Solid state digital running time indicator

• US 4,180,724 A
• Filed: 03/31/1978
• Issued: 12/25/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: E-Systems Incorporated (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: E-Systems Incorporated (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Councilman, Clyde L., Shearer, Harry D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thesz, Joseph M.
• Application Number:
  US05/892,129
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 235/92 PD, 235/92 T, 235/92 FP, 235/92 EA, 235/92 DP, 58/23 BA, 58/24 A, 58/152 H, 324/181, 324/186
• US Class Current: 377/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/04 using counting means or digital clocks

Abstract

A solid state digital running time indicator is energized from the same power source supplying energy to a monitored event. A device for detecting when the power is on initiates a signal to timing circuitry for generating clock pulse signals and control timing signals. In response to an initial timing signal, a memory element reads the information from memory into a counter chain. The clock pulse signals are applied to the counter chain for counting up in predetermined increments of time from the number that is initially loaded into the counter chain from the memory element. Control circuitry writes the contents of the counter chain into the memory element after each predetermined increment of time. The total accumulated running time present in the counter chain is applied to drive and display circuitry for providing a visual indication of the running time of the event being monitored.

Claims

1. An electrically energizable solid state running time indicator for accumulating and storing for outputting the total time a monitored event is energized, comprising;

means for simultaneously energizing said indicator and said monitored event;

means for detecting the energization of said indicator and said monitored event;

means for enabling a timing circuit in response to said detecting means indicating the energization of said indicator and said monitored event;

said timing circuit including means for generating a clock pulse signal of predetermined constant frequency;

counters for counting up the clock pulse signals generated by said timing circuitry and applied to said counters for accumulating the time said monitored event is energized, the contents of said counters corresponding to the total running time said monitored event is energized;

memory means interconnected with said counters for storing the total running time said monitored event is energized, said memory means having the capability of retaining stored information when the running time indicator is de-energized;

control circuitry for initially loading the accumulated running time stored in said memory means into said counters in response to a signal generated by said timing circuitry when said indicator is initially energized;

said control circuitry including means for writing the total running time from said counter into said memory means after each predetermined increment of time measured by said predetermined clock pulse signal for continually updating said memory means with the current accumulated running time of the monitored event; and

means for outputting the total running time in said counters when said indicator is energized.

2. The electrically energizable running time indicator of claim 1, wherein said memory means comprises an electrically alterable read only memory solid state semiconductor device for storing the accumulated running time said monitored event is energized, said electrically alterable read only memory having means for electrically altering the contents of said memory and including means for retaining the stored running time when de-energized.

3. The electrically energizable running time indicator of claim 1, wherein said memory means comprises a random access memory solid state semiconductor device, said random access memory having a separate source of power for energizing said random access memory when said indicator is de-energized.

4. The electrically energizable running time indicator of claim 1, wherein said control means includes means for resetting the stored running time in said memory means.

5. The electrically energizable running time indicator of claim 1, wherein said means for outputting is a visual display means.

6. The electrically energizable running time indicator of claim 5, wherein said visual display means is a light emitting diode digital display.

7. The electrically energizable running time indicator of claim 5, wherein said visual display means is a liquid crystal digital display.

8. The electrically energizable running time indicator of claim 1, wherein said timing circuitry applies a 31/3 Hz clock pulse signal to said counters, said counters include a first divide-by-twelve counter and a series of divide-by-ten counters for counting up the time in predetermined increments of time.

9. An electrically energizable solid state running time indicator for selectively accumulating and storing for outputting the total elapsed time a plurality of monitored events are energized, comprising:

means for energizing said indicator and selected ones of said monitored events;

means for detecting the energization of said indicator and one or more of said monitored events for applying a start signal to enable timing circuitry;

said timing circuitry including means for generating a clock pulse signal of predetermined constant frequency;

counters for each of said monitored events, said counters being responsive to said clock pulse signal applied by said timing circuitry for counting up the time each of said monitored events is energized, the contents of said counters indicating the total running time of corresponding monitored events;

switching means for selectively applying said clock pulse signal to one or more of the counters corresponding to said energized events for accumulating the running time said monitored event is energized;

memory means interconnected with said counters for storing the total running time each of said monitored events is energized, said memory means having the capability of retaining the stored running time when the indicator is de-energized;

control circuitry for initially loading the running time stored in said memory means for each of said monitored events into said counters for each of said monitored events in response to a signal from said timing circuitry generated when said indicator is initially energized;

said control circuitry including means for writing the total running time in each of said counters into said memory means after each predetermined increment of time measured by said clock pulse signal for continually updating said memory means with the current accumulated running time of the monitored event; and

means for selectively outputting the total running time appearing in each of said counters for the corresponding selected monitored events.

10. The electrically energizable running time indicator of claim 9, wherein said means for selectively outputting the total running time in each of said counters includes a visual display means.

11. The electrically energizable running time indicator of claim 10, wherein said visual display means includes a light emitting diode digital display.

12. The electrically energizable running time indicator of claim 10, wherein said visual display means includes a liquid crystal digital display.

13. The electrically energizable running time indicator of claim 9, wherein said memory means comprises a single solid state semiconductor memory device having the organization and capacity to store the running time from each of said counters for each of said monitored events.

14. The electrically energizable running time indicator of claim 9, wherein said memory means comprises an electrically alterable read only memory semiconductor device for storing the accumulated running time for said monitored events, said electrically alterable read only memory having means for electrically altering the contents of said memory and including the means for retaining the stored running time when de-energized.

15. The electrically energizable running time indicator of claim 9, wherein said memory means comprises a random access memory solid state semiconductor device, said random access memory having a separate source of power for energizing said random access memory device when said indicator is de-energized.

16. The electrically energizable running time indicator of claim 9, wherein said control means includes means for selectively resetting the running time stored in said memory means for each of said monitored events.