Machine operating condition monitoring system
AssigneeMartin Marietta Corporation
InventorsArthur F. Goldsby, Frank J. Haberl, Satish K. Anand
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates to a system for monitoring the condition and operation of remotely located machines, such as coin-operated vending machines. In one embodiment, switches in each machine convert operating conditions into a binary digital word for that machine, which is stored temporarily. Such words for a plurality of machines are then transferred to a memory, whence they are retrieved, coded as to machine number and transmitted via telephone line to a control processing unit where the various machine conditions are recorded and displayed.
Claims7
A system for monitoring a plurality of machines having widely spaced locations comprising:
- a plurality of [binary] sensors connected to each machine;
- a plurality of local data storage and processing units, each corresponding to a separate group of machines and connected to every machine in that group;
- means to sequentially feed [binary] information from sensors in each machine of a group to said local data storage and processing unit corresponding to that group;
- comparison means in said local data storage and processing unit for comparing received sensor information with previous information received from the same sensor and determining and indicating the existence of a change;
- a central processing unit;
- scanning means for scanning said local data storage and processing units and selectively retrieving from them [only] changed information;
- and
- transmission means for transmitting said changed information to said central processing unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.