System and method for controlling devices through communication processors and pluralities of address-associated device controllers sharing each communication processor

• US 5,166,872 A
• Filed: 03/16/1992
• Issued: 11/24/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ability Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ability Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Gossman, David L., Plagman, Matthew L., Weaver, Rand D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAMMELL, JAMES P
• Application Number:
  US07/851,116
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• Field of Search: 364/131-139, 364/474.11, 364/DIG. 1, 364/229-230.6, 395/200
• US Class Current: 700/4
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/052 Linking several PLC's
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4141 characterised by a controller or microprocessor per axis
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33212 Processor for communication with, evaluation of signals form detector to pc
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33338 DNC distributed, decentralised nc, concurrent, multiprocessing

Abstract

The system for controlling a plurality of devices includes a central processor that receives information from a user, translates the information into a command and sends the command to a communication processor. The communications processor formulates a device command to send to a remote device processor which is connected in close proximity to a device that the user wants to control. The communication processor also receives status information back from the device processor which has been accessed. The device processor receiving a command uses the command to control the device attached to the device processor. Each device processor is able to monitor the commands sent to other device processors and can be set to use these commands to control their attached device. This method of monitoring allows many devices to be controlled simultaneously with very few commands. The system also allows for different types of devices to be attached to the device controllers so the system can perform a multiplicity of functions.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a plurality of devices, comprising:

a central processor;

at least one communication processor connected to the central processor;

a plurality of device processors each having a memory for storing device commands, status information and data;

a bus means connecting the communication processor to each device processor;

each of the device processors further connected to one another via said bus means and to one of the plurality of devices;

instruction means connected to the central processor for receiving a user instruction for simultaneously controlling the operation of preselected ones of the plurality of devices, translating the user instruction to a command, and communicating the command to the communication processor;

first communication means connected to the communication processor for receiving a command from the central processor, formulating a device command from the received command, sending the device command to a first selected device processor connected to a first one of said devices to be controlled by the device command, receiving status information about the controlled device from the first selected device processor, and sending the device command to at least one second selected device processor connected to a second one of said devices;

a plurality of second communication means, one said second communication means connected to each device processor for receiving device commands directly from the communication processor and for sending status information about the connected device to the communication processor;

a plurality of monitor means, one said monitor means connected to each device processor and including memory means for monitoring and storing device commands sent by the first communication means to other device processors and for monitoring and storing in the device processor memory status information sent by the second communication means of other device processors to the communication processor; and

a plurality of control means, one said control means connected to each said second device processor for controlling the operation of the connected device based on a device command received by the first device processor directly from the second communication means and the status information of said first device processor stored by the monitor means of each said second device processor.

2. A system for controlling a plurality of devices, comprising:

a central processor;

at least one communication processor connected to the central processor;

a plurality of device processors connected to the communication processor, each device processor connected to one of the plurality of devices;

instruction means connected to the central processor for receiving instructions for controlling the operation of preselected ones of the plurality of devices and formulating commands from the received instructions;

first communication means connected to the central processor for sending commands to the communication processor;

second communication means connected to the communication processor for receiving commands from the central processor, formulating device commands from the received commands, and forwarding the device commands to the device processors connected to the preselected devices;

addressing means for designating one of the device processors as a primary processor and the others of said device processors as secondary processors; and

a plurality of control means including one said control means connected to each device processor for receiving a device command from the communication processor, processing the command, and controlling the operation of the device connected to the primary processor based on the device command, and for controlling operation of each of the devices connected to one of the secondary processors based upon the device command and status information generated by the primary processor and received and stored by each of the secondary processors.

3. A system for controlling the operation of a plurality of different types of devices, comprising:

a central processor;

at least one communication processor connected to the central processor;

a plurality of device processors connected to the communication processor, each device processor connected to one device of the plurality of the devices;

instruction means connected to the central processor for receiving instructions for controlling the operation of preselected ones of the plurality of devices and formulating commands from the received instructions;

first communication means connected to the central processor for sending commands to the communication processor;

second communication means connected to the communication processor for receiving commands from the central processor, formulating device-independent commands from the received commands, and forwarding the device-independent commands to the device processors connected to the preselected devices;

an addressing means for designating one of the device processors as a primary device processor and the other device processors as secondary device processors; and

control means connected to each device processor for receiving a device-independent command from the connected communication processor, translating the device-independent command to a device-dependent command, controlling the operation of the device connected to the primary processor based on the device-dependent command, and controlling the operation of the devices connected to the secondary processors based on the device-dependent command and status information generated by the primary processor and received and stored by each of the secondary processors.

4. A method of simultaneously controlling preselected devices of a plurality of devices, comprising the steps of:

(a) controlling each device with a separate device processor;

(b) controlling the device processors with a communication processor;

(c) controlling the communication processor with a central processor;

(d) providing instructions to the central processor and formulating commands in the central processor in response to the instructions;

(e) sending the commands from the central processor to the communication processor;

(f) receiving the commands in the communication processor;

(g) formulating a device command from the received commands;

(h) sending the device command to a primary one of the device processors connected to one of the preselected devices;

(i) monitoring the device command sent in step (h) with secondary ones of the preselected device processors connected to the other preselected devices;

(j) storing the device command in the secondary device processors monitoring the device command in step (i) and in the primary device processor that received the device command in step (h);

(k) sending status information from the primary device processor to the communication processor and to the secondary device processors, responsive to receiving said device command,

(l) calculating device specific commands for the devices connected to each of the secondary device processors that stored the device command in the step (j) by using said status information stored in the secondary device processors and the device command stored in the secondary device processors; and

(m) simultaneously controlling the operation of the preselected devices using the device specific commands.