Fault tolerant computer controlled system
First Claim
1. An error tolerant computer controlled system comprising a plurality of redundant data sources generating at least partially redundant data items, a plurality of data receivers for receiving the redundant data items and combining them to an error tolerant data item, a switching assembly with a plurality of inputs and outputs, wherein each input is connected to one data source or to one output and wherein each output is connected to one input or to one data receiver, and wherein each data receiver is connected via separate receiver communication links to at least two outputs, wherein said switching assembly is adapted to connect any of said data sources to each of said data receivers over at least two different receiver communication links, and wherein said computer controlled system is adapted to send every data item from any given data source to any given data receiver through every one of the at least two different receiver communication links such that the given data receiver receives the same data item through at least two receiver communication links.
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Abstract
An error tolerant computer controlled system comprises several computers working redundantly and controlling actuators based on signals from sensors and input devices. Each data item emitted by each computer is simultaneously sent through differing communication paths to each actuator, such that in normal operation each actuator receives each data item through several paths. This system continues to function properly even in case of a failure without requiring any re-routing of the data items, which makes it easier to design, analyze and test and thereby increases its reliability.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. An error tolerant computer controlled system comprising
a plurality of redundant data sources generating at least partially redundant data items, a plurality of data receivers for receiving the redundant data items and combining them to an error tolerant data item, a switching assembly with a plurality of inputs and outputs, wherein each input is connected to one data source or to one output and wherein each output is connected to one input or to one data receiver, and wherein each data receiver is connected via separate receiver communication links to at least two outputs, wherein said switching assembly is adapted to connect any of said data sources to each of said data receivers over at least two different receiver communication links, and wherein said computer controlled system is adapted to send every data item from any given data source to any given data receiver through every one of the at least two different receiver communication links such that the given data receiver receives the same data item through at least two receiver communication links.
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24. An error tolerant computer controlled system comprising
a plurality of redundant data sources generating at least partially redundant data items, a plurality of data receivers for receiving the redundant data items and combining them to an error tolerant data item, a switching assembly with a plurality of inputs and outputs, wherein each input is connected to one data source or to one output and wherein each output is connected to one input or to one data receiver, and a plurality of receiver communication links, wherein each data receiver is connected via separate receiver communication links to at least two outputs and wherein the number of receiver communication links for each data receiver is smaller than the number of data sources wherein said switching assembly is adapted to connect any of said data sources to each of said data receivers over at least two different receiver communication links, and wherein said computer controlled system is adapted to send every data item from any given data source to any given data receiver through every one of the at least two different receiver communication links such that the given data receiver receives the same data item through at least two receiver communication links.
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25. An error tolerant computer controlled system comprising
a plurality of redundant data sources generating at least partially redundant data items, a plurality of data receivers for receiving the redundant data items and combining them to an error tolerant data item, a switching assembly comprising a plurality of switching units, each switching unit having a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs, wherein each input of each switching unit is either connected to one data source or via a switch communication link to one output of another switching unit, wherein each switching unit is connected via at least two switch communication links to other switching units, wherein each switch communication link connects one output to one input, and wherein each data receiver is connected via receiver communication links to at least two different switching units, wherein said switching assembly is adapted to connect any of said data sources to each of said data receivers over at least two different receiver communication links, and wherein said computer controlled system is adapted to send every data item from any given data source to any given data receiver through every one of the at least two different receiver communication links such that the given data receiver receives the same data item through at least two receiver communication links.
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27. An error tolerant computer controlled system comprising
a plurality of redundant data sources generating at least partially redundant data items, a plurality of data receivers for receiving the redundant data items and combining them to an error tolerant data item, a switching assembly with a plurality of inputs and outputs, wherein each input is connected to one data source or to one output and wherein each output is connected to one input or to one data receiver, and wherein each data receiver is connected via separate receiver communication links to at least two outputs, wherein said switching assembly is adapted to connect any of said data sources to each of said data receivers over at least two different receiver communication links, and wherein said computer controlled system is adapted to send every data item from any given data source to any given data receiver through every one of the at least two different receiver communication links such that the given data receiver receives the same data item through at least two receiver communication links, and wherein repetitive time windows are attributed to each data source and wherein, in each time window, the switching assembly connects all receiver communication links to the data source attributed to the time window while disconnecting the remaining data sources from the receiver communication links.
Specification