Control system for controlling plural electrical devices

• US 6,297,610 B1
• Filed: 05/08/1998
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bytecraft Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Bytecraft Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Bauer, Michael John, Fregon, Edward John
• Primary Examiner(s): RO, BENTSU
• Application Number:
  US08/983,386
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 318/562, 318/625, 318/34, 318/50, 318/105, 318/106, 362/85, 315/291, 315/292, 315/295, 315/297, 315/301, 315/316, 315/317, 307/18, 307/29, 307/38-42, 307/85
• US Class Current: 318/562
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 1/02 Scenery; Curtains; Other decorations; Means for moving same fireproof curtains A62C2/10
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/32 with inputs from more than one sensing element; with outputs to more than one correcting element
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 5/00 Arrangements specially adapted for regulating or controlling the speed or torque of two or more electric motors H02P6/04, H02P8/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/04 Arrangements for controlling or regulating the speed or torque of more than one motor H02P6/10 takes precedence

Abstract

A control system for controlling a plurality of electrical devices (6) the system including a central controller (2) for controlling functions of the devices, a network (4) coupled between the central controller (2) and the devices, the network including a plurality of device drivers (10) for providing drive signals to the electrical devices, the number of drivers being less than the number of devices characterized in that the network includes intelligent devices (8) which enable communication through the network from the central controller (2) to the devices (6).

Claims

1. A control system for controlling a plurality of electrical devices said system including a central controller for controlling functions of said devices, a network coupled between the central controller and said devices, said network including a plurality of device drivers for providing drive signals to said electrical devices, the number of drivers being less than the number of devices characterized in that the network includes intelligent devices which enable communication through the network from the central controller to the devices, said network including a single matrix defined by control patch buses, device buses and said logic elements which are distributed in said matrix and are operable to couple selected buses together to thereby determine, subject to control from said intelligent devices, which devices are coupled to respective device drivers and said network includes patch switches which are selectively provided at nodes in the matrix.

2. A control system as claimed in claim 1 wherein remote processing means is associated with each motor.

3. A control system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the satellite processor stores and provides signals indicative of the state of the motor to which it is coupled.

5. A control system as claimed in claim 1 or 4 wherein each patch switch comprises electronic switch means and power switch means.

6. A control system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the electronic switch means and the power switch means can be independently operated whereby the central controller can monitor said devices without changing the states of said power switch means.

7. A control system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the power switch means includes power contacts for controlling power to said devices and control contacts for generating control signals (PGRP_FREE, QGRP_FREE, PBUS_FREE, QBUS_FREE) indicative of whether a patch switch has been engaged or is in a control patch bus which has been engaged.

8. A control system as claimed in claim 1 or 4 wherein a LAN is coupled to remote processing means associated with each motor.

9. A control system as claimed in claim 8 wherein a control bus is coupled between at least some of said patch switches and said remote processing means.

10. A control system as claimed in claim 1 or 4 wherein a LAN is coupled to at least some of said patch switches.

11. A control system as claimed in claim 1 or 4 wherein each of the devices includes a satellite processor which stores and provides signals indicative of the state of the device to which it is coupled.

18. A control system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the local area network is coupled to said remote processing means.

19. A control system as claimed in claim 18 wherein the local area network is coupled to at least some of said patch switches.

20. A control system as claimed in claim 18 wherein a control bus is coupled between at least some of said patch switches and said remote processing means.

4. A control system for controlling a plurality of electrical devices said system including a central controller for controlling functions of said devices, a network coupled between the central controller and said devices, said network including a plurality of device drivers for providing drive signals to said electrical devices, the number of drivers being less than the number of devices characterized in that the network includes intelligent devices which enable communication through the network from the central controller to the devices, said network including a dual-matrix defined by control patch buses, device buses and said logic elements which are distributed in said matrix and are operable to couple selected buses together to thereby determine, subject to control from said intelligent devices, which devices are coupled to respective device drivers and said network includes patch switches which are selectively provided at nodes in the matrix.

12. A stage equipment control system for controlling a plurality of electrical motors, said system including:

a central controller which generates control signals;

a plurality of axis controllers which receive said control signals;

a plurality of electric motors;

a plurality of motor drivers, each coupled to one of said axis controllers, for providing drive signals for said electric motors, there being a lesser number of said motor drivers than the number of said electric motors;

a matrix defined by a plurality of control buses and device buses, configured as a two-dimensional array having a predetermined number of nodes therein, with said motors being coupled at the ends of respective device buses and said motor drivers being coupled at the ends of respective control buses; and

patch switches located at predetermined nodes in the matrix, whereby said drive signals can be selectively coupled through the matrix to said motors, by the closure of selected patch switches.

15. A control system as claimed in any one of claims 12, 13 or 14 wherein the central controller is coupled to said axis controllers by means of a local area network and the central controller is arranged to generate signal packets.

16. A control system as claimed in claim 15 wherein sensors are coupled to the motor and outputs from the sensors are inputted to the remote processing means of the associated motor.

17. A control system as claimed in claim 16 wherein said processing means includes memory for storing data from the sensors independently of said central controller.

21. A control system as claimed in claim 15 wherein each command packet includes an address field for the axis controller, a command field and a data field.

22. A control system as claimed in claim 21 wherein each axis controller has processing means therein and wherein the processing means is operable to receive said command packets, check for address matches, to interpret a command type from said command fields and to interpret an instruction from said data field.

23. A control system as claimed in claim 22 wherein the central controller inputs data instructions in said data field for the selection of a particular motor to be coupled to one of said device drivers.

24. A control system as claimed in claim 22 wherein the data instructions in said data field further include instructions for closure of selected patch switches to establish a route from said one device driver to said particular motor.

25. A control system as claimed in claim 24 wherein the processing means in each axis controller, in response to said instructions for closure of selected patch switches, generates patch control signals which are transmitted to the selected patch switches.

26. A control system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the axis controllers check the status of the selected patch switches.

27. A control system as claimed in claim 26 wherein after said selected patch switches have been closed, a communications link is established therethrough between the selected remote processing means and the selected axis controller coupled to said selected patch switches by one of said control patch buses and wherein the selected axis controller generates a status signal packet for communication to the central controller containing information relating to the selected motor.

28. A control system as claimed in claim 12, 13 or 14 wherein each patch switch comprises electronic switch means and power switch means.

29. A control system as claimed in claim 28 wherein the electronic switch means and the power switch means can be independently operated whereby the central controller can monitor said motors without changing the states of said power switch means.

30. A control system as claimed in claim 29 wherein the power switch means includes power contacts for controlling power to said motors and control contacts for generating control signals (PGRP_FREE, QGRP_FREE, PBUS_FREE, QBUS_FREE) indicative of whether a patch switch has been engaged or is in a control patch bus which has been engaged.

31. A control system as claimed in claim 28 wherein the power switch means includes power contacts for controlling power to said motors and control contacts for generating control signals (PGRP_FREE, QGRP_FREE, PBUS_FREE, QBUS_FREE) indicative of whether a patch switch has been engaged or is in a control patch bus which has been engaged.

13. A stage equipment control system for controlling a plurality of electrical motors, said system including:

a central controller which generates control signals;

a plurality of axis controllers which receive said control signals;

a plurality of electric motors;

a plurality of motor drivers, each coupled to one of said axis controllers, for providing drive signals for said electric motors, there being a lesser number of said motor drivers than the number of said electric motors;

a dual matrix comprising a motor matrix and a drive switch matrix, the motor matrix being defined by a plurality of patch buses and device buses, configured as a two-dimensional array having a number of motor matrix nodes therein, and the drive switch matrix being defined by said plurality of patch buses and driver buses, configured as a two-dimensional array having a number of drive switch matrix nodes therein, with said motors being coupled at the ends of respective device buses and said motor drivers being coupled at the ends of respective drive buses; and

patch switches located at predetermined motor matrix and drive switch matrix nodes in the matrix, whereby said drive signals can be selectively coupled through the dual matrix to said motors, by the closure of selected patch switches.

14. A control system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the central controller is operable to close a first patch switch in the drive matrix in one of said patch buses and a second patch switch in the motor matrix in said one patch bus in order to couple said drive signals to a motor.