM memory (20) storing the firmware managing the receiving apparatus;

III—

a digital-to-analog converter (15);

IV—

a receiving driver (9);

V—

a DC/DC converter (21) remotely supplying the detecting and transmitting units (16);

VI—

a line interface (22) providing through the telephone pair a power supply direct voltage and the data signal.

3. Environment monitoring telephone network system according to claim 1 characterized by using limited slew rate RS-485 transceivers, set at a reduced bit-rate as drivers for transmitting data between the detecting and transmitting units (16) and the receiving apparatus (18).

4. Environment monitoring telephone network system according to claim 1 characterized by locating the remote acquisition exchange (7), comprising the relative Data Logger (5), into the telephone exchange of a public telephone network, and the detecting and transmitting units (16) either into the box or into the cabinet or, in any case, at the end user termination of the public telephone network.

5. Environment monitoring telephone network system according to claim 1, characterized by using the infrastructures of the public telephone network as means for transmitting data received from the detecting and transmitting units (16).

6. Environment monitoring telephone network system according to claim 1, characterized in that the infrastructures of a private geographical telephone network are used as means for transmitting data received from the detecting and transmitting units (16).

7. Environment monitoring telephone network system according to claim 1, characterized in that the infrastructures of a local telephone network are used as means for transmitting data received from the detecting and transmitting units (16).

8. Environment monitoring telephone network system according to the claim 1, characterized in that the autonomous power supply of the sensor set (1) in the detecting and transmitting unit (16) is obtained by using a rechargeable battery (23), said detecting and transmitting unit (16) being programmed for a discontinues cyclical activation, in order to recover and store energy during the inactivity period, and to supply this energy in the activity period.