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US 12,112,109 B2Granted
Secure control device, contactor comprising such a device and method for secure processing of a control signal
AssigneeSchneider Electric Industries SAS
InventorDavid Lanes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A safety control device intended to process a control signal and generate a safety control order. The device has: a control input, a protection circuit, a coupler having an emitter circuit designed to emit a second signal and a receiver circuit for providing a third signal, a switch, a pulse generator designed to cyclically control opening and closure of the switch, and a processing circuit designed to execute a method for safely processing the third signal. Also disclosed are a contactor having such a control device and a method for safely processing a control signal.
Claims19
A safety control device configured to process a control signal and generate a first safety control order, said safety control device comprising:
- a control input having at least a first connection point and a second connection point, said control input being configured to receive the control signal,
- a first protection circuit,
- a first coupler having:
- a first emitter circuit connected in series with the first protection circuit, the assembly formed by the first emitter circuit and the first protection circuit being connected between the first connection point and the second connection point, said first emitter circuit being designed to emit a second signal when the control signal is present on the control input, and
- a first receiver circuit designed to receive the second signal and to provide a third signal formed of at least one pulse,
- a first switch connected in parallel across the first emitter circuit or connected in series with the first protection circuit and the first emitter circuit,
- a pulse generator connected to the first switch and designed to cyclically control opening and closure of the first switch, and
- a first processing circuit connected to the first receiver circuit in order to receive the third signal, said first processing circuit being designed to process the third signal and provide the first safety control order, said first safety control order being able to adopt at least two states:
- a first start safety control order, or
- a first stop safety control order,
- wherein the first protection circuit has a current-limiting circuit for limiting the current flowing through said protection circuit,
- wherein the first protection circuit has a current threshold detection circuit connected to the current-limiting circuit in order to limit the current flowing through said protection circuit to a predefined maximum intensity when the amplitude of the control signal is greater than a predefined maximum voltage threshold, and
- wherein a voltage threshold detection circuit is connected in series with the first protection circuit and the first emitter circuit in order to limit the current flowing through said emitter circuit to a predefined minimum intensity when the amplitude of the control signal is less than a predefined minimum voltage threshold.
10 more elements
A method for safely processing a third signal formed of at least one pulse provided by at least a first receiver circuit of a safety control device, said safety control device configured to process a control signal and generate a first safety control order,
- said safety control device comprising:
- a control input having at least a first connection point and a second connection point, said control input being configured to receive the control signal,
- a first protection circuit,
- a first coupler having:
- a first emitter circuit connected in series with the first protection circuit, the assembly formed by the first emitter circuit and the first protection circuit being connected between the first connection point and the second connection point, said first emitter circuit being designed to emit a second signal when the control signal is present on the control input, and
- a first receiver circuit designed to receive the second signal and to provide a third signal formed of at least one pulse,
- a first switch connected in parallel across the first emitter circuit or connected in series with the first protection circuit and the first emitter circuit,
- a pulse generator connected to the first switch and designed to cyclically control opening and closure of the first switch, and
- a first processing circuit connected to the first receiver circuit in order to receive the third signal, said first processing circuit being designed to process the third signal and provide the first safety control order, said first safety control order being able to adopt at least two states:
- a first start safety control order, or
- a first stop safety control order,
- said method comprising iteratively counting a number of pulses provided by the first receiver circuit during a time interval of a predefined duration,
- wherein a first counter is incremented when a number of pulses counted during a time interval is between a predefined minimum number of pulses and a predefined maximum number of pulses, and
- wherein a first start safety control order is generated when the first counter is equal to or greater than a predefined validation threshold.
11 more elements
A method for safely processing a third signal formed of at least one pulse provided by at least a first receiver circuit of a safety control device, said safety control device configured to process a control signal and generate a first safety control order,
- said safety control device comprising:
- a control input having at least a first connection point and a second connection point, said control input being configured to receive the control signal,
- a first protection circuit,
- a first coupler having:
- a first emitter circuit connected in series with the first protection circuit, the assembly formed by the first emitter circuit and the first protection circuit being connected between the first connection point and the second connection point, said first emitter circuit being designed to emit a second signal when the control signal is present on the control input, and
- a first receiver circuit designed to receive the second signal and to provide a third signal formed of at least one pulse,
- a first switch connected in parallel across the first emitter circuit or connected in series with the first protection circuit and the first emitter circuit,
- a pulse generator connected to the first switch and designed to cyclically control opening and closure of the first switch, and
- a first processing circuit connected to the first receiver circuit in order to receive the third signal, said first processing circuit being designed to process the third signal and provide the first safety control order, said first safety control order being able to adopt at least two states:
- a first start safety control order, or
- a first stop safety control order,
- said method comprising iteratively counting a number of pulses provided by the first receiver circuit during a time interval of a predefined duration,
- wherein a first counter is incremented when a number of pulses counted during a time interval is between a predefined minimum number of pulses and a predefined maximum number of pulses, and
- wherein a second counter is incremented when the number of pulses counted during the time interval is not between the minimum number of pulses and the maximum number of pulses.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.