CENTRAL OFFICE CONTROL CIRCUITS FOR REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEMS

• US 3,553,449 A
• Filed: 07/01/1968
• Issued: 01/05/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Homer L. Hathaway
• Original Assignee: Homer L. Hathaway
• Inventors: Hathaway, Homer L.
• Application Number:
  US04/741,729
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• US Class Current: 246/3
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 7/08 Circuitry

Abstract

Remote control system machine circuits incorporating solid state circuitry based on NOR logic. Each control function request is processed through a NOR circuit network which performs suitability checks and conditions a flip-flop element to register, actuate transmission of, and store the requested function. Stored control functions provide within the machine circuits a continuous check of the existing function request for each controlled apparatus at each remote location. A remote location selection network associates the single typical set of control devices with the machine circuits for the location to which selected controls are to be transmitted. Indications of the condition of each item of apparatus at remote stations are received, registered, and displayed by the machine circuits.

Claims

1. In a remote control system comprising a master control location and a plurality of remote locations connected by a communication system for transmitting control and indication functions between said locations, at said control location, the combination comprising:

a. a storage means operable to a first and a second condition to store a control for the corresponding position of a two position control function;

1. said storage means changing condition only when an operating signal is applied thereto;

b. a first control circuit means including at least one selected logic circuit element and electrically coupled for selectively supplying an operating signal to operate said storage means to its first condition when said one logic circuit element is actuated;

c. a second control circuit means including at least another selected logic circuit element and electrically coupled for selectively supplying an operating signal to operate said storage means to its second condition when said other logic circuit element is actuated;

d. a first and a second control function circuit means controlled by said storage means and separately activated as the associated storage means is operated to its first and second condition, respectively;

e. each control function circuit means coupled to said communication system for actuating the transmission of the associated control function position when the circuit is activated; and

f. a function selector means operable at times for selectively actuating said one or said other logic circuit element.

2. A remote control system as defined in claim 1 in which each control circuit means includes additional logic circuit elements, each selectively conditioned in response to the application of preselected safety factors related to the associated control function, said logic circuit elements interconnected to control the corresponding control circuit means for inhibiting the supply of said operating signal to said storage means when any one of said related factors is in an unsafe condition.

3. A remote control system as defined in claim 2 in which said master control location is the traffic control center for a railroad signaling system for a stretch of track and said remote locations are track interlockings along said stretch at which the two position control functions comprise the positioning of track switches and wayside signals to control the movement of trains over said stretch of track, a separate combination of a storage means, first and second control circuit means, and first and second control function circuit means being provided at said master control location for each of said two position control functions.

4. A remote control system as defined in claim 3 in which each of said separate combinations further comprises:

a. connecting means from said communication system for supplying received indication functions as inputs to selected logic circuit elements as safety factor condition check signals; and

b. other connecting means from said storage means to selected logic circuit elements in others of said combinations for supplying stored control functions to complete the safety factor condition checks.

5. A remote control system as defined in claim 4, said master control location further including:

a. a single bank only of function selector means one for each control function at aNy one remote location manually operable for selecting the desired control functions for transmission to any remote location;

b. a bank of remote location selection devices manually operable to select the desired remote location;

c. a circuit network means including still other logic circuit elements and controlled by said location selection devices for registering the selected location; and

d. connecting means controlled by said function selector means and said location registering circuit network means for applying each control function selection to the logic elements of the control circuit means of the corresponding control function combination for the selected remote location.

6. A remote control system as defined in claim 5 in which each logic circuit element is a NOR logic circuit and each storage means is a flip-flop logic circuit arrangement.

7. In a railroad traffic control system comprising a master location including a system control machine and a plurality of remote locations connected by a communication system for transmitting control and indication functions between said locations, each function representing the condition of a two position controlled device, in the control machine at the master location, for each remote location the combination comprising:

a. a plurality of logic element storage means one for each two position control function, each storage means operable to a first and a second condition to store a first and a second position control, respectively, for the associated function;

b. an input circuit network means coupled to each storage means for selectively operating the corresponding storage means to its first or second condition;

8. A traffic control system as defined in claim 7 in which the controlled devices at each remote location include track switches and wayside signals to control the movement of trains, each remote location combination within said machine further comprising:

a. at least one storage means for storing the control functions for the wayside signals for each direction of train movement;

b. at least one storage means for storing the control functions for the track switches;

c. a traffic direction storage means for at least one adjacent track stretch; and

d. each input circuit network means having input connections further coupled for receiving in selected logic elements said safety check signals pertaining to the associated control function from other storage means and from received indication functions.

9. A traffic control system as defined in claim 8, in which the control machine further includes:

a. a single set of manually operable control devices to select the desired control functions to be transmitted to any remote location;

b. a location selection network means for selecting a particular one of said remote locations; and

c. said location selection network means electrically coupled to the several input circuit network means and to said control devices for applying the desired control functions selected on said control devices to the corresponding storage means for only the selected location to be transmitted only to the selected remote location.

10. A traffic control system as defined in claim 9 in which each of said storage means is a flip-flop logic circuit arrangeMent and each of said logic elements is a NOR logic circuit.