Nova Patents
USRE35449E

Remote 2-way transmission audience polling and response system

Claim Score by NHIP

Read claim 38, the broadest

Abstract

A remote response system includes a central control unit and a plurality of remotely-located response units each having keypads for entering a selection from a user. The central control unit sequentially transmits distinct address words and includes redundant receivers for receiving data words transmitted by response units. Each response unit becomes powered-up upon the entry of a user response and transmits a data word, corresponding to the user selection, upon receipt of its unique address word. The central control unit examines the validity of each data bit received and the validity of an entire data word to determine if both a character and its complement are received. If a valid data word is received, the central control unit transmits an acknowledge bit, which powers-down the response unit that sent the valid word. Each response unit transmits its data word simultaneously with the central control unit transmitting the address word for the next unit that is to respond with the transmissions occurring over distinct frequency channels. A clock signal for controlling data word serial bit transmission is derived at each response unit from the address word signal.

Term

Term ended

Expired 2 March 2014, 12.6 years ago.

  1. Priority
  2. Filed
  3. Granted
  4. Expired
  5. Today

43 claims: 11 independent, 32 dependent

  1. 1.
    1. A remote response system comprising:PA1 a central control unit including address word transmitting means for sequentially transmitting a plurality of distinct address words and data word receiving means for receiving data words;PA1 a plurality of response units located remote from said central control unit, each of said response units including data entry means for receiving an inputted data word, address word receiving means for receiving said address words transmitted from said central control unit, circuit means responsive to said address word receiving means for identifying a particular one of said address words that have been assigned to that particular one of said response units and data word transmitting means responsive to said data entry means and said circuit means for transmitting a data word from said data entry means to said central control unit in response to identification of a particular address word assigned to that particular remote unit;and PA1 said central control unit further including acknowledging means for examining data words received by said data word receiving means and identifying that a data word received from one of said response units is valid and for transmitting an acknowledge message to the one of said response units sending the valid data word.
  2. 13.
    13. A remote response system comprising:a central control unit and a plurality of response units located remote from said control unit, said central control unit including address word transmitting means for transmitting a plurality of distinct address words at a given rate and data word receiving means for receiving data words transmitted from said response units;PA1 each or said response units including;address word receiver means tar receiving said elements of address words from said central control unit at said given rate;PA1 address identification means responsive to said address word receiver means for identifying an address word assigned to the particular response unit;PA1 clock generating means responsive to said address word receiver means for generating a clock signal having elements that are generated in synchronism with elements of each of said address words: PA1 data entry means adapted to actuation by a user for PA1 receiving and storing data words;PA1 data transmitting means for transmitting data words from said data entry means to the central control unit;and PA1 transfer means responsive to said clock signal and to said address identification means for transferring data words from said data entry means to said data transmitting means when said address word assigned to the particular response unit is identified and at a rate that is synchronized with the rate of receipt or said address word elements whereby the rate of data word transmission is established by the central control unit at said given rate.
  3. 16.
    16. A method of retrieving data words at a central control unit from a plurality of remote response units comprising the steps of:PA1 receiving user inputted data words in at least one of said remote response units;PA1 placing each one of said remote response units having a data word obtained during said step or receiving in a first mode indicative of that particular response unit having a data word to be retrieved;PA1 transmitting from said central control unit to substantially all remote response units, distinct address words in a sequential manner, said address words having a predetermined number of elements;PA1 at each one of said remote response units, receiving said address words and identifying when an address word is received that is assigned to that particular remote response unit: PA1 transmitting from each response unit which is in said first mode a data word during an interval after receipt of the address word assigned to the response unit;PA1 receiving at said central control unit each said data word transmitted by one of said response units and determining if each received data word is a valid data word: PA1 transmitting from said central control unit an acknowledge message in response to determining that a valid data word has been received from one of said response units, to the response unit sending the valid data word;and PA1 placing a response unit that is in said tint mode in a second mode in response to that response unit receiving an acknowledge message transmitted by said central control unit, said second mode being indicative of that response unit not having a data word to be retrieved.
  4. 23.
    23. A remote response system comprising:PA1 a central control unit including means for transmitting a plurality of distinct address words individually in a sequential manner, receiving means for receiving data words, determining means responsive to said receiving means for determining whether a received data word is valid and acknowledging means responsive to a valid data word being received for transmitting an acknowledge message;PA1 a plurality of response units located remote from said central control unit, each of said response units including: PA2 data entry means for receiving input data: PA2 means responsive to said data entry means receiving data for placing said response unit in a first mode indicative of that particular response unit having received data to be transmitted to said central control unit;PA2 receiving means for receiving said address words transmitted from said central control unit and determining if an address word is a predetermined address word assigned to that particular response unit;PA2 data word transmitting means responsive to said receiving means receiving the address word assigned to that particular response unit and to that particular response unit being in said first mode for transmitting a data word representative of said data to said central control unit;and PA2 means responsive to said acknowledge message for switching said response unit from said first mode to a second mode indicative of that particular response unit not having data to be transmitted to said central control unit.
  5. 28.
    28. A remote response system comprising:PA1 a central control unit including control unit transmitting means for individually transmitting a plurality of distinct address words in a sequential manner and control unit receiving means for receiving data words, said control unit transmitting means including means for serially transmitting elements of said address words;PA1 a plurality of response units located remote from said central control unit, each of said response units including data entry means for receiving and storing input data, response unit receiving means for receiving said address words and determining if an address word is a predetermined address word assigned to that particular response unit and transmitting means responsive to said receiving means receiving the address word assigned to that particular response unit for transmitting a data word representative of data stored in said data entry means said data word made up of data word elements;PA1 each of said response units further including clock generating means responsive to said response unit receiving means for generating a clock signal synchronized with said elements of said address words transmitted by said control unit transmitting means and transfer means responsive to said clock signal for serially transferring said data word elements from said data entry means to said response unit transmitting means such that each response unit transmitting means transmits said data word elements synchronized with the elements of address words being transmitted by said central control unit during the interval immediately after the address word assigned to that particular response unit is transmitted by said central control unit.
  6. 35.
    35. A method of retrieving data at a central control unit from a plurality of remote response units comprising the steps of:PA1 transmitting from said central control unit to said plurality of remote response units a plurality of distinct address words individually in a sequential manner;PA1 receiving at each remote response unit said address words transmitted from said central control unit and identifying an address word that is assigned to that particular remote unit;PA1 transmitting a data word from a remote response unit to said central control unit in response to that particular remote response unit identifying the address word assigned to it;PA1 receiving at said central control unit data words transmitted from said remote response units and determining whether said data words are valid;and PA1 transmitting an acknowledge message from the central control unit to the remote response unit sending the valid data word in response to said central control unit receiving a valid data word.
  7. 38.
    38. A method of retrieving data at a central control unit from a plurality of remotely positioned response units comprising the steps of:PA1 sequentially transmitting a plurality of distinct address words having elements from said central control unit in a manner that elements of each address word are serially transmitted;PA1 receiving at each of said response units said plurality of distinct address words transmitted from said central control unit;PA1 generating at each of said response units, from the received data words, a clock signal synchronized with said elements of said address words;PA1 receiving user selections at each of said response units and storing each selection as a data word having elements;PA1 serially transmitting said elements of said data word to the central control unit from a response unit upon the central control unit transmitting an address word assigned to that particular response unit and at a rate determined by said clock signal.
  8. 40.
    40. A remote response system comprising:PA1 a central control unit including address word transmitting means for transmitting address words and data word receiving means for receiving data words;PA1 a plurality of response units located remote from said central control unit, each of said response units including data entry means for receiving an inputted data word, address word receiving means for receiving said address words transmitted from said central control unit, circuit means responsive to said address word receiving means for identifying a particular one of said address words that have been assigned to that particular one of said response units and data word transmitting means responsive to said data entry means and said circuit means for transmitting a data word from said data entry means to said central control unit in response to identification of a particular address word assigned to that particular remote unit;and PA1 said central control unit further including acknowledging means for examining data words received by said data word receiving means and identifying that a data word received from one of said response units is valid and for transmitting an acknowledge message to the one of said response units sending the valid data word. .Iaddend..Iadd.
  9. 41.
    41. A method of retrieving data words at a central control unit from a plurality of remote response units comprising the steps of:PA1 receiving user inputted data words in at least one of said remote response units;PA1 placing each one of said remote response units having a data word obtained during said step of receiving in a first mode indicative of that particular response unit having a data word to be retrieved;PA1 transmitting address words from said central control unit to substantially all remote response units;PA1 at each one of said remote response units, receiving said address words and identifying when an address word is received that is assigned to that particular remote response unit;PA1 transmitting from each response unit which is in said first mode a data word during an interval after receipt of the address word assigned to the response unit;PA1 receiving at said central control unit each said data word transmitted by one of said response units and determining if each received data word is a valid data word;PA1 transmitting from said central control unit an acknowledge message in response to determining that a valid data word has been received from one of said response units, to the response unit sending the valid data word;and PA1 placing a response unit that is in said first mode in a second mode in response to that response unit receiving an acknowledge message transmitted by said central control unit, said second mode being indicative of that response unit not having a data word to be retrieved. .Iaddend..Iadd.
  10. 42.
    42. A remote response system comprising:PA1 a central control unit including means for transmitting address words, receiving means for receiving data words, determining means responsive to said receiving means for determining whether a received data word is valid and acknowledging means responsive to a valid data word being received for transmitting an acknowledge message;PA1 a plurality of response units located remote from said central control unit, each of said response units including;PA2 data entry means for receiving input data;PA2 means responsive to said data entry means receiving data for placing said response unit in a first mode indicative of that particular response unit having received data to be transmitted to said central control unit;PA2 receiving means for receiving said address words transmitted from said central control unit and determining if an address word is assigned to that particular response unit;PA2 data word transmitting means responsive to said receiving means receiving the address word assigned to that particular response unit and to that particular response unit being in said first mode for transmitting a data word representative of said data to said central control unit;and PA2 means responsive to said acknowledge message for switching said response unit from said first mode to a second mode indicative of that particular response unit not having data to be transmitted to said central control unit. .Iaddend..Iadd.
  11. 43.
    43. A method of retrieving data at a central control unit from a plurality of remote response units comprising the steps of:PA1 transmitting address words from said central control unit to said plurality of remote response units;PA1 receiving at each remote response unit said address words transmitted from said central control unit and identifying an address word that is assigned to that particular remote unit;PA1 transmitting a data word from a remote response unit to said central control unit in response to that particular remote unit identifying the address word assigned to it;PA1 receiving at said central control unit data words transmitted from said remote response units and determining whether said data words are valid;and PA1 transmitting an acknowledge message from the central control unit to the remote response unit sending the valid data word in response to said central control unit receiving a valid data word. .Iaddend.
Independent claims11