Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at separate stations – Plural transmitters or receivers
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-13
2001-06-26
Maung, Nay (Department: 2744)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at separate stations
Plural transmitters or receivers
C455S507000, C705S015000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253090
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to communication apparatus and, more particularly, to communication apparatus suitable for transmitting predetermined messages from a plurality of transmitters to a number of receivers. The communication apparatus can be conveniently applied as an electronic management system in the hospitality, gaming and retail merchandising industries.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Although this invention will be described with particular reference to application of the communication apparatus in hospitality establishments such as restaurants or the like, it is to be clearly understood that the use of the invention is not limited to this particular application.
Diners at a restaurant or similar establishment generally need to make a number of different service requests during the course of meal, for example, summoning a waiter, requesting the bill, summoning the bar steward, requesting the menu, ordering food, and the like.
Such service requests are generally communicated verbally to a waiter assigned to the diners' table, or to the manager of the establishment. This is problematic as it is often difficult to obtain the attention of the waiter or the manager, particularly if the establishment is busy.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a communication apparatus which will, at least partially, alleviate the above-mentioned difficulty.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a communication apparatus, comprising:
a number of slave receivers;
a plurality of transmitters, each transmitter being associable with a selected at least one of the slave receivers and being activatable to transmit any selected one of a plurality of different predetermined messages to its associated at least one slave receiver along a communication channel; and
message selector means associated with each transmitter for activating the transmitter to transmit the selected one of the plurality of different predetermined messages to the associated at least one slave receiver.
A further feature of the invention provides for the communication apparatus to include a master receiver for receiving the plurality of different predetermined messages from all of the plurality of transmitters.
Still further features of the invention provide for each transmitter to be associable with a plurality of slave receivers, and for each slave receiver to be associable with a plurality of different transmitters.
Yet further features of the invention provide for each one of the plurality of different predetermined messages to include an identification code representative of the transmitter from which the predetermined message was transmitted, for each one of the plurality of different predetermined messages transmitted by a transmitter to also include a different message type code, for the predetermined messages to be pulse messages, for the pulse messages to be modulated according to pulse position, and for the pulse messages to contain 24 data bits.
Preferably, the communication channel is a radio frequency channel, the radio frequency channel is an ultra high frequency (UHF) channel, and each transmitter and receiver includes a surface acoustic wave resonator.
Yet still further features of the invention provide for the transmitters to be battery powered, for the message selector means to be a keypad, alternatively a membrane keyboard, for each of the slave receivers and the master receiver to include a corresponding display means for displaying the data contained in a message transmitted from any one of its associated transmitters, and for the display means to be a digital display means.
There is also provided for the display means of each slave receiver to be configurable to only display data contained in messages transmitted from any one of its associated transmitters and which contain selected message type codes, for each slave receiver to include a storage buffer for storing data corresponding to a plurality of messages received from its associated transmitters, and for the master receiver to include a storage buffer for storing data corresponding to a plurality of messages received from all the transmitters of the communication apparatus.
The invention extends to a communication method comprising the steps of:
selecting, by means of a message selector means, a selected one of a plurality of different predetermined messages to be transmitted by a particular one of a plurality of transmitters to an associated slave receiver;
including in the predetermined message an identification code representative of the particular one of the plurality of transmitters; and
activating the particular one of the plurality of transmitters to transmit the predetermined message to the associated slave receiver.
There is also provided for the method to include the further step of including in the selected predetermined message a message type code representative of the selected one of the plurality of predetermined messages.
There is further provided for the method to include the further steps of:
receiving the transmitted message at the associated slave receiver;
retrieving from the received message the identification and message type codes; and
displaying the codes on a display means associated with the slave receiver.
There is still further provided for the method to include the further steps of:
receiving the transmitted message at a master receiver;
retrieving from the received message the identification and message type codes; and
displaying the codes on a display means associated with the master receiver.
There is yet still further provided for storing in each slave receiver data corresponding to a plurality of messages received from its associated transmitters, and for storing in the master receiver data corresponding to a plurality of messages received from all the transmitters of the communication apparatus. dr
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
One embodiment of the invention is described below, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying sketches, in which:
FIG. 1
is a schematic representation of a communication apparatus according to the invention; and
FIG. 2
is a schematic representation of a predetermined message utilised in the communication apparatus of FIG.
1
.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4415065 (1983-11-01), Sandstedt
patent: 4530067 (1985-07-01), Dorr
patent: 5202825 (1993-04-01), Miller et al.
patent: 5408679 (1995-04-01), Masuda
patent: 5790938 (1998-08-01), Talarmo
patent: 5850605 (1998-12-01), Souissi et al.
patent: 5890054 (1999-03-01), Logsdon et al.
patent: 5907540 (1999-05-01), Hayashi
Howrey Simon Arnold & White , LLP
Maung Nay
Vuong Quochien B.
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