Inductively-coupled signalling system

A signalling system to provide information from a carrier vehicle to a storage facility, comprising in combination with said vehicle and facility:

• (a) a device at said vehicle, for generating waveforms,
• (b) means for selecting two of said waveforms to correspond to a predetermined signal,
• (c) a two-part coupling, one part comprising means connected to said generating device for radiating the waveform energy therefrom, and the other part comprising means closely coupled to said radiating means, to pick up said radiated waveform energy,
• (d) holding means for normally maintaining said radiating and pick up means in close, operative proximity,
• (e) said holding means enabling a non-destructive separation of said waveform radiating and pick up means in response to the application of sufficient force to said coupling parts,
• (f) a cable connected to said pick up means, for carrying said picked up waveforms,
• (g) a waveform decoder at the said storage facility, associated with said cable for decoding the waveforms carried by the cable, and
• (h) a control device at said storage facility, responsive to said decoded waveforms.

A method of remotely monitoring at a product storage facility, digital information in the form of digital input signals that are generated on separate lines and which relate to multiple parameters characterizing a product-carrying vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• (a) applying said digital information on said separate lines to a waveform encoder so as to produce, for each possible combination of digital input signals, a unique pair of alternating current signals of different discrete frequencies,
• (b) applying said alternating current signals to a transmitting coil disposed on the vehicle,
• (c) physically positioning a receiving coil that is associated with the storage facility adjacent to the transmitting coil in inductively coupled relation thereto and in a force-release manner so as to enable a non-destructive separation of the coils to take place in the event that the vehicle is inadvertently driven off while the receiving coil is in its operative position adjacent to the transmitting coil, and
• (d) applying the received pair of alternating current signals to a tone decoder so as to produce, on multiple output lines thereof, combinations of digital levels which correspond uniquely with each combination pair of alternating current signals received, so as to indicate, at the storage facility, the parameters that characterize the vehicle.