Patent US5179569A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5179569A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Spread spectrum radio communication system
Assignee: Change Healthcare Technologies LLC
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Filing: 1991-02-08
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Granted: 1993-01-12
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Expires: 2011-02-08
Abstract
Abstract A data entry and retrieval system utilizing a plurality of remote units in radio communication with a plurality of base units in electronic communication with a central processing computer. The base units establish links with transmitting remote units by the remote units choosing the base units with the best signal. The linked remote unit and base unit transmit using frequency hopping spread spectrum modulation, using a predetermined frequency hopping sequence and at a point in the sequence unique to the particular base unit. The system may be configured with a plurality of NODES, each of which has a unique predetermined frequency hopping sequence and assigned base units and remote units.
Inventors
- 👤 Jonathan Sawyer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 16:18
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04B; H04B1/00; H04B1/69; H04B1/713; H04B1/7136; A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/41; A61B5/411; G; G06; G06F; G06F1/00; G06F1/16; G06F1/1613; G06F1/1626; G06F1/1633; G06F1/1684; G06F1/1698; G06K; G06K17/00; G06K7/00; G06K7/10; G06K7/10544; G06K7/10821; G06K7/10881; G07; G07C; G07C9/00; G07C9/20; G07C9/27; G07C9/28; H04B1/7156; A61J; A61J2205/00; A61J2205/10; A61J2205/50; A61J2205/60; G06F2200/00; G06F2200/16; G06F2200/163; G06F2200/1633; H04B2001/71365
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
226 words
A method for radio communication of data using a central processing computer, a set of base units, with transceivers, in electronic communication with said central processing computer, and a set of remote units, with transceivers, in RF communication with said base transceivers, all of said transceivers having limited transmission range, comprising: (a) establishing a set of nodes and node containing at least one base unit and at least one remote unit; (b) establishing a plurality of radio frequency channels for transmission of radio signals between the base unit transceivers and the remote unit transceivers; (c) establishing and assigning to each said nodes a channel hopping sequence from said plurality of frequency channels, whereby no two said sequences assigned to nodes with transceivers within transmission range of one another are the same; (d) transmitting calling signals from the base unit transceivers to the remote unit transceivers; (e) receiving said calling signals with said remote unit transceivers, monitoring the quality of the received signals with said remote unit, and establishing in the remote unit a preferred list of base units based upon the quality of the received signals; (f) linking a transmitting remote unit with a base unit drawn from said preferred list of base units; and (g) transmitting data between said remote unit and said central processing computer utilizing said linked transmitting remote unit and base unit.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
226 words
A method for radio communication of data using a central processing computer, a set of base units, with transceivers, in electronic communication with said central processing computer, and a set of remote units, with transceivers, in RF communication with said base transceivers, all of said transceivers having limited transmission range, comprising: (a) establishing a set of nodes and node containing at least one base unit and at least one remote unit; (b) establishing a plurality of radio frequency channels for transmission of radio signals between the base unit transceivers and the remote unit transceivers; (c) establishing and assigning to each said nodes a channel hopping sequence from said plurality of frequency channels, whereby no two said sequences assigned to nodes with transceivers within transmission range of one another are the same; (d) transmitting calling signals from the base unit transceivers to the remote unit transceivers; (e) receiving said calling signals with said remote unit transceivers, monitoring the quality of the received signals with said remote unit, and establishing in the remote unit a preferred list of base units based upon the quality of the received signals; (f) linking a transmitting remote unit with a base unit drawn from said preferred list of base units; and (g) transmitting data between said remote unit and said central processing computer utilizing said linked transmitting remote unit and base unit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said step of monitoring the quality of the received signal with said remote unit is accomplished by measuring error rates.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 2, wherein said step of measuring error rates is by a cyclic redundancy check.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said calling signals include an identification of the calling base unit transceiver and wherein said calling transmissions are on dedicated calling frequency channels drawn from said plurality of frequency channels.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 4, wherein said linking step includes: (a) transmitting from a remote unit transceiver to said base unit transceiver transmitting calling signals, a remote unit linking response; and (b) transmitting and receiving between said base unit transceiver and said remote unit transceiver on a noncalling frequency channel in said channel hopping sequence.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 5, wherein said linking step further includes both of said linked remote unit transceiver and base unit transceiver hopping through said assigned channel hopping sequence in unison.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 6, wherein said base unit transceiver continues periodically transmitting calling signals on said calling frequency channels while linked with said linked remote unit, said calling signals containing an indication that the base unit is linked to a remote unit.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 8, wherein transmissions by said linked base unit to said linked remote unit are in packets, each packet containing a packet number, the packet number being incremented each time the base unit receives response from the remote unit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 6, wherein said linked base unit is unlinked from said linked remote unit if no remote unit response to the linked base unit transmission is received on the noncalling frequency channel within a predetermined time.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 6, wherein said set of remote units is a plurality of remote units.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 10, wherein said set of base units is a plurality of base units.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 11, wherein said set of nodes is a plurality of nodes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 12, wherein the base units are synchronized.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 13, wherein said synchronization is accomplished by: (a) each base unit, upon loss of synchronization, detecting another base unit transmitting on the calling frequencies within said nonsynchronized base unit's node; and (b) synchronizing to said another base unit.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
77 words
The method of claim 14, wherein said plurality of base units have a series of identifying addresses, so that each said base unit has a unique address from said series, wherein said step of synchronizing to said another base unit includes preferentially synchronizing to the synchronized base unit with an address toward one end of said series in the event that the nonsynchronized base unit detects more than one synchronized base units transmitting on the calling frequencies.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 15, wherein said synchronization includes the nonsynchronized base unit transmitting without being synchronized in the event said nonsynchronized base unit does not detect a synchronized base unit transmitting on the calling frequencies.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
129 words
A system for radio frequency communication of data, comprising: (a) a central processing computer; (b) a plurality of base units, with transceivers in electronic communication with said central processing computer; (c) a plurality of remote units, with transceiver, for radio data communication with said base units, whereby each data communicating remote unit is linked with a base unit; (d) means for hopping each said linked remote unit and base unit through a predetermined sequence of a plurality of radio data frequency channels; the plurality of base units and plurality of remote units being grouped into a plurality of nodes, all of the transceivers in each node having a single predetermined channel sequence that is different from the predetermined channel sequence of transceivers in other nodes within the transceiver range.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
129 words
A system for radio frequency communication of data, comprising: (a) a central processing computer; (b) a plurality of base units, with transceivers in electronic communication with said central processing computer; (c) a plurality of remote units, with transceiver, for radio data communication with said base units, whereby each data communicating remote unit is linked with a base unit; (d) means for hopping each said linked remote unit and base unit through a predetermined sequence of a plurality of radio data frequency channels; the plurality of base units and plurality of remote units being grouped into a plurality of nodes, all of the transceivers in each node having a single predetermined channel sequence that is different from the predetermined channel sequence of transceivers in other nodes within the transceiver range.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
44 words
The system of claim 17, wherein the base units in each node are on different frequency channels as they hop through said predetermined channel sequence, whereby no two base units in a single node are on the same frequency channel at the same time.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 18, wherein said remote units are battery operated.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 19, wherein said remote units include means for displaying data received from the central processing computer.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 20, wherein said remote units include means for entering data for transmission to the central processing computer.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 21, wherein said display means and entering means is a touch screen.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 19, further comprising recharging units for recharging the remote unit batteries.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-01-12 | 1996-07-13 | 1997-01-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-01-12 | 2000-07-13 | 2001-01-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-01-12 | 2004-07-13 | 2005-01-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |