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US 12,381,557 B1Granted
Fault detection and automatic switching of relays
AssigneeForsyth Robotics LLC
InventorJohn McGregor Forsyth, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus including one or more relays and a fault detector is disclosed. The one or more relays are coupled to a load. The fault detector is coupled with the one or more relays and receives at least one control signal. The fault detector includes a sensor to detect electricity flowing through the load and generate a detection signal. Based on a comparison of the control signal and the detection signal, the fault detector generates a fault signal indicative of whether a relay is functional or faulty.
Claims15
An apparatus, comprising:
- a controller configured to generate a first control signal;
- a first relay coupled to a load;
- a fault detector coupled to the controller and the first relay and configured to receive the first control signal and generate a first fault signal, wherein, the fault detector further comprising:
- a first input coupled with the controller for receiving the first control signal;
- a first output coupled to the first relay for providing the first control signal to the first relay;
- a sensor to detect a presence and an absence of electricity flowing through the load and generate a detection signal;
- and
- a logic gate to compare the detection signal and the first control signal, wherein:
- when a logic level of the detection signal is the same as a logic level of the first control signal, the first fault signal indicates that the first relay is functional, and
- when the logic level of the detection signal is different from the logic level of the first control signal, the first fault signal indicates that the first relay is faulty.
7 more elements
An apparatus for detecting faults in relays, comprising:
- a first input for receiving a first control signal for controlling a relay;
- a first output for providing the first control signal to the relay;
- a sensor to detect a presence and an absence of electricity flowing through a load controlled by the relay to generate a detection signal;
- and
- circuitry configured to compare the detection signal and the first control signal and generate a fault signal indicating whether the relay is faulty, wherein:
- when a logic level of the detection signal is the same as a logic level of the first control signal, the fault signal indicates that the relay is functional, and
- when the logic level of the detection signal is different from the logic level of the first control signal, the fault signal indicates that the relay is faulty.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.