Method and apparatus for addressing different data points from a central station

Claim 1

A system for accessing plural groups of data points, each group of data points being located at different stations, comprising: a central unit including a transceiver apparatus common to all stations for transmitting and receiving electrical signal frequencies, means coupled to the signal input of each station for discriminating between a particular combination of (n + 2) signal channels selected from a greater number N of signal channels allocated to said central unit, said transceiver apparatus including a transmitter circuit for transmitting to all of said stations combinations of (p + 1) channel signals selected from said N channels and for subsequently transmitting thereto at least one combination of p channel signals selected from the n channel signals assigned to said one station: first selecting means at each station responsive to one predetermined combination of (p + 1) signals for causing said one station to receive said at least one combination of p channel signals, second selecting means at each station responsive to said at least one combination of p signals so as to select a certain data point in said one station; said transceiver apparatus also including a receiver circuit for signals transmitted by the selected data point, and a second transceiver apparatus at said data point for transmitting information to said receiver circuit in response to said p channel signals, wherein the information transmitted by said second transceiver of the selected data point to said receiver circuit is a frequency-modulated electrical signal representative of a parameter measured by that point, and means coupled to said receiver circuit for converting said frequency-modulated signal into a representative digital signal.

Claim 2

A system for accessing plural groups of data points, each group of data points being located at different stations, comprising: a central unit including a transceiver apparatus common to all stations for transmitting and receiving electrical signal frequencies, means coupled to the signal input of each station for discriminating between a particular combination of (n + 2) signal channels selected from a greater number N of signal channels allocated to said central unit, said transceiver apparatus including a transmitter circuit for transmitting to all of said stations combinations of (p + 1) channel signals selected from said N channels and for subsequently transmitting thereto at least one combination of p channel signals selected from the n channel signals assigned to said one station: first selecting means at each station responsive to one predetermined combination of (p + 1) signals for causing said one station to receive said at least one combination of p channel signals, second selecting means at each station responsive to said at least one combination of p signals so as to select a certain data point in said one station; said transceiver apparatus also including a receiver circuit for signals transmitted by the selected data point, and a second transceiver apparatus at said data point for transmitting information to said receiver circuit in response to said p channel signals, wherein the information transmitted by said second transceiver of the selected data point to said receiver circuit is a frequency-modulated electrical signal representative of a parameter measured by that point, and means coupled to said receiver circuit for converting said frequency-modulated signal into a representative digital signal.

Claim 3

A system for accessing plural groups of data points, each group of data points being located at different stations, comprising: a central unit including a transceiver apparatus common to all stations for transmitting and receiving electrical signal frequencies, means coupled to the signal input of each station for discriminating between a particular combination of (n + 2) signal channels selected from a greater number N of signal channels allocated to said central unit, said transceiver apparatus including a transmitter circuit for transmitting to all of said stations combinations of (p + 1) channel signals selected from said N channels and for subsequently transmitting thereto at least one combination of p channel signals selected from the n channel signals assigned to said one station; first selecting means at each station responsive to one predetermined combination of (p + 1) signals for causing said one station to receive said at least one combination of p channel signals, second selecting means at each station responsive to said at least one combination of p signals so as to select a certain data point in said one station; said transceiver apparatus also including a receiver circuit for signals transmitted by the selected data point, and a second transceiver apparatus at said data point for transmitting information to said receiver circuit in response to said p channel signals, wherein said second transceiver of the selected data point transmits information in digital form to said receiver circuit, means coupled to said receiver circuit for translating the digital informAtion into binary-coded form, and a memory unit coupled to the translating means for storing the binary information at a memory address corresponding to the location of the data point from which the information is received.

Claim 4

A system for accessing plural groups of data points, each group of data points being located at different stations, comprising: a central unit including a transceiver apparatus common to all stations for transmitting and receiving electrical signal frequencies, means coupled to the signal input of each station for discriminating between a particular combination of (n + 2) signal channels selected from a greater number N of signal channels allocated to said central unit, said transceiver apparatus including a transmitter circuit for transmitting to all of said stations combinations of (p + 1) channel signals selected from said N channels and for subsequently transmitting thereto at least one combination of p channel signals selected from the n channel signals assigned to said one station; first selecting means at each station responsive to one predetermined combination of (p + 1) signals for causing said one station to receive said at least one combination of p channel signals, second selecting means at each station responsive to said at least one combination of p signals so as to select a certain data point in said one station; said transceiver apparatus also including a receiver circuit for signals transmitted by the selected data point, and a second transceiver apparatus at said data point for transmitting information to said receiver circuit in response to said p channel signals, wherein said second transceiver of the selected data point transmits information in digital form to said receiver circuit, means coupled to said receiver circuit for translating the digital informAtion into binary-coded form, and a memory unit coupled to the translating means for storing the binary information at a memory address corresponding to the location of the data point from which the information is received.

Claim 5

A system for accessing plural groups of data points, each group of data points being located at different stations, comprising: a central unit including a transceiver apparatus common to all stations for transmitting and receiving electrical signal frequencies, means coupled to the signal input of each station for discriminating between a particular combination of (n + 2) signal channels selected from a greater number N of signal channels allocated to said central unit, said transceiver apparatus including a transmitter circuit for transmitting to all of said stations combinations of (p + 1) channel signals selected from said N channels and for subsequently transmitting thereto at least one combination of p channel signals selected from the n channel signals assigned to said one station; first selecting means at each station responsive to one predetermined combination of (p + 1) signals for causing said one station to receive said at least one combination of p channel signals, second selecting means at each station responsive to said at least one combination of p discriminated signals so as to select a certain data point in said one station; said transceiver apparatus also including a receiver circuit for signals transmitted by the selected data point, and a second transceiver apparatus at said data point for transmitting information to said receiver circuit in response to said p channel signals, wherein conductor means connects said transceiver apparatus to all of said stations, and wherein the addressed data points receive and transmit by means of said conductor.

Claim 6

A system for accessing plural groups of data points, each group of data points being located at different stations, comprising: a central unit including a transceiver apparatus common to all stations for transmitting and receiving electrical signal frequencies, means coupled to the signal input of each station for discriminating between a particular combination of (n + 2) signal channels selected from a greater number N of signal channels allocated to said central unit, said transceiver apparatus including a transmitter circuit for transmitting to all of said stations combinations of (p + 1) channel signals selected from said N channels and for subsequently transmitting thereto at least one combination of p channel signals selected from the n channel signals assigned to said one station; first selecting means at each station responsive to one predetermined combination of (p + 1) signals for causing said one station to receive said at least one combination of p channel signals, second selecting means at each station responsive to said at least one combination of p discriminated signals so as to select a certain data point in said one station; said transceiver apparatus also including a receiver circuit for signals transmitted by the selected data point, and a second transceiver apparatus at said data point for transmitting information to said receiver circuit in response to said p channel signals, wherein conductor means connects said transceiver apparatus to all of said stations, and wherein the addressed data points receive and transmit by means of said conductor.

Claim 7

A system for accessing plural groups of data points, each group of data points being located at different stations, comprising: a central unit including a transceiver apparatus common to all stations for transmitting and receiving electrical signal frequencies, means coupled to the signal input of each station for discriminating between a particular combination of (n + 2) signal channels selected from a greater number N of signal channels allocated to said central unit, said transceiver apparatus including a transmitter circuit for transmitting to all of said stations combinations of (p + 1) channel signals selected from said N channels and for subsequently transmitting thereto at least one combination of p channel signals selected from the n channel signals assigned to said one station first selecting means at each station responsive to one predetermined combination of (p + 1) signals for causing said one station to receive said at least one combination of p signals so as to select a certain data point in said one station; said transceiver apparatus also including a receiver circuit for signals transmitted by the selected data point, and a second transceiver apparatus at said data point for transmitting information to said receiver circuit in response to said p channel signals, wherein the means coupled to the input of each station comprises (n + 2) number of filters.

Claim 8

A system for accessing plural groups of data points, each group of data points being located at different stations, comprising: a central unit including a transceiver apparatus common to all stations for transmitting and receiving electrical signal frequencies, means coupled to the signal input of each station for discriminating between a particular combination of (n + 2) signal channels selected from a greater number N of signal channels allocated to said central unit, said transceiver apparatus including a transmitter circuit for transmitting to all of said stations combinations of (p + 1) channel signals selected from said N channels and for subsequently transmitting thereto at least one combination of p channel signals selected from the n channel signals assigned to said one station first selecting means at each station responsive to one predetermined combination of (p + 1) signals for causing said one station to receive said at least one combination of p signals so as to select a certain data point in said one station; said transceiver apparatus also including a receiver circuit for signals transmitted by the selected data point, and a second transceiver apparatus at said data point for transmitting information to said receiver circuit in response to said p channel signals, wherein the means coupled to the input of each station comprises (n + 2) number of filters.

Claim 12

A method for selectively acquiring at a central electrical signal transmitting and receiving station information obtainable from groups of data sources in electrical communication with different ones of plural substations, the substations also being in electrical communication with the central station, comprising the steps of: assigning each substation a number (n + 2) of predetermined signal channels selected from a larger number N of signal channels allocated to the central station, transmitting from said central station (p + 1) number of signals selected from said (n +2) channels to address a selected one of said substations, and thereafter transmitting from said central station different combinations of p number of signals to address different ones of said data sources in communication with the addressed one of said substations, selecting one channel from said (n + 2) channels to obtain an address signal channel common to all combinations of (p + 1) signals constituting the address signals of the different substations, discriminating at each of said substations between signal translated in the common address channel and signals translated in other channels, selecting another channel from said (n + 2) channels, discriminating at each of said substations between signals translated in said signal inhibiting channel and signals translated in the other channels comprising the (n + 2) channels, transmitting data from said addressed data source to said central station, and selecting two of said N channels for said common address and said common inhibiting channels.

Claim 13

A method for selectively acquiring at a central electrical signal transmitting and receiving station information obtainable from groups of data sources in electrical communication with different ones of plural substations, the substations also being in electrical communication with the central station, comprising the steps of: assigning each substation a number (n + 2) of predetermined signal channels selected from a larger number N of signal channels allocated to the central station, transmitting from said central station (p + 1) number of signals selected from said (n +2) channels to address a selected one of said substations, and thereafter transmitting from said central station different combinations of p number of signals to address different ones of said data sources in communication with the addressed one of said substations, selecting one channel from said (n + 2) channels to obtain an address signal channel common to all combinations of (p + 1) signals constituting the address signals of the different substations, discriminating at each of said substations between signal translated in the common address channel and signals translated in other channels, selecting another channel from said (n + 2) channels, discriminating at each of said substations between signals translated in said signal inhibiting channel and signals translated in the other channels comprising the (n + 2) channels, transmitting data from said addressed data source to said central station, and selecting two of said N channels for said common address and said common inhibiting channels.