Reflexive circuit

• US 5,294,849 A
• Filed: 04/23/1992
• Issued: 03/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bronson Potter
• Original Assignee: Bronson Potter
• Inventors: Potter, Bronson
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, TOAN V
• Application Number:
  US07/873,649
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 315/DIG. 4, 315/194, 315/DIG. 5, 315/199, 315/209, 315/205, 315/206, 315/207, 315/306, 315/66, 315/73, 315/156, 315/705, 315/291, 315/360, 307/146, 307/141, 307/140, 307/253, 307/254, 307/632, 307/639, 307/647, 307/643, 307/642, 307/638, 361/58, 361/18, 361/56, 361/57
• US Class Current: 327/451
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/08 by shifting phase of trigger voltage applied to gas-filled controlling tubes also in controlled semiconductor devices in converters H02M5/00; with regulation G05F1/44
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission

Abstract

A two-terminal device for connection by its two terminals into an electrical circuit having a power source or signal connected to an electrical load or signal receiver and a means for causing selected brief interruptions of the circuit, comprising an electronic reflex element connected to receive power or a signal from the source via the two terminals and to change from a first state to a second state in response to the interruptions, the state change being dependent on the brevity of the interruptions, the reflex element including a control element connected to prevent power or a signal from reaching the load or signal receiver when the reflex element is in a particular one of the states and the circuit is not being interrupted.

Claims

1. A two-terminal device for connection by its two terminals into an electrical circuit having a power source or signal connected to an electrical load or signal receiver and a means for causing selected brief interruptions of the circuit, comprising:

a bi-stable circuit comprising two electrical valves, said circuit connected to receive power or a signal from said source via said two terminals and to change from a first state to a second state in response to said interruptions, said state change being dependent on the brevity of said interrutpions, an opposite one of said valves being in its conductive state in each of said electrical states, said valves being coupled to each other such that current conducted through one of said valves prevents conduction by the other of said valves,

one of said valves connected to permit no more than a low level of current or signal to reach the load or the signal receiver through said valve, when the bi-stable circuit is in a particular one of the states and the electrical circuit is not being interrupted,

the other of said valves connected to conduct power to said load or to deliver a signal to said signal receiver when the bi-stable circuit is in its other state, said power being only either DC power or integral half-cycles or full-cycles of AC power, and

energy storage means coupled to another of said valves that is adapted to transmit power or signals to said load, said energy storage means directly causing that valve to conduct in response to a circuit interruption signal when said bi-stable circuit is in said state which prevents said power or said signal from reaching said load.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said source supplies direct current.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said a pair of electrical valves are connected in a positive-feedback configuration.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein said energy storage means is a capacitor.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein said energy storage means is an inductor.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein said inductor is part of a relay.

2. A two-terminal device for connection by its two terminals into an electrical circuit having a power source or signal connected to an electrical load or signal receiver and a means for causing selected brief interruptions of the connection between the source and the load or signal receiver, comprising:

a bi-stable circuit comprising two electrical valves, said circuit connected to receive power or a signal from said source via said two terminals and to respond to each said interruption by changing from the electrical state it occupied before the interruption to its other electrical state, an opposite one of said valves being in its conductive state in each of said electrical states, said valves being coupled to each other such that current conducted through one of said valves prevents conduction by the other of said valves,

said bi-stable circuit further comprising a control element connected to enable power or a signal from the source to reach the load or signal receiver through one of said valves when the bi-stable circuit is in one state and the electrical circuit is not being interrupted, or to permit no more than a low level of current or signal to reach the load when the bi-stable circuit is in the other state and the circuit is not being interrupted, said control element including energy storage means coupled to said valve that is adapted to transmit power or signals to said load, said energy storage means directly causing that valve to conduct power to said load, said power being only either DC power or integral half-cycles or full-cycles of AC power, in response to a circuit interruption signal when said bi-stable circuit is in said state which prevents said power or said signal from reaching said load.

7. The device of claim 2 wherein said means for causing brief interruptions comprises logic circuitry for delivering a succession of logical signals to said bi-stable circuit, some of said signals being at a zero voltage level, and wherein said load comprises logic circuitry for receiving logical signals from said bi-stable circuit.

8. The device of claim 2 wherein said two-state element bi-stable circuit further comprises a fading memory electrical component whose condition determines the state of the bi-stable circuit, said fading memory component being arranged to be in a first condition when said voltage is being prevented from reaching the load, and to fade from said first condition to a second condition in a predetermined period of time during the next interruption, whereby if said next interruption is shorter than said predetermined period, power is enabled to reach the load after said next interruption ends.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said fading memory component comprises a capacitor.

11. The device of claim 2 wherein said one of said valves is a silicon-controlled rectifier.

12. The device of claim 2 wherein said source supplies alternating current.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein said device further comprises a full-wave bridge rectifier connected between said electrical circuit and said bi-stable circuit, whereby full-wave power is enabled to reach the load.

15. The device of claim 2 wherein said energy storage means is a capacitor.

17. The device of claim 2 wherein said energy storage means is an inductor.

3. A two-terminal high speed logic circuit element for computers comprising:

a first terminal for receiving input binary signals,

a second terminal for delivering output binary signals,

said binary signals being represented by either a non-zero DC voltage level or an effectively zero level, and

a two-state element whose state depends upon the effectively zero level signals appearing at said input terminal,

said two-state element including a control element which permits no more than a low level, effectively zero output signal when said two-state element is in one state and only a non-zero DC level output signal when said two-state element is in said other state.

4. A two-terminal device for connection by its two terminals into an electrical circuit having a DC power source connected to an electrical load and an "on, off" switch for selectively and briefly interrupting the connection between the source and the load, comprising:

a bi-stable circuit comprising two electrical valves, said circuit connected to receive power from said source via said two terminals and to respond to each said interruption by changing from the electrical state it occupied before the interruption to its other electrical state, an opposite one of said valves being in its conductive state in each of said electrical states,

said bi-stable circuit further comprising a control element capable of responding to interruptions no shorter than about one millisecond to enable the DC power from the source to reach the load through one of said valves when the bi-stable circuit is in one state, or to permit no more than a low level of current or signal to reach the load when the bi-stable circuit is in the other state and the electrical circuit is not being interrupted.

5. A two-terminal device for connection by its two terminals into an electrical circuit having an AC power source connected to an electrical load and an "on, off" switch for selectively and briefly interrupting the connection between the source and the load, comprising:

a bi-stable circuit comprising two electrical valves, said circuit connected to receive power from said source via said two terminals and to respond to each said interruption by changing from the electrical state it occupied before the interruption to its other electrical state, an opposite one of said valves being in its conductive state in each of said electrical states,

said bi-stable circuit further comprising a control element capable of responding to interruptions no shorter than about one millisecond to enable only full-wave or half-wave AC power from the source to reach the load when the bi-stable circuit is in one state, or to permit no more than a low level of current or signal to reach the load when the bi-stable circuit is in the other state and the electrical circuit is not being interrupted.