# US 10,691,079 B2 · Secure electronic device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,691,079 B2 - Document ID: US10691079B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/326,472 - Filed: 2015-07-15 - Published: 2017-07-20 - Granted: 2020-06-23 - Earliest claimed: 2014-07-16 - Assignees: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co.KG - Applicants: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG - Inventors: Viktor Oster; Kai Grube; Carsten Gregorius - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10691079B2 ## CPC - G05B 9/02: electric - G05B 15/02: electric - H01H 47/002: {Monitoring or fail-safe circuits} - G05B 2219/24008: Safety integrity level, safety integrated systems SIL SIS - G05B 2219/25119: Dipswitches dipschalter - 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) - H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00) ## Abstract The invention relates to a safe electronic device which has multichannel logic circuitry, a single channel input device, an output device, and a storage device. Data items, each of which is associated with an input value, are stored in the storage device. The multichannel logic circuitry is comprised of a first control unit and a second control unit. The first control unit reads in an input value which has been input, and transmits the input value to the second control unit which actuates the output device for outputting of optical and/or acoustic information, in response to the input value which has been input. If the optical and/or acoustic information corresponds to the input value, the selected data item is released for further use. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A safe electronic device comprising: a single-channel input device for receiving at least one input value from a user of the safe electronic device and for generating a confirmation signal, wherein the input device comprises a plurality of switches, a first of the plurality of switches comprising read and confirm positions, and the confirmation signal being generated responsive to the first switch being set in the confirm position; an output device for outputting information including one of optical information or acoustic information to indicate the received at least one input value to the user; a storage device comprising a plurality of predetermined data items, each associated with a respective one of the at least one input value; first and second microcontrollers coupled to one another such that an input of the second microcontroller receives transmissions from an output of the first microcontroller; in which the first microcontroller couples to the input device, reads the at least one input value from the input device responsive to the first switch being in the read position, and transmits the read at least one input value to the second microcontroller; in which the second microcontroller couples to the output device and responsively to the at least one input value being transmitted from the first microcontroller to the second microcontroller, actuates the output device to output the information to the user; wherein, responsive to the first switch being set to the confirm position to confirm that the information indicated on the output device corresponds to the at least one input value, at least one of the first and second microcontrollers releases the predetermined data items associated with the at least one input value in response to the generated confirmation signal; and wherein the predetermined data items include parameter values to operate, configure, or control the safe electronic device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The safe electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of switches, are DIP switches and the at least one input value is received as a binary code and/or bit pattern from said plurality of switches. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The safe electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first microcontroller reads the at least one input value when the first switch is in a read position, and interprets the at least one input value as the confirmation signal when the first switch is in the confirming position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The safe electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the input device comprises at least one potentiometer, the at least one input value is associated with one potentiometer position corresponding to an analog input signal, and an A/D converter for converting the analog input signal into a binary signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The safe electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the output device is a display device for outputting optical information. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The safe electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the display device comprises a plurality of monochrome display elements capable of being luminous, including LED display elements, and each of the plurality of monochrome display elements is associated with the plurality of switches. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The safe electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the display device comprises a plurality of multicolored display elements capable of being luminous, each of the plurality of multicolored display elements is associated with the plurality of switches; and the first and the second microcontrollers are connected to the multicolored display elements, and actuate said multicolored display elements in response to a respective at least one input value. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The safe electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the safe electronic device is used for a safe switching off of an electrical load. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The safe electronic device according to claim 8, wherein at least some of the plurality of predetermined data items represent delay times. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The safe electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the first and the second microcontrollers cause the electrical load to be shut off after a delay time has elapsed, in response to any of a triggering signal and the delay time which is input into the input device. ### Claim 11 A method of fault-free configuration of a safe electronic device, the method comprising steps of: providing a single-channel input device for receiving at least one input value from the user of the safe electronic device and for generating a confirmation signal, wherein the input device comprises a plurality of switches, a first of the plurality of switches comprising read and confirm positions, and the confirmation signal being generated responsive to the first switch being set in the confirm position; an output device for outputting information including one of optical information or acoustic information to indicate the received at least one input value to the user; a storage device comprising a plurality of predetermined data items, each associated with a respective one of the at least one input value; and first and second microcontrollers coupled to one another such that an input of the second microcontroller receives transmissions from an output of the first microcontroller, reading, on the first microcontroller, the at least one input value from the input device responsive to the first switch being in the read position; transmitting, on the first microcontroller, the read at least one input value to the second microcontroller; and when the at least one input value is transmitted actuating, by the second microcontroller, the output device to output the information; outputting the information by the output device; and responsive to the first switch being set to the confirm position to confirm that the information indicated on the output device corresponds to the at least one input value, at least one of the first and second microcontrollers releases the predetermined data item associated with the at least one input value in response to the generated confirmation signal; and wherein the predetermined data items include parameter values to operate, configure or control the safe electronic device.