Method and apparatus for storing and utilizing a unique power down state in a model railroad system

• US 5,940,005 A
• Filed: 05/15/1995
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frederick E Severson, Patrick A Quinn
• Original Assignee: Frederick E Severson, Patrick A Quinn
• Inventors: Quinn, Patrick A., Severson, Frederick E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US08/441,028
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.76, 340/825.22, 246/34 R, 246/187 A, 246/187 B, 246/221, 246/415 A, 246/473 A, 318/280, 318/256, 446/297, 446/409, 446/410, 446/433, 446/443, 446/454, 446/455, 446/467
• US Class Current: 340/4.35
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 19/24 Electric toy railways; Systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00009 using pulsed signals
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/0001 using modification of a parameter of the network power signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission

Abstract

An electronic control system for model railroads incorporates a motor control unit, an electronic state generator that generates particular operating state signals responsive to multiple reset conditions. A first reset condition initiates sequencing of motor control states and a second super reset condition independently controls system initialization conditions increasing the overall number and accessibility of controller generated operating states.

Claims

1. An electronic model train locomotive for use on a model railroad track that is coupled to a power supply for controllably applying power to the track, the locomotive comprising:

a motor for driving the locomotive over the track;

an on-board, electronic motor control state generator for indicating a motor control state that is one of a predetermined series of motor control states, the series of motor control states including at least a forward state (512), a neutral state (513) and a reverse state (514--FIG.

     5) for controlling the motor;

means responsive to a first control signal conveyed to the locomotive by an operator for advancing the electronic motor control state generator to a desired motor control state for controlling the motor;

reset state memory means (507) for storing an indication of a power-on reset signal (509) responsive to a track power-off condition that exceeds a predetermined duration, whereby the reset state memory means indicates a unique power-on reset state independently of the motor control state of the locomotive; and

means responsive to the indication of a power-on reset signal for actuating a predetermined power-on reset effect independently of the motor control state.

2. An electronic model train locomotive according to claim 1 wherein the power-on reset effect includes an audible motor start-up sound effect.

3. An electronic model train locomotive according to claim 1 wherein the means for advancing the electronic motor control state are responsive to the track power-off condition exceeding a given motor state sequence time, the motor state sequence time being shorter than the predetermined duration required for initiating the power-on reset state.

4. An electronic model train locomotive according to claim 1 wherein the reset state memory means comprise a flip-flop coupled to the state generator and having an output generating the power on reset signal.

5. An electronic model train locomotive according to claim 1 including means for clearing the power-on reset signal by advancing the electronic motor control state.

6. A method for controlling remote effects in a model locomotive driven by a motor powered from a power supply through a train track, comprising:

generating a predetermined series of motor control states, the series of motor control states including at least a forward state (512), a neutral state (513) and a reverse state (514--FIG.

     5) for controlling the motor;

advancing the motor control states responsive to a track power-off condition that exceeds a first predetermined amount of time;

setting an initialization signal (509) responsive to a track power-off condition that exceeds a second predetermined amount of time greater than the first predetermined amount of time necessary to advance the motor control states, the initialization signal indicating a unique initialization state independent of the motor control state of the locomotive; and

means responsive to the initialization signal for actuating a predetermined initialization effect independently of the motor control state.

7. A method according to claim 6 including clearing the initialization signal by advancing the motor control states (510).

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein one of the initialization effects actuated by initialization signal includes an audible train motor start, the audio signal only generated when the initialization signal is set.