Remote Control Apparatus Having Emergency Stop Feature With Redundancy, and Associated Method

A method of employing a remote control apparatus to remotely control the operation of a device, the remote control apparatus comprising:

• a base unit that is structured to be electrically connected with the device and that comprises a base control apparatus and a base transceiver apparatus, the base control apparatus being electrically connected with the base transceiver apparatus and comprising a base processor and a base storage;
• a remote control unit that is structured to be remote from the base unit and that comprises:
• a remote transceiver apparatus that is structured to be in one of wireless and wired communication with the base unit;
• an emergency stop switch having an actuator and further having a first switch and a second switch that are each movable between an OPEN state and a CLOSED state, the first and second switches being together substantially simultaneously movable by the actuator between the OPEN state and the CLOSED state;
• a primary control apparatus electrically connected with the first switch and with the remote transceiver apparatus and comprising a first processor and a first storage;
• and
• a secondary control apparatus electrically connected with the second switch and with the remote transceiver apparatus and comprising a second processor and a second storage;
• the first storage having stored therein a set of first instructions which are executable on the first processor and which cause the primary control apparatus to perform a number of first operations comprising detecting that the first switch has moved from the CLOSED state to the OPEN state and, responsive thereto, sending to the remote transceiver apparatus an emergency signal for communication to the base transceiver apparatus and then initiating the disablement of at least a portion of the remote transceiver apparatus;
• the second storage having stored therein a set of second instructions which are executable on the second processor and which cause the secondary control apparatus to perform a number of second operations comprising determining that the second switch has moved from the CLOSED state to the OPEN state and, responsive thereto, and after the expiration of a predetermined period of time after the deter mining, initiating the disablement of at least a portion of the remote transceiver apparatus;
• and
• the base storage having stored therein a set of base instructions which are executable on the base processor and which cause the base control apparatus to perform a number of base operations comprising detecting one of the emergency signal and an absence of communication with the remote transceiver apparatus and, responsive thereto, instructing the device to go into a predetermined operational state.