The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 24, 1981
Filed:
May. 08, 1979
William D Johnson, Dallas, TX (US);
Donald L Ewing, Richardson, TX (US);
James S Grisham, Jr, Arlington, TX (US);
Forney Engineering Company, Carrollton, TX (US);
Abstract
An industrial control system in accordance with the present invention is provided with a plurality of diverse controlled devices (e.g., fans, pumps, valves, solenoids, relays, etc.) for effecting overall system control. Each device has a unique set of logic control functions and/or command sequences and is connected, through an input/output interface, to a stored-program single board computer that provides device control and monitoring. The computers each include a central processor controlled by a composite or 'master' program which is common to all the computers and which includes instruction sequences for all logic control functions and command sequences that exist within the system. A user alterable interconnection device (UAID) permits only those logic control function and/or command sequence portions of the master program that relate to a particular one of the controlled devices to operatively connect with the particular input/output ports associated with that controlled device. As the master program successively loops, only those logic control functions and/or command sequences that relate to the particular controlled device, as determined by the user alterable interconnection device, are operative to address the input-output ports associated with the controlled device and thereby effect device control and monitoring. The invention permits simple and efficient dedication of a plurality of single board computers having only one master program to an equal member of diverse controlled devices without the drawbacks normally associated with dedicated stored-program controllers.