ES2207368B1 - UNIVERSAL SYSTEM FOR DATA ACQUISITION AND FORWARDING VIA GSM / GPRS. - Google Patents

Abstract

Universal data acquisition and forwarding system via GSM / GPRS consisting mainly of a data acquisition team that incorporates a GSM / GPRS data module for, once the data from external devices has been acquired through the serial ports, and stored In different areas, one for each port, send them to a remote analysis center via radio (GSM / GPRS). In addition, it supports the sending of short messages to alarm situations of any of the connected external equipment, or to the impossibility of establishing communication with any of them. The mode of operation and configuration of the ports can be done remotely, through the GSM / -GPRS module, or through a PC connected to one of the ports.

Description

Universal data acquisition system and forwarding via GSM / GPRS.

Object of the invention

The present invention relates to a system Universal data acquisition and forwarding via GSM / GPRS, which provides essential novelty features and notable advantages with respect to the known and intended procedures for these same purposes in the current state of the art.

More particularly, the invention proposes the development of a data acquisition system from external equipment through serial type connections RS-232, and forwarding them to a center Remote analysis via GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) or GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), through a data acquisition team constituted, among other elements, by a plurality of data input / output ports to which external devices are connected, a microprocessor that governs the computer, a flash memory, a power battery that provides the team with its own autonomy, a GSM / GPRS data module for radio transmission and a series of indicator lights corresponding to each of the ports, to the power supply, and to the transmitting antenna, which indicate its status.

The scope of the invention is is included in the telecommunications sector in general, and more specifically in the collection systems of measurement data to be stored and analyzed remotely, and that must be sent for analysis quickly and safe.

Background and summary of the invention

They are known in the current state of the art systems implemented in portable electronic devices for data collection incorporating an interface circuit, a microprocessor and a series of adapter modules connected to the interface circuit, which are limited to capturing data so that they are extracted to a PC (Personal Computer) through its serial output or  parallel, so they do not incorporate a module for transmission via radio

In addition, they do not have a battery of long-term power that provides autonomy own.

Therefore, the present invention proposes a data acquisition system from external equipment to through serial connections, RS-232, and forwarding of  same to a remote analysis center via GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) or GPRS (General Packet Radio Service).

The operation of the system consists of collecting  the information of your ports of entry, storing it in zones different memory, one for each port, and send it through a GSM / GPRS module output to the number, preset in the configuration file, from the remote center. It also supports the sending short messages in case of alarm situations of any of connected external equipment, or due to the impossibility of establish communication with any of them. In addition, it allows sending information related to the status of its ports or stored in its internal memory, if required.

To achieve what is described in the paragraph Previously, the system has a low level software or system operating system that allows access to the different system resources and an application software that implements the functionalities specific to the system, making use of the facilities offered by the operating system.

The system object of the invention is composed  mainly by a data acquisition team by a plurality of data input / output ports, a microprocessor, a flash memory and another RAM, a battery of power, two UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter), and a series of indicator lights corresponding to each of the ports and the food.

The proposed system is transparent to all types of files (text, fax, executables, etc.) and facilitates asynchronous communications, depending on the external generator equipment of data. In fact, the communication speed of the ports of input is configurable, to adapt it to the different devices to which you can connect, through a program of serial communications installed on a PC, which is susceptible to connect to the port chosen as control and access the file configuration and in it modify the speed field of the port. This configuration file contains the different system parameters modifiable by the user.

Another feature of the system is that its capacity can be adapted to the needs of each user adding software blocks or auxiliary equipment necessary, in addition to being flexible in order to adapt to market demands and devices, such as the type of information to handle, type and speed of transmission, or connection of any terminal for sending and receiving data through a serial port (complying with ETSI specification 07.05 (European Telecommunications Standards Institute)).

Brief description of the drawings

These and other features and advantages of the invention, will become more clearly apparent from the detailed description that follows in a preferred way of embodiment, given by way of illustration only and not limiting, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in the that:

Figure 1 shows the block diagram of the universal data acquisition and forwarding system via GSM / GPRS, object of the invention, and

Figure 2 shows the block diagram of the system data acquisition equipment of the Figure previous.

Description of a preferred embodiment

To carry out the detailed description that Following the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be made permanent reference to the Figures of the drawings, through which have used the same numerical references for the same or similar parts. Thus, making reference, first place, to Figure 1, the invention has provided the formation of a system consisting primarily of an acquisition team (1) of data that has a plurality of ports (2-4) data input / output to which devices are connected (5-7) external, in the preferred embodiment to through RS-232 serial connections, and through of a GSM / GPRS data module (9) forwards them via radio to a Center (8) remote control and analysis.

The system facilitates the collection of information from  its ports (2-4), storing it in memory, to subsequently send it through the output module (9) to the number from the center (8) remote. In addition, it allows the sending of short messages to indicate faults or failures in communication with the devices (5-7).

Figure 2 shows the block diagram of the data acquisition equipment (1) of the system object of the invention, constituted, as mentioned and according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, by three ports (2-4) RS-232 input / output, a microprocessor (10) of eight bits, a flash memory (11) of two megabytes, and another RAM (12) of eight megabytes, a battery of Power (13), two UART (14, 15) (Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter Universal), a GSM / GPRS data module (9), an antenna (21) for GSM / GPRS data transmission / reception, a ROM (22) where the operating system and a series of indicators are stored luminous (16-20) corresponding to each of the ports, to the power, and to the antenna.

Specifically, the Flash memory (11) used in  the system is an EEPROM memory that stores the programs of System functionality and configuration data. And has the ability to be erased and reprogrammed in blocks, no need to erase it and reprogram it in its entirety. This makes the task easier. to store the configuration data of each of the ports in different memory zones, one for each port.

The UART (14, 15) are electronic circuits that They are responsible for transmitting and receiving data on the serial port, convert bytes to serial bits for transmission and vice versa, and generates and removes the start and stop bits added to each character.

For the collection of the input data through  of the ports (2-4) the equipment (1) uses three different procedures:

WAIT: The device (5) sends the data when  it seems to him, and the system checks their entry to marked intervals in the configuration file, storing them in the memory space allocated to that port, to send them to continuation;

CHECK: The system indicates the device (5) connected to port (2) when you must transmit your data. For it the system sends a request frame, whose configuration is defined in the configuration file. The data collected is stored in memory (12) and sent immediately to the center (8) remote for treatment;

SATURATION: The procedure is the same as the previous, with the difference that data is stored in memory until full capacity, at which time they are sent to the center Remote for treatment.

On the other hand, whatever the mode of operation, the sending of data stored in memory is done through a GSM / GPRS terminal, consisting of module (9) and by the antenna (21) transmitter / receiver, at a speed of 9.6 kilobits per second according to the preferred embodiment.

The software packages needed to implement the functions carried out by the team (1) of Data acquisition and delivery are as follows:

A low level software, constituted by the operating system and application library for key operations (reading and writing in ports, Port configuration, write and read in / from memory Flash (11), loading and executing applications);

An application software, which implements the specific operation of the system, which consists of collecting the information sent by the devices (5-7) and store it in memory (12) for later shipment to the center (8) remote, interrogate external devices requesting the shipment of data stored, set the parameters of establishment of data call or short message delivery to an alarm situation at a preset number, perform said call to remote center, send stored data, end the call and enable user access to data stored in Flash memory (11) for configuration.

Precisely in the application software find the configuration file, which, as it has gone advancing throughout this description, it has the different system parameters modifiable by the user. Specifically, the general system parameters stored in This file is as follows:

Name: the one given to the system acquisition of data.

Code: internal system, and that must be included in all data frames sent to the center (8) remote so that it identifies the system that has generated.

Status: system status (in functioning, etc.).

Date: Creation of the file setting.

Telephone: Telephone number of the GSM / GPRS data module (9) integrated in the system.

Cfg_Puerto_GSM: Configuration of the port to which the module (9) of data.

And the series of port parameters stored in the configuration file as many series as ports of entry exist, are the following:

Name: Name given to the port (2) (in the frames sent this name appears as generator of data).

Code: Internal system code of data acquisition, which should be included in all frames of data sent to the remote center (8) to identify the device that has them generated.

DESCRIPTION: of the device (5) data generator connected to the acquisition and forwarding system of data.

CONFIG: Port Settings (2) series, with the format vv, PP, pp, cc, that is, bit rate per second, stop bit, parity bit and bits per character.

ALERT: Indicates whether the device (5) External send (ALERT = 1) or not (ALERT = 0) alarms

ALERT TRAMA: data stream sent by the external device (5) in a situation of emergency.

MODE_OPER: Indicates the mode of relate the system to the device, that is, the mode of operation (WAIT, CHECK, SATURATION).

TRAMA_CHK_TER: Data stream a send to the device (5) to request the sending of data, if The operating mode of the device is saturation or check.

DATA_ INTENTS: Number of attempts to establish a data link with the remote center (8) of control from system.

ACK_TRAMA_DAT: Frame that the system Data acquisition must respond to the external device (5) when you receive data from East.

PERIOD_ SHIPPING: Time interval between data shipments to the control center (8) remote.

MSG_ALERTA_TER: Content of the short message to be sent by the data acquisition team (1) to the remote center (8) when receiving an alert frame from the device (5).

MSG_ERR_CC: Message content short that the equipment (1) will send to the center (8) when it cannot establish a data call with the center of control.

MSG_ERR_TER: Message content short that the equipment (1) will send to the center (8) when sending a data request frame to a device (5) it does not send none, including in its content the Code and DESCRIPTION.

PERIOD_INTEN: Time interval, in seconds, between attempts to establish the data call in the remote center in case of failure to try it

TAM_TRAMA_DAT: Size, in bytes, of the data sent by the external device (5) connected to the port (2) in each of the shipments.

TAM_BUFFER_DAT: Size, in bytes, of the buffer to store the data sent by a device (5)  before being sent to the center (8) of control.

TELEF_DATOS 1: Telephone number from the center (8) remote from control.

TELEF_DATOS 2: Reservation number from the center (8), so that if the team (1), after attempts defined in PERÍODO_INTEN, cannot send data to TELEF_DATOS_1, try to establish a data call to this second number.

TELEF_SMS_1: Phone number for sending messages short

TELEF_SMS_2: Reservation number for posts short

CMC_SMS: Center Number Posts Short.

To carry out said configuration of system, just connect to one of the inputs or port, configured as a computer control (1), a portable PC that have a serial communications program, and access the file of configuration through MS-DOS commands. From This mode is possible, both transfer files to / from the portable how to perform a series of checks intended to test the main elements of the team (1). These tests they consist of a sequence of writings and readings in each of the ports (5-7) and on the hard drive and on and off of the indicator lights.

It is not considered necessary to make the content of this description for a subject matter expert can understand its scope and the advantages derived from the invention, as well as develop and implement the object of the same.

However, it should be understood that the invention has been described according to a preferred embodiment thereof, so that it may be subject to modifications within the scope of the invention, and without this implying any alteration of its basis.
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Claims (4)

1. Universal data acquisition and forwarding system via GSM / GPRS, which collects the information, provided by external devices (5-7) connected to the ports (2-4) of a data acquisition equipment (1), storing it in memory, to later send it to a remote control and analysis center (8), characterized in that the sending is done through a GSM / GPRS data module (9), via radio, included in the equipment (1) of data acquisition, which is also constituted by a plurality of data input / output ports (2-4) to which external devices (5-7) are connected via RS-232 serial connections, a microprocessor (10 ), a Flash memory (11), a ROM memory (22) and another RAM (12), a power battery (13) that gives the unit its own autonomy (1), two UART (14, 15) (Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter Universal) that transmit and receive data on the serial port, convert bytes to serial bits for transmission and vic eversa, and generate and remove the added start and stop bits in the data frames, an antenna (21) for the transmission / reception of GSM / GPRS data, and a series of light indicators (16-20) corresponding to each one of the ports, to the power, and to the antenna, to indicate its status. 2. Universal data acquisition and forwarding system via GSM / GPRS, according to claim 1, characterized in that the Flash memory (11) used in the system is an EEPROM memory that stores the system functionality programs and data configuration, being able to be erased and re-programmed in blocks, so it facilitates the task of storing the configuration information of each of the ports in different memory areas, one for each port. 3. Universal data acquisition and forwarding system via GSM / GPRS, according to claim 1, characterized in that the equipment (1) is capable of being configured by the user by connecting to one of the ports, configured as a control, a Portable PC that has a serial communications program, and access the configuration file by transferring files from / to the laptop and, if necessary, performing a functional check of the main elements of the data acquisition equipment (1). 4. Universal data acquisition and forwarding system via GSM / GPRS, according to claim 1, characterized in that the equipment (1) is capable of being configured by the user from a remote terminal, via radio, via the data module GSM / GPRS.