EP0245606A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic/remote RF instrument reading system
Assignee: Itron Inc
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Filing: 1987-03-13
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-03-13
Abstract
Abstract An improved automatic/remote RF instrument monitoring system (10) including a plurality of transponders (14A-14C) configured to operate with one of a plurality of parameter sensing instruments (12A-12C) remotely located from an interrogate/receiver (18). The interrogate/receiver (18) transmits RF transponder activation signals in the form of a tone modulated onto a carrier. In response to the activation signals, the transponders (14A-14C) "wake-up" and transmit an RF transponder signal which is received and processed by the interrogate/receiver (18). The transponders (14A-14C) include a transmission enable circuit which initiates transmission of the RF transponder signals at random times after receipt of the activation signals. The RF transponder signals are formed by a plurality of spaced transponder information packets. Transponder information packets of the transponder signal are transmitted at pseudorandom frequencies as a Manchester encoded bit stream including a preamble field of predetermined preamble data, an instrument parameter field of data sensed by the instrument, an instrument identification field of instrument identification data, and an error control code field of BCH error control code data.
Inventors
- 👤 Mervin Lee Grindahl
- 👤 Quentin Scott Denzene
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 23:14
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01D; G01D4/00; G01D4/002; G01D4/006; G08; G08C; G08C15/00; G08C25/00; Y; Y02; Y02B; Y02B90/00; Y02B90/20; Y04; Y04S; Y04S20/00; Y04S20/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
175 words
An RF transponder for use in an automatic/remote instrument monitoring system of the type having a plurality of such RF transponders configured to operate with at least one of a plurality of parameter sensing instruments remotely located from an interrogate/receiver which transmits an RF energizing signal to the transponders and which receives and processes RF transponder signals transmitted from the transponders, the transponder signals formed by a plurality of transponder information packets which are transmitted at different frequencies within a predetermined frequency bandwidth, each transponder information packet including a plurality of fields of data including a preamble field of predetermined preamble data, instrument identification field of instrument identification data, and an instrument parameter field of parameter data representative of a parameter sensed by the instrument; the transponder comprising error control coding means for error control coding at leaat a portion of the fields of data including the preamble field data, instrument identification field data, and parameter field data, and producing a field of error control cede data which is included within each transponder information packet.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
175 words
An RF transponder for use in an automatic/remote instrument monitoring system of the type having a plurality of such RF transponders configured to operate with at least one of a plurality of parameter sensing instruments remotely located from an interrogate/receiver which transmits an RF energizing signal to the transponders and which receives and processes RF transponder signals transmitted from the transponders, the transponder signals formed by a plurality of transponder information packets which are transmitted at different frequencies within a predetermined frequency bandwidth, each transponder information packet including a plurality of fields of data including a preamble field of predetermined preamble data, instrument identification field of instrument identification data, and an instrument parameter field of parameter data representative of a parameter sensed by the instrument; the transponder comprising error control coding means for error control coding at leaat a portion of the fields of data including the preamble field data, instrument identification field data, and parameter field data, and producing a field of error control cede data which is included within each transponder information packet.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The RF transponder of claim 1 wherein the error control coding means comprises cyclic error control coding means for providing an error control code field of cyclic error control code data.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The RF transponder or claim 2 wherein the oyclio error control coding means comprises BCH error control coding means for providing an error control code field of BCH error control code data.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
A. The RF transponder of claim 3 wherein the BCH error control coding means provides an error control code field of shortened 255, 239, 2 BCH error control code data.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
The RF transponder of claim 4 wherein the shortened B CH error control code is generated by the polynomial P(X)=1+X+X 5 +X 6 +X 8 +X 9 +X 10 + X 11 +X 13 +X 14 +X 16 .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
The RF transponder of claims 1 to 5 and further including transmission encoding means coupled to receive the transponder information packets for providing transmission encoded transponder information packets in the form of bit streams of data.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The RF transponder of claim 6 wherein the transmission encoding means comprises Manchester transmission encoding means for Manchester encoding the transponder information packet and producing a Manchester encoded bit stream of data.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The BF transponder of claim 7 wherein the transmission encoding means comprises Manchester I transmission encoding means for producing a Manchester I encoded bit stream of data.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
The RF transponder of claims 1 to 8 and further including - transmission enable means for receiving an RF activation signal from ' an interrogate/receiver and for randomly initiating transmission of the transponder signal in response thereto.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
121 words
An RF transponder for use in an automatic/remote instrument monitoring system of the type having a plurality of such RF transponders configured to operate with at least one of a plurality of parameter sensing instruments remotely located from an interrogate/receiver which transmits an RF energizing signal to the transpondars and which receives and processes RF transponder signals transmitted by a transmitter of the transponders, the transponder signals formed by a plurality of transponder information packets. each including parameter data representative of a parameter sensed by the instrument; the transponder comprising pseudorandom transmission frequency varying means for pseudorandomly varying a frequency of the RF transponder signal such that the transponder information packets are transmitted at pseudorandom frequencies within a determined frequency bandwidth.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
121 words
An RF transponder for use in an automatic/remote instrument monitoring system of the type having a plurality of such RF transponders configured to operate with at least one of a plurality of parameter sensing instruments remotely located from an interrogate/receiver which transmits an RF energizing signal to the transpondars and which receives and processes RF transponder signals transmitted by a transmitter of the transponders, the transponder signals formed by a plurality of transponder information packets. each including parameter data representative of a parameter sensed by the instrument; the transponder comprising pseudorandom transmission frequency varying means for pseudorandomly varying a frequency of the RF transponder signal such that the transponder information packets are transmitted at pseudorandom frequencies within a determined frequency bandwidth.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
68 words
The RF transponder of claim 10 wherein the transmission frequency varying means includes pseudorandom number generator means for producing digital signals representative of a pseudorandom sequence of values and digital-to-analog converter means connected to the pseudorandom number ganarator means for: converting the digital signals to analog signals of pseudorandom magnitude which cantrol the frequencies at which the transponder information packets are transmitted by the transmitter of the transpondar.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The RF transponder of claim 11 wherein the pseudorandom number generator means is a state machine formed by digital logic elements.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
89 words
An RF transponder for use in an automatic/remote instrument monitoring system of the type having a plurality of RF transponders configured to operate with at least one of a plurality of parameter sensing instruments remotely located from an interrogate/receiver which transmits an RF activation signal to the transponders and which receives and processes RF transponder signals transmitted from the transponders in response to the activation signal; the transponder comprising enable circuit means for initiating transmission of the transponder signals at a random time upon receipt of the activation signal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
89 words
An RF transponder for use in an automatic/remote instrument monitoring system of the type having a plurality of RF transponders configured to operate with at least one of a plurality of parameter sensing instruments remotely located from an interrogate/receiver which transmits an RF activation signal to the transponders and which receives and processes RF transponder signals transmitted from the transponders in response to the activation signal; the transponder comprising enable circuit means for initiating transmission of the transponder signals at a random time upon receipt of the activation signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
130 words
The transponder of claim 13 wherein the enable circuit means includes RF detector means for receiving the RF activation signal from the interrogate/receiver, detecting the activation signal, and for producing a datactor signal representative thereof, timing means for timing integration periods, wherein the integration periods of the transponders are randomly skewed with respect to each other, integrator means operatively coupled to the timing means and the RF detector means for intagrating the detector signal over the integration periods and producing an integrator output signal fepresentative of an integral of the detector signal, and comparator means for comparing the integrator output signal to'a threshold value and for producing a transponder enable signal initiating transmission of the transponder signals if the integrator output signal attains the threshold value during an integration period.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
The transponder of claim 14 wherein the interrogate/receiver transmits an RF activation signal in the form of a tone amplitude modulated onto an RF carrier, and the RF detector means comprises amplitude modulation detector means..
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
38 words
The transponder of claim 14 wherein the interrogate/receiver transmits an RF activation signal in the form of a tone modulated onto an RF carrier, and the RF detector means produces a detector signal representative of the detected tone.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
The transponder of claims 14 to 16 wherein the comparator means compares the integrator output signal to a threshold value representative of an RF activation signal having a duration of approximately 75% over the integration period.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
36 words
The transponder of claims 14 to 16 wherein the comparator means produces the transponder enable signal at an end of the integration periods if the integrator output signal attains the threshold value during the integration periods.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
71 words
The transponder of claims 14 to 16 and further including switch means intermediate the integrator means and the comparator means and responsive to the timing means for switchably interconnecting the integrator means to the comparator means at an end of the integration periods, thereby causing the comparator means to produce the transponder enable signal at the end of the integration period if the integrator output signal has attained the threshold value.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
66 words
The transponder of claims 14 to 16 and further including flip-flop means having a clock input responsive to the timing means, a data input coupled to the comparator means, and a data output, the flip-flop means clocking the transponder enable signal to the data output at the end of the integration periods if the integrator output signal has attained the threshold value during the integration periods.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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