System for reducing electrical wiring in complex apparatus, such as vehicles and aircraft

In a system wherein N controllers each control states of their own hardware devices, a method comprising:

• a) at all times, causing
• i) (N-1) controllers to be idle, with respect to the database, wherein they hold the output states of their devices constant, and
• ii) a single controller to be an active controller, with respect to the database;
• and
• b) delivering a shared database to an inactive controller A, and causing controller A to become active, with respect to the database, and to
• i) insert status data into the shared database, to create a modified shared database II;
• ii) utilize part of the modified shared database II as instructions for controlling devices;
• iii) transmit modified shared database II to another controller;
• and
• iv) become an inactive controller, with respect to the database.

In a system wherein (1) multiple controllers control hardware devices, (2) at least one controller requires information which is not available locally at that controller, a method comprising:

• a) circulating a single shared database among the controllers in sequence, wherein each controller, upon receiving the database
• i) inserts into the database data needed by other controllers,
• ii) acts upon part of the database, and
• iii) passes the shared database to another controller.

A method, comprising:

• a) maintaining a collection of controllers which control devices through inputs and outputs;
• b) maintaining one database, which is circulated continuously around to each controller;
• and
• c) maintaining a mapping scheme for at least one controller which
• i) identifies a subset of data in the database;
• ii) specifies a logic function to which the subset is to be applied as inputs;
• and
• iii) specifies where output of the logic function is to be sent or placed.

In a system wherein N controllers each control states of their own hardware devices, a method comprising:

• a) at all times, causing
• i) (N-1) controllers to be idle, wherein they hold states of their devices constant, and
• ii) a single controller to be an active controller;
• and
• b) delivering a shared database to an active controller A, and causing active controller A to
• i) utilize part of the shared database as instructions for controlling devices;
• ii) insert status data into the shared database, to create a shared database II;
• iii) transmit shared database II to another controller;
• and
• iv) become an inactive controller.