AUTOMATED CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ACTING ON AN ASSEMBLY OF FUNCTIONAL BLOCKS IN ORDER TO CARRY OUT AT LEAST ONE TASK

• US 20140156055A1
• Filed: 02/21/2013
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wesby Sarl
• Original Assignee: Jean-Luc Bettiol
• Inventors: DESROUSSEAUX, Jacques
• Application Number:
  US13/773,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20140156055A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/162
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/05 Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/1101 Remote I-O
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/1129 Serial addressed modules on bus
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/1131 I-O connected to a bus

Abstract

An automated system for acting on a set of blocks in order to carry out at least one task including a central control device, at least one shared data line, and interface circuits for connecting the blocks to the shared line. In one embodiment of the invention, the control device includes a PC computer on which is installed an operating software for determining the phases of operation of the blocks.

Claims

1. Automated control system for acting on an assembly of at least one functional block in order to carry out at least one task, comprising:

a central control unit;

at least one shared data line;

interface circuits for connecting the blocks to at least one of the shared lines, wherein the control device comprises a PC computer comprising a memory cooperating with operating software in order to determine the phases of operation of said blocks; and

monitoring software for providing values to the PC on which the system acts.

2. Automated system according to claim 1, wherein the operating software is arranged to interpret “

sequential function chart”

files.

3. Automated system according to claim 1, wherein the line is of type RS485 to which a power source is added.

4. Automated system according to claim 1, further comprising interface circuits connected between the shared data line and the functional blocks to be controlled and a microcontroller.

5. Automated system according to claim 1, wherein the system can be supplied a voltage of 12 volts convertible to 24 volts in order to be embedded in vehicles or boats or be able to operate at isolated sites.

6. Automated system according to claim 1, further comprising a power source supplying energy to the different interface circuits connected to said line.

7. Automated system according to claim 4, wherein at least one piece of firmware intended for the microcontrollers of said interface circuits is loaded by the “

jtag”

pins of these microcontrollers.

8. Automated system according to claim 7, wherein the interface circuits comprise a base circuit and a circuit adapted to the block to be controlled.

9. Automated system according to claim 4, wherein an address is assigned to the interface circuits from the central control device.

10. Automated system according to a claim 4, further comprising a plurality of functional blocks intended to supply alarm signals, wherein interface circuits attached to alarm signal blocks are assigned the same address.

11. Automated system according to claim 4, wherein the base circuit is formed of said microcontroller, a protocol converter between the data sent by the bus and the data processable by said controller, and a voltage converter for supplying the appropriate voltages to said blocks from the power provided by said shared line.

12. Automated system according to claim 4, wherein a backup battery is provided for the interface circuits.

13. Automated control system for acting on an assembly of at least one functional block (42, 43, 44) in order to carry out at least one task, comprising:

a central control unit (25, 27)

at least one shared data line (50,51),

interface circuits (55, 56, 57) for connecting the blocks to at least one of the shared lines, wherein the control device comprises a PC computer comprising a memory (40) cooperating with computer-readable media (170) that stores instructions which are executable by one or more processors to determine the phases of operation of said blocks,

monitoring computer-readable media (180) that stores instructions which are executable by one or more processors for providing values to the PC on which the system acts.

14. Automated system according to claim 13, wherein the computer-readable media (170) is arranged to interpret “

sequential function chart”

files.

15. Automated system according to claim 13, wherein it comprises interface circuits (55, 56, 57) connected between the shared data line (50) and the functional blocks to be controlled and comprising a microcontroller (75).

16. Automated system according to claim 13, wherein the system can be supplied a voltage of 12 volts convertible to 24 volts in order to be embedded in vehicles or boats or be able to operate at isolated sites.

17. Automated system according to claim 15, wherein at least one piece of firmware intended for the microcontrollers (75) of said interface circuits is loaded by the “

jtag”

pins of these microcontrollers.

18. Automated system according to claim 15, wherein the interface circuits comprise a base circuit (70) and a circuit (72) adapted to the block to be controlled.

19. Automated system according to claim 15, comprising a plurality of functional blocks intended to supply alarm signals, wherein interface circuits attached to alarm signal blocks are assigned the same address.

20. Automated system according to claim 15, wherein the base circuit (70) is formed of said microcontroller, a protocol converter (79) between the data sent by the bus and the data processable by said controller, and a voltage converter (77) for supplying the appropriate voltages to said blocks from the power provided by said shared line.