US 5,353,009 AGranted

Communication system

AssigneeCsir

InventorsMichael J. C. Marsh, Raymond C. Atkins, Trevor M. Hodson

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A communication system comprises a control station and a number of remote stations connected to the control station by a multi-conductor harness. The control station houses a computer and supplies the remote stations with electrical power, as well as communicating bidirectionally with the remote stations, via the harness. At each remote station, a sensor or other functional module is plugged into an interface. Communication circuitry receives data from and sends data to the control station. The remote station includes an identification device for storing a first code allocated to the remote station by the central computer which identifies the relative location of the remote station, as well as a second code generated at the remote station which identifies the function of the sensor or other functional module.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A communication system comprising a control station and a plurality of modular remote stations connected to the control station by a multi-conductor harness, the control station supplying the remote stations with electrical power and communicating bidirectionally with the remote stations via the harness and further being adapted to allocate address codes selectively to the remote stations and to store composite identification codes identifying both a location of each remote station and a function of sensors installed at each remote station;

each remote station comprising:
a functional module, selected from a plurality of different types of functional modules, the functional module including a sensor and a memory element which stores a sensor code indicating the function of the sensor;
communication means comprising communication circuitry for receiving data from and sending data to the control station;
and
an interface module arranged to function with any of said plurality of different types of functional module and removably connected by plug-in connector means to said functional module, the interface module supplying electrical power to the functional module, transferring data from the functional module to the communication means, and including identification means for retrieving the sensor code from said memory element of the functional module and for generating a composite identification code derived from the sensor code and from an address code allocated to the remote station by the control station and transmitted to the remote station via the harness, and data storage means for storing the composite identification code, so that each remote station is effectively identified both by a remotely allocated address code and a sensor code indicating the function of the sensor of the functional module installed at that remote station.

2 more elements

A communication system comprising a control station and a plurality of modular remote stations connected to the control station by a multi-conductor harness, the control station supplying the remote stations with electrical power and communicating bidirectionally with the remote stations via the harness and further being adapted to allocate address codes selectively to the remote stations by generating and transmitting respective address codes thereto via the harness, and to store composite identification codes identifying both the location of each remote station and the function of sensors installed at each remote station;

each remote station comprising:
a functional module, selected from a plurality of different types of functional modules, the functional module including a sensor and a memory element for storing a sensor code indicating the function of the sensor;
communication means comprising communication circuitry for receiving data from and sending data to the control station;
and
an interface module identical to the interface modules of other remote stations, arranged to function with any of said plurality of different types of functional module and removably connected by plug-in connector means to said functional module, the interface module including power supply means for supplying electrical power to the functional module, data transfer means for reading data from the functional module and for transferring the data read from the functional module to the communication means, identification means for generating a composite identification code derived from the sensor code and from the address code allocated to the remote station by the control station and transmitted to the remote station via the harness, and data storage means for storing the composite identification code, so that each remote station is effectively identified both by a remotely generated address code allocated thereto and a sensor code indicating the function of the sensor of the functional module installed at that remote station.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/087,123Filed 7 Jul 1993 · continuation
Priority: ZA 91/00774 Jan 1991
Granted: 4 Oct 1994
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

H04L 12/40013
Architecture of a communication node: details regarding a bus controller
G01D 3/10
Indicating or recording apparatus with provision for the special purposes referred to in the subgroups: with provision for switching-in of…
G06F 12/0676
With decentralised address assignment: the address being position dependent
H04L 12/10
Details: current supply arrangements

Family

Serial816,897Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Jan 1992
US 5,353,009 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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