# US 10,503,138 B2 · Meter unit and control system with meter unit

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- Number: US 10,503,138 B2
- Document ID: US10503138B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/900,519
- Filed: 2014-07-02
- Published: 2016-06-02
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-07-09
- Assignees: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG
- Applicants: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG
- Inventors: Bernd Wittig
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10503138B2

## CPC

- G05B 19/05: Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts
- G06F 13/4072: {Drivers or receivers (G06F13/4086 takes precedence; for multistate logic circuits H03K19/0002)}
- H04L 12/40: Bus networks
- G05B 2219/1131: I-O connected to a bus
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A meter unit having at least one meter module and a bus interface module, wherein the meter unit is in the form of hardware and the bus interface module can be used to couple the meter unit to a bus system, as a result of which input data for the meter module can be received from a bus system and result data from the meter module can be output onto the bus system. In addition, a control system having such a meter unit is provided, also comprising a control device and a bus system, wherein the meter unit and the control device are connected to the bus system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A meter unit, comprising at least one meter module, a bus interface module, and an evaluation and assignment module connected to the bus interface module and to the meter module;
wherein the meter unit is implemented in hardware; and
wherein the bus interface module enables:
the meter unit to be coupled to a bus system so that:
input data for the meter module is received from the bus system, with the evaluation and assignment module being adapted to mask, to extract, and to evaluate the input data for the meter module from a data stream transferred on the bus system, and to assign and forward them to the meter module, and
result data from the meter module is output onto the bus system.

### Claim 2

The meter unit as claimed in 1, further comprising:
at least one further meter module and a switching module;
wherein the switching module is connected between the evaluation and assignment module and the meter modules; and
wherein the switching module is in particular configured as a demultiplexer for input data for the meter modules and as a multiplexer for the result data from the meter modules.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The meter unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
at least one control module which is connected to the evaluation and assignment module and in particular is also connected to the switching module;
wherein the control module is adapted to control the operation of the meter unit and in particular to control the evaluation and assignment module and/or the switching module.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The meter unit as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:
a register module adapted to store at least one parameter;
wherein the parameter in particular comprises an assignment information, a limit value, or a threshold value; and
wherein the register module is connected to the control module; and
the control module is adapted to control the operation of the meter unit taking into account the parameter stored in the register module.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A control system comprising a meter unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a control device;
wherein the meter unit and the control device are connected to the bus system.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control device comprises a processor system and a bus interface unit; and wherein the bus system comprises an internal bus which connects the processor system and the bus interface unit with each other.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The control system as claimed in claim 6, further comprising at least one bus subscriber unit, wherein the bus system comprises an external bus, which connects the bus interface unit of the control device and the bus subscriber unit with each other.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The control system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the meter unit is coupled to the internal bus.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The control system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the meter unit receives input data for the meter module from the processor system and/or from the bus subscriber unit via the bus system; and wherein the meter unit outputs result data from the meter module for the processor system and/or for the bus subscriber unit onto the bus system.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The control system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising at least one further bus subscriber unit which is also connected to the external bus; wherein the meter unit receives input data from one bus subscriber unit via the bus system, and wherein the meter unit outputs result data for the other bus subscriber unit onto the bus system.