public utility reading, - IEEE Computer Society · PDF fileheart-assist system that could...

Microcomputers assigned tofield work by public utilitiesRobert Carlson, CG&A assistant editor

Keeping track of biting dogs and cus-tomers who don't want their lawns walkedon are just some of the chores that moreand more public utilities are turning overto microcomputers these days. The use ofportable microcomputers by meter readersin the field is proving beneficial because itmakes more information available whereand when it is needed and allows meterreaders to update information immediate-ly as new conditions are encountered.The chances for making errors are re-

duced considerably with the portablemicrocomputer, explains Mike Stephens,supervisor of customer service systems forSouthern California Edison Company.Special instructions are displayed in a

"mandatory-notes field," and the meterreader must acknowledge the displaybefore access information is presented. Inaddition, a high-low algorithm providesimmediate feedback when a reading is toofar out of line with a customer's consump-tion history. This reduces the number of"high-bill" complaints and the need forrepeat field calls.The DataCap H units used by Stephens

Company are manufactured by Itron,Inc., of Spokane, Washington. They pro-vide capabilities far beyond those of thepencil-and-paper, punch-card, and mark-sensor systems used in the past. For exam-ple, a meter reader can search for an ac-count by address, customer name, ormeter number. He can also rearrange theorder of accounts in the "book" for moreefficient routing in the future. An expla-nation is automaticlly required whenevera read cannot be obtained.

Routes are issued to meter readers onone or more 80-foot minicassette tapes,which, according to Stephens, can holdup to 180 accounts each. The returnedtapes are held until after billing and are

then written over and used again.A data management center-a full-

function, intelligent workstation-op-perates four tape drives to read routesonto the cassettes and then communicatethe completed route data directly to a

mainframe or an IBM Series/l minicom-puter. Binary synchronous and SNA/SDLC communications protocols providedata transmissions.The DataCap H ability to record the

The DataCap H microcomputer, designed for public utility meter reading,features a 32-character optionally lighted LCD and a 56-key alphanumerickeyboard that includes numerous one-touch condition-reporting keys andfree-form message capability.

time each meter is read provides helpfulverification for customer inquiries, but itcarries the potential for tracking employeeperformance. This is a sensitive area, butStephens feels companies should confrontit openly to allay any fears employeesmight have about the conversion to micro-computers.

The DataCap H is equipped with 62KofCMOS RAM and 2K ofEPROM. Theunit weighs 2.6 pounds and has a ruggeddesign to make it waterproof and resis-tant to a three-foot drop. Operatingpower is supplied by a low-resistance5-cell Nicad battery pack that is re-chargeable and reusable.

Miniaturized circuitry helps medical science

Automatic Implantable Defibrillator.Another biomedical spinoff from minia-turized space circuitry is an implantableheart-assist system that could annuallyprevent thousands of deaths caused by er-ratic heart actions known to the medicalprofession as arrhythmias. Called AID-Band produced by Intec Systems, it is a sec-ond-generation version of the pulse gener-ator developed by NASA and The JohnsHopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.The original AID was designed to cor-

rect the heart condition known as ven-tricular fibrillation, in which the heart

loses its ability to pump blood, causingbrain damage or death in a matter ofminutes. It consisted of a microcomputer,a power source, and two electrodes forsensing heart activity. Monitoring theheart continuously, the device was capa-ble of recognizing the onset of VF anddelivering a corrective electrical counter-shock to restore rhythmic heartbeat. Itwas a miniaturized version of the defibril-lator used by emergency squads andhospitals, with the advantage of beingpermanently available to patients withhigh risk of experiencing VF. The pulse

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generator was developed by Intec Systemsand Medrad Incorporated, in conjunctionwith Michel Morowski and Morton Mow-er, both of Sinai Hospital. NASA fundedan independent design review conductedby the Applied Physics Laboratory of theJohns Hopkins University.The dexvice was successful in correcting

VF. However, because the sensing cir-cuitry was designed specifically for thatpurpose, it sometimes failed to detectanother form of arrhythmia known asventricular tachycardia. Therefore, theteam developed the more advanced AID-B, also known as the Implantable Auto-matic Cardioverter-Defibrillator. Thedevice has four sensing electrodes ratherthan two and it detects and corrects abroader spectrum of arrhythmias, in-cluding both VF and VT. It also has anaudio speaker that can be externally acti-vated to determine the status of thedevice, and it has an internal counter torecord the number of countershocks de-livered; this information, important to theattending physician, can be telemetered toan external receiver.The AID-B was introduced to clinical

study in the spring of 1982 and by June1983 there were 231 documented life-saving situations wherein spontaneous ar-rythmias were detected and automaticallyconverted by the device. By the spring of1984, there had been some 300 implanta-tions and the implant rate was about 30 amonth.

Programmable cardiac pacemaker. Apace-maker called Programalith with two-way communications capability is beingmade by Pacesetter Systems. It incor-porates a number of technologies basedon those employed by NASA to sendcoded instructions or queries to un-manned satellites and to receive informa-tion from satellites.The Programalith system consists of

the implantable pacemaker together witha physician's console containing the pro-grammer and data printer. The physiciancan communicate with the patient's pace-maker by means of wireless telemetrysignals transmitted through the com-municating head held over the patient'schest.Where earlier pacemakers deliver a

fixed type of stimulus once implanted, theProgramalith system enables surgery-freefine-tuning of the device to best suit thepatient's needs, which may change overtime with changes in physical condition.The system permits the physician to resetas many as six different heart-stimulatingfunctions of the pacemaker. He can, forexample, send a message instructing thepacemaker to alter the heartbeat rate; hewill get a return signal confirming that therate has been changed as instructed. When

U. I .YA.1 Iii .r. IUJ .-

A heart-assist device called AID ismade with miniaturized circuitry andmonitors the heart continuously, re-cognizes the onset of ventricular fibril-lation, and then delivers a correctiveelectrical shock. The system consistsof a neurocomputer, a power-source,and two electrodes that sense heartactivity.

reprogramming is completed, the systemprints out a copy of the new settings forthe patient's record.As an aid in determining the effec-

tiveness of the pacemaker itself, the two-way communications capability allows thephysician to interrogate the device as tothe status of its interaction with the heart.The pacemaker can be asked, for exam-ple, for information on the electricalresistance of the wires connected to theheart; the response tells the physician howeffectively the heart is being paced andalso warns of possible wire breaks or shortcircuits. Similarly, the physician can elicitthe information on how much life remainsin the pacemaker's lithium battery. Oneother safeguard is the space technologyknown as pulse code modulation, whichassures dependability because the pace-maker will not accept signals generated byelectrical noise or other interference.

Al for manufacturing. Artificial Intelli-gence Applications for Manufacturingdescribes expert systems and advancedcomputer technologies for CAD/CAM,factory management, quality control,and robotics. This 220-page report as-sesses more than 100 commercial soft-ware and hardware products. From SEAITechnical Publications, PO Box 590,Madison, GA 30650; (404) 342-9638.$110.

Al newsletter. Texas Instruments haslaunched the Artificial IntelligenceNewsletter to communicate the potentials,limitations, and progress of Al to non-specialists. First issue presents the menu-based approach to natural languages andAl briefs. Available as public servicefrom TI Data Systems Group, PO Box2909, MS 2222, Austin, TX 78769; (512)250-6314.

China computer industry. The product ofa year-long study prepared for US andJapanese clients, 21st Century Researchpresents an assessment of the China mar-ket. Intended to provide basis for market-ing strategies, China Computer Industryand Market makes a 15-year forecast ofmarket potential, export and import levels,and analyzes China's own productionpossibilities. 21st Century Research, 8200Kennedy Blvd. East, North Bergen, NJ07047; (201) 868-0881.

Educational software. The InternationalCouncil for Computers in Education pre-sents an updated catalog of educationalsoftware for grades K to 12; the Educa-tional Software Preview Guide lists soft-ware by subject and grade level, and toencourage educational software develop-ment, it identifies areas lacking instruc-tional software. New edition also listsword processing and database manage-ment programs. Available from ICCE,University of Oregon, 1787 Agate St.,Eugene, OR 97403.

Sixteen-bit microprocessor. Micro-processor Systems: A 16-bit Approach byWilliam Eccles treats architecture, pro-gramming, and applications of systemsbased on Motorola MC 69000. Uses Adato illustrate high-level languages andclarify assembly language solutions. Avail-able from Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA01867; (617) 944-3700.

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