Patent US3732547A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3732547A
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Traffic data gathering apparatus
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1971-06-28
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Granted: 1973-05-08
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Expires: 1991-06-28
Abstract
Abstract A portable traffic data gathering apparatus employs a recirculating memory and common scanning and control circuitry for accumulating both peg count and usage data in a form suitable for transmission to a central point for processing by electronic data processing equipment. Dynamic and static storage are interleaved in the memory to permit the accumulation of one period of data concurrently with the transmission of a previously accumulated period of data. Peg count is obtained by comparing current scan with previous scan, the previous scan or last look memory being stored as part of each data word. The last look memory is also used for input noise filtering, three successive data appearances being required before a count is made. Usage is obtained by scaling down the peg count scans using part of the dynamic and static data words. Detection and correction circuitry minimizes problems due to recirculating memory shifting malfunction.
Inventors
- 👤 R Etra
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 11:56
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/22; H04M3/36
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
137 words
In a device for gathering data pertaining to the status of each of a plurality of inputs, the combination comprising, means for scanning said inputs in succession, memory means comprising a plurality of memory locations individually corresponding to respective ones of said inputs, said memory locations each being adapted for storing two multibit data words pertaining to the corresponding one of said inputs, means including a portion of at least one of said multibit data words at each of said memory locations for comparing the status of corresponding ones of said inputs during a current scan with the status thereof during the immediately preceding scan, and means responsive to said comparing means for storing and accumulating data pertaining to a predetermined change in status at one of said inputs in the corresponding one of said memory locations.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
137 words
In a device for gathering data pertaining to the status of each of a plurality of inputs, the combination comprising, means for scanning said inputs in succession, memory means comprising a plurality of memory locations individually corresponding to respective ones of said inputs, said memory locations each being adapted for storing two multibit data words pertaining to the corresponding one of said inputs, means including a portion of at least one of said multibit data words at each of said memory locations for comparing the status of corresponding ones of said inputs during a current scan with the status thereof during the immediately preceding scan, and means responsive to said comparing means for storing and accumulating data pertaining to a predetermined change in status at one of said inputs in the corresponding one of said memory locations.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
The comBination according to claim 1 wherein said memory means comprises a first memory including one of said multibit data words at each of said memory locations and a second memory including the other of said multibit data words at each of said memory locations, with the words of said first and second memories being interleaved.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
The combination according to claim 2 wherein said comparing means includes a portion of the data words of both of said first and second memories at each of said memory locations.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
78 words
The combination according to claim 1 wherein said comparing means includes means for comparing the status of individual ones of said inputs during a current scan with the status thereof during a predetermined plurality of immediately preceding scans, and wherein said storing and accumulating means includes means for accumulating said data pertaining to one of said inputs only in response to the status of said one input remaining in a particular state for said predetermined plurality of scans.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
60 words
The combination according to claim 1 wherein said storing and accumulating means comprises usage data means for adapting a portion of individual ones of said multibit data words for counting the presence of a particular state at corresponding ones of said inputs for a predetermined plurality of successive scans before accumulating data pertaining to said corresponding ones of said inputs.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The combination according to claim 5 further comprising means for varying said predetermined plurality of successive scans.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
63 words
The combination according to claim 1 further comprising an additional memory location in said memory means for storing a sequence of check bits, and means including said additional memory location operative periodically for detecting and correcting any loss of correspondence between the inputs being scanned by said scanning means and the memory locations in which data pertaining to said inputs is being accumulated.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
158 words
Apparatus for gathering traffic data pertaining to a plurality of equipment units comprising, scanning means having a plurality of inputs for coupling to individual ones of said equipment units, memory means including first and second memories each having respective data word locations associated with individual ones of said inputs, adder means including circuitry normally operative with said scanning means for storing and accumulating peg count data pertaining to individual ones of said equipment units in said data word locations in a selected one of said memories, means for modifying the operation of said adder means to use a portion of the first and second memory data word locations associated with a particular one of said inputs as counting means, and means operative with said modifying means for storing and accumulating usage data pertaining to an equipment unit coupled to said particular input in the remainder of said associated data word location in said selected one of said memories.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
158 words
Apparatus for gathering traffic data pertaining to a plurality of equipment units comprising, scanning means having a plurality of inputs for coupling to individual ones of said equipment units, memory means including first and second memories each having respective data word locations associated with individual ones of said inputs, adder means including circuitry normally operative with said scanning means for storing and accumulating peg count data pertaining to individual ones of said equipment units in said data word locations in a selected one of said memories, means for modifying the operation of said adder means to use a portion of the first and second memory data word locations associated with a particular one of said inputs as counting means, and means operative with said modifying means for storing and accumulating usage data pertaining to an equipment unit coupled to said particular input in the remainder of said associated data word location in said selected one of said memories.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
67 words
Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said adder means comprises means for using a portion of each of said data word locations in at least one of said first and second memories as a last look memory for comparing the status of equipment units coupled to individual ones of said inputs during a current scan with the status thereof during a predetermined plurality of immediately preceding scans.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said last look memory comprises at least one bit location in each data word location of said first and second memories.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
52 words
Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said memory means comprises a recirculating memory having the data word locations of said first memory interleaved with the data word locations of said second memory, said respective first and second memory data word locations associated with an individual input being immediately adjacent to one another.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-05-07 | 1976-11-06 | 1977-05-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-05-07 | 1980-11-06 | 1981-05-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-05-07 | 1984-11-06 | 1985-05-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |