Transponder for meter reading telemetering system

Claim 2

A telemetering transponder for transmitting data to a trunk line, said transponder comprising: means operable by a meter for providing periodic monitoring signals indicative of periodic changes in the meter reading, continuously active memory means responsive to said signals for storing a a continuously up-dated indication of the reading of said meter, means responsive to an initiating signal received over said trunk line for enabling the non-destructive read-out of said stored indication from said memory means to a temporary storage means, said temporary storage means normally inactive and activated responsive to said initiating signal, encoding means, said encoding means activated by and responsive to said initiating signal to read-out data stored in said temporary storage means and to code said data into a message comprised of a predetermined number of bits representative of said stored indication, means for transmitting said message from said encoding means to said trunk line as a series of pulsed bits and means responsive to the end of transmission of the predetermined number of bits of said messagE for terminating the activation of said temporary storage means, said encoding means and said read-out means.

Claim 3

A transponder as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are means for testing said initiating signal for frequency amplitude and duration, said means being responsive to the end of initiating signal tested and found to be valid for activating temporary storage means and said coding means, switching said coder to said trunk line to transmit said message to said line.

Claim 4

A transponder as claimed in claim 2, wherein there are a plurality of meters, memory means individual to each meter and temporary storage means individual to each meter, means for enabling each of said temporary storage means in sequence to transmit stored data therefrom to said coding means and said transmission terminating means comprises means for counting the number of pulsed bits in the sequence of messages and means responsive to said counting reaching a multiple of said predetermined number.

Claim 5

In a telephone system which has a plurality of stations, each such station having a telemetering transponder for transmitting data from a plurality of meters to a control location responsive to an initiating signal from said control location, said transponder comprising: permanent memory means individual to each of said meters and individually operable by said meters for receiving and maintaining continuously updated indications of readings of the respective meters, means responsive to said initiating signal for enabling the transponder for the non-destructive read-out of said indications from said permanent memory means, temporary storage means rendered operative by said initiating signal to receive and store indications from said permanent memory means in binary decimal form, further means rendered operative by said initiating signal for reading out indications from said temporary storage means and for encoding said read-out indications from each of said storage means into a serial message comprised of a predetermined plurality of bits of data representative of the indication of each of said meters, means rendered operative by said initiating signal for transmitting said message from said further means to said control location, and means in said transponder responsive to a change of conditions arising at said station for discontinuing said message at the time of occurrence of said change and means operative on said discontinuations for resetting said temporary storage means to their pre-enabled condition.

Claim 6

In a telephone system which has a plurality of stations, each such station having a telemetering transponder for transmitting data from a plurality of meters to a control location responsive to an initiating signal from said control location, said transponder comprising: permanent memory means individual to each of said meters and individually operable by said meters for receiving and maintaining continuously updated indications of readings of the respective meters, means responsive to said initiating signal for enabling the transponder for the non-destructive read-out of said indications from said permanent memory means, temporary storage means rendered operative by said initiating signal to receive and store indications from said permanent memory means in binary decimal form, further means rendered operative by said initiating signal for reading out indications from said temporary storage means and for encoding said read-out indications from each of said storage means into a serial message comprised of a predetermined plurality of bits of data representative of the indication of each of said meters, means rendered operative by said initiating signal for transmitting said message from said further means to said control location, and means in said transponder responsive to a change of conditions arising at said station for discontinuing said message at the time of occurrence of said change and means operative on said discontinuations for resetting said temporary storage means to their pre-enabled condition.

Claim 7

In a communications network, a system for transmitting data stored at a remote station to a central station over a communication channel in response to an actuating signal from the central station, said system including in combination: transmission means for transmitting data to the central station, receiver means coupled to the communication channel for receiving and validating the actuating signal, a plurality of data storage means positioned at the remote station, said storage means normally operative to provide permanent storage of data to be transmitted, a plurality of shift registers, each associated with a separate one of said data storage means, means responsive to said actuating signal for coupling said plurality of shift registers in series to form a transfer sequence, means responsive to the start of said actuating signal for testing said actuating signal, means responsive to an actuating signal passing the testing for causing the data stored in said plurality of data storage means to be transferred to the respective shift registers, means for coding data for transmission to said channel, means responsive to the end of an actuating signal passing said testing for coupling a first of said shift registers to the coding means for the transfer of data therefrom, means responsive to the transfer of data from said first shift registers for coding data sequentially from other of said shift registers and counter means responsive to the transfer of the last of the data from shift registers to Cause the system to decouple said transmission means from the communication channel and to inactivate said read-out means and said coding means.

Claim 8

In a communications network, a system for transmitting data stored at a remote station to a central station over a communication channel in response to an actuating signal from the central station, said system including in combination: transmission means for transmitting data to the central station, receiver means coupled to the communication channel for receiving and validating the actuating signal, a plurality of data storage means positioned at the remote station, said storage means normally operative to provide permanent storage of data to be transmitted, a plurality of shift registers, each associated with a separate one of said data storage means, means responsive to said actuating signal for coupling said plurality of shift registers in series to form a transfer sequence, means responsive to the start of said actuating signal for testing said actuating signal, means responsive to an actuating signal passing the testing for causing the data stored in said plurality of data storage means to be transferred to the respective shift registers, means for coding data for transmission to said channel, means responsive to the end of an actuating signal passing said testing for coupling a first of said shift registers to the coding means for the transfer of data therefrom, means responsive to the transfer of data from said first shift registers for coding data sequentially from other of said shift registers and counter means responsive to the transfer of the last of the data from shift registers to Cause the system to decouple said transmission means from the communication channel and to inactivate said read-out means and said coding means.

Claim 9

A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein there is a source of electrical power individual to said remote station, means for normally connecting said source only to the receiver means and the data storage means, and in which there are means connecting the remainder of said remote station to said power source only in response to an actuating signal passing said testing means.

Claim 10

A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein there are means for sensing the voltage at said power source, and means responsive to the voltage from said source falling below a level necessary to maintain for latching said remote station against response to an actuating signal, and means for retaining said latching means in the latched condition when the voltage at said source rises above said predetermined level.