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:
Nov. 03, 1987
Filed:
Aug. 06, 1986
Larry L Sharp, Rolling Meadows, IL (US);
Illinois Tool Works Inc., Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
An electrical apparatus configured for predetermined encoding. The apparatus is comprised of a substrate, a plurality of pairs of electrical terminals affixed to the substrate, a plurality of conductive circuit traces connecting respective pairs of terminals, and a like plurality of removable plugs in the substrate intermediate respective pairs of terminals. The conductive circuit traces respectively traverse respective plugs intermediate respective pairs of terminals so that removal of a plug interrupts the electrical continuity of the conductive circuit trace traversing that plug, thereby creating an electrical open circuit between the respective terminal pair. In such manner, logical 'zeroes' (opens) can be created in the respective terminal pairs or, by electing not to remove a given plug a logical 'one' (closed electrical circuit) can be programmed between a given electrical terminal pair. While the apparatus is intended, in its preferred embodiment, to be a one-time programmable apparatus, field repairs of the apparatus can be effected by replacing a plug with a segment of a conductive circuit trace carried thereon with the segment of the conductive circuit trace aligned with the remaining portions of the conductive circuit trace and effecting electrical connection between the removed segment and the remaining portions of the conductive circuit trace to re-effect electrical continuity between the respective terminal pair.