INTERFACE DEVICE FOR COORDINATING CONTROL OF AN OUTPUT DEVICE BY MULTIPLE CONTROL CONSOLES

• US 20110225338A1
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Irizarry, George Luis
• Granted Patent: US 8,667,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/313
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/04 for dispersing fire from a battery ; for controlling spread of shots; for coordinating fire from spaced weapons
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/165 using a TV-monitor
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/22 for vehicle-borne armament, e.g. on aircraft

Abstract

A system and method for interfacing multiple inputs and outputs in a control system is provided. A digital input/output system provides a localized interface between multiple operator consoles and at least one output device to coordinate and monitor the operation of the at least one output device. The digital input/output system includes an interface device which re-routes discrete lines to and from the operator consoles and output devices and eliminates conflicting signals sent from the operator consoles to the output devices.

Claims

1. An interface device configured to coordinate control of at least one output device by a control system including first and second control consoles, the interface device comprising:

a circuit board having a plurality of conductive pathways;

first and second connectors coupled to the circuit board, the first and second connectors each including a plurality of pins coupled to selected conductive pathways of the circuit board to provide a communication link to the first and second control consoles, respectively;

a third connector coupled to the circuit board, the third connector including a plurality of pins coupled to selected conductive pathways of the circuit board to provide a communication link to the output device; and

a plurality of switches mounted to the circuit board, each switch being coupled to at least one conductive pathway of the circuit board to electrically couple the switches to at least one of the first, second and third connectors; and

wherein the first and second connectors receive signals from at least one device selection input and at least one device control input of the first and second control consoles, respectively, and wherein, in response to receipt of a device selection input signal for a selected output device from the first control console before receipt of a device selection input signal corresponding to the same selected output device from the second control console, at least one of the plurality of switches enables the at least one device control input of the first control console corresponding to the selected device, and wherein, in response to receipt of a device selection input signal for the selected output device from the second control console before receipt of a device selection input corresponding to the same selected output device from the first control console, at least one of the plurality of switches enables the at least one device control input of the second control console corresponding to the selected device.

2. The interface device of claim 1, wherein the control system further includes a communication network and an output module coupled to the communication network and configured to receive network signals from the first and second control consoles over the communication network, the interface device further comprising a fourth connector coupled to the circuit board, the fourth connector including a plurality of pins coupled to selected conductive pathways of the circuit board to provide a communication link to the output module, the output module transmitting the device selection input signals for a selected output device received from the first and second control consoles to the fourth connector to trigger the at least one switch to enable the respective device control input.

3. The interface device of claim 2, wherein the control system further includes an input module coupled to the communication network, the interface card further comprising a fifth connector including a plurality of pins coupled to conductive pathways of the circuit board to provide a communication link to the first and second consoles and the output module, the input module being configured to monitor signals transmitted from the first and second control consoles to the output device and to transmit corresponding signals to a computer via the communication network to provide remote system monitoring.

4. The interface device of claim 1, wherein the first and second connectors are separate connectors coupled to the circuit board.

5. The interface device of claim 1, wherein the first and second connectors are separate portions of a single connector coupled to the circuit board.

6. The interface device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the switches is configured to send an activation signal to the selected output device in response to receipt of a device selection input signal for the selected output device from one of the first and second control consoles, thereby permitting control of the activated output device by one of the first and second control consoles.

7. The interface device of claim 1, wherein the device selection inputs and the device control inputs of the first and second control consoles include at least one of a button, a switch, a virtual button on a graphical user interface, a computer mouse and a joy stick.

8. The interface device of claim 1, wherein the device control inputs of the first and second control consoles include a first control input to activate the selected output device from the first and second control consoles and a second control input to control operation of the activated selected output device from the first and second control consoles, and wherein at least one of the switches coupled to the third connector is configured to automatically send an activation signal to the selected output device in response to receipt of a signal from a first control input, thereby permitting control of the activated output device by a corresponding second control input.

9. The interface device of claim 8, wherein the interface device is configured to receive signals from the first and second control inputs of the first and second control consoles through the first and second connectors, respectively, the interface device also being configured to provide transmitted signals to the selected output device through at least one of the switches and the third connector to activate and control the selected output device in response to the signals from the first and second control inputs, respectively.

10. The interface device of claim 1, further comprising a diode array coupled to the circuit board configured to link the first and second control consoles to the at least one output device, the diode array having a plurality of inputs coupled to pins of the first and second connectors through conductive pathways of the circuit board, the diode array being configured to block signals transmitted by one of the first and second control consoles from being received by the other of the first and second control consoles.

11. The interface device of claim 1, wherein the first and second control consoles are each configured to control a plurality of different output devices, the interface device including a plurality of third connectors, each third connector being configured to be coupled to a separate output device to provide a communication link between the first and second control consoles and each of the plurality of output devices.

12. The interface device of claim 1, wherein the at least one output device is one of a sensor, a light, and a lethal effector.

13. The interface device of claim 1, wherein the at least one switch that enables the first and second control consoles receives an enable signal from a power source and supplies the enable signal through one of the first and second connectors to the first and second control consoles, respectively, the enable signal being one of a power signal and a ground signal.

14. The interface device of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third connectors are each configured to receive a wiring harness comprising a plurality of signal-carrying wires, each wiring harness being removably coupled to the first, second and third connectors.

15. An interface device configured to coordinate control of at least one output device by a control system including first and second control consoles, the interface device comprising:

a circuit board having a plurality of conductive pathways;

first and second connectors coupled to the circuit board, the first and second connectors each including a plurality of pins coupled to selected conductive pathways of the circuit board to provide a communication link to the first and second control consoles, respectively;

a third connector coupled to the circuit board, the third connector including a plurality of pins coupled to selected conductive pathways of the circuit board to provide a communication link to the output device; and

a plurality of switches mounted to the circuit board, each switch being coupled to at least one conductive pathway of the circuit board to electrically couple the switches to at least one of the first, second and third connectors; and

wherein the first and second connectors receive first control signals from inputs of the first and second control consoles to activate a selected output device and second control signals from inputs of the first and second control consoles to control operation of the activated selected output device, and wherein at least one of the switches coupled to the third connector is configured to automatically send an activation signal to the selected output device in response to receipt of a first control signal, thereby permitting control of the activated output device by a second control signal also sent through the third connector to the selected output device.

16. The interface device of claim 15, wherein the first and second connectors also receive signals from at least one device selection input of the first and second control consoles, respectively, and wherein, in response to receipt of a device selection input signal for a selected output device from the first control console before receipt of a device selection input signal corresponding to the same selected output device from the second control console, at least one of the plurality of switches enables the at least one device control input of the first control console corresponding to the selected device, and wherein, in response to receipt of a device selection input signal for the selected output device from the second control console before receipt of a device selection input corresponding to the same selected output device from the first control console, at least one of the plurality of switches enables the at least one device control input of the second control console corresponding to the selected device.

17. The interface device of claim 16, wherein the at least one switch that enables the first and second control consoles receives an enable signal from a power source and supplies the enable signal through one of the first and second connectors to the first and second control consoles, respectively, the enable signal being one of a power signal and a ground signal.

18. The interface device of claim 15, wherein the control system further includes a communication network and an output module coupled to the communication network and configured to receive network signals from the first and second control consoles over the communication network, the interface device further comprising a fourth connector coupled to the circuit board, the fourth connector including a plurality of pins coupled to selected conductive pathways of the circuit board to provide a communication link to the output module, the output module transmitting signals received from the first and second control consoles to the fourth connector.

19. The interface device of claim 18, wherein the control system further includes an input module coupled to the communication network, the interface card further comprising a fifth connector including a plurality of pins coupled to conductive pathways of the circuit board to provide a communication link to the first and second consoles and the output module, the input module being configured to monitor signals transmitted from the first and second control consoles to the output device and to transmit corresponding signals to a computer via the communication network to provide remote system monitoring.

20. The interface device of claim 15, wherein the first and second connectors are separate connectors coupled to the circuit board.

21. The interface device of claim 15, wherein the first and second connectors are separate portions of a single connector coupled to the circuit board.

22. The interface device of claim 15, wherein device control inputs of the first and second control consoles used to provide the first and second control signals include at least one of a button, a switch, a virtual button on a graphical user interface, a computer mouse and a joy stick.

23. The interface device of claim 15, further comprising a diode array coupled to the circuit board configured to link the first and second control consoles to the at least one output device, the diode array having a plurality of inputs coupled to pins of the first and second connectors through conductive pathways of the circuit board, the diode array being configured to block signals transmitted by one of the first and second control consoles from being received by the other of the first and second control consoles.

24. The interface device of claim 15, wherein the first and second control consoles are each configured to control a plurality of different output devices, the interface device including a plurality of third connectors, each third connector being coupled to a separate output device to provide communication between the first and second control consoles and each of the plurality of output devices.

25. The interface device of claim 15, wherein the at least one output device is one of a sensor, a light, and a lethal effector.

26. The interface device of claim 15, wherein the first, second and third connectors are each configured to receive a wiring harness comprising a plurality of signal-carrying wires, each wiring harness being removably coupled to the first, second and third connectors.

27. A method of coordinating control of at least one output device by a control system including first and second control consoles, the method comprising:

providing an interface device comprising a circuit board having a plurality of conductive pathways, first, second and third connectors coupled to the circuit board, the first, second and third connectors each including a plurality of pins coupled to selected conductive pathways of the circuit board, and a plurality of switches coupled to the circuit board, each switch being coupled to at least one conductive pathway of the circuit board to electrically couple the switches to at least one of the first, second and third connectors;

using the interface device to coordinate control of the at least one an output device by the first and second control consoles by;

electrically coupling the first and second connectors to the first and second control consoles, respectively, to provide a communication link between the interface device and the first and second control consoles;

electrically coupling the output device to the third connector to provide a communication link between the interface device and the output device;

using at least one of the plurality of switches to enable at least one device control input of the first control console corresponding to a selected output device in response to receipt of a device selection input signal for the selected output device from the first control console before receipt of a device selection input signal corresponding to the same selected output device from the second control console; and

using at least one other of the plurality of switches to enable at least one device control input of the second control console corresponding to a selected output device in response to receipt of a device selection input signal for the selected output device from the second control console before receipt of a device selection input signal corresponding to the same selected output device from the first control console.

28. A method of coordinating control of at least one output device by a control system including first and second control consoles, the method comprising:

providing an interface device comprising a circuit board having a plurality of conductive pathways, first, second and third connectors coupled to the circuit board, the first, second and third connectors each including a plurality of pins coupled to selected conductive pathways of the circuit board, and a plurality of switches coupled to the circuit board, each switch being coupled to at least one conductive pathway of the circuit board to electrically couple the switches to at least one of the first, second and third connectors;

using the interface device to coordinate control of the at least one an output device by the first and second control consoles by;

electrically coupling the first and second connectors to the first and second control consoles, respectively, to provide a communication link between the interface device and the first and second control consoles so that the first and second connectors receive first control signals from inputs of the first and second control consoles to activate a selected output device and second control signals from inputs of the first and second control consoles to control operation of the activated selected output device;

electrically coupling the output device to the third connector to provide a communication link between the interface device and the output device;

using at least one of the switches coupled to the third connector to automatically send an activation signal to the selected output device in response to receipt of a first control signal; and

controlling the activated output device with a second control signal also sent through the third connector to the selected output device.