Patent US6157818A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US6157818A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Communication system having automatic addressing

Assignee: Trimble Inc
•
Filing: 1998-04-03
•
Granted: 2000-12-05
•
Expires: 2018-04-03
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A communication system, method, and multiple master and slave transceivers having automatic addressing and collision avoidance. A master transceiver is programmed with its address by a user through a host. After being turned on, a slave transceiver acquires its address as the address of the first message it receives from a master transceiver. The master and the slave transceivers then communicate in each direction and ignore other messages by using that address until the slave transceiver is turned off. When the slave transceiver is turned on again, it acquires a new address of the address of the first new message it receives from a master transceiver, not necessarily the same master transceiver. The transceivers communicate with a signal having an on-condition having different lengths for representing different symbols. A transmitting transceiver detects a collision when it detects a signal on-condition during the longer of the different lengths while it is transmitting a signal on-condition of the shorter of the different lengths.

Inventors

  • 👤 France Rode

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-03 19:15
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04W; H04W8/00; H04W8/26

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 137 words
A communication system comprising: at least one master transceiver for transmitting master messages, each of said master messages having an address for identifying the master transceiver transmitting said master message; and at least one slave transceiver for acquiring a particular address from a first of said master messages received unsolicited after turn on of the slave transceiver; receiving subsequent said master messages having said particular address and ignoring said subsequent master messages not having said particular address until the slave receiver is turned off; and acquiring a new address from a first of new said master messages received unsolicited after a new turn on of the slave transceiver and using said new address for receiving subsequent said new master messages having said new address and ignoring said subsequent new master messages not having said new master address.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 137 words
A communication system comprising: at least one master transceiver for transmitting master messages, each of said master messages having an address for identifying the master transceiver transmitting said master message; and at least one slave transceiver for acquiring a particular address from a first of said master messages received unsolicited after turn on of the slave transceiver; receiving subsequent said master messages having said particular address and ignoring said subsequent master messages not having said particular address until the slave receiver is turned off; and acquiring a new address from a first of new said master messages received unsolicited after a new turn on of the slave transceiver and using said new address for receiving subsequent said new master messages having said new address and ignoring said subsequent new master messages not having said new master address.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 56 words
The system of claim 1, wherein: the slave transceiver is further for identifying itself with the same said particular address and transmitting slave messages having said particular address; and the master transceiver identified by said particular address is further for receiving slave messages having said particular address and ignoring slave messages not having said particular address.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 19 words
The system of claim 1, wherein: the slave transceiver is further for operating as another of the master transceiver.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 19 words
The system of claim 1, wherein: the master transceiver is further for operating as another of the slave transceiver.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 50 words
The system of claim 1, further including: a host for receiving a global positioning system (GPS) signal and passing GPS-based information determined from said GPS signal to the slave transceiver; and wherein: the slave transceiver is further for transmitting a slave message having said GPS-based information and said particular address.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 132 words
A communication method for acquiring an address in a transceiver, comprising steps of: transmitting master messages, each of said master messages having an address for identifying a master transceiver transmitting said master message; in a slave transceiver, acquiring a particular address from a first of said master messages received unsolicited after turn on of said slave receiver; in said slave transceiver, receiving subsequent said master messages having said particular address and ignoring said subsequent master messages not having said particular address until the slave receiver is turned off; acquiring a new address from a first of new said master messages received after a new turn on of said slave transceiver; receiving subsequent said new master messages having said new address; and ignoring said subsequent new master messages not having said new address.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 132 words
A communication method for acquiring an address in a transceiver, comprising steps of: transmitting master messages, each of said master messages having an address for identifying a master transceiver transmitting said master message; in a slave transceiver, acquiring a particular address from a first of said master messages received unsolicited after turn on of said slave receiver; in said slave transceiver, receiving subsequent said master messages having said particular address and ignoring said subsequent master messages not having said particular address until the slave receiver is turned off; acquiring a new address from a first of new said master messages received after a new turn on of said slave transceiver; receiving subsequent said new master messages having said new address; and ignoring said subsequent new master messages not having said new address.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 60 words
The method of claim 6, further comprising steps of: in said slave transceiver, identifying the slave transceiver with the same said particular address; transmitting slave messages having said particular address from said slave transceiver; in said master transceiver identified by said particular address, receiving said slave messages having said particular address; and ignoring slave messages not having said particular address.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 30 words
The method of claim 6, further comprising steps of: from said slave transceiver, transmitting said master messages having a certain address for identifying said slave transceiver as a master transceiver.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 52 words
The method of claim 6, further including steps of: in said master transceiver, acquiring said particular address from a first of said master messages received after turn on of said master receiver; receiving subsequent said master messages having said particular address; and ignoring said subsequent master messages not having said particular address.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 48 words
The method of claim 6, further including steps of: receiving a global positioning system (GPS) signal; determining GPS-based information from said GPS signal; passing said GPS-determined information to said slave transceiver; and transmitting a slave message having said GPS-based information and said particular address from said slave transceiver.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 124 words
A transceiver having collision avoidance, comprising: a transmitter for transmitting a certain signal having one of a first symbol and a second symbol during a certain symbol transmission time, said first symbol indicated by an on-condition during a first segment of said symbol transmission time, said second symbol indicated by said on-condition during a second segment of said symbol transmission time, at least a portion of said second segment not coincident with any portion of said first segment; a receiver for receiving said certain signal; and a collision detector coupled to the receiver and the transmitter for detecting a collision when said on-condition is detected during said portion of said second segment of said symbol transmission time while said first symbol is being transmitted.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 124 words
A transceiver having collision avoidance, comprising: a transmitter for transmitting a certain signal having one of a first symbol and a second symbol during a certain symbol transmission time, said first symbol indicated by an on-condition during a first segment of said symbol transmission time, said second symbol indicated by said on-condition during a second segment of said symbol transmission time, at least a portion of said second segment not coincident with any portion of said first segment; a receiver for receiving said certain signal; and a collision detector coupled to the receiver and the transmitter for detecting a collision when said on-condition is detected during said portion of said second segment of said symbol transmission time while said first symbol is being transmitted.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 69 words
The transceiver of claim 11, wherein: said first symbol has said on-condition for a short segment of said symbol transmission time; said second symbol has said on-condition for a long segment of said symbol transmission time; and the collision detector is for detecting said collision when said on-condition is detected during a difference segment between said long segment and said short segment while said first symbol is being transmitted.
Claim 16
Independent Claim 112 words
A method of collision avoidance in a transceiver, comprising steps of: transmitting a certain signal having one of a first symbol and a second symbol during a certain symbol transmission time, said first symbol indicated by an on-condition during a first segment of said symbol transmission time, said second symbol indicated by said on-condition during a second segment of said symbol transmission time, at least a portion of said second segment not coincident with any portion of said first segment; receiving said certain signal; and detecting a collision when said on-condition is detected during said portion of said second segment of said symbol transmission time while said first symbol is being transmitted.
Claim 17
Independent Claim 112 words
A method of collision avoidance in a transceiver, comprising steps of: transmitting a certain signal having one of a first symbol and a second symbol during a certain symbol transmission time, said first symbol indicated by an on-condition during a first segment of said symbol transmission time, said second symbol indicated by said on-condition during a second segment of said symbol transmission time, at least a portion of said second segment not coincident with any portion of said first segment; receiving said certain signal; and detecting a collision when said on-condition is detected during said portion of said second segment of said symbol transmission time while said first symbol is being transmitted.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 72 words
The method of claim 13, wherein: said first symbol has said on-condition for a short segment of said symbol transmission time; said second symbol has said on-condition for a long segment of said symbol transmission time; and the step of detecting includes a step of detecting said collision when said on-condition is detected during a difference segment between said long segment and said short segment while said first symbol is being transmitted.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4434421A Cited
US5042083A Cited
US5020094A Cited
US5077790A Cited
US5495240A Cited
US5530896A Cited
US5754780A Cited
US5852405A Cited
US5691980A Cited
US5764638A Cited
US5708655A Cited
US5774876A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2003-12-05 2004-06-05 2004-12-05 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2007-12-05 2008-06-05 2008-12-05 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2011-12-05 2012-06-05 2012-12-05 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag