Extendable synchronous low power telemetry system for distributed sensors

• US 9,571,908 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2014
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Minarik, Daniel B., Langelier, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Linda
• Application Number:
  US14/582,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20160182981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 375/211, 375/214, 375/215, 375/219, 375/222, 375/220, 37524026-24028, 375/285, 375/284, 375/278, 375/293, 375/295, 375/316, 375/324, 375/346, 375/340, 375354-376
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/36 Repeater circuits H04B3/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0094 Bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/38 Synchronous or start-stop systems, e.g. for Baudot code
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/044 using a single bit, e.g. start stop bit
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/04 Arrangements for synchronous operation

Abstract

a bidirectional repeater for repeating an electrical signal traversing a conductive line coupled between a gateway node and a sensor, the bidirectional repeater comprising a first input-output port coupled to the gateway node, a second input-output port coupled to the sensor, a first transceiver configured to receive a synchronization signal from the first input-output port and to transmit a resynchronized data signal to the first input-output port, a second transceiver configured to transmit the synchronization signal to the second input-output port and to receive a data signal from the second input-output port, and a repeater circuit coupled to the first and second transceivers and configured to pass through the synchronization signal, and to resynchronize the data signal to generate the resynchronized data signal.

Claims

1. A bidirectional repeater for repeating an electrical signal traversing a conductive line coupled between a gateway node and a sensor, the bidirectional repeater comprising:

a first input-output port coupled to the gateway node;

a second input-output port coupled to the sensor;

a first transceiver configured to receive a synchronization signal of a plurality of synchronization signals from the first input-output port and to transmit a resynchronized data signal to the first input-output port;

a second transceiver configured to transmit the synchronization signal to the second input-output port and to receive a data signal from the second input-output port; and

a repeater circuit coupled to the first and second transceivers and configured to pass through the synchronization signal without re-clocking the synchronization signal, and to resynchronize the data signal to generate the resynchronized data signal,

wherein an entirety of the resynchronized data signal occupies a time period between consecutive ones of the plurality of synchronization signals.

2. The bidirectional repeater of claim 1, wherein the repeater circuit comprises a timing control circuit that is configured to lock into a phase of the synchronization signal.

3. The bidirectional repeater of claim 1, wherein the repeater circuit is configured to resynchronize the data signal by re-clocking and regenerating the data signal.

4. The bidirectional repeater of claim 3, wherein re-clocking the data signal comprises shifting the data signal in time to start at a beginning of a next time slot.

5. The bidirectional repeater of claim 3, wherein the data signal comprises a serial, bidirectional, time division multiplexed data and is divided into a number of frames, each frame having a plurality of time slots.

6. The bidirectional repeater of claim 5, wherein a time slot of the plurality of time slots comprises a data bit.

7. The bidirectional repeater of claim 6, wherein regenerating the data signal comprises recreating the data bit to correct for noise and signal distortion.

8. The bidirectional repeater of claim 1, wherein the synchronization signal comprises a single pulse.

9. The bidirectional repeater of claim 1, wherein the repeater circuit is configured to pass through the synchronization signal without regenerating the synchronization signal.

10. The bidirectional repeater of claim 1, wherein the repeater circuit is further configured to lock into a phase of the synchronization signal.

11. The bidirectional repeater of claim 1, wherein the repeater is coupled to a plurality of sensors comprising the sensor, wherein the first input-output port is coupled to the gateway node through one or more sensors of the plurality of sensors.

12. A synchronous telemetry system comprising:

a cable comprising one or more conductive elements for conducting a synchronization signal of a plurality of synchronization signals;

a gateway node configured to supply the synchronization signal, and to receive a resynchronized data signal;

a repeater coupled to the cable, and configured to pass through the synchronization signal without re-clocking the synchronization signal;

a sensor coupled to the cable and configured to receive the synchronization signal, to measure a parameter in response to receiving the synchronization signal and to generate a data signal corresponding to the measured parameter; and

wherein the repeater is coupled between the gateway node and the sensor, and is further configured to re-clock and reconstruct the data signal to generate the resynchronized data signal,

wherein an entirety of the resynchronized data signal occupies a time period between consecutive ones of the plurality of synchronization signals.

13. The synchronous telemetry system of claim 12, wherein the one or more conductive elements comprise a pair of wires, and wherein the synchronization signal, the data signal, and the resynchronized data signal are differential signals transmitted over the pair of wires.

14. The synchronous telemetry system of claim 12, wherein the gateway node is further configured to supply electrical power to the sensor and repeater through the cable.

15. The synchronous telemetry system of claim 12, wherein the each of the sensor and repeater comprise a local power source.

16. The synchronous telemetry system of claim 12, wherein the synchronous telemetry system comprises a plurality of segments coupled in series, each segment comprising a plurality of sensors comprising the sensor and one or more repeaters comprising the repeater.

17. The synchronous telemetry system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of sensors concurrently measure parameters in response to receiving the synchronization signal.

18. The synchronous telemetry system of claim 12, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of an acoustic sensor, optical sensor, temperature sensor, and vibration sensor.

19. A method of repeating an electrical signal traversing a conductive line coupled between a gateway node and a sensor, the method comprising:

receive, by a repeater, a synchronization signal of a plurality of synchronization signals at a first input-output port of the repeater;

pass through, by the repeater, the synchronization signal, without re-clocking the synchronization signal, at a second input-output port of the repeater;

receive, by the repeater, a data signal at the second input-output port of the repeater;

resynchronize, by the repeater, the data signal to generate a resynchronized data signal; and

transmit, by the repeater, the resynchronized data signal at the first input-output port of the repeater,

wherein an entirety of the resynchronized data signal occupies a time period between consecutive ones of the plurality of synchronization signals.

20. The method of repeating an electrical signal according to claim 19, further comprising:

locking, by the repeater, into a phase of the synchronization signal.