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US5117219A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Smoke and fire detection system communication

Assignee: Pittway Corp
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Filing: 1990-01-30
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Granted: 1992-05-26
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Expires: 2010-01-30
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Abstract

Abstract A smoke and fire detection system wherein a central controller transmits data to remote transponders on a voltage supply line by pulse code modulation (PCM) of the supply voltage, and the transponders communicate with the controller by pulse width modulated (PWM) current pulses over the voltage supply line. A transmitter in the controller supplies a nominal operating voltage to the transponders and transmits a data word comprising a plurality of data bits to the transponders over the line. The transmitter generates each data bit by switching the voltage supplied to the line from the nominal operating voltage to a first voltage corresponding to a first logical level or a second voltage corresponding to a second logical level. A decoder in each transponder derives the transmitted data word. The decoder detects each data bit by detecting the transition from the nominal voltage to the first or second voltage, and the decoder determines the logical level of each bit by measuring the transmitted voltage level immediately after detecting the transition. The transponder returns data to the controller in the form of data signals, each data signal having a duration based on the data to be returned. With such arrangement, the transponders do not require a clock or other timing circuitry to communicate with the controller. Also, the controller may vary the data rate or bit duration without interfering with the operation of the transponders.

Inventors

  • 👤 Lee D. Tice
  • 👤 Todd W. Fritz
  • 👤 Mark A. Kilcommons

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-26 23:26
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04Q; H04Q9/00; H04Q9/14; G; G08; G08B; G08B26/00; G08B26/001; G08B26/002

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim 76 words
A circuit for providing an information carrying signal to a line comprising: means for providing an electrical signal to the line with a selected parameter representative of the information having a first value for a first predetermined period of time; and means, coupled to said providing means, for reducing said selected parameter of said signal to a second value still representative of the information, less than said first value, for a second predetermined period of time.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 76 words
A circuit for providing an information carrying signal to a line comprising: means for providing an electrical signal to the line with a selected parameter representative of the information having a first value for a first predetermined period of time; and means, coupled to said providing means, for reducing said selected parameter of said signal to a second value still representative of the information, less than said first value, for a second predetermined period of time.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 29 words
A circuit as in claim 1 wherein said providing means includes means for generating a current pulse of a first magnitude with the first magnitude representative of the information.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 37 words
A circuit as in claim 2 with said reducing means including energy storing means for reducing said magnitude of said current pulse to a second value with said second value of current still representative of the information.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 102 words
A circuit as in claim 1 coupled to a primal end o the line and a receiving circuit coupled to a distal end of the line, said receiving circuit coupled to a distal end of the line, said receiving circuit comprising: means for sensing an electrical signal having said first and said second values on the line; and means of filtering electrical transients from the sensed signal and for producing an output electrical signal having a singular value representative of the information for a third period of time substantially corresponding to a sum of said first and said second periods of time.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 17 words
A circuit as in claim 1 with said providing means including current pulse generating line driver circuitry.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 75 words
A circuit for reliably receiving an information carrying signal from a line in the presence of a noise transient on the line comprising: means, couplable to the line, for detecting a signal on he line; and means, coupled to said detecting means, for maintaining a selected signal parameter at a substantially constant value in the presence of extraneous transient signals, said means including means for increasing a selected noise minimizing current drawn from the line.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 75 words
A circuit for reliably receiving an information carrying signal from a line in the presence of a noise transient on the line comprising: means, couplable to the line, for detecting a signal on he line; and means, coupled to said detecting means, for maintaining a selected signal parameter at a substantially constant value in the presence of extraneous transient signals, said means including means for increasing a selected noise minimizing current drawn from the line.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 16 words
A circuit as in claim 6 with said signal detecting means including line current sensing means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 19 words
A circuit as in claim 7 with said increasing means including switching means coupled in parallel across said line.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 20 words
A circuit as in claim 6 including a transistor for floating the line with respect to a selected reference potential.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 105 words
A method of reliably sending information along a noisy communication lien from a sending end to a receiving end comprising: generating at the sending end an electrical signal having a first electrical value for a first time period and a second, electrical value, less than said first value, for a second time period with both electrical values representative of the information; sensing at the receiving end a received electrical signal corresponding to the generated signal; and processing the received signal and responsive thereto producing an output electrical signal having duration substantially equal to the sum of the first time interval plus the second time interval.
Claim 13
Independent Claim 105 words
A method of reliably sending information along a noisy communication lien from a sending end to a receiving end comprising: generating at the sending end an electrical signal having a first electrical value for a first time period and a second, electrical value, less than said first value, for a second time period with both electrical values representative of the information; sensing at the receiving end a received electrical signal corresponding to the generated signal; and processing the received signal and responsive thereto producing an output electrical signal having duration substantially equal to the sum of the first time interval plus the second time interval.
Claim 14
Independent Claim 119 words
An apparatus for reliably transmitting pulse width modulated electrical signals from a sending end to a receiving end of a transmission line comprising: a transmitter, couplable to the sending end, said transmitter including circuitry for generating a first electrical signal having a first value for a first period of time and a second electrical signal having a second value for a second period of time; and a receiver, couplable to the receiving end, said receiver including circuitry for ensuing said first and said second electrical signals and for generating a pulse width modulated output electrical signal having an output vale for a period of time substantially corresponding to the sum of said fist and said second periods of time.
Claim 15
Independent Claim 119 words
An apparatus for reliably transmitting pulse width modulated electrical signals from a sending end to a receiving end of a transmission line comprising: a transmitter, couplable to the sending end, said transmitter including circuitry for generating a first electrical signal having a first value for a first period of time and a second electrical signal having a second value for a second period of time; and a receiver, couplable to the receiving end, said receiver including circuitry for ensuing said first and said second electrical signals and for generating a pulse width modulated output electrical signal having an output vale for a period of time substantially corresponding to the sum of said fist and said second periods of time.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4507652A Cited
US4586040A Cited
US4535401A Cited
US4613848A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1995-05-26 1995-11-25 1996-05-26 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1999-05-26 1999-11-25 2000-05-26 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2003-05-26 2003-11-25 2004-05-26 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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