The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 23, 1982
Filed:
Nov. 14, 1979
Robert J Fahey, Framingham, MA (US);
Robert A Norbedo, North Andover, MA (US);
GTE Products Corp., Stamford, CT (US);
GTE Laboratories Inc., Waltham, MA (US);
Abstract
Apparatus for a signalling system. The apparatus includes a plurality of remote control units each of which is arranged to store self-check timing data therein. This data has a value representing a predetermined period of time the expiration of which corresponds to a predetermined time of day differing from the times of day associated with at least some of the other remote control units. At or following this particular time of day, a self-check operation is initiated for communicating a self-check message, including identification number data identifying the remote control unit, to a centralized communications center. A computer at the communications center receives and processes self-check messages produced by the remote control units and operates in response to each message from a remote control unit to note the identification number data therein and, using this data, to derive self-check timing data for use by the remote control unit in the next self-check operation. The self-check timing data has a value representing a period of time the expiration of which corresponds to the same time of day at or following which the last self-check operation was initiated by the remote control unit. The new self-check timing data is communicated back to the remote control unit for use thereby in initiating the next self-check operation.