Systems and methods for robust switching using multi-state switch contacts and a common electrical reference
OwnerKerfegar Katrak, Paul Bauerleinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems, methods and devices are described for robustly determining a desired operating state of a controlled device in response to the position of a multi-position actuator. Two or more switch contacts provide input signals representative of the position of the actuator that are selected between a reference signal and an intermediate signal. Control logic then determines the desired state for the controlled device based upon the input signals received. The desired operating state is determined from any number of operating states defined by the input values.
Claims30
A robust control system for placing a controlled device into a desired one of a plurality of operating states in response to a position of a multi-position actuator, the system comprising:
- a first set of switch contacts coupled to a reference signal and configured to switchably select between the reference signal and an intermediate value to provide a first input value in response to the position of the actuator;
- a second set of switch contacts coupled to the reference signal and configured to switchably select between the reference signal and the intermediate value to provide a second input value in response to the position of the actuator;
- and
- control logic configured to receive the first and second input values and to determine the desired operating state for the controlled device based at least in part upon the first and second input values received, wherein each of the plurality of operating states is represented by a unique combination of the first and second input values.
A method of determining a desired one of a plurality of operating states of a controlled device from a position of a multi-position actuator, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a first input signal having a reference value or an intermediate value indicative of the position of the multi-position actuator with respect to a first switch contact;
- receiving a second input signal having the reference value or the intermediate value indicative of the position of the multi-position actuator with respect to a second switch contact;
- and
- processing the first and second input signals to determine the desired operating state of the controlled device.
The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of identifying fault conditions from the first and second input signals.
An apparatus for determining a desired one of a plurality of operating states of a controlled device from a position of a multi-position actuator, the device comprising:
- means for receiving a first and a second input signal, wherein each of the first and second input signals exhibit either a reference value or an intermediate value indicative of the position of the multi-position actuator;
- and
- means for processing the first and second input signals to determine the desired operating state of the controlled device as a function of the first and second input signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.