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`Page 4 of 16
`
`

`

`Aug. 4, 1970
`SELF-IDENTIFYING INQUIRY STATION FOR INPORMATION SYS'fEMS
`
`F. P. WILLCOX ET AL
`
`3,523,281
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`Original Filed May 12, 1964
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`Page 6 of 16
`
`

`

`Aug.4, 1970
`SELF-IDENTIFYING INQUIRY STATION FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS
`
`F. P. WILLCOX ET AL
`
`3,523,281
`
`Original Filed May 12, 1964
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`/48
`
`START PULSE~~
`SELECTOR
`146
`
`/50
`ON - OFF~~200 C.P.S.
`CONTROL
`OSC.
`
`154
`
`COUNT OF 2 /i,O
`OFF
`
`Page 7 of 16
`
`

`

`Aug. 4, 1970
`3,523,281
`SELF-IDENTIFYING INQUIRY STATION FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS
`
`F. P. WILLCOX ET AL
`
`Original Filed May 12, 1964
`
`8 Sheets-Sheet 8
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`
`Page 8 of 16
`
`

`

`United States Patent Office
`
`3,523,281
`Patented Aug. 4, 1970
`
`1
`
`3,523,281
`SELF-IDENTIFYING INQUIRY STATION FOR
`INFORMATION SYSTEMS
`Frederick P. Willcox, 261-1 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan,
`Conn. 06840, and Newland F. Smith, New Canaan, 5
`Conn.; said Smith assignor to said Willcox
`Original application May 12, 1964, Ser. No. 366,792, now
`Patent No. 3,314,051, dated Apr. 11, 1967. Divided
`and this application Mar. 29, 1967, Ser. No, 644,416
`Int. Cl. H04q 9/00
`U.S. CI. 340-151
`
`2 Claims
`
`10
`
`ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
`An inquiry-originating station for use in information
`systems of the type in which a central information store
`is interrogated from any of several remote points. The
`inquiry station includes a recording medium bearing in
`permanent form the identification code of that station
`on one portion of the medium, for transmission as a mes(cid:173)
`sage prefix; a second portion of the same medium pro(cid:173)
`vides space for changeable recording of the body of an
`inquiry message to be transmitted. The changeable por(cid:173)
`tion of the medium is erased following transmission of
`each inquiry message, and means are provided for re(cid:173)
`cording on this erased portion, the reply message received
`from the central store.
`
`2
`message, the identification coding which is assigned to
`that staton. This identification coding is registered at the
`central station, and is automatically retransmitted by it
`at the beginning of the "answer." Moreover, the automati-
`cally retransmitted identification coding is utilized to pre(cid:173)
`vent the decoding of the accompanying "answer" at all
`remote stations other than that one which had originated
`the inquiry. This system thus eliminates the need for the
`human operator to supply the identification coding, re-
`duces the danger of human errors in both supplying and
`recognizing the identification codes, and provides a desir-
`able measure of privacy for the response information.
`For use when a general alarm, or all-points bulletin,
`originated at the central station, is to be received and
`15 noted at all the remote stations, the latter are equipped
`with means for detecting and integrating a special long(cid:173)
`pulse signal in place of the usual station-identification
`codes, to override the station selection feature and thus
`to allow decoding and reproduction of such a general
`20 message of the remotely-received "all-station" type.
`Where a system of this kind, and as described in the
`earlier application, uses as a coding device at each re(cid:173)
`mote station a manual keyboard or other parallel-output
`source for the code bits, the bits are normally read out
`25 in serial form to control the communication channel. Even
`when the system includes, between the keyboard and
`the communication channel, as interim storage device
`such as a parallel-channel set of storage capacitors and/
`or a parallel-channel magnetic storage buffer, it is usually
`desirable (for timing purposes) to utilize a ring counter,
`distributor or commutator in the pulse-routing system.
`The system of the present application includes such
`a ring counter or distributor, and, as will appear, is so
`arranged as to utilize the same distributor for control
`of the logic gating means of the identification code recog(cid:173)
`nizer, and also for the distribution of message codes to
`the proper output control selectors of an aural and/ or
`visual (e.g., message printer) read-out device. In this and
`in other respects, as will appear, the present invention is
`specially designed so as to maximize the efficient utiliza(cid:173)
`tion of required components for plural functions or pur-
`poses, to the ends of equipment simplification, compact(cid:173)
`ness, and reduced cost.
`The invention will be described herein in connection
`with certain preferred embodiments, illustrated in the
`accompanying drawings, in which:
`FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall arrange(cid:173)
`ment of major components at opposite ends of a typical
`radio-wave inquiry and response system according to the
`invention.
`FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing in greater detail the
`arrangement of equipment at the central station only.
`FIG. 3-A is a block diagram of the major components
`and interconnections at a typical remote station, including
`the components used for encoding a data-form inquiry
`and transmitting it to the central station, and (FIG. 3-B)
`showing components as used for receiving and decoding
`a reply from that central station.
`FIG. 4 is a similar block diagram of the equipment at
`the remote station, showing in greater detail those por(cid:173)
`tions associated with automatic station-code recognition
`and the control thereby of the printing-out ( or other
`manifestation) of the reply message.
`FIG. 5 is a schematic wiring diagram of a typical solid-
`state ring counter distributor which is used at the remote
`station during the manual encoding of a data-form in(cid:173)
`quiry at the keyboard, and also during the reception and
`read-out of the reply message.
`FIG. 6 is a similar schematic diagram of the circuitry
`which selectively "enables" the operation of the reply(cid:173)
`message manifesting or display equipment at the proper
`
`This is a division of Ser. No. 366,792, filed May 12, 30
`1964, now Pat. No. 3,314,051 dated April 11, 1967.
`This invention has to do with systems for the commu(cid:173)
`nication of data or information between (A) a central
`information store and at least one associated message re(cid:173)
`ceiver and transmitter, and (B) a plurality of outlying 35
`interrogation stations each equipped with (C) a transmit-
`ter and a receiver, (D) means for encoding, for trans(cid:173)
`mission to the central station, a data-form inquiry, and
`(E) means for decoding data-form replies from said cen(cid:173)
`tral information store and presenting them to the operator 40
`of the remote station which originated that particular
`inquiry.
`In an earlier application, Ser. No. 235,067 filed Nov.
`2, 1962, a system of the above general type was disclosed
`and claimed, utilizing at each remote or outlying station 45
`a manual keyboard for encoding an information query,
`the data-form answer or response from the central station
`being recorded automatically at all of the remote sta(cid:173)
`tions. The response was thus available for decoding and
`presentation on the command not only of the remote- 50
`station operator who originated the query, but of all
`other remote-station operators.
`The system of said previous application also required
`the manual encoding at, and transmission from, each
`remote station initiating an inquiry, of the identification 55
`(or "number") of said station, in addition to the coded
`message or query, which identification was stored at the
`central station and included in the reply message intended
`for that remote station. While that system tended to min-
`imize the possibility that any remote station operator
`would act erroneously upon a message intended for a dif(cid:173)
`ferent remote station, it did not absolutely prevent such
`an occurrence. Also, of course, the manual (keyboard)
`encoding of the remote-station identification was subject
`to the usual possibility of human errors, as was the com(cid:173)
`prehension of the returning ( or "confirmation") remote(cid:173)
`station identification.
`The present invention aims to solve the foregoing prob(cid:173)
`lems by providing a system in which the equipment pro(cid:173)
`vided at each remote or outlying station transmits auto- 70
`matically, as an incident in the initiation or an inquiry
`
`60
`
`65
`
`Page 9 of 16
`
`

`

`3,523,281
`
`35
`
`3
`remote station, and thereupon selectively operates the
`manifesting equipment to decode and present the message
`content; for example, by the selective operation of the
`code bars of a mechanical printer or the like.
`FIG. 7 is a diagram of an alternate form of pulse dis(cid:173)
`tributor which can be substituted for the ring counter
`distributor of FIG. 5, utilizing electromechanical com(cid:173)
`ponents instead of certain of the purely electronic com(cid:173)
`ponents thereof.
`FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the application 10
`to the system of a magnetic-disc buffer storage mecha-
`nism.
`FIG. 9 is a plan view detailing a preferred physical
`construction of such buffer storage mechanism.
`GENERAL ORGANIZATION OF SYSTEM
`FIG. 1 shows schematically the general organization of
`a complete system of the type with which the invention
`is concerned. At the left, four typical remote stations
`(which may be mobile stations) are illustrated, to repre(cid:173)
`sent a much larger number in practice. The total number
`of remote stations or cars may be broken into groups with
`each group operating on a particular carrier frequency.
`Since the remote stations (except for such a possible dif(cid:173)
`ference in carrier frequency) differ structurally from one
`another only in being assigned different and individual
`station-identifying codes, only Station A has been ex(cid:173)
`panded to show its general functions. A keyboard or like
`manual encoding device 10 is used to record in storage
`12 the on-off pulse-code digits or characters
`( code
`groups) of an inquiry message (such as an automobile
`license number as to which information is desired, as
`described in the earlier application). This inquiry mes(cid:173)
`sage will ultimately be transmitted, as over a radio trans(cid:173)
`mitter 14.
`In order to append to the inquiry message a station(cid:173)
`identifying code (which will be unique to station A),
`storage 12 has associated with it an arrangement 16 for
`supplying one or more identification characters, prefer(cid:173)
`ably also as on-off pulse bit trains or groups, as a prefix to
`the pulse groups constituting the inquiry. Where the stor(cid:173)
`age device is a magnetic-recording disc, drum or the like
`also used to record an incoming or reply message, the
`identification code may be constituted by a suitable set
`of pulse groups relatively permanently recorded on the
`record medium in advance of the space thereon devoted
`to other and variable message portions. When used to
`transmit an inquiry message, then, this arrangement en(cid:173)
`sures that the station-identifying code groups will auto(cid:173)
`matically be transmitted in advance of the body of the
`inquiry message itself.
`Storage 12 also has associated with it an identification(cid:173)
`code recognizer 18 for use when a reply is received by
`its radio receiver 20. As will be described below, the cen(cid:173)
`tral station 22, having received over its radio receiver 24
`the complete inquiry message from a remote station,
`temporarily stores or records the initial or prefix code
`groups which identify the calling station (such as Station
`A), and holds these for use as a prefix to the reply mes(cid:173)
`sage which it will later transmit over its transmitter 26.
`The remainder of the incoming inquiry message ( after
`the prefix codes) is processed in the same way as described
`in the earlier application, to obtain the requested informa(cid:173)
`tion as from store 28. The central station then transmits
`over 26 a reply message constituted by the calling station's
`identifying code groups followed by the body of the reply.
`If desired, the characters of the inquiry message may also
`be sent back as a verification, along with the reply in(cid:173)
`formation.
`This reply message will ordinarily be received at many
`or all of the remote stations (A, B, C, etc.) operating on
`one frequency, but according to the invention, it will
`nevertheless be recorded and manifested only at the in(cid:173)
`dividual station which originated the corresponding in(cid:173)
`quiry. Thus, in the case of station A, receipt of the reply
`
`4
`with the prefixed identification code groups for that sta(cid:173)
`tion will be "recognized" by the code recognizer 18, pre(cid:173)
`set to respond to those initial code groups. The recognizer
`18 will thus permit the remaining body of the reply mes(cid:173)
`sage to be recorded (preferably in the same storage device
`5 12 earlier used in sending the inquiry) and thereafter de(cid:173)
`coded and manifested to the operator by means such as
`indicated by printer 30 or an equivalent display instru(cid:173)
`mentality, voice record unit or the like.
`ORGANIZATION OF CENTRAL STATION
`With the foregoing description in mind, the more de(cid:173)
`tailed construction and operation of the central station
`can be apprehended from FIG. 2. In the same general
`15 way as described in the earlier application, this central
`station will usually have a plurality of radio receivers
`24, 40, 42 et cetera tuned to different frequency bands,
`each band however being shared by a plurality of remote
`stations. Amongst the remote stations sharing each band,
`20 selection of a particular station to effectively receive the
`message intended for it will be accomplished by prefix
`code recognition. Voice calls from all remote stations
`are routed through a low-pass filter 44 to a loudspeaker
`46 in the usual way. The data tones are transmitted in the
`25 upper end of the audio pass band. When a data code
`message (inquiry) is received from any of the remote
`stations, the pulse-tone detector 46 operates a relay switch
`48 to convey the data inquiry pulse groups (including the
`recognition prefix) to discriminator-demodulator 50 and
`30 thence to a distributor 52 which will connect this channel
`to an input buffer storage 54 which records and holds
`the message until, in turn with other inquiries, it is sup(cid:173)
`plied to the storage, look-up and readout system indicated
`as "computer" 56, ,by a sequential channel selector 57.
`Also, the distributor 52 extends the incoming message
`inquiry to a parity-check error-sensing system 58, and in
`the event of a parity error in any code group of the mes(cid:173)
`sage, this circuit operates a "repeat message" signalling
`device 60 which causes transmitter 26 to send the remote
`40 station a signal which operates a signal lamp or the like
`to advise the operator that a second transmission is
`needed. These features are generally as described in the
`earlier case, and are included here for completeness, as
`are the remote typer 62, computer housekeeping equip-
`45 ment 64 and certain other component~ as noted below.
`Also as described in the prior application, provision
`is made for allowing the "computer" storage and look-up
`facility to receive data-form inquiries from other sources,
`such as over a telephone line input 66 providing inquiry
`50 code messages through data pulse adapter 68 to a de(cid:173)
`modulator 70, distributor 72, buffer 74 and to one of the
`input channels of selector 57. In selecting (by sequential
`scanning or the like) one inquiry channel at a time for
`connection to the computer storage 56, selector 57 simul-
`55 taneously controls an output selector 76 to connect the
`output (answer) signals from the computer storage 56
`to the appropriate radio transmitter 26 ( or other output
`channel such as a telephone line when used) for transmit(cid:173)
`ting the "answer" to the station originating the inquiry,
`60 in the case of an answer to be radioed to the inquiry
`station, this arrangement will operate to send the "an(cid:173)
`swer" data bits from the computer to the appropriate
`transmitter 26 for transmission on a carrier frequency suit(cid:173)
`able to the remote station that initiated the inquiry, or to
`65 the group of common-frequency stations that includes it.
`The channel from output selector 76 passes through
`a buffer 78 to the data tone generator and carrier modu(cid:173)
`lator 80 to control the appropriate transmitter 26, 82 or
`the like of the group of transmitters. As in the earlier
`70 case, if the reply message read out from storage 56
`includes a code designating a special-interest or "hot"
`piece of information, a sensor 84 recognizes that special
`code designation, and causes the extension of the same
`reply message to supervisory personnel (as at a separate
`75 printer) for attention and/or action. Provisions for ap-
`
`Page 10 of 16
`
`

`

`3,523,281
`
`5
`plying a sub-audio busy tone {in the range, say, of 100
`to 200 cycles per second) to the carrier output of each
`transmitter such as 26, whenever any remote station of the
`group served by that transmitter has commenced trans(cid:173)
`mitting an inquiry message, include a busy tone generator
`86 (one output for each transmitter) energized from all
`the outputs of the receivers 24, 40 et cetera in that group.
`Provision is made for appending, to any message pro(cid:173)
`ceeding from the computer storage to the transmitter, ad(cid:173)
`ditional code groups supplied from a keyboard or the
`like at a supervisory position. This equipment, indicated
`at 88, merely interrupts the sequencing operation of se(cid:173)
`lectors 57 and 76, while the additional pulse codes or
`groups are applied from 88 to the output channel. If it
`is desired to dispatch an "all-points" bulletin to all of the
`remote stations, equipment 88 provides for transmitting
`a preliminary long pulse (say of 30 milliseconds dura(cid:173)
`tion) which will be received and recognized at all the
`remote stations on that channel or channels to which it
`is thus applied. This recognition of the long pulse will
`cause disabling of their station-recognition lock-out cir(cid:173)
`cuits, to allow such a message to be manifested at all of
`them.
`It is recalled here that, in connection with the special
`features of the present improvements of the earlier case,
`the train of pulse groups forming a data-form inquiry
`includes a prefix set of groups identifying the calling re(cid:173)
`mote station, and a set of code groups constituting the
`question (such as a license number designation). Both
`these sets of code groups are temporarily stored in a sec(cid:173)
`tion of the computer storage 56 while the sought informa(cid:173)
`tion is obtained from another section of its storage, and
`thereupon the computer supplies ( over the channel to
`the output selector 76) the reply message. The latter thus
`consists of the remote-station identifying prefix groups,
`preferably followed by the groups that constituted the in(cid:173)
`quiry subject-matter, in turn followed by the groups con(cid:173)
`stituting the reply information. The prefix groups, when
`received at several remote stations on the same carrier
`frequency, are unrecognized at all stations except the one, 40
`and further receiver actions are not initiated at those un(cid:173)
`addressed stations. The repetition of the inquiry subject(cid:173)
`matter groups, if used, provides a check on the accuracy
`of correspondence with the true subject of inquiry, and
`the remaining groups manifest the desired reply informa- 45
`tion to the operator.
`ORGANIZATION OF TYPICAL REMOTE STATION
`Message transmission
`As shown in more detail in FIG. 3-A, the arrangement
`at each remote station, except for variations involved
`with the special purposes of the present improvements, is
`similar to that described in the previous application, in
`preparing for transmission, an "insert message" keyboard
`switch is closed, and thereafter the manual contact code
`switches of the keyboard are operated in turn to selec(cid:173)
`tively charge storage capacitors 90 of a plurality thereof
`corresponding to the number of bits in each standard
`code group; the first bit is always a distinctive "start"
`(mark) pulse; e.g., an extra long pulse, or one of tone
`frequency deviation such as to produce a greater ampli(cid:173)
`tude at the discriminator output. Each keyboard switch
`operation pulses (advances) the mechanical step drive 92
`of magnetic recorder disc or drum 94, and at the same
`time the capacitor-stored bits (parallel coding) are serially
`distributed by distributor or ring counter 95 to the record(cid:173)
`reproduce head 96 for recording on the magnetic _me(cid:173)
`dium 94.
`At a position in advance of this section of the record(cid:173)
`ing medium, the serial bit groups designating this par(cid:173)
`ticular remote station have been semi-permanently re(cid:173)
`corded on the same medium. Each keyboard contact
`group operation thus records a data-form inquiry code
`group in turn on the storage medium, these being ar(cid:173)
`ranged after the codes of the station designation. In speak-
`
`6
`ing of these station-identifying codes as being semi-per(cid:173)
`manently recorded, what is meant is that they are never
`erased by the operation of the station itself (as are the
`message codes after they have been manifested or trans-
`5 mitted), but can be changed from time to time in case
`a change in station designation is desirable.
`When the inquiry message has been completely re(cid:173)
`corded on the magnetic medium by operation of key(cid:173)
`board keys, and if the station channel's ",busy" indicator
`10 116 is not activated, the operator closes "transmit" key
`100 which energizes the transmitter on-off control 102
`to initiate carrier generation to the antenna, and ener(cid:173)
`gizes frequency-shift keying oscillator 104. Transmission
`of the base-frequency tone to the central station com-
`15 mences, activating the central station data circuits and
`de-activating its audio or voice circuits. During this pre(cid:173)
`paratory period of a few tenths of a second, the "transmit"
`key operation has also energized the reset control 106,
`causing the magnetic drum to return without erasing to a
`20 position at which the commencement of the message
`groups (including the prefix groups which identify the
`station) will pass in turn beneath the record-reproduce
`head 96 during the next forward rotation of the magnetic
`disc or drum. Arrival of the disc or drum at this starting
`25 point energizes the automatic pulser 108 to commence,
`again, forward step motion of the drum 94, and switch
`110 operates to ,connect the head output through amplifier
`111 to the keyer-modulator 112 (to transmit the code
`groups by frequency-shift keying) and to the pulse de-
`30 tector 114 which will sense the end of the message (by
`the absence of pulses), and, by its connection to the drum
`drive control, will cause the drum or disc to restore to its
`position at the commencement of the recording region.
`During this restoration action, the recorded code bits will
`35 be erased from the magnetic medium, but the stopping
`point of the drum is such that the station-identifying pre(cid:173)
`fix codes are not reached or erased. The pulse detector
`also switches off the transmitter control 102, and trans(cid:173)
`fers the equipment to standby condition.
`
`Reply message reception
`In FIG. 3-B, the components used for reception at a
`remote station are shown. When the central station trans(cid:173)
`mitter used on this channel transmits the reply message,
`it is received on all remote station receivers, but is mani(cid:173)
`fested only through the receiver 20 of the remote station
`having the proper prefix code. Thus, at all the remote sta(cid:173)
`tions of this carrier-frequency group, the "busy" ,indicator
`116 is energized (preventing the operators at the other
`50 remote stations from initiating other queries), and reply
`message groups passing through high-pass filter 118 are
`demodulated at 120.
`The prefix pulse groups, for station ~dentification, pro(cid:173)
`ceed from the recording amplifier 122 to the call selector
`55 apparatus 18, and only if they satisfy the logic connec(cid:173)
`tions for this station (in other words, are recognized)
`does the call selector operate control 124 to initiate re(cid:173)
`cording to the remaining pulse groups by connection 126.
`Thus, the driv