Control arrangement and method for electronic device

• US 6,636,101 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: S&C Electric Company
• Original Assignee: S&C Electric Company
• Inventors: Ennis, Michael G., Mikosz, Richard P., Atanus, Ronald D., Mears, Gregory C., Ruta, Joseph W., OʼLeary, Raymond P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Callahan, Timothy P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai L.
• Application Number:
  US10/036,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20020060599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 327/519, 327/108.112, 327/387, 327/388, 327/389, 327/391, 327/427, 327/428, 327/429, 327/520, 327/518, 307/112, 307/125, 307/126
• US Class Current: 327/519
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/16 Modifications for eliminating interference voltages or currents
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/22 Modifications for ensuring a predetermined initial state when the supply voltage has been applied bi-stable generators H03K3/12

Abstract

A control arrangement and method is provided for electronic devices in which an electronic switch is maintained in a conducting state at all times other than when it is desired to render the electronic switch nonconducting. In a specific embodiment, a latched control signal is utilized which is changed by the receipt of a momentary signal to change the conducting state of the electronic switch. For example, according to one specific arrangement, the momentary signal is a secure, complex signal such that appropriate decoding and detection of the proper signal is required to change the conducting state of the electronic switch.

Claims

1. A control arrangement for a source-transfer switching system of the type that includes first and second solid-state switches having respective first and second control inputs, input source connections and output connections, the output connections being connected to a common load circuit connection, the control arrangement comprising:

transfer control means for controlling the first and second solid-state switches via the first and second control inputs so as to selectively supply the common load circuit connection via either the first or second solid-state switch, said transfer control means further comprising first control means for providing a switch control signal for each of said first and second solid-state switches to selectively change the conductive state of either the first or second solid-state switch and switch control means responsive to said switch control signals for controlling the conductive state of the first and second solid-state switches via the first and second control inputs and maintaining the first and second solid-state switches in the conductive state via continuously providing a conductive state signal until the receipt of said switch control signal to render the first or second solid-state switch nonconductive whereby the conductive state of the first or second solid-state switch is maintained in the conductive state independent of the input source connections, said control means further providing predetermined on and off switch control signals for each of said first and second solid-state switches.

2. The control arrangement of claim 1 wherein said switch control means comprises latch means for maintaining the switch control input in a predetermined state until the receipt of said switch control signal.

3. The control arrangement of claim 1 wherein said switch control signal is a momentary signal and said switch control means comprises memory means having a memory state that is either on or off and being responsive to said momentary signal for changing said memory state.

4. The control arrangement of claim 1 wherein said predetermined on and off switch control signals are provided on a common signal path.

5. The control arrangement of claim 4 wherein said predetermined on signal is encoded as a first predetermined number of pulses and said predetermined off signal is encoded as a second predetermined number of pulses.

6. A control arrangement for a source-transfer switching system of the type that includes first and second solid-state switches having respective first and second control inputs, input source connections and output connections, the output connections being connected to a common load circuit connection, the control arrangement comprising:

transfer control means for controlling the first and second solid-state switches via the first and second control inputs so as to selectively supply the common load circuit connection via either the first or second solid-state switch, said transfer control means further comprising first control means for providing a switch control signal to selectively change the conductive state of either the first or second solid-state switch and switch control means responsive to said switch control signal for controlling the conductive state of the first and second solid-state switches via the first and second control inputs and maintaining the first and second solid-state switches in the conductive state via continuously providing a conductive state signal until the receipt of said switch control signal to render the first or second solid-state switch nonconductive whereby the conductive state of the first or second solid-state switch is maintained in the conductive state independent of the input source connections, said first control means further comprising means for encoding said switch control signal, means for communicating said switch control signal and means for decoding said switch control signal.

7. The control arrangement of claim 6 wherein said encoding means encodes said switch control signal as a predetermined succession of pulses.