Digital information transmission system

Claim 2

A remote control system whereby an operator at a first location can control the mode of operation of apparatus at a second location, comprising: an n-bit shift register located at said first location; a plurality of switches individually connected to said n-bit shift register, the setting of said switches being controllable by said operator to provide a plurality of digital signals representative of the desired mode of operation of said apparatus at said second location; loading means included in said n-bit shift register for simultaneously loading said n-bit shift register with digital information relating to all of said plurality of digital signals; an n+ 1-bit shift register located at said second location; a single conductor electrically joining said first and second locations for transferring said plurality of digital signals; driving means connected to said n+ 1-bit shift register for driving said n+ 1-bit shift register at a rate delayed in time from said n-bit shift register; transfer means including said single conductor and functioning to transfer said digital information from said n-bit shift register into said n+ 1-bit shift register; connecting means connecting said n+ 1-bit shift register to the mode controls of said apparatus; a power source located at said second location and checking means connected to said transfer means, to said power source and to said connecting means for providing a signal if the information transferred into n+1-bit shift register does not agree with the information transferred from said n-bit shift register or if there is a failure in said power source.

Claim 3

The remote control system of claim 5 and further including: a clock which produces pulses at a stable frequency; controller means connected to said clock and to said n-bit shift register and to said transfer means for sequentially providing a plurality of signals which control, according to a predetermined sequence, the operation of said n-bit shift register and said transfer means.

Claim 4

The remote control system of claim 7 and further including pulse generator means which are connected to said clock and, through said single conductor, to said n+ 1-bit shift register and which functions to produce pulses which are detectably different from said transferred digital information and which control the operation of said n+ 1-bit shift register.

Claim 5

The remote control system of claim 8 wherein said checking means includes: flip-flop means connected to said transfer means which assumes one to two digital conditions as determined according to a predetermined criteria from said digital information transmitted from said n-bit shift register; said digital condition being transmitted by said transfer means into said n+ 1-bit shift register upon the completion of the transfer of said digital information from said n-bit shift register and parity checking means connected to said connecting means and functioning to produce said signal provided by said checking means if said transmitted condition of said flip-flop means does not agree with said digital information transferred into said n+ 1-bit shift register.

Claim 6

The remote control system of claim 9 wherein said connecting means includes latching means controlled by said pulse generator means which functions to inhibit a change in the mode of operation of said apparatus during the transfer of said digital information into said n+ 1-bit shift register.

Claim 7

The remote control system of claim 10 wherein said first location is inside a submarine and said second location is a buoy that is joined to said submarine by a cable which includes said single conductor.

Claim 8

A digital information transmission system comprising: a first shift register; parallel loading means connected to said first shift register for simultaneously entering a plurality of digital information into said first shift register; synchronization means at an inboard station for intermittantly generating pulses of a specific length; serial transfer means connected to said shift register and said synchronization means for transferring said plurality of digital information out of said shift register at a point in time between two of said pulses of specific length; conductor means connected to said serial transfer means leading to an outboard station; synchronization-pulse detector means connected to said conductor means at said outboard station for detecting only said pulses of specific length; a second shift register connected to said conductor means at said outboard station for serially accepting said digital information; synchronization-pulse delaying means connected to said conductor for delaying all of said pulses of specific length, to effect a delayed synchronization pulse; driving means connected to said second shift register and to said delaying means for driving said shift register; said driving means being triggered by said delayed pulse tO cause said digital information to move through said second shift register after said digital information has begun to be received; parallel unloading means connected to said second shift register for simultaneously exiting said plurality of digital information; checking means connected to said second shift register at said outboard station for providing a signal to require retransmission if the information transferred to said second shift register does not agree in parity with the serial information transferred out of said first shift register.

Claim 9

A digital information transmission system comprising: a first shift register; parallel loading means connected to said first shift register for simultaneously entering a plurality of digital information into said first shift register; synchronization means at an inboard station for intermittantly generating pulses of a specific length; serial transfer means connected to said shift register and said synchronization means for transferring said plurality of digital information out of said shift register at a point in time between two of said pulses of specific length; conductor means connected to said serial transfer means leading to an outboard station; synchronization-pulse detector means connected to said conductor means at said outboard station for detecting only said pulses of specific length; a second shift register connected to said conductor means at said outboard station for serially accepting said digital information; synchronization-pulse delaying means connected to said conductor for delaying all of said pulses of specific length, to effect a delayed synchronization pulse; driving means connected to said second shift register and to said delaying means for driving said shift register; said driving means being triggered by said delayed pulse tO cause said digital information to move through said second shift register after said digital information has begun to be received; parallel unloading means connected to said second shift register for simultaneously exiting said plurality of digital information; checking means connected to said second shift register at said outboard station for providing a signal to require retransmission if the information transferred to said second shift register does not agree in parity with the serial information transferred out of said first shift register.

Claim 10

The digital information transmission system as claimed in claim 7 wherein said first shift register is an n-bit shift register and said second shift register is an n+ 1-bit shift register.

Claim 11

the digital information transmission system as claimed in claim 7 wherein said conductor means is composed of a single conductor and its respective ground return conductor.

Claim 12

The digital information system as claimed in claim 8 further comprising: latching means connected to said n+ 1-bit shift register for inhibiting operation of said parallel unloading means during the transfer of said serial information.