Electronic circuit arrangement for switching an electrical load in a fail safe manner
First Claim
1. An electronic circuit arrangement for switching a state of an electrical load in a fail-safe manner, said electrical load being disposed in a path intermediate a power source and a first conductor, said electronic circuit arrangement coupled to at least one condition signal, said electronic circuit arrangement comprising:
- a) at least one logic manipulator means for receiving and processing said at least one condition signal and executing a predetermined truth table;
b) a first enabling signal generated by said at least one logic manipulator means upon executing said truth table and validating said at least one condition signal;
c) a switch biasing means coupled to said at least one logic manipulator means for generating a bias voltage upon receiving said first enabling signal;
d) a first switch means disposed in a portion of said path intermediate said power source and said electrical load and coupled to said switch biasing means, said first switch means conducting upon generation of said bias voltage and passing a supply electrical current therethrough;
e) whereby passage of said supply electrical current through said first switch means causes said electrical load directly coupled to said first conductor to switch from a first state to a second state; and
f) whereby at least a discontinuation of said at least one condition signal causes said at least one logic manipulator means to discontinue said first enabling signal and discontinue passage of said supply electrical current to said electrical load switching thereof from said second state to said first state.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic circuit arrangement for switching an electrical load disposed intermediate a power source and a ground includes a combinatorial logic block for receiving and processing at least one condition signal and for generating a first enabling signal. A biasing element generates a bias voltage upon receiving the first enabling signal. A first switch disposed intermediate the electrical load and the power source conducts upon application of the bias voltage enabling passage of an electrical supply current from the power source to the electrical load. A fail-safe circuit operation is achieved with the use of a microprocessor which generates a second enabling signal feeding into the biasing element and a second switch disposed intermediate the electrical load and the ground and which conducts upon application of a third enabling signal from the microprocessor thus enabling passage of the electrical supply current to ground. First and second feedback circuits monitor the state of the electrical load and provide status feedback to the microprocessor which is adapted for annunciating a fault condition.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An electronic circuit arrangement for switching a state of an electrical load in a fail-safe manner, said electrical load being disposed in a path intermediate a power source and a first conductor, said electronic circuit arrangement coupled to at least one condition signal, said electronic circuit arrangement comprising:
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a) at least one logic manipulator means for receiving and processing said at least one condition signal and executing a predetermined truth table; b) a first enabling signal generated by said at least one logic manipulator means upon executing said truth table and validating said at least one condition signal; c) a switch biasing means coupled to said at least one logic manipulator means for generating a bias voltage upon receiving said first enabling signal; d) a first switch means disposed in a portion of said path intermediate said power source and said electrical load and coupled to said switch biasing means, said first switch means conducting upon generation of said bias voltage and passing a supply electrical current therethrough; e) whereby passage of said supply electrical current through said first switch means causes said electrical load directly coupled to said first conductor to switch from a first state to a second state; and f) whereby at least a discontinuation of said at least one condition signal causes said at least one logic manipulator means to discontinue said first enabling signal and discontinue passage of said supply electrical current to said electrical load switching thereof from said second state to said first state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An electronic circuit arrangement for switching a state of an electrical load in a fail-safe manner, said electrical load being disposed in a path intermediate a power source and a first conductor, said electronic circuit arrangement coupled to at least one condition signal, said electronic circuit arrangement comprising:
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a) a first logic manipulator means for receiving and processing said at least one condition signal, said first logic manipulator means capable of executing a predetermined truth table for validating said at least one condition signal; b) a second logic manipulator means for receiving and processing said at least one condition signal, said second logic manipulator means capable of executing a predetermined software algorithm having said predetermined truth table for validating said at least one condition signal independently from said first logic manipulator means; c) a first enabling signal generated by said first logic manipulator means upon executing said predetermined truth table and validating said at least one condition signal, said first enabling signal capable of sourcing a control electrical current; d) a second enabling signal generated by said second logic manipulator means upon validating said at least one condition signal, said second enabling signal capable of sinking said control electrical current; e) a third enabling signal generated by said second logic manipulator means upon validating said at least one condition signal, said third enabling signal being a control voltage signal; f) a switch biasing means coupled to said first and second logic manipulator means for generating a bias voltage upon receiving said first and second enabling signals; g) a first switch means disposed in a portion of said path intermediate said power source and said electrical load and coupled to said switch biasing means, said first switch means conducting upon generation of said bias voltage and passing a supply electrical current therethrough; h) a second switch means disposed in a portion of said path intermediate said electrical load and said first conductor and conducting upon receiving said third enabling signal for passing said supply electrical current therethrough; i) a watch dog means coupled to said second logic manipulator means; j) a fault annunciation means coupled to said watch dog means; k) whereby passage of said supply electrical current through said first and second switch means and said electrical load switches said electrical load from a first state to a second state; and l) whereby at least a discontinuation of said at least one condition signal causes said first and second logic manipulator means to discontinue at least one of said first, second and third enabling signals and discontinue passage of said supply electrical current through said electrical load switching thereof from said second state to said first state. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. An electronic circuit arrangement for switching a rotation directional state of an electrical motor in a fail-safe manner, said electrical motor being disposed in a path intermediate a power source and a first conductor, said electronic circuit arrangement coupled to at least one condition signal, said electronic circuit arrangement comprising:
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a) a first logic manipulator means for receiving and processing said at least one condition signal, said first logic manipulator means capable of executing a predetermined truth table for validating said at least one condition signal and generating a first enabling signal upon validating said at least one condition signal, said first enabling signal capable of sourcing a control electrical current; b) a second logic manipulator means for receiving and processing said at least one condition signal, said second logic manipulator means capable of executing a predetermined software algorithm having said predetermined truth table for validating said at least one condition signal independently from said first logic manipulator means, said second logic manipulator mean generating a second enabling signal, a first rotation directional signal, a second rotation directional signal and a command signal, said second enabling signal capable of sinking said control electrical current; c) a switch biasing means coupled to said first and second logic manipulator means for generating a bias voltage upon receiving said first and second enabling signals; d) a first switch means disposed in a path intermediate said power source and said electrical motor and coupled to said switch biasing means, said first switch means conducting upon generation of said bias voltage and passing a supply electrical current therethrough; e) a first logic gate for receiving said first directional signal and said command signal and generating a first directional motor power signal; f) a second logic gate for receiving said second directional signal and said command signal and generating a second directional motor power signal; g) a first pulse width modulation means coupled to said first and second directional signals; h) a second pulse width modulation means coupled to said first and second directional signals; i) a second switch means disposed in said path intermediate said power source and said first conductor and coupled to said first and second pulse width modulation means; j) a feedback means disposed within said circuit arrangement for providing at least one status feedback signal to one of said first logic manipulator means, said second logic manipulator means and a combination thereof; k) whereby receipt of said at least one condition signal by said first and second logic manipulator means enables generation of said first directional motor power signal and passage of said supply electrical current through said first switch means enabling said electrical motor to rotate in a first direction; and l) whereby at least a discontinuation of said at least one condition signal causes said first and second logic manipulator means to discontinue passage of said power electrical current through said first switch, enables generation of said second directional motor power signal and enables said electrical motor to rotate in a second direction. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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Specification