FR2651594A1 - Automatic communication module for a pocket radio messaging receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for automatic transmission of coded and prerecorded numerical and/or alphanumerical messages, representing anomalies, alarms or a distress signal, to an isolated user carrying a pocket radio receiver conforming to the radio messaging transmitter. These prerecorded messages travel via a telephone line, a server centre, radio messaging transmitters.

Description

The present invention relates to the automatic or alpha-numeric coded transmission method, to an isolated user, by means of paging and device for implementing the method.

The present invention relates to a method for the automatic transmission of messages, digital or alpha-digital, coded and prerecorded, representative of anomalies, alarms or distress, to an isolated user, carrying a pocket radio receiver. digital or alpha-digital display, and the device allowing the implementation of the method.

The present invention finds an advantageous application in all cases where a person, or a group of people, wishes to remain informed automatically, that is to say without the intermediary of third parties to relay the message, and permanently wherever 'it, that, it is located, on events having an important character.

For example, the present invention finds an advantageous application in the security or protection of property: break-in, fire, flood, machine shutdown. The user remains informed at all times and in all places about the state of his protection system .

A second advantageous application of the present invention conceives the sick, elderly or disabled who can alert a third party or a specialized body with the certainty of reaching the person concerned without having to use the telephone and in minimal time.
A third advantageous application of the present invention is in the control of industrial equipment or domestic appliances operating continuously or not and not requiring the permanent presence of a person nearby. The responsible person carrying the receiver may engage in other activities anywhere and the equipment will inform them of its operation.

Other advantageous applications of the present invention may be found according to the needs and at the option of a person skilled in the art or of the user.

Devices for automatic transmission of messages or data are known in the prior art. They can be classified into three categories according to the transmission method.

A first category of devices used & the support of telephone lines to convey messages to one or more subscriber telephone sets. They are capable of automatically and sequentially dialing the various call numbers and transmitting voice messages prerecorded on magnetic tape or contained in the memory of a microprocessor system and reconstructed by speech synthesis. These devices have the disadvantages of the permanent presence of a person at one of the stations contacted to receive the message, or to interpret it afterwards if the receiving station is capable of recording it.

A second category of devices also use telephone lines to convey digital messages to a central station capable of interpreting them. These transmitting devices automatically dial the telephone numbers of the central station or are integrated by the latter.

They are used in control, monitoring or automatic measurement systems. The permanent presence of a person at the fixed central station is also necessary here to make the decisions involved or to contact those concerned by other means.

A third category of devices use radio waves as a medium for conveying messages. The advantage of these devices lies in the immediate access to the user and the possibility of being permanently informed if the receiver is portable and autonomous. The major drawback of this type of device is that, given the frequencies available and the powers usable by the transmitters, transmissions can only be made over short distances.

The object of the present invention is to propose a method of transmitting messages, which makes it possible to eliminate the drawbacks linked to the constraints imposed by existing devices, as regards the limiting nature of the place of reception of messages.

This goal is achieved by the transmission method object of the present
invention.

The method of automatic transmission of messages subject of this
invention, is characterized in that it comprises at least the elements
following:
- a message transmitting device, called "Automatic Module
Communication "and called" MAC 5 ", allowing the implementation
method work.

- preferably a digital communication telephone network
of the "TRANSPAC" type to ensure the connection between the "MAC 5" and
radio messaging.

- radio messaging to convey information under
form of coded messages on Hertzian support.

- a pocket receiver with digital or alpha-digital display,
conforms to the format for sending radio messages
used and memorizing messages.

According to a first characteristic of the invention, the device allowing
the implementation of the method includes an electronic management circuit
based around a microprocessor with its read only memory and its circuits
input / output devices, means for entering data into
the memory by a keyboard, means for managing the communication procedure on the telephone network by MODEM, means for triggering a comminication procedure by several all or nothing logic inputs representative of an anomaly, of an alarm, or a standing or other signal.

According to a second characteristic of the invention, the automatic communication module is connected to the telephone network and will preferably use a digital communication network of the "TRANSPAC" type to meet a need for rapid access to a radio pager.

According to a third characteristic of the invention, the messages transmitted by the automatic communication module and transiting on the telephone network of "FRANCE TELECOM", are taken care of automatically by the radio messaging called, to be broadcast by means of the transmitters and repeaters radio of the latter, to the receiver (s) requested.

The radio messaging systems used in this third characteristic of the invention are services offered by broadcasting or telecommunications companies, having a network of transmitters and re-transmitters which are accessible to all at any time.

Two companies currently offer this type of service on French territory:
- "TELEDIFFUSION DE FRANCE" ensures the communication of messages
digital for "OPRATOR" pocket receivers.

Pocket radio receivers of the "OPERATOR" type are
digital display products and are manufactured by companies
like "NOKIA MOBIRA", "MATRA", or "MATSUSHITA" ....

- "FRANCE TELECOM" ensures the communication of alphanumeric messages
for pocket receivers of the "ALPHAPAGE" type. Radio
pocket receivers of the "ALPHAPAGE" type are
digital or alphanumeric display and are manufactured by
companies like "ALCATEL", "MOTOROLA" ........

"TELEDIFFUSION DE FRANCE" radio-messaging uses France Inter / France Info's network of transmitters with frequency modulation and covers almost the whole of French territory.

"France Télécom" radio-messaging with its "ALPHAPAGE" system covers regions like the Ile de France
According to a fourth characteristic of the invention, the length of the messages to be transmitted and the number of messages are only limited by the display and storage capacity of the radio receivers used.

According to a fifth characteristic of 1 invention, the automatic communication module being fully programmable by the user, as regards the call procedure and the telephone numbers to be dialed
integrates originally the possibility of using other types of digital or alphanumeric paging to come, and taking into account technological developments will allow the use of future radio paging by satellites with greater coverage of territories.

Other characteristics of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the description which follows
The description will relate to the device allowing the implementation of the method in its functional aspect and not in its operation.

Since devices of this type are known in the prior art, with regard to their basic constitution, any person skilled in the art informed about the functional necessities of the device, will be able to build an automatic communication module having the same function. than that which is the subject of the present invention while being of different construction.

For information, the "Automatic Communication Module't called" MACS ", is in the form of a wall box with lockable access door in which the electronic circuits are located.

External connections are provided for use
- 5 lines or more of all or nothing logic inputs or on one
external voltage maintained or not, are provided to receive the
discretionary message transmission initiation orders
of the user. Each of these lines can be requested by a
any device, whether it's a simple push button in the
case of a sick or disabled person, or information from
an alarm center.

- a telephone cable outlet is provided to be connected to the
telephone network bypassed on the subscriber socket of the same
so that a "MINITEL" allowing free access to the line for
usual communications.

- a permanent 12 Volt power input from a block
external power supply, provided for its operation
and for its greater safety.

The electronic circuits of the communication module include a microprocessor system equipped with read-only memories for storing information and peripheral communication input / output circuits, driving a MODEM connected to the telephone line.

The programming of the usage circuits is done by a keyboard of the numeric or alphanumeric keyboard type with 12 or 16 keys, located inside the box.
The automatic communication module must be programmed according to the type of paging used (OPERATOR or ALPHAPAGE), the procedure for accessing these services being slightly different and broken down as follows
"OPERATOR" procedure
Registration of Codes - NO Operator Telephone: 36.09.09.36. (this NO can be changed) - Validation or cancellation (if cancellation we retype the N ") - NO Personal code of the pocket receiver (6 digits) -Validation or cancellation (if cancellation we retype the N") - NO code identification of inputs 1,2,3,4, or 5 - Validation or cancellation (if cancellation we re-type NO) - NO alarm code corresponding to input NO - Validation or cancellation (if cancellation we re-type NO)
MACS numbering program sequence 1- Line seizure 2- Wait 2 seconds 3- Operator NO (8 digits) 4- Frequency detection transmitted by the server center

<tb> NO <SEP> hang up <SEP> then <SEP> 1.2.3.
<tb>

YES <SEP>"Connection"
<tb>
subscribe t ó cnlrrres)
6- Introductory validation code
7- N "alarm code corresponding to one of the inputs 8- Validation and sending of 5 and 7 9- Line hang-up 10- Wait 1 minute or more (repetition by security, this is an option) 11- Resumption of sequence 1.2 3.4.5.6.7.8.9.

12- End of program.

"ALPHAPAGE" procedure
Registration of Codes - N) Alphapage Telephone: 36.09.15.15. (this N "can be changed) - Validation or cancellation (if cancellation we retype the N") - N "Personal code of the pocket receiver (7 digits) - Validation or cancellation (if cancellation we retype the N") - N " identification code of the inputs 1,2,3,4, or 5 - Validation or cancellation (if cancellation we retype the N ") - N" alarm code corresponding to the input NO - Validation or cancellation (if cancellation on re-type the NO)
Course of the MACS numbering program - "ALPHAPAGE" 1- Line seizure 2- Wait 2 seconds 3- N "Alphapage (8 digits) 4- Frequency detection sent by the server center

<tb> NO <SEP> reconnect <SEP> then <SEP> 1.2.3.
<tb>

<SEP> YES <SEP>"Connection"
<tb>
5- N subscriber (7 digits)
6- Introductory validation code
7- NO alarm code corresponding to one of the inputs requested
8- Double validation and sending of 5 and 7
9- Line hang-up 10- Wait 1 minute or more (repetition for safety, this is an option) 11- Sequence recovery 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.

12 - End of program.

Claims (6)

1- Method of automatic transmission of coded and pre-recorded messages,  numeric and / or alphanumeric, representative of anomalies and / or  of alarms and / or distress, to an isolated user carrying a  specialized paging receiver, with possibility of access  permanent and immediate over almost the entire French territory or  on specific areas. 2- Method according to claim 1 characterized in that it uses  an automatic communication module connected to the telephone network  to automatically access a paging responsible for conveying  over-the-air messages to a pocket-sized radio receiver  digital and / or alphanumeric messages. 3- Method according to claims 1 and 2 characterized in that it  uses the paging services of the companies "TELEDIFFUSION  DE FRANCE "and" FRANCE TELECOM "accessible and usable automatically  by telephone call, and broadcasting messages of a compatible format  with pocket receivers of type OPERATOR and ALPHAPAGE. 4- Method according to claims 1 to 3 characterized in that the procedure  transmission includes the following sequence  - taking the telephone line  - dialing of the paging access number  - frequency detection specifying that the connection is made  otherwise resumption of the sequence until the connection is obtained or  of a certain number of allowable line retakes.  for rehearsal as a safety measure.  - resumption of the complete sequence after a wait of 1 minute or more  - hung up telephone line  - sending the message to be transmitted  - sending a personal code representing a subscriber number 5- Device called "AUTOMATIC COMMUNICATION MODULE" characterized by  what it includes means of implementing the following method  claims 1,2,3,4 ,. 6- Device according to claim 5 characterized in that it comprises  means for receiving procedure initiation information from  transmission (input lines) of the means of introduction into  memory, procedure, phone numbers and messages to  transmit (keyboard) means of composition and management of  transmission procedure (microprocessor and associated circuits) of  means of communication on the telephone network (Modem).