Dental delivery system

• US 6,470,222 B1
• Filed: 07/26/2000
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockford Dental Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Rockford Dental Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Davidson, Willard S., Davidson, Cheryl L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr., Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US09/486,459
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 700/2, 700/19, 700/20, 433/25, 433/27, 433/101, 433/229, 433/98
• US Class Current: 700/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/00 Dental auxiliary appliances dental chairs or accessories therefor, working stands whether or not combined with chairs A61G15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0421 Multiprocessor system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23056 Foot pedal, control, operated
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2647 Dentist

Abstract

A distributed intelligence system for controlling a plurality of groups and equipment for use in dentistry is disclosed wherein the system comprises four separate micro controllers; each micro controller contains its own predetermined routines and a first micro controller being located within control circuitry wherein the control circuitry generates control signals for a first group of tools or equipment, a second micro controller being located within foot switches wherein the foot switches generate control signals for a second group of tools or equipment, a third micro controller located within a control console wherein the control console generates control signals for a third group of tools or equipment and a forth micro controller being located within a power supply wherein the power supply generates control signals for a forth group of tools or equipment. The micro controllers are all interconnected by a wire cable and communicate with one another using a serial communication bus protocol.

Claims

1. A distributed intelligence system for controlling a plurality of groups of tools and equipment all used in dentistry, said system comprising:

(a) control circuitry generating first control signals applied to a first group of said tools and equipment and receiving first status signals from said first group of tools and equipment, said control circuitry including a first microcontroller containing predetermined routines for said generation of said first control signals and for being responsive to said first status signals, said control circuitry having protocol means for accommodating a serial communication bus;

(b) one or more foot switches for generating second control signals applied to a second group of said tools and equipment and receiving second status signals from said second group of tools and equipment, said one or more foot switches including a second microcontroller containing predetermined routines for said generation of said second control signals and for being responsive to said second status signals, said one or more switches having protocol means for accommodating a serial communication bus;

(c) control console generating third control signals applied to a third group of said tools and equipment and receiving third status signals from said third group of tools and equipment, said control console including a third microcontroller containing predetermined routines for said generation of said third control signals and for being responsive to said third status signals, said control console having protocol means for accommodating a serial communication bus;

(d) power supply means connected to said control circuitry, to said one or more foot switches and to said control console, said power supply means generating fourth control signals applied to a fourth group of said tools and equipment and receiving fourth status signals from said fourth group of tools and equipment, said power supply including a fourth microcontroller containing predetermined routines for said generation of said fourth control signals and for being responsive to said fourth status signals, said power supply having protocol means for accommodating a serial communication bus;

(e) cable means for interconnecting said protocol means of said control circuitry, said one or more foot switches, said control console and said power supply.

2. The distributed intelligence system according to claim 1, wherein said cable means comprises:

(a) a first conductor carrying power excitation;

(b) a second conductor carrying data; and

(c) a third conductor serving as a return path for said power excitation and said data.

3. The distributed intelligence system according to claim 1, wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth microcontroller have a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) computer architecture.

4. The distributed intelligence system according to claim 1, wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth microcontrollers include diagnostic routines to respectively control the operation of said first, second, third and fourth groups of said tools and said equipment.

5. The distributed intelligence system according to claim 1, wherein said first, second, third and fourth microcontrollers communicate with each other over said serial communication bus.

6. The distributed intelligence system according to claim 2 further comprising a diagnostic monitor connected to said cable means and supplying said power excitation on said first conductor to said control circuitry, to said one or more foot switches, to said control console and to said power supply means, and also supplying said data on said second conductor to said control circuitry, to said one or more foot switches, to said control console and to said power supply means.

7. The distributed intelligence system according to claim 4, wherein said diagnostic routines include:

(i) fault detection routines for detecting internal faults of each of said first, second, third and fourth microcontroller;

(ii) fault detection routines wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth microcontrollers detects faults of each other;

(iii) fault detection routines that allow for the detections of errors in a first unit connected to any of said first, second, third and fourth microcontrollers and then substitute a second unit for said first unit.

8. The distributed intelligence system according to claim 4, wherein said diagnostic routines include fault tolerant routines.

9. The distributed intelligence system according to claim 1, wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth microcontrollers include safety related routines to respectively control the operation of said first, second, and third and fourth groups of said tools and said equipment.