Control for a remote, radio operated device

• US 5,103,146 A
• Filed: 02/11/1991
• Issued: 04/07/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ronald J. Hoffman
• Original Assignee: Ronald J. Hoffman
• Inventors: Hoffman, Ronald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US07/653,350
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 318/16, 340/825.57, 340/825.69, 340/825.72
• US Class Current: 318/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

A system for controlling the electric motor in a remote, radio controlled device includes a regulator controller which supplies energy from a battery to a receiver at a regulated level, decodes the channel output from the receiver to switch power from the battery to the motor when proper signals come from the receiver, and if the battery voltage goes low it cuts off the motor and keeps it off until the battery voltage rises above a threshold level and a manual reset enable device is actuated.

Claims

1. A system for controlling an electric motor in a remote, radio controlled movable device, said system comprising:

battery means for supplying electric power to the electric motor and to said system;

electrical connections extending to the motor and to other electrically controlled parts of the device;

receiver means for receiving radio signals from a radio transmitter for generating signals of pulse widths over said electrical connections for turning the motor ON or OFF and for controlling the other electrically operated parts of the device; and

regulator controller means for decoding the pulse widths of said signals from said receiver means over said electrical connections and for supplying preset voltage from said battery means to said receiver means;

said regulator controller means including;

voltage regulator means for receiving current from said battery means and for supplying current at a predetermined voltage to said receiver means when the voltage of said battery means has enough strength, and for regulating said system to enable said battery means to supply current at said predetermined voltage to said receiver means when said battery means falls below the required strength;

pulse width decoder means for evaluating the pulse width of the signals of the receiver means according to a preselected referenced period of time; and

power switch means connected to said pulse width decoder means, said battery means and the motor;

said pulse width decoder means generating a motor-on signal to said power switch means when the pulse width is greater than the preselected reference time period and said power switch means turning on said motor in response to said motor-on signal;

said pulse width decoder means generating a motor-off signal to said power switch means when the pulse width from said receiver means is less than the preselected reference time period, and said power switch means turning off said motor in response to said motor off-signal.

2. A system according to claim 1, and further including no-pulse detector means connected to said receiver means and to said pulse width decoder means, said no-pulse detector means generating a no-pulse signal to said pulse width decoder means when said receiver means fails to generate pulses over a period of time, and said pulse width decoder means generating said motor-off signal in response to said no-pulse signal.

3. A system according to claim 2 and further including a low voltage detector means connected to said battery means and to said no-pulse detector means, said low voltage detector means disabling said no-pulse detector means when the system voltage is below a preselected voltage;

said low voltage detector means having a reset enable means manually actuable to reset said low voltage detector means;

said low voltage detector means being further operatively connected to said no-pulse detector means and to said pulse width decoder means for disabling said pulse width decoder means when the system voltage is below said preselected voltage, and enabling said pulse width decoder means when the system voltage thereafter goes above said preselected voltage and said reset enable means is manually actuated to reset said low voltage detector means.