EP0533623B1 - Installation with coded emitters and receivers - Google Patents

Abstract

An identification code is attributed to the receivers from a transmitter. This code is generated by means of a microcomputer (MCE) comprising a random code generator (GCO). This code is recopied into the other transmitters by setting up a temporary link (JK) between a transmitter operating as master and the other transmitters operating as slaves. The microcomputer may further include a channel generator (GCA). The receivers also include a microcomputer for detecting the transmitted frame, reading the code and channel values and comparing them with recorded values. The assembly makes it possible to simplify the code acquisition operation and simultaneously to control several receivers by one transmitter. <IMAGE>

Description

The subject of the present invention is an installation comprising several transmitters and several receivers, respectively capable of transmitting and receiving a frame containing data, in particular a code, and each comprising a microcomputer, a memory for memorizing a code d identification of each transmitter, randomly generated, of the means of transmission of this code between the microcomputers associated with means generating this code and the other microcomputers, at the end of its memorization in the corresponding memory, the microcomputers of the receivers comparing the code received to the memorized code and activating an output interface when these codes are identical.

From US patent 4,529,980 there is known an installation of this type in which the code is randomly generated by the receiver and transmitted, by infrared or galvanic link, to the transmitter which stores it. This installation is primarily intended for the control of one or more receivers by a transmitter. If a transmitter must be able to control several receivers, the transmitter acquires the code for each of the receivers successively and stores each of these codes in a different memory box selected by microswitches. It is therefore not possible to control several receivers simultaneously, but the receivers must be ordered successively, which requires the sending of as many commands as there are receivers. In addition, if the installation comprises several transmitters, for example in the case of a plurality of users of one or more receivers controlling one or more several doors, it is necessary to repeat the operation of acquisition of the identification code by the transmitters as many times as there are receivers and transmitters, the number of operations being consequently equal to the product of the number receivers by the number of transmitters.

The aim of the present invention is to simplify the code acquisition operation and to allow the simultaneous control of several receivers by a transmitter.

To this end, the installation according to the invention is characterized in that the means for generating random code are located in the transmitters, that the microcomputer of the transmitters comprises, for this purpose, a program and sub-programs for activating the means random code generators, to memorize this code in the memory, arrange the memorized code in the frame and trigger the transmission of the frame, that the receiver microcomputer includes a subroutine to receive the frame and memorize the code number of the frame, that each transmitter comprises means making it possible to establish a connection between its microcomputer and the microcomputer of another transmitter and that the microcomputer of each transmitter comprises a transmission subroutine on its link output with the microcomputer d another transmitter, of a frame loaded with the code contained in its memory and a subroutine for receiving said frame and memorizing frame code ion.

The code is generated by a transmitter and can be sent to several receivers simultaneously, which will subsequently allow these receivers to be controlled simultaneously.

The transmission of the code generated in one transmitter to the other transmitters makes it possible to quickly copy the codes generated in all the transmitters. In practice, the identification codes will be generated in a specific transmitter, which will operate as a master transmitter, and copied into the other transmitters, which will operate as slave transmitters. The copying operation must therefore be repeated a number of times equal to the number of transmitters minus 1. In the case of a plurality of transmitters controlling the same series of receivers, simultaneously or individually, the total number of operations for the copying of the codes in the transmitters and the training of these codes at the receivers will therefore be equal to the sum of the number of transmitters minus 1 and the number of receivers. This therefore represents a great simplification relative to the installation according to the prior art.

In addition, it is easier to perform a copy from transmitter to transmitter, because it can be carried out at any place, in particular at a place different from the place of the receiver which is generally fixed, as is the case of '' a door control or the like.

The installation can work by means of several channels. A specific channel can be assigned to each transmitter and to one or more receivers. The transmitters can be multi-channel. In this case they include a channel generator controlled by a channel selector. Each receiver compares the code and the channel value contained in the received signal with the code and the channel value contained in its memory. All receivers with the same channel value and code are activated simultaneously. A difference between the channel values makes it possible preferably to individualize the control of several receivers belonging to the same user. A difference in the code number makes it possible to individualize the receivers belonging to different users. Such an installation has great flexibility of use.

• La figure 1 représente schématiquement un ensemble d'émetteurs et de récepteurs;
• la figure 2 représente le schéma bloc d'un émetteur;
• la figure 3 représente le schéma bloc d'un récepteur associé à un appareil à commander;
• la figure 4 représente l'ordinogramme du logiciel du microcalculateur d'un émetteur;
• les figures 5 à 7 représentent les ordinogrammes des sous-programmes réception de code, recopie de code et émission de trame du programme représenté à la figure 4; et
• la figure 8 représente l'ordinogramme du programme du microcalculateur d'un récepteur.

An embodiment will be described, by way of example, by means of the appended drawing in which:

• FIG. 1 schematically represents a set of transmitters and receivers;
• Figure 2 shows the block diagram of a transmitter;
• FIG. 3 represents the block diagram of a receiver associated with an apparatus to be controlled;
• FIG. 4 represents the flowchart of the software of the microcomputer of a transmitter;
• FIGS. 5 to 7 represent the flow diagrams of the code reception, code copying and frame transmission subroutines of the program represented in FIG. 4; and
• FIG. 8 represents the flowchart of the program of the microcomputer of a receiver.

The installation consists of a number of transmitters E1, E2, E3, ... En and a number of receivers R1, R2, ... Rm.

Each transmitter is equipped with a transmitting antenna and each receiver with a receiving antenna for transmission, respectively receiving a high frequency signal. Each receiver is associated with a device or apparatus to be controlled.

Each transmitter, as shown in FIG. 2, comprises an MPE microcomputer supplied by a battery B also supplying a high frequency EHF transmitter connected to an antenna AE.

The MCE microcomputer has several outputs which are respectively connected to a 7-segment AFF display, with five contacts C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 and to a light-emitting diode (LED) LE. The contacts C1, C2 and C5 can be actuated individually to earth the corresponding output of the microcomputer. The contacts C3 and C4 constitute a jack socket intended to receive a JK jack connected at the two ends of the line L (figure 1). In the absence of a jack, contact C3 is closed and connects the corresponding output of the microcomputer to earth. Contact C4 is intended to connect the corresponding output of the microcomputer to line L when the JK jack is inserted.

The MCE microcomputer includes a GCO random code generator, a GCA channel generator and an EEPROM memory.

The microcomputer MCE comprises a program and subroutines for activating the code generator GCO for storing the code obtained in the EEPROM memory, placing the stored code in the frame and triggering the transmission of the frame. This program and these subroutines are shown in Figures 4 to 7.

The GCO random code generator and the GCA channel of the transmitter consist of incremental counters. The first is incremented by means of contact C1 and the second by means of contact C5.

Opening the contact C3 activates the "code copying" subroutine (figures 4 and 6) when the contact C2 is closed and activates the "code reception" subroutine (figures 4 and 5) when the contact C2 is open.

Closing contact C3 gives access to the "channel value generation" subroutine (FIG. 4).

Closing contact C2, while contact C3 is closed and contact C5 is open, activates the "frame transmission" subroutine (Figures 4 and 7).

The EEPROM memory of each transmitter contains memory boxes for receiving the random code generated by the GCO generator.

The AFF display shows the channel value read from the GCA channel generator.

The EHF transmitter is designed to transmit the frame from the "frame transmission" subroutine.

One of the receivers is shown in FIG. 3. This receiver comprises a microcomputer MCR supplied by the network N via a supply circuit AL, a receiver RHF connected to a receiving antenna AR, to the supply circuit power supply AL and to the microcomputer MCR, an IO interface and a light-emitting diode (LED) LR connected to an output of the microcomputer. The IO interface is connected to the output S of the microcomputer The IO interface is also connected to a control device K, for example a garage door.

Another output of the MCR microcomputer is connected to a contact C6, the actuation of which connects this output to ground. The MCR microcomputer is also equipped with a memory and EEPROM. The MCR microcomputer comprises a program represented in FIG. 8 and comprising a learning subroutine and an order execution subroutine. The learning subroutine receives the frame sent by the transmitters and stores the frame code number in the EEPROM memory of the receiver.

In each receiver, closing contact C6 activates the learning subroutine (Figure 8). When this contact C6 is open, the order execution subroutine is active.

In the embodiment considered, the IO interface comprises a four-cycle cycle breaker and the RHF receiver is of the "four-cycle cycle" type. Activation of the output S at the end of the order execution subroutine activates the input of the breaker which, successively, produces circular orders from SENS 1, STOP, SENS 2, STOP,. ..

The operation of the installation will now be described.

To carry out the coding of the installation, a transmitter is chosen as the "master" transmitter. By means of contact C1 of this transmitter, a first code is generated which is stored in the EEPROM memory of this master transmitter. By means of contact C5 and the LCD display, a channel is chosen which is also stored in the EEPROM memory.

This code and this channel value are then copied into the other transmitters by means of the galvanic link L. For this purpose, one of the JK jacks is plugged into the jack socket C3 / C4 of the master transmitter and the another jack in the jack socket of the slave transmitter in which you want to copy the code. The contact C2 of the master transmitter is then activated, the closing of which activates the code copying subroutine which results in the transmission, by the output corresponding to contact C4, of a frame comprising the code and the channel number. contained in the EEPROM memory of the master transmitter. The absence of action on the contact C2 of the slave transmitter has the effect of keeping active the subroutine of code reception of this slave transmitter, which results in the recording, in the EEPROM memory of this slave transmitter, of the code and the channel number contained in the frame arriving on contact C4 by the galvanic link.

The above operation is repeated for each of the slave transmitters.

The coding of the receivers is carried out using any of the transmitters. To this end, the galvanic connection between transmitters is eliminated, which has the effect of closing contact C3. The contact C6 of the receptor (s) which should react to a determined channel is closed. By means of contact C5 and the AFF display, the channel corresponding to these receivers is selected. The frame transmission subroutine is then activated by closing the contact C2. Closing contact C6 has the effect of activating the code learning subroutine which results in the recording, in the receiver's EEPROM memory, of the code and the channel value.

The above operation is repeated as many times as there are receivers. In the case where it is desired to control several receivers simultaneously, the same channel value is used in the learning phase for all these receivers.

If NR designates the number of receivers and NE the number of transmitters, the total number of coding and copying operations is equal to NR + NE - 1.

When their contact C6 is open, the receivers are ready to execute an order received from a transmitter. The open state of contact C6 keeps the order execution subroutine active, which, on detection of a frame, compares the code and the channel value contained in this frame with the code and the value contained in its memory and, in the event of identity, activates the output S of the MCR microcomputer. All receivers with the same channel value and code are activated simultaneously.

A difference between the channel values makes it possible to preferentially individualize the control of several receivers belonging to the same user. A difference in the code number makes it possible to individualize the receivers belonging to different users.

The program of the microcomputer MCE of a transmitter, represented in FIG. 4, proceeds as follows:

The microcomputer is woken up by an action on one of the contacts C1, C2 or C3.

The scan instruction 2 scans the state of the contacts C1, C2 and C5.

If test instruction 3 tests that contact C1 is closed, it activates the code generation subroutine. Instruction 11 is an instruction for copying the code recorded in EEPROM into the counter of the code generator. This instruction 11 calls the instruction 12 to increment the counter of the code generator. This increment is repeated as long as the contact C1 is closed, this state being tested by the test instruction 13. When C1 is opened again, the instruction 14 is called which ensures the copying of the state of the counter in the EEPROM memory code box.

If 3 tests that C1 is open, test instruction 4 then tests contact C3. If C3 is closed, the channel value generation subroutine is activated. Test instruction 5 tests contact C5. If C5 is closed, the channel counter of the GCA generator is then incremented by instruction 8 which calls instruction 9 to increment the display AFF. Instruction 9 is followed by a test instruction 36 which tests whether contact 5 is open. If this is the case, the subroutine loops back to the test instruction 5. If, on the other hand, 36 tests that the contact 5 is closed, the test 36 is repeated as long as the contact 5 is closed.

If 5 tests that C5 is open, it calls test instruction 6 which tests contact C2. If C2 is closed, the frame transmission routine 10 is activated. If C2 is open, the program goes to sleep 7.

If 4 tests that C3 is open, that is to say that the jack JK of the galvanic link is on file, it calls test 15 which tests contact C2. If C2 is closed the code copying subroutine 16 is activated.

If 15 tests that contact C2 is open, the code reception subroutine 17 is activated.

The code reception subroutine 17, represented in FIG. 5, comprises the instruction 18 for acquiring the frame on the output 4 of the microcomputer, which calls the instruction 19 for memorizing the code in the EEPROM memory, which in turn calls the instruction 20 for flashing the code acquisition LED. Instruction 20 is followed by a test instruction 37 which tests whether contact C3 is closed. If so, the program is put to sleep. If, on the other hand, contact C3 is open, the program loops back to test instruction 15.

The code copying subroutine 16, represented in FIG. 6, comprises the instruction 21 for reading the code in the EEPROM memory, which calls the instruction 22 for framing with the code read in the EEPROM memory, which in turn calls the instruction 23 for sending the frame to output 4 of the microcomputer. Instruction 23 is followed by test instruction 37 described above.

The frame transmission subroutine 10, represented in FIG. 7, comprises the instruction 24 for reading the code in the EEPROM memory and the channel value, which calls the instruction 25 for constituting a frame with channel code and value, which in turn calls the instruction 26 to send a frame by the EHF transmitter.

The program of the microcomputer of a receiver, represented in figure 8, proceeds as follows:

Instruction 27 examines the state of the RHF receiver.

Instruction 28 is a frame detection test instruction. If 28 tests the reception of a frame, it calls instruction 29 which is an instruction for testing the state of contact C6. If 29 tests that C6 is closed, the learning subroutine is activated. This subroutine includes a code and channel value read instruction 30, which calls a code and channel value store instruction in the EEPROM memory 31, which in turn activates a LED flashing instruction d acquisition 32. The subroutine then loops back to test instruction 28.

If 29 tests that C6 is open, the order execution subroutine is activated. This subroutine begins with the call of an instruction 33 which is an instruction for reading the code and the channel value, which calls an instruction 34 which tests the correspondence between the code and the channel value received by the frame. and the channel code and value stored in the EEPROM memory.

If 34 tests that the code and the channel value received correspond to the memorized channel code and value, instruction 35, which is an instruction to activate the output S of the microcomputer, is called and the command is executed . The program then loops back to instruction 28.

If 34 tests that the code and channel values do not correspond to the recorded values, the program loops back to instruction 28 without the command being executed.

The installation could include a single receiver. This is the case, for example, of a garage door used by several users.

In a simplified version, the channel value generator can be replaced by a register containing a single fixed channel value determined at the factory. In this case, the programs and subroutines of the transmitters' microcomputer are provided to arrange this value in the transmitted frame. In FIG. 2, the generator GCA, the contact C5 and the LCD display are deleted.

According to an alternative embodiment of the receiver, instead of using a four-cycle cycle interrupter, three outputs of the MCR microcomputer are used, outputs having respectively the meaning SENS 1, SENS 2, STOP. The transmitter could be equipped with three C2 type contacts with, for each of these contacts, an order type code added to the frame sent by the transmitter.

Other variants are possible. In particular, the code generator does not necessarily have to be in the microcomputer. The same is true for the channel value generator. The AFF display and LEDs could be located outside of the transmitter and receiver. The four-cycle cycle breaker could be integrated into the receiver's microcomputer.

Each transmitter could include three contacts SENS 1, SENS 2, STOP and the codes corresponding to these orders could be generated by the microcomputer.

The link between the transmitters for copying the code could be a wireless, HF or IR link or even a link by optical fibers.

Claims (8)

1. Installation including several transmitters (E1, ...) and at least one receiver (R1, ...) respectively capable of transmitting and receiving a frame containing data, in particular a code, and each comprising a micro-computer (MCE, MCR), a memory (EEPROM) for storing a randomly generated identification code for the transmitter, means (EHF) for transmitting said code between the microcomputers associated with means generating said code and the other microcomputers in order to store it in the corresponding memory, the microcomputers of the receivers comparing the received code with the stored code and activating an output interface (IO) when these codes are identical, characterised in that the random code generating means (GCO) are situated in the transmitters, that the microcomputer (MCE) of the transmitters comprises, to this end, a program and subroutines to activate the random code generator, to store this code in the memory, to dispose the stored code in the frame and to trigger transmission of the frame, that the microcomputer (MCR) of the receiver includes a subroutine for acquiring the frame and storing the code contained in the frame, each transmitter includes means (C3/C4, JK) making it possible to establish a connection between its micro-computer and the microcomputer of another transmitter, and that the microcomputer (MCE) of each transmitter includes a subroutine for transmission, on its output for connection with the microcomputer of another transmitter, of a frame carrying the code contained in its memory and a subroutine for receiving the said frame and for storing the frame code.
2. Installation according to Claim 1, characterised in that one of the transmitters is a master transmitter and the other transmitters are slave transmitters.
3. Installation according to one of Claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the means making it possible to establish a connection between the microcomputers of two transmitters are constituted by a galvanic connection.
4. Installation according to Claim 3, characterised in that the galvanic connection is constituted by a cable fitted with jacks (JK) and that the microcomputers of the transmitters include two outputs connected to contacts (C3, C4) constituting a jack plug, one of these contacts (C3) making possible two states of the microcomputer which includes a subroutine for transmission, on the galvanic connection, of a frame carrying the code contained in the memory of the transmitter when the contact (C3) is in a first state and a subroutine for receiving the frame and storing the frame code, when the contact (C3) is in the second state.
5. Installation according to one of Claims 1 to 4, including several receivers, characterised in that it includes several channels and that the transmitters include a channel value generator (GCA) and a channel selector (C5).
6. Installation according to one of Claims 1 to 4, including several receivers, characterised in that it includes several channels and that each transmitter transmits on one given channel.
7. Installation according to Claim 5, characterised in that the channel selector (C5) is constituted by a contact connected to an output of the microcomputer of the transmitter and enabling, at each closure, the channel value to be incremented by one unit, the program and subroutines of the microcomputers being provided in order to dispose, in the frame transmitted by the transmitter, the last value contained in the channel generator, in addition to the identification code, and in that the microcomputers of the receivers (MCR) comprise a subroutine for acquiring the frame and storing the identification code and the channel value.
8. Installation according to Claim 6, characterised in that the microcomputer (MCE) of the transmitters includes a register containing a determined channel value and that the program and subroutines of the microcomputers of the transmitters are provided in order to dispose this channel value in the transmitted frame.

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