Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Location or inventory system -
The invention relates to a location and inventory system for articles
which as energy consumers are provided with a connection for an energy
supply network and each have a respective individual item of location and
inventory information which can be verified from a central station, as set
forth in the classifying portion of claim i.
In location and inventory systems of that kind, it is important to
detect the presence and the location of articles. In that respect systems
are already known in which the articles which are to be inventoried are
provided with labels or tags which have a telemetrically interrogatable
identification and which can be detected from a station which is disposed
in the proximity and which therefore, by regular response and subsequent
interrogation, checks the presence and the nature of the articles and thus
keeps ready items of location and inventory data of the articles which are
i5 in the proximity.
A disadvantage in that respect is that specific apparatuses have to
be afforded as local monitoring stations, the sole purpose of same lying in
interrogation and possibly transmission of the interrogated article
identifications to a higher-order station. It can frequently happen that
radio shadows mean that the apparatuses to be inventoried cannot be
permanently detected, and the expensive and extensive installation of
special subsidiary centers is necessary in order to permit complete
detection.
Therefore the object of the present invention is to provide a location
and inventory system of the general kind set forth in the opening part of
this specification, which affords the possibility of detecting articles which
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are in buildings or in the proximity thereof, without the installation of an
additional system which is specifically designed for that purpose and in
particular without the need for an additional information structure or
network.
Based on a location and inventory system as set forth in the
classifying portion of claim 1, that object is attained by the features
recited in the characterizing portion of that claim.
The invention embraces the technical teaching that - especially as
most apparatuses to be inventoried are provided with a connection for the
power network - a location and inventory system which is simple and
convenient to handle can be provided by simple suitable additions, at a
low level of cost. The additions can be added in a simple manner both to
the local installation network and also to the articles to be inventoried. In
that way the power network acquires the additional function of a location
transmitting assembly. That is unnoticed from the point of view of the
normal power user. With the apparatuses being suitably prepared, the
location information is transmitted and transferred, without involving
further measures.
By virtue of the installation network being divided into different
~~information cells" which are separated from each other in respect of the
locating information to be outputted, local regions are provided, with
which different items of location information are associated. Each
apparatus connected to the energy network within such a cell receives,
with the power energy, the location information which in the further
processing procedure is combined with an individual article identification
and signaled back to a central monitoring station.
This system can be manipulated only at considerable cost as the
location information is generated in the local energy network which is
subdivided into individual regions in accordance with the desired local
resolution of the items of location and inventory information which are to
be transmitted. The connected apparatuses can then also be modified in
respect of their location of installation, without any additional location and
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inventory expenditure. If it is once assumed that the relevant buildings of
a corporation or another commercial unit are provided with the
installations in question, then immediately after the move the article at its
new location of installation can be recognized by the monitoring unit and
monitoring thereof can be continued. Unauthorized removal of an article
can thus also be detected and displayed.
In that respect, at the central monitoring station, all of the location
and inventory data, respectively comprising the location and article
identifications, can be interrogated and evaluated in context.
Return signaling or acknowledgment of the location and inventory
data can then be effected - by using a suitable procedure - by way of a
return channel, making use of the telephone network or a conventional, in
particular PC-compatible data network. In that respect a data processing
station disposed in the proximity or a telephone is provided with a
receiver for signals which are to be externally received by the articles and
which contain the location and inventory data. If a PC is used as the data
processing station the corresponding addition can be provided in
particular in the form of an expansion card or externally by way of a serial
or parallel interface. The location and inventory identifications which are
transmitted in association with each other by the articles by active or
passive communication are assembled to form a common data set and
are passed to the monitoring station in the connected data network.
It is particularly advantageous in that respect for the location
identification to be fixedly linked to the building installation so that the
risk
of a failure is slight. A corresponding consideration applies to the
apparatuses or articles carrying the individual article identification. The
whole of the rest of the system is of a convention design configuration and
also does not need to be particularly individualized for generation or
transmission of the location and inventory data. The essential part of
data transmission is implemented by way of the energy network. The
system can however also be integrated into computer data networks in
such a way that local computers are incorporated into the location and
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inventory combination insofar as they receive location and inventory data
and transmit it or collect it as a monitoring station. It will be noted that
this function can also be implemented by especially designed telephone
equipment.
It is also further advantageous if the data processing apparatuses
themselves can be inventoried in a simple fashion and in that respect can
also be operated without difficulties at different locations with an
automatically updating location identification.
It is desirable in regard to use of the system according to the
invention that in the case of a service operation, the destination of the
service engineer is known in regard to the monitoring station from which
the engineer sets out or which he can reach. More specifically, it not
infrequently happens that, for organizational reasons, entire departments
with their associated equipment move into other buildings without this
being known to the technical departments which are responsible for
operation and maintenance.
The following points are also particularly advantageous with the
present system: the system can be quickly implemented, and can be used
independently of network protocols. In this respect it is possible to
manage any kind of articles and also network components without a
standard operating system.
In another advantageous development return signaling or
acknowledgment of the data is also effected by way of the data network
on the basis of the data-on-powerline principle, as is set forth in a patent
z5 application filed at the same time to the present applicants.
Other advantageous developments of the invention are
characterized in the appendant claims or are set forth in greater detail
hereinafter together with the description of the preferred embodiment of
the invention, with reference to the drawings in which:
Figure 1 as an embodiment of the invention shows a location and
inventory system which is based on an energy network with the
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transmission of location data, provided with the measures in accordance
with the invention,
Figure 2a shows a block circuit diagram of a detail of the
embodiment of Figure 1 with the parts, which concern the invention, of an
apparatus to be inventoried, with connection to an energy network with
means for the transmission of location data,
Figure 2b shows a block circuit diagram of a further detail of the
embodiment of Figure 1 with the parts, which concern the invention, of a
data processing apparatus for connection to a data network with the
transmission of location and inventory data whose location part originates
from an energy network,
Figure 3a shows a switching apparatus for an energy network which
modulates on a network ac voltage a location identification for a number
of energy-consuming apparatuses to be connected, and
Figure 3b shows an additional apparatus for an energy-receiving
system for connection to an energy network with means for decoding a
location identification of a network ac voltage which was modulated on the
energy carrier by the switching apparatus shown in Figure 3a for a
number of energy-consuming apparatuses to be connected.
In the case of the location and inventory system 1 shown in the
form of a block circuit diagram in Figure 1, various system portions which
are described in greater detail hereinafter are present at different
locations 2 through 5 of installation. The location and inventory data
which are to be prepared in the system, besides the article identifications
which individualize the articles in the system, also have additional location
identifications which are respectively jointly fed to a monitoring station for
evaluation.
Provided in the system are firstly on the one hand data processing
systems 6 through 9 which are connected by way of data network
connections 11 through 14 to a data network 10 which is identified by "D"
and by way of which, besides normal data operation, the transmission of
location and inventory data is also effected, as will be described
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n
hereinafter. In this case therefore the data processing systems serve on
the one hand to deal with usual data processing tasks and on the other
hand to transmit the location and inventory data. In addition they can
also be inventoried themselves with the described system, and monitored
in respect of their location of installation.
The data processing system 8 is the monitoring station at which the
location and inventory data are collected. They are available here for
evaluation and statistical purposes. This system can be arranged at any
location in the network where the data in question are to be available.
That can involve even very remote locations which can only be reached
using a telephone or a satellite communication path. It does not itself
need to be the subject of inventory if it is only present as a single system.
In the event that a plurality of data systems can be used alternatively or
in parallel relationship as a monitoring station, they are also provided with
the additional apparatuses which are present in the other data processing
systems.
Also shown is an energy network 100 which is identified by "E" and
which serves to provide the power supply for the connected apparatuses.
At the same time it also provides - in encoded form by modulation of an
HF-carrier or another suitable process - for the local provision of location
identifications which differentiate the respective location of installation
and
which then serve to generate the location and inventory data.
In this case a respective location identification is modulated on the
energy network 100 by way of series connection units 181 through 185
after local branches. In this case the respective series connection unit 183
through 185 is passable for the energy of the energy network while an
item of local additional information is impressed thereon in the direction
towards the respective branch 191 through 196, which information is in
each case only available and thus readable there. In that way the
locations of installation of the apparatuses and data systems can be
located by virtue of the position of the connection to the energy network.
Each article provided with a network plug therefore requires an item of
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position information which can be transmitted, by virtue of simply being
connected to the energy network, as is familiar to anyone. By virtue of
the addition of the station or apparatus identification, the respective
location and inventory information is then afforded in an additional
apparatus which is added to or on the article.
In the case of the data processing stations 6, 7 and 9 the location
data (identified by LD1 through LD4 depending on the respective location
of establishment) - the generation -and distribution of which are described
hereinafter - are derived from the energy network 100 by way of energy
network connection units 103 through 105 and passed to the stations 7
through 9 for the purposes of generating the location and inventory data.
Those stations form "articles" which are to be inventoried in the sense of
the invention and which derive their location identification from the energy
network and supplement same with the addition of the apparatus-specific
article identification (here denoted by SD1 through SD3) to constitute the
location and inventory identification, and then send same by way of the
data network to the monitoring station 8. In this case, as described,
derivation of the location identification from the network can be effected
by way of the network connection which is generally present in any case.
Articles which do not receive any energy from the power network can be
provided with an adapter which has a network plug and which moreover is
not used for energy transmission to the article. Energy transmission then
occurs at most for the power supply for the location and inventory module
- that however is generally vanishingly small. It does however represent
an advantage if no additional battery has to be provided there, which
must be replaced at regular intervals and therefore requires maintenance.
In the illustrated embodiment the data processing station 6
monitors the inventory procedure of three energy-consuming systems 151
through 153 which transmit their location and inventory data and location
data for transmission on the network 10 to the monitoring station 8.
It is however also possible to provide for monitoring of the
inventory procedure in respect of articles or apparatuses which do not
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form a data processing station. In this case the latter form ~~relay
stations" for the communication of location and inventory identifications
which are generated by articles with an energy network connection.
There are however also provided articles which communicate their
location and inventory data back to the monitoring station, without the
use of a data processing system. That is desirable if articles are not
disposed in the proximity of a data processing station. In the illustrated
embodiment of a location and inventory system, that is the article 161 in
the region of the locality 3. It receives its locating identification from the
energy network 100 and transmits the location and inventory identification
which is expanded by the article identification in the form of data to a
telephone terminal connected to a telephone network, preferably an ISDN
system. In the case of an ISDN system those items of data can be
transmitted in the D-channel or as additional data in the B-channel when
a connection is made for connection of the monitoring system 8. That can
communicate by way of the telephone network connecting portion 103 to
the telephone network identified by "F" in order to receive the
identification data ID transmitted therefrom.
A further apparatus 171 provided at the locality 3 communicates
its location and inventory data LD4+GD5 to the data processing station 6
of the adjacent locality 5. It will be seen that, when the locating
identifications are always communicated with the article identifications,
the locating cells with identical location identifications do not have to
spatially coincide with the radio reception areas as the location
identification is always decoded separately and transmitted together with
the article identification for each article individually as a location and
inventory identification.
The location and inventory data communicated to the data
processing system 6 and the location and inventory data from the other
data processing systems pass by way of the data network 10 and the data
network connection unit 13 to the data processing system 8.
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The block circuit diagram in Figure 2a of an article provided with the
parts concerning the invention, and having a location and inventory
capability, diagrammatically shows an energy-receiving apparatus 151 as
an article in respect of which an inventory is to be made. The apparatus
151 has a functional portion 221 which is combined to form a single block
and which represents the elements and structural groups which are
disposed in an apparatus housing but which are of no further interest
herein as they are only related to the rest of the intended purpose of the
article or apparatus.
Connected to the functional portion 221 is a switching assembly 222
which separates from the energy E the location identification LD1 arriving
by way of the energy network connection from the local energy branch
191. The connection unit itself is shown in greater detail hereinafter with
reference to Figure 3a. The switching assembly 222 separates on the one
hand the pure energy component of the mix, supplied by way of 191, of
ac voltage energy and superimposed location identification, and then
feeds same to a mixer stage 223. This then combines the location
identification l_D1 with the article identification GD1 generated by an
article
identification generator 225 connected to the apparatus. The article
identification is unique in the system and serves for identification
purposes, irrespective of the locality. The article identification is combined
together with the location identification received by way of the network to
afford the location and inventory identification (GD1+LD1) and is radiated
by way of an HF-transmitter portion 229, as location and inventory data
which are prepared for transmission. A data processing station disposed
in the proximity, with a suitable receiving portion, then receives that
information - as described - and passes it to the central station. The
described units can be easily added to the functional unit 151 as additional
apparatus. That can be effected for example in the form of a module
which can be inserted into the network plug. Many apparatuses also have
an internal network connection board which serves for connection of the
network cable. Here an insulating screw connector is generally provided
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as the interface. At that location the module can be desirably inserted
instead of that terminal or adjoining same.
Figure 2a also diagrammatically shows a series connection unit 185
as is connected between the general energy network 100 and the local
network branch 191 and adds the location information to the carrier of the
network energy (network ac voltage) in the network branch. (The
corresponding apparatus is shown in greater detail in Figure 3b.) In this
respect Figure 2a diagrammatically shows a local location generator or
transmitting assembly 220 for the location information. That information
is added to the network energy by means of a suitable modulator 226.
An advantage in this case is in particular that the series connection
units 181 through 185 in Figure 1 - except for the generator or
transmitting assembly which is to be set individually - can be of a uniform
design configuration with each other, for location identification. A point of
particular significance in regard to the illustrated variant is that the
location data are outputted by the series connection unit 185 only towards
the energy-receiving system connected thereto. That provides that the
location data as such are ~~shielded from the general energy network".
That can be effected by suitable filtering, time selection, switches or other
measures which prevent the location data from being propagated towards
the network. In a corresponding manner it is additionally also possible by
means of further or the same filter measures to prevent location data
which are generated at a remote location and which are passed into the
network by mistake from passing beyond the series connection unit 181 to
the energy-receiving system 151. In Figure 2a the energy to be
transmitted in the energy network is denoted by ~~E". The illustrated
series connection unit can easily be added to conventional energy
distribution systems - for example in office rooms and workplaces or
studies - or easily included as standard in current distributors for the
connection of apparatuses or other articles provided with an energy
network connection.
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The block circuit diagram shown in Figure 2b of a data processing
system 6 which is suitable for receiving the location and inventory data
outputted by the unit as shown in Figure 2a and passing same to the
monitoring station illustrates a conventional processor system 21,
assembled to form a single block. Connected to the processor system 21
is a data network connection unit 22 which makes the connection to the
data network 10. In this arrangement the data network connection unit
22 is controlled by the processor system 21 in such a way that
transmission of the data is effected by way of the network in accordance
with the protocols provided in the network.
The data processing system 6 is also connected to the localized
branch 191 of the energy network. The location identification LD1
superimposed on the network energy E is received from there. The data
processing system 6 has a switching means 28 which effects separation of
i5 the location data from the network ac voltage. The location identification
LD1 goes to a mixer stage 26 in which the location identification LDP is
assembled with the article identification SD1 which was interrogated in the
data processing system 6 from a location transmitting assembly 25. The
location and inventory identifications, which are modulated with an HF-
frequency, of the articles 151 through 153 which are in the proximity are
received by way of an HF-receiving unit 26 and assembled in a further
mixer stage 29 with a system identification SD (corresponding to the
location and inventory identification of external articles to be inventoried).
In that way the illustrated data processing system can independently
generate its location and inventory data, with the addition of the system
identification SD, so that the location identification of the position of the
data processing system does not have to coincide with that of the articles
whose location and inventory data are received by way of the antenna of
the HF-receiving portion 27. In that way the number of different location
identifications can be selected to be greater than the number of receiving
data processing stations. That also has an advantageous effect on the
expenditure to be incurred when building up the location and inventory
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' system according to the invention. A prerequisite is that the radio range
is greater than the range of a branch of the energy network, which branch
is provided with the same location identification. In another variant (not
shown), it is also possible to forego transmission of the location data, in
regard to each individual article. In that case however the articles must
be in the same location cell as the receiving or transmitting unit which
then adds the location identification prior to dispatch of the location and
inventory data to the monitoring station.
In Figure 2b the other data which are to be transmitted in the data
network are also identified by ~~D" and are transported in the usual
manner between the data processing system 6 and the network 10 by
way of the data network connection unit 22. The location and inventory
data of the surrounding apparatuses and equipment with network
connection are transmitted with the data to the remote monitoring station
8 and managed there.
In the Figure 3a embodiment of a series connection device 300 for
superimposition of an item of location information on the energy network,
in the case of a network ac voltage for characterizing the location in
accordance with a binary code a number of network half-waves is
suppressed or deformed, in which case the code which is communicated in
that way forms the location identification. In this respect, this
configuration represents an example of an embodiment which can be
produced with simple means. In this case the location and inventory
information to be transmitted is disposed in binary-coded form in the
individual waves or half-waves. In a corresponding manner, a high-
frequency signal can also be superimposed on the network alternating
current or a slight change in the half-wave forms can be produced in
another fashion, being modulated thereon independently of the individual
half-waves of the power concerned. In that way the power network or
mains contains an item of detectable information which remains without
any influence on the energy-consuming loads.
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The network ac voltage is fed to the series connection device 300
on a collecting or power mains line 99. There it goes to a controllable
thyristor unit 30i as a controllable electronic switch or thyristor which
controls transmission of the network half-waves. The binary code of the
half-waves to be suppressed, the code determining the location
information, is produced by a control member 302 which is to be
individually set to the respective locality.
Connected on the output side of the thyristor unit 301 are two plug
connection sockets 303 and 304 to which articles to be inventoried are
connected as consumer loads, which are also the destination of
transmission of the location identification.
Figure 3b shows a series connection or additional device 311 which
is connected in series with an energy-receiving apparatus 312 in the
network line after a network plug 305 or which is connected thereto in
some other manner. In this case the location information which has come
in by way of the energy network is decoded in a unit 222, combined with
that from a transmitting or generator unit for the individual identification
as indicated at 225 and communicated to a transmitter unit 229 which
transmits same together with an apparatus identification to a data
processing unit. The location and inventory identification which is
composed of location and apparatus identification is then passed thereby
to the central monitoring station 8 for detection and updating. More
specifically, a binary code which forms the location identification is derived
in the unit 222 from the sequence of missing or modified half-waves, in
the unit 307. That information is added in the mixer stage 309 to the
article identification. So that the signals of adjacent transmitters are not
mutually superimposed, provided in the transmitter unit is a frequency
divider 308 which reduces the network frequency by the ratio of a
(relatively great) prime number which differs from the reduction ratios of
other supplied transmitters. The transmitter 310 is operated in pulsed
fashion with the output signal of the frequency divider 308 so that it is
active only for comparatively short periods of time at relatively great
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intervals of time. The outputted signal sequences however are sufficient
to adequately update the location and inventory information at the
monitoring unit as changes in position are comparatively rare.
The invention is not limited in terms of implementation thereof to
the above-specified preferred embodiments. On the contrary, a number
of alternative configurations are possible, which make use of the
illustrated structure even in configurations of a basically different kind.
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