Eaton Corporation

Walter L Rutchik

James E Hansen

Ruth E Hubbell

William J Janutka

James R Jaeschke

Scott A Reid

B Thomas Pier

Charles John Luebke

Gordon B Spellman

Werner B Halbeck

James H Bigelow

David L McClanahan

Merle R Swinehart

Ronald R Jahn

John E Hayden

David L Schieble

A circuit assembly senses a state of a variable state device, wherein a data signal representative of the state is communicated via wireless telegraphy. A surface acoustic wave (SAW) device, having a plurality of interdigital transducers (IDTs) comprises a wave launching IDT and a state information IDT, wherein the plurality of IDTs are in acoustical communication and the state information IDT is in electrical communication with an antenna through the variable state device. An RF transceiver communicates a trigger signal to the SAW device, wherein the trigger signal causes a launching of a SAW wave from the wave launching IDT towards the state information IDT. The state information IDT generates a signal pulse in response thereto and communicates the pulse to the antenna through the variable state device. A transceiver control module, in operative communication with the RF transceiver enables communication of the trigger signal and reads the data signal, wherein the trigger signal and data signal are communicated between the RF transceiver in the SAW device via wireless telegraphy.

Remote wireless switch sensing circuit using RF transceiver in

A control circuit is provided for transferring power and communication signals through a wireless coupling device in a vehicle steering column. The device can comprise a rotary transformer having a primary and secondary magnetic structure respectfully associated with the wheel side and column side of the steering column. A squib power circuit transforms a high energy power signal suitable for firing an air bag from the column side to the wheel side. A low energy power circuit generates a signal from the column side to the wheel side suitable for operating isolated wheel side electronics, such as cruise control and the like. A tone encoder and decoder circuit communicates low level control signals suitable for signaling wheel side commands from the wheel side to the column side. The low energy power circuit and the tone encoder circuit operate simultaneously and continuously without signal debilitating interaction. An alternative embodiment avoids the low energy power circuit and the encoder and decoder circuit and comprises a pulse circuit to impress a test signal on the wheel side to generate a ring signal representative of air bag firing operability and whether a horn switch is depressed.

Vehicle steering column control system

A repeater for a communication network having an isolation circuit for disabling the transmission of a fault-indicative signal through the repeater onto the network. A retriggerable one-shot starts timing with high to low signal transition. In the absence of a second transition within a defined time period, the one-shot triggers a flip-flop which, depending on the logic level of the input signal, generates an enabling signal passed to a logic gate to selectively allow and cut off the transmission of the signal to the repeater circuit input.

Repeater for bus with bus fault isolation

A control circuit is provided for transferring power and communication signals through a wireless coupling device in a vehicle steering column. The device can include a rotary transformer having a primary and secondary magnetic structure respectively associated with the wheel side and column side of the steering column. A squib power circuit transforms a high energy power signal suitable for firing an air bag from the column side to the wheel side. A low energy power circuit generates a signal from the column side to the wheel side suitable for operating isolated wheel side electronics, such as cruise control and the like. A tone encoder and decoder circuit communicates low level control signals suitable for signaling wheel side commands from the wheel side to the column side. The low energy power circuit and the tone encoder circuit operate simultaneously and continuously without signal debilitating interaction. An alternative embodiment avoids the low energy power circuit and the encoder and decoder circuit and includes a pulse circuit to impress a test signal on the wheel side to generate a ring signal representative of air bag firing operability and whether a horn switch is depressed.

An A.C. overload current sensing, remote power controller of minimum size and weight and integral construction. Current rate sensing wound toroids are used that are small enough to fit around the line terminal studs without having to enlarge the prior insulator space available therein. The electronic overload current detecting and tripping control circuit is replaced by a pair of modules, detector and control modules, having improved performance and a shape and size such that they fit within the relay housing alongside its operating magnet. The detector module has integrator means for converting current rate of change signals into current magnitude indicative signals thereby enabling use therewith of rate sensing wound toroids of about one-tenth the size of equivalent current transformer wound toroids. It fully meets the calibrated step function overload trip time requirements while also providing protection for unusual overload conditions such as varying overloads including pulse accumulation effects or repetitive reset, and simulates the response of a thermal element to prevent excess heating of the wire or load that it is protecting under any overload conditions. Moreover, one version of the control module incorporates a single standard CMOS IC logic element that provides a digital solution to the combinations of control conditions requirements while at the same time reducing the number of conventionally-required cutthroat contacts from two to one and isolating the control input from the relay power circuit. Another version provides reset lockout.

Minimum size, integral, A.C. overload current sensing, remote power

The invention provides a 3-wire multiplexing system exhibiting high noise immunity, particularly suitable for industrial control applications. A master station provides AC power, and clocking and synchronization information, for a plurality of remote transmitter and receiver stations. A 3-wire cable links the master station and the remote stations. Two wires of the cable are power lines L1 and L2 and are isolated from each station by respective transformers. The third wire is a data line and is optically coupled to the remote stations. The remote stations are thus completely isolated from the cable, yet powered, clocked and synchronized therefrom without the need for local power supplies or local clocks. The signaling method switches the data line onto the power lines, and provides a high degree of data security by recognizing both the polarity and the position of a pulse on the data line within an AC cycle. The system further provides diagnostics in remote receivers including half cycle polarity and position decoding, error detection, fail state selection to fail OFF or fail ON or remain in the last valid state, and two scans alike detection.

3-Wire multiplexer

An AC transistor switch is provided with simple, accurate and fast overcurrent protection circuitry. A pair of transistors are connected in anti-series across an AC load line, and each transistor has an anti-parallel diode therearound conducting current in the alternate half cycles. Comparator means senses current flow through the diodes and is responsive to given threshold overload current to turn off the transistors. Voltage sensing means is referenced to a common point between the series connected transistors and senses the voltage at each main terminal relative to the common point to thus sense the voltage drop from the common point across each diode to its respective main terminal for sensing current flow through the respective diode. The current representative voltage is sensed through respective dedicated third and fourth diodes connected to the main terminals and having a common anode connection to the voltage sensing means such that the latter senses the more negative of the main terminals regardless of the relative potential therebetween.

AC Transistor switch with overcurrent protection

A reset lockout addition to an A.C. overload current sensing, remote power controller of minimum size and weight and integral construction. Current rate sensing wound toroids are used that are small enough to fit around the line terminal studs without having to enlarge prior insulator space available therein. The electronic overload current detecting and tripping control circuit, is replaced by a pair of modules, detector and control modules, having improved performance and a shape and size such that they fit within the relay housing alongside its operating magnet. The detector module has integrator means for converting current rate of change signals into magnitude indicative signals thereby enabling use therewith of rate sensing wound toroids of about one-tenth the size of equivalent current transformer wound toroids. It fully meets the calibrated step function overload trip time requirements while also providing protection for unusual overload conditions such as varying overloads including pulse accumulation effects or repetitive reset, and simulates the response of a thermal element to prevent excess heating of the wire or load that it is protecting under any overload conditions. Moreover, the control module incorporates a single standard CMOS IC logic element that provides a digital solution to the combinations of control conditions requirements while at the same time reducing the number of conventionally-required cutthroat contacts from two to one and isolating the control input from the relay power circuit. Associated with this logic element is a reset lockout circuit responsive to overload trip that prevents resetting of the relay by the set control switch alone but requires an additional manual operation, that is, momentary opening of a reset switch in conjunction with the opening of the set control switch to reset the relay.

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Wauwatosa, WI, United States of America

Walter L Rutchik