Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Thermo King Corporation

Staubli International Ag.

Asea Brown Boveri Inc.

Abb Power Td & Company

Unimation, Inc.

Leonard C Vercellotti

Richard A Johnson

William R Verbanets, Jr

Joseph C Engel

Richard J Casler, Jr

Alan F Mandel

Kenneth E Daggett

Eimei M Onaga

Shan C Sun

John C Schlotterer

Dirk J Boomgaard

Ian A Whyte

Arthur A Anderson

Robert Tracy Elms

Robert M Oates

James A Neuner

Theodore H York

Rajan C Penkar

Waymon A Melvin, Jr

William H South

Seymour Salowe

David A Christiansen

Dannis R Johnson

Richard J Ravas

Dale W Schroeder

Barrett L Booth

Laurence R Brickner

Anthony G Chaprnka

James P McGivern

Tamas I Pattantyus-Abraham

J Richard Hansen

Allan A Dudash

Lane L Woodland

Robert G Colclaser Iii

John G Leddy

Perry J Hite, Sr

A dual mode electronic identification system using a tag which has a RF receiver and transmitter contained therein. In the first mode the tag responds to an interrogation signal by transmitting identification data to the interrogator. In the second mode the tag periodically transmits an identification beacon signal to a directional sensing antenna which uses the signal to compute the position of the tag. The power supply for the tag operates from an internal battery or from power received from a portal signal via a tag receiving antenna. The battery can be automatically turned off when the tag is in the portal area and the unit can be shifted into the battery operated beacon mode when the tag is removed from the portal area.

Dual mode electronic identification system

An electronic identification tag interrogation method is provided in which a portal transmits an interrogation signal which is received by an electronic identification tag within its field of range. The interrogation signal includes an address which requests a response from every tag having an address greater than or equal to the address of the signal. If more than one reply is received by the portal, the interrogation address is bisected and the interrogation signal is retransmitted. The interrogation address is successively bisected until a single response is isolated. When a single response is isolated, communication is directed between the portal and the identification tag and the interrogation system is reset to isolate and identify any remaining tags.

Electronic identification tag interrogation method

A pulse width modulation (PWM) control circuit provides for improved implementation of position, velocity and current feedback loops for digital servo control of a multi axis robot. The PWM circuit utilizes a single resistor for sensing joint motor drive current. Circuitry is also disclosed for reducing audible noise and motor heating in large servo motors used for joint arms operated at relatively low PWM frequencies by reducing the motor ripple current.

Digital robot control having pulse width modulator operable with reduced

A method for transmitting data in the form of a sequence of data words according to PLBus communications protocol in a channel (20) carrying data transmitted, according to a different protocol, in the form of timed bursts of a signal, comprising: producing (16) a carrier which is continuous at least for the duration of each data word; angularly modulating (14, 16) the carrier in accordance with the information contained in each data word; and transmitting the angularly modulated carrier in the channel (20).

Transmission of data via power lines

A light driven remote system and power supply therefor that includes a laser diode that provides pulses of light to a fiber optic cable. The pulses of light are detected by a remote photodiode that is connected in parallel with a step-up transformer. The output of the step-up transformer is filtered to provide power for a remote system. Data transmission from the remote system is synchronized with transmission of light to the photodiode.

Light driven remote system and power supply therefor

A digital control for a multiaxis robot includes position, velocity and torque controls that drive a motor voltage control loop. Pulse width modulated control signals operate power switches in a power bridge to control the current to each robot joint motor. A single resistor is connected in the bridge circuit to supply motor current feedback needed for control loop operation.

Digital robot control having an improved current sensing system for

A method of mapping addresses of a plurality of refrigerated containers having remote monitoring units (RMUs) connected to a power line carrier based monitoring system which includes a master monitoring unit (MMU). The method adapts to the size of the expected number of containers to be mapped by any mapping command, to reduce the overall time to map either a large or small number of containers. The method includes the MMU selecting a modulo having a magnitude determined by the number of containers expected to be mapped, and the RMUs generating a random number within the range responsive to the modulo. The RMUs apply response messages to the power line, which include the addresses of the associated containers, at a time responsive to the magnitude of the random number.

Method of mapping refrigerated containers in a power line carrier based

A power line carrier communication system for monitoring refrigerated containers which includes a master monitoring unit and a first power line interface which interchange messages in a first format. The first power line interface translates the first format to a second format suitable for power line environment, and messages in the second format are applied to a power line. Remote monitoring units receive the messages from the power line, and they return messages to the power line containing status data relative to refrigerated containers. The second format includes a message starting preamble having a duration and logic level which is not duplicated by normal operation of the apparatus, enhancing the probability of proper message synchronization and reception over noisy power line environments.

Power line carrier communication system for monitoring refrigerated

A completely digital robot control operates at a predetermined sampling rate. The robot arm has a plurality of joints with each driven by an electric brushless or brush-type DC motor which is in turn supplied with drive current by a power amplifier bridge circuit having power switches connected therein to supply motor winding current in the forward or reverse direction. Incremental or absolute encoders and tachometers provide for generating digital position and velocity feedback signals generated synchronously with the sampling rate. Digital motor current feedback signals are also generated synchronously with the sampling rate. Paired position/velocity microprocessors generate torque commands for each of the robot axes at the sampling rate in response to the position commands and the position and velocity feedback signals. Paired torque microprocessors generate motor voltage commands for each of the robot axes at the sampling rate in response to the torque commands and the current feedback signals. Pulse width modulators generate digital motor control signals for each of the robot axes at the sampling rate in response to the voltage commands. The digital control signals for each axis are coupled to control terminals of the corresponding power switches to control on/off switch time and satisfy the motor voltage commands and thereby satisfy the position commands.

Digital control for multiaxis robots

Programmed overcurrent protection control apparatus with selectable time-overcurrent operation to govern the interruption of current through at least one power line associated with either a ground phase or a power phase of a power system network is disclosed. A programmed processor is included to derive an overcurrent time-to-trip in accordance with sampled measurement current values of the power line and selected derivation constants stored in a memory look-up table. The derivation constants are selected from the look-up table based on derivation parameters which may be set and read by the programmed processor from time to time. The programmed processor utilizes the selected derivation constants to derive the time-to-trip over a number of predetermined time intervals during which the overcurrent condition persists. An alternate overcurrent time-to-trip relationship utilizing different derivation parameters selected from the look-up table may be utilized for the conditions in which overcurrent exists in an initial predetermined range. In some situations, both of the derivation relationships may be used concurrently to derive the overcurrent time-to-trip.

Programmed overcurrent protection control apparatus and method of

An on-off keyed carrier signal is demodulated by quadrature sampling of the incoming carrier signal at twice carrier frequency to provide short term digital patterns indicating detection of an incoming signal of carrier frequency. A number of phase counting channels are provided which count the number of times a particular pattern is detected during a longer interval, preferably a sixth of a bit interval at the baud rate of the received message. Since the phase counters are reset every sixth of a bit they can collectively accommodate a substantial drift in phase of the received carrier during reception of a complete 33 bit message while still operating asynchronously with respect to the received carrier.

Low error rate digital demodulator

A bidirectional coupling circuit is provided for carrier based communication and control networks in which a coupling transformer is employed having relatively decoupled primary and secondary windings which are each tuned to the carrier frequency. Separate secondary windings are wound on the same core leg, one of these secondary windings being employed as a transmitter winding which is referenced to a positive supply voltage and the other winding being employed as a receiver winding which is referenced to ground. The coupling transformer is arranged to have a relatively high input impedance at the carrier frequency but due to series resonant effects has a relatively low impedance for undesired signals on either side of the carrier frequency. An operational amplifier is connected to the receiver winding to provide high gain amplification for a signal received from the common network power line without loading the other windings of the transformer. A transistor or FET is connected in series with the transmitter secondary winding to a positive voltage supply so that a relatively high amplitude transmitter signal is produced on the common power line.

Bidirectional bus coupler presenting peak impedance at carrier frequency

A communication network digital message format is provided in which on message start signal has a logic '1' value for two bit intervals to provide improved noise immunity in transmission of a message over a network medium. The start signal is followed by a control bit one logic value of which designates a plurality of message bits as instruction bits to enable an interface to be set up between the network and a microcomputer, the other logic value of said control bit designating a plurality of message bits as data bits for the microcomputer after said interface has been established.

Digital message format for two-way communication and control network

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Oakmont, PA, United States of America

Leonard C Vercellotti