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Programmable switching unit

  • US 5,481,452 A
  • Filed: 07/27/1992
  • Issued: 01/02/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1991
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A programmable switching unit for controlling electrically power devices, comprising;

  • a microcontroller and memory associated therewith;

    means associated with the microcontroller for sensing ON and OFF transitions of a controlled device;

    user operated control switch means;

    means associated with the microcontroller for sensing alternative conditions of the control switch means;

    electrical switching means in series with the controlled device and controlled by the microcontroller;

    a timer implemented by the microcontroller and having a cycle period of predetermined duration; and

    the microcontroller including a control program having a first control program routine executed when the microcontroller senses a first condition set by said control switch means, and a second control program routine executed when it senses other conditions set by said control switch means, said second control program routine causing the microcontroller to continuously update at least one table, formed in said memory, of time slots within a cycle period, within which ON and OFF transitions of said controlled device occur over a plurality of cycle periods, and said first control program routine causing the microcontroller to review said at least one table in advance of each time slot within a period for events which occurred within that time slot in any of said plurality of cycle periods, determining according to the events detected and according to logic determined by said first control program routine whether a transition should occur during that time slot, and controlling said controlled switching device during that time slot to apply at a time during the time slot and transition which the routine has determined should occur.

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