Interface means
AssigneeGTE Sylvania Incorporated
InventorJ. Robert Doran
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An interface means for interconnecting a sequentially actuated apparatus and a computer to automatically maintain at a desired level a process variable of said apparatus. The interface means comprises first, second, and third actuation means adapted for actuating the apparatus or computer in accordance with one of the three output signals from the computer to achieve said desired level. A system is also described which automatically maintains a process variable of a sequentially actuated apparatus at a desired level.
Claims16
Interface means for interconnecting a sequentially actuated apparatus and a computer to automatically maintain at a desired level a process variable of said apparatus wherein said computer is adapted for receiving a response signal from said apparatus during each sequence of operation, said response signal indicative of the level of said process variable during each of said sequences of operation, said computer further adapted for comparing said response signal to a reference signal representative of said desired level for said process variable and providing a first output signal of continuous nature and at least one of two secondary output signals, a first of said secondary output signals indicative that said level of said process variable is less than said desired level, a second of said secondary output signals indicative that said level of said process variable is greater than said desired level, said interface means comprising:
- first actuation means operatively connected to said computer and said apparatus for receiving said first continuous output signal and actuating said computer to receive said response signal from said apparatus;
- second actuation means operatively connected to said computer, said first actuation means, and said apparatus for receiving said first secondary output signal and actuating said apparatus prior to the next sequence of operation of said apparatus to increase said level of said process variable to achieve said desired level;
- and
- third actuation means operatively connected to said computer, said first actuation means, and said apparatus for receiving said second secondary output signal and actuating said apparatus prior to the next sequence of operation of said apparatus to decrease said level of said process variable to achieve said desired level.
A system for automatically maintaining at a desired level a process variable of a sequentially actuated apparatus wherein said apparatus is adapted for providing a response signal during each sequence of operation indicative of the level of said process variable during said sequence, said system comprising:
- computer means adapted for receiving said response signal from said apparatus and for comparing said response signal to a reference signal representative of said desired level for said process variable, said computer means further adapted for providing a first output signal of continuous nature and at least one of two secondary output signals, a first of said secondary output signals indicative that said level of said process variable is less than said desired level, a second of said secondary output signals indicative that said level of said process variable is greater than said desired level;
- and
- interface means for interconnecting said sequentially actuated apparatus and said computer means, said interface means comprising first actuation means operatively connected to said computer means and said apparatus for receiving said first continuous output signal from said computer means and actuating said computer to receive said response signal from said apparatus, second actuation means operatively connected to said computer means, said first actuation means, and said apparatus for receiving said first secondary output signal from said computer means and actuating said apparatus prior to the next sequence of operation of said apparatus to increase the level of said process variable to achieve said desired level, and third actuation means operatively connected to said computer means, said first actuation means, and said apparatus for receiving said second secondary output signal and actuating said apparatus prior to the next sequence of operation of said apparatus to decrease the level of said process variable to achieve said desired level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.