Programmable non-contact switch and method of emulating high-reliability switch
AssigneeSteering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
InventorJames E. ROULEAU
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A programmable or configurable non-contact solid state switch device and method are provided for emulating a high reliability switch. The switch device senses position information related to a switch and is calibrated using a learning operation to learn position information of mechanical features of the switch and to map the positions of these features. Electrical outputs or functions are assigned to the mapped positions and stored such that the switch device generates the outputs when their corresponding positions are sensed. A switch device is uniquely configured to the mechanical system in which it operates.
Claims20
A device for emulating a switch, comprising
- a sensor configured to sense position information for one or more features of the switch along a range of mechanical travel associated with operating the switch;
- and
- a controller configured to store in a memory device the position information and a corresponding output for each of the one or more features, and to generate the corresponding output when the sensor detects the position information for that output during operation of the switch.
A method of emulating a high reliability switch comprising:
- deploying a sensing device with respect to a switch to generate position information related to the switch, the sensing device being configured to sense position information for one or more features of the switch along a range of mechanical travel associated with operating the switch;
- mapping the position information corresponding to the one or more features of the switch to generate a learned profile of the switch;
- and
- defining an output for respective ones of the one or more features of the switch and storing the output and the corresponding position information for the respective ones of the one or more features of the switch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.