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Claims  |
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I claim:
1. In an automated telemetry paging system for providing remote pager
notification of deviations in selected operating parameters measured at a
specific site location wherein indication of each of the selected
parameters and the unacceptable deviation therefrom is provided in the
form of a plurality of electrical status signals each representative of
one of the selected parameters, telephone company line connections to
telephone central switching equipment for dialing selected telephone
numbers is provided at the site location, and pager network communications
equipment is provided that is in communication with the telephone central
switching equipment and in communication with a plurality of paging
devices, a remote telemetry unit located at the site location comprising
a programmed microprocessor including
data input/output means,
memory means,
a central processing unit (CPU), and
a real time clock,
status signal receiving means for receiving and isolating the received
electrical status signals, said receiving means isolating said received
signals for eliminating short duty-cycle over-voltage signals and shaping
said received signals into digital signals representative of said received
status signals, said digital signals applied as inputs to said
input/output means,
interrogation means controlled by said CPU and cooperating with said real
time clock for continuously scanning said digital status signals applied
to said input/output means at a predetermined rate,
discrimination means controlled by said CPU for reading and comparing said
digital status signals applied to said input/output means against a
current status signal reference stored in said memory means and in
response to detecting a deviation therefrom initiating a time delay prior
to again reading and comparing said digital status signals against said
current status signal reference, and if said second comparison after said
time delay detects a deviation from said reference signalling said CPU of
the presence of a valid status signal indicating an unacceptable parameter
deviation,
formatting means controlled by said CPU for reading said digital status
signals, correlating said digital signals with a message table
preprogrammed into said memory means and converting said digital status
signals appearing at said input/output means into a digital status message
of a preselected format that is representative of the identification of
the specific site location and successive codes indicating the parameters
that have reached an unacceptable deviation,
digital to multiple frequency (DTMF) conversion means for converting said
digital status message generated by said formatting means to audio
frequency signals for transmission over the telephone lines to said paging
network equipment,
and
telephone interface means for interfacing between said DTMF conversion
means and the telephone company line interconnected to the telephone
central switching equipment for applying audio frequency telephone signals
to the telephone lines for application to said telephone central switching
equipment and the pager network equipment,
wherein said CPU in response to said formatted digital status message reads
digital signals stored in said memory means representative of a
preselected number of pager telephone numbers and applies said digital
signals in serial order to said DTMF conversion means for converting said
signals representative of said pager telephone numbers to audio frequency
signals for application through said telephone interface means and the
telephone central switching equipment directly to the paging network
equipment for automatically and sequentially dialing said preselected
pager telephone numbers, and
wherein said CPU further applies said digital status message in serial
order to said DTMF conversion means for converting said digital signals to
audio frequency signals for transmission over the telephone lines to the
pager network equipment for broadcast to the paging devices for
alphanumeric display and said digital status message therein in said
preselected message format.
2. The remote telemetry unit as described in claim 1, wherein said CPU
applies said digital status message signals to said DTMF conversion means
only after receiving audio tone signals from the pager network equipment
that the complete pager telephone number has been dialed and the pager is
accessed.
3. The remote telemetry unit as described in claim 1, wherein said CPU
automatically dials each of said preselected pager telephone numbers a
predetermined number of times.
4. The remote telemetry unit as described in claim 1, wherein said memory
means may be programmed to receive data representative of the selected
deviation parameters for temporarily masking preselected ones of said
deviation parameters during interrogation by said interrogation means.
5. The remote telemetry unit as described in claim 1, wherein said
formatting means formats both single digit and multiple digit status codes
for use in establishing said digital status message.
6. The remote telemetry unit as described in claim 1, wherein said current
status signal reference is the last such status determined for each
parameter and reported in a digital status message to said pagers and then
stored in said memory means.
7. The remote telemetry unit as described in claim 1, wherein said status
signal receiving means includes an optical coupling circuit means
responsive to said received input status signals for optically isolating
and limiting any spurious electrical spikes and over-voltage signals
present in said received input status signals.
8. The remote telemetry unit as described in claim 7, wherein said status
signal receiving means further includes an isolated source of electrical
power for said optical coupling circuit means, and wherein said optical
coupling circuit means acts as the load for said isolated power supply for
causing said spurious electrical spikes and over-voltage signals to be
routed to said isolated source of electrical power for absorbing such
short-duty cycle over-voltage signals.
9. The remote telemetry means as described in claim 1, wherein said DTMF
conversion means comprises a DTMF transceiver circuit.
10. The remote telemetry unit as described in claim 1, wherein said
telephone interface means includes relay controlled hook-switch contacts
for selectively interconnecting said DTMF conversion means audio frequency
output signals to the telephone lines, said relay operable in response to
an electrical control signal received from said CPU.
11. The remote telemetry unit as described in claim 1, wherein said time
delay introduced by said discrimination means after the detection of a
deviate status signal is preselected based on the characteristics of the
means providing said electrical signals indicative of the measured
parameter as well as the characteristics of the selected operating
parameters and is a substantially long time period as compared to
successive clock pulses.
12. The remote telemetry unit as described in claim 1, wherein the
electrical status signals representative of the selected parameters and
unacceptable deviation therefrom are provided by dry-contact switch
closures the opening and closing thereof being indicative of said selected
parameter and the unacceptable deviation therefrom.
13. In a telemetry paging system for providing remote pager notification of
deviations in selected operating parameters measured at a specific site
location wherein indication of each of the selected parameters and the
unacceptable deviation therefrom is provided in the form of a plurality of
electrical status signal each representative of one of the selected
parameters, telephone company line connections to telephone central
switching equipment for dialing selected telephone numbers is provided at
the site location, and pager network communications equipment is provided
that is in communication with the telephone central switching equipment
and in communication with a plurality of paging devices, the improvement
comprising
telemetry means located at said site location and receiving said electrical
status signals indicative of each of the selected parameters and any
unacceptable deviation therefrom and in response thereto generating a
status message identifying the remote site location and codes for
indicating the deviated parameters and generating telephone audio
tone messages representative of the status message for communicating with
telephone computer switching and paging equipment, wherein said telemetry
means comprises,
status signal receiving means for receiving and isolating the signals
received from said status means, said status signal receiving means
isolating said signals for protecting said telemetry means from any
spurious electrical spikes and over-voltage signal inputs,
a programmed microprocessor (MPU) including a programmable expanded memory
means, and
digital to multiple frequency (DTMF) conversion means for converting
digital status message signals generated by said MPU to audio frequency
signals for transmission over the telephone lines,
and
telephone interface means for interfacing between said digital to multiple
frequency conversion means and the telephone company line interconnected
to the telephone office switching equipment in response to control signals
from said MPU for interconnecting audio frequency telephone signals to the
telephone lines for application to said telephone company switching
equipment and the pager network equipment,
wherein said MPU interrogates said received electrical status signals at a
predetermined rate functionally related to the MPU clock rate and in
response to the occurrence of a deviate status signal introducing a
predetermined time delay before further interrogating said status signals
for comparison with a previously determined status reference maintained in
said MPU memory for determining whether said deviate status signal is an
unacceptable parametric deviation, wherein said MPU in response to
determining that an unacceptable status signal deviation has occurred
generates a digital status message identifying the remote site location
and the selected parametric deviation, and wherein said MPU energizes said
telephone interface means when said digital stats message is completed and
dials preselected pager telephone numbers stored in said expanded
programmable memory means through the telephone central switching
equipment and pager network equipment, and wherein said MPU further
applies digital signals representative of said digital status message to
said DTMF conversion means for converting said digital signals to audio
frequency signals for transmission over the telephone lines to the pager
network equipment for broadcast to the pager devices for displaying said
digital status message therein.
14. The remote telemetry means as described in claim 13, wherein said MPU
further automatically and sequentially dials said preselected number of
remote pager telephone numbers stored in said expanded programmable memory
means by applying digital signals representative of said telephone numbers
to said DTMF conversion means for converting said digital signals to
telephone audio tone dialing signals.
15. The remote telemetry means as described in claim 13, wherein said MPU
applies said digital signals representative of said digital status message
to said DTMF conversion means only after receiving audio tone signals from
the pager network equipment that the complete pager telephone number has
been dialed and the pager is accessed.
16. The remote telemetry means as described in claim 13, wherein said MPU
automatically dials each of said preselected pager telephone numbers a
preselected number of times.
17. The remote telemetry means as described in claim 13, wherein data
representative of selected deviation parameters that are to be temporarily
ignored at the site location is programmed into the MPU programmable
memory for masking said selected deviation parameters during the MPU
interrogation of said input electrical status signals.
18. The remote telemetry means as described in claim 13, wherein said MPU
formats both single digit and multiple digit status codes for use in
building said digital status message.
19. The remote telemetry means as described in claim 13, wherein said
previously determined status reference is the last such status determined
for each parameter and reported in a status message to said pagers and
then stored in digital form in said MPU.
20. The remote telemetry means as described in claim 13, wherein said
status signal receiving means includes an optical coupling circuit means
responsive to said received input status signals for optically isolating
and limiting any spurious electrical spikes and over-voltage signals
present in said received input status signals.
21. The remote telemetry means as described in claim 20, wherein said
status signal receiving means further includes an isolated source of
electrical power for said optical coupling circuit means, and wherein said
optical coupling circuit means acts as the load for said isolated power
supply for causing said spurious electrical spikes and over-voltage
signals to be routed to said isolated source of electrical power for
absorbing such short-duty cycle over-voltage signals.
22. The remote telemetry means as described in claim 13, wherein said DTMF
conversion means comprises a DTMF transceiver circuit.
23. The remote telemetry unit as described in claim 13, wherein said
telephone interface means includes relay controlled hook-switch contacts
for selectively interconnecting said DTMF conversion means audio frequency
output signals to the telephone lines, said relay operable in response to
an electrical control signal received from said MPU.
24. The remote telemetry unit as described in claim 13, wherein said time
delay introduced by said discrimination means after the detection of a
deviate status signal is preselected based on the characteristics of the
means providing said electrical signals indicative of the measured
parameter as well as the characteristics of the selected operating
parameters and is a substantially long time period as compared to
successive clock pulses.
25. The remote telemetry unit as described in claim 13, wherein the
electrical status signals representative of the selected parameters and
unacceptable deviation therefrom are provided by dry-contact switch
closures the opening and closing thereof being indicative of said selected
parameter and the unacceptable deviation therefrom.
26. In an automated telemetry system for providing remote notification of
deviations in selected operating parameters measured at a specific site
location wherein indication of each of the selected parameters and the
unacceptable deviation therefrom is provided in the form of a plurality of
electrical status signals each representative of one of the selected
parameters, telephone company line connections to telephone control
switching equipment for dialing selected telephone numbers is provided at
the site location, and communications equipment is provided that is in
communication with the telephone central switching equipment for providing
remote notification of the parameter deviations on a real time basis, a
remote telemetry unit (RTU) located at the site location comprising
a programmed microprocessor including
data input/output means,
memory means,
a central processing unit (CPU), and
a real time clock,
dry-contact switch closures the opening and closure thereof being
indicative of said selected operating parameters and the unacceptable
deviation therefrom for generating electrical status signals
representative thereof,
status signal receiving means for receiving and isolating the received
electrical status signals, said receiving means including optical coupling
circuit means responsive to said received input status signals for
optically isolating and limiting any spurious electrical spikes and short
duty-cycle over-voltage signals present in said received input status
signals, said receiving means shaping said received signals into digital
signals representative of said received status signals and applying said
digital signals as inputs to said data input/output means, said status
signal receiving means further including an isolated source of electrical
power for said optical coupling circuit means and wherein said optical
coupling circuit means acts as the load for said isolated power supply for
causing said spurious electrical spikes and over-voltage signals to be
routed to said isolated source of electrical power for absorbing such
short-duty cycle over-voltage signals,
interrogation means controlled by said CPU and cooperating with said real
time clock for continuously scanning said digital status signals applied
to said data input/output means at a predetermined rate,
wherein data representative of selected deviation parameters that are to be
temporarily ignored at the site location is programmed to said RTU memory
means for masking said selected deviation parameters during interrogation
by said interrogation means,
discrimination means controlled by said CPU for reading and comparing said
digital status signals applied to said input/output means against a
current status signal reference stored in said memory means and in
response to detecting a deviation therefrom initiating a time delay prior
to again reading and comparing said digital status signals against said
current status signal reference, and if said second comparison after said
time delay detects a deviation from said reference, signaling said CPU of
the presence of a valid status signal indicating an unacceptable parameter
deviation, wherein said time delay is preselected based on the
characteristics of the dry-contact switch closure providing said
electrical signals indicative of the selected measured parameters as well
as the characteristics of the operating parameters and is a substantially
long time period as compared to successive clock pulses.
formatting means controlled by said CPU for reading said digital status
signals, correlating said digital signals with a message table
preprogrammed into said memory means and converting said digital status
signals appearing at said input/output means into a digital status message
of a preselected format that is representative of the identification of
the specific location and successive codes indicating the parameters that
have reached an unacceptable deviation, said formatting means formatting
both single digital and multiple status codes for use in establishing said
digital status message,
digital to multiple frequency conversion means for converting said digital
status message generated by said formatting means to audio frequency
signals for transmission over the telephone lines to said communications
equipment, and
telephone interface means for interfacing between said DTMF conversion
means and the telephone company line interconnected to the telephone
central switching equipment and including relay controlled hook-switch
contacts for selectively interconnecting said DTMF conversion means audio
frequency output signals to said telephone lines for application to said
telephone central switching equipment and the communications equipment,
said relay operable in response to an electrical control signal received
from said CFU,
wherein said CPU in response to said formatted digital status message reads
digital signals stored in said memory means representative of preselected
telephone numbers and applies said digital signals in serial order to said
DTMF conversion means for converting said signals representative of said
telephone numbers to audio frequency signals for application through said
telephone interface means and the telephone central switching equipment
for automatically and sequentially dialing said telephone numbers for
reaching said communications equipment, and
wherein said CPU further applies said digital status message in serial
order to said DTMF conversion means for converting said digital signals to
audio frequency signals for transmission over the telephone lines to the
communications equipment for alphanumeric display of said digital status
message therein in said preselected message format.
27. The remote telemetry system as described in claim 26, wherein said
current status signal reference is the last such status determined for
each parameter and reported in a digital status message to said
communications equipment and then stored in said memory means.
28. The remote telemetry system as described in claim 26, wherein said DTMF
conversion means comprises a DTMF transceiver circuit.
29. A telemetry unit for providing notification to remote pager network
communications equipment of changes in selected operating parameters
measured at a specified site location wherein each of the selected
parameters and the changes therein are provided in the form of electrical
status signals representative thereof, including a telephone line
interconnected to telephone central switching equipment and interposed
between said telemetry unit and the remote communications equipment,
comprising
a programmed microprocessor, including
data input/output means,
memory means,
a central processing unit (CPU), and
a real time clock,
status signal receiving and isolating the received electrical status
signals, said receiving means including an optical coupling circuit means
responsive to said received input status signal for optically isolating
and limiting any spurious electrical spikes and short duty-cycle
over-voltage signals present in said received input status signals, said
receiving means shaping said received signals into digital signals
representative of said received status signals and applying said digital
signals as inputs to said input/output means, said status signal receiving
means further including an isolated source of electrical power for said
optical coupling circuit means and wherein said optical coupling circuit
means acts as the load for said isolated power supply for causing said
spurious electrical spikes and over-voltage signals to be routed to said
isolated source of electrical power for absorbing such short-duty cycle
over-voltage signals,
interrogation means controlled by said CPU and cooperating with said real
time clock for continuously scanning said digital status signals applied
to said input/output means at a predetermined rate,
wherein data representative of selected deviation parameters that are to be
temporarily ignored at the site location is programmed into said memory
means for masking said selected deviation parameters during interrogation
by said interrogation means,
discrimination means controlled by said CPU for reading and comparing said
digital status signals applied to said input/output means against a
current status signal reference stored in said memory means and in
response detecting a deviation therefrom initiating a time delay prior to
again reading and comparing said digital status signals against said
current status signal reference, and if said second comparison after said
time delay detects a deviation from said reference, signaling said CPU of
the presence of a valid status signal indicating an unacceptable parameter
deviation, wherein said time delay is preselected based on the
characteristics of the means providing said electrical signals indicative
of the selected measured parameters as well as the characteristics of the
operating parameters and is a substantially long time period as compared
to successive clock pulses,
formatting means controlled by said CPU for reading said digital status
signals, correcting said digital signals with a message table
preprogrammed into said memory means and converting said digital status
signals appearing at said input/output means into digital status message
of a preselected format that is representative of the identification of
the specific location and successive codes indicating the parameters that
have reached an unacceptable deviation, said formatting means formatting
both single digit and multiple digit status codes for use in establishing
said digital status message,
digital to multiple frequency (DTMF) conversion means for converting said
digital status message generated by said formatting means to audio
frequency signals for transmission over the telephone line to said remote
communications equipment, and
telephone interface means for interfacing between said DTMF conversion
means and the telephone company line interconnected to the telephone
central switching equipment and including relay controlled hook-switch
contacts for selectively interconnecting said DTMF conversion means audio
frequency output signals to said telephone line for application to the
remote pager network communications equipment, said relay operable in
response to an electrical control signal received from said CPU,
wherein said CPU in response to said formatted digital status message reads
digital signals stored in said memory means representative of a
preselected number of pager telephone numbers and applies said digital
signals in serial order to said DTMF conversion means for converting said
signals representative of said pager telephone numbers to audio frequency
signals for application through said telephone interface means and the
telephone central switching equipment directly to the pager network
communications equipment for automatically and sequentially dialing said
preselected pager telephone numbers, and
wherein said CPU further applies said digital status message in serial
order to said DTMF conversion means for converting said digital signals to
audio frequency signals for transmission over the telephone lines to the
pager network communications equipment for broadcast to the paging devices
for alphanumeric display of said digital status message therein in said
preselected message format, and
wherein said CPU automatically dials each of said pager telephone numbers a
preselected number of times.
30. The telemetry unit as described in claim 29, wherein said current
status signal reference is the last such status determined for each
parameter and reported in a digital status message out through said
communications means and then stored in said memory means.
31. The telemetry unit as described in claim 29, wherein said DTMF
conversion means comprises a DTMF transceiver circuit. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to paging telemetry systems, and particularly to an
automated telemetry paging system that provides an on-site telemetry unit
installed at a remote location for monitoring the status of selected
equipment or process parameters and automatically communicating with
selected remote telephone pager units to indicate the status of the
monitored parameters and any unacceptable deviation therefrom.
In many industrial applications, especially where equipment and processes
are located at remote geographical sites, it is not feasible to have
maintenance personnel on site around the clock, yet it is necessary to
monitor the operation of key equipment and process steps, including such
items as pumps, generators, pipe line flow rates, pressures, level
measurements, radio transmitting equipment, rotating equipment, mechanical
flow and flow rates, temperatures and temperature limits, security and
fire alarm systems, etc. The list of parameters and unacceptable
deviations therefrom is almost inexhaustible.
There have been many systems designed for remote monitoring, ranging from
monitoring at the remote site and radio telemetry communicating with a
company central office to the more recent computer telemetry
communications with central office, where maintenance or service personal
would be dispatched when an alarm situation was detected. Most existing
systems rely upon the central station concept where the primary mode of
processing data involves a fixed central station computer which in turn
imposes distinct limitations on "distributed" processing due to
topological constraints imposed by any such central computer station
configuration. In addition, such systems are elaborate and costly, often
requiring expensive radio and/or computer transmitting and receiving
equipment at both the remote site location and the central office
monitoring station Further, time delays were often encountered at the
central monitoring station in contacting supervisory and maintenance
personnel due to using a separate telephone and/or paging communication
system.
The automatic remote telemetry paging system herein disclosed obviates the
need for central station computers by offering true remote distributed
data processing means for allowing a broad range of topology choices in
the communications system comprising a remote telemetry unit that can
communicate directly with a human recipient through a pager or portable
receiver and thereby redefine the central function locality in terms of
the pagers which are in automatic direct communication with the remote
site being monitored at all times.
Accordingly, one primary feature of the present invention is to provide a
simple paging telemetry system that communicates directly over telephone
lines to paging network equipment to designated pager units associated
with selected supervisory and maintenance personnel.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide rapid wide area and
repeated notification of an alarm situation to key personnel.
Still another feature of the present invention is to provide fully
automatic dispatching of a coded pager message directly to key personnel
via telephone paging units without central office intervention.
Yet another feature of the present invention is to provide a remote
telemetry unit for on-site installation at the location for monitoring
that requires only customer provided signals indicative of the parameter
to be monitored, dedicated telephone lines and a source of electrical
power.
Still another feature of the present invention is the use of VLSI digital
logic and a machine code software program to keep the microprocessor
memory requirements to a minimum.
Another feature of the present invention is the ability to stack alarms as
they occur, even if a prior deviation alarm notification procedure has not
yet been completed, and then provide alarm notification on a LIFO basis.
Yet another feature of this invention is the ability of the remote
telemetry unit to transmit alarm messages and telemetry data to digital
and alphanumeric display pager units.
Still another feature of the present invention is to provide automatic
repeat dialing of selected pager numbers for insuring pager message
delivery.
Yet another feature of the present invention is the provision of
verification of the transmitted status message at the on-site remote
telemetry unit.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one primary principle of this invention, in a telemetry
paging system for providing remote pager notification of deviations in
selected operating parameters measured at a specific site location wherein
indication of each of the selected parameters and the unacceptable
deviation therefrom is provided in the form of electrical status signals
representative thereof, wherein telephone company connections to telephone
control switching equipment for dialing selected telephone numbers is
provided at the site location, and wherein pager network communications
equipment is provided that is ,in communication with the telephone central
switching equipment and in communication with a plurality of selected
paging devices, a remote telemetry unit is disclosed comprising, telemetry
means located at the site location and receiving the electrical status
signals indicative of each of the selected parameters and any unacceptable
deviation therefrom and in response thereto generating a status message
identifying the remote site location and codes for indicating the deviated
parameters and generating audio tone messages representative of the status
message for communicating with telephone computer switching and paging
equipment.
In accordance with another principle of the invention, the telemetry means
comprises, status signal receiving means for receiving and isolating the
signals received from the status means, the status signal receiving means
isolating the signals for protecting the telemetry means from any spurious
electrical spikes and over-voltage signal inputs, a programmed
microprocessor (MPU) including memory means for receiving the status
signals from the status signal receiving means, and digital to multiple
frequency (DTMF) conversion means interconnected to the MPU for converting
digital status message signals generated by the MPU to audio frequency
signals for transmission over the telephone lines, and telephone interface
means for interfacing between the digital to multiple frequency conversion
means and the telephone company line interconnected to the telephone
office switching equipment in response to control signals from the MPU for
interconnecting audio frequency telephone signals to the telephone lines
for application to the telephone company switching equipment and the pager
network equipment.
In accordance with another principle of this invention, the MPU
interrogates the received electrical status signals at a predetermined
rate functionally related to the MPU clock rate and in response to the
occurrence of a deviate status signal introduces a predetermined time
delay before further comparing the status signals for comparison with a
previously determined status reference maintained in the MPU memory for
determining whether a deviate status signal is an unacceptable parametric
deviation. The MPU in response to determining that an unacceptable status
signal deviation has occurred generates a digital status message
identifying the remote site location and the selected parametric
deviation, and then energizes the telephone interface means when the
digital status message is completed and dials preselected pager telephone
numbers stored in the memory means through the telephone central switching
equipment and pager network equipment. The MPU further applies digital
signals representative of the digital status message to the DTMF
conversion means for converting the digital signals to audio frequency
signals for transmission over the telephone lines to the pager network
equipment for broadcast to the pager devices for displaying the status
message therein in a preselected format.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the manner in which the above-recited advantages and features
of the invention are attained can be understood in detail, a more
particular description of the invention may be had by reference to
specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, which drawings form a part of this specification.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagr | | |
