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US 4,008,404 AGranted
Interval timer
AssigneeHoneywell Inc.
InventorDonald S. Foreman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An interval timer for use in traffic control, industrial process control, or other interval timing applications includes a gated pulse generator.
Claims13
A traffic controller for providing a set of traffic control output signals for each interval of a sequence of timed intervals, the traffic controller comprising:
- interval select means for selecting a particular interval, the selected interval having an associated set of traffic control output signals;
- clock means for producing clock signals;
- counter means for counting in response to the clock signals;
- interval timing means for providing for each selected interval, a number indicative of a desired time duration of the selected interval;
- comparator means for switching from a first to a second state when the count of the counter equals the number provided by the interval timing means;
- and
- gated pulse generator means for generating a control pulse to cause the interval select means to select another one of the intervals, the gated pulse generator means providing the control pulse when the comparator means remains in the second state for greater than a predetermined time.
4 more elements
Apparatus comprising:
- means for generating a set of output signals associated with each interval of a sequence of timed intervals;
- means for producing clock pulses;
- means for storing a number representative of the interval time duration for each interval;
- means for counting to a preset value in response to the clock pulses, the number of counts required to reach the preset value for each interval being determined by the number representative of the interval time duration for that interval;
- means for changing from a first state to a second state when the preset value is reached;
- and
- means for generating a control pulse whenever the means for changing from a first to a second state is continuously in the second state for greater than a minimum time period, the control pulse causing the means for generating the set of output signals to switch to the set of output signals associated with the next interval and causing the means for counting to begin counting to a preset value, the time required to reach the preset value being determined by the number representative of the interval time duration of the next interval.
4 more elements
Apparatus comprising:
- output signal generating means for generating a set of output signals associated with each interval of a sequence of timed intervals;
- interval duration determining means for deriving the timed intervals by counting to a preset value, the time required to reach a preset value depending upon the particular interval of the sequence of timed intervals;
- the interval duration determining means changing from a first to a second state when the preset value is reached;
- and
- gated pulse generator means for producing a control pulse which causes the output signal generating means and the interval duration determining means to advance to the next interval, the gated pulse generator means being operable only when the interval duration determining means remains in the second state for greater than a predetermined time.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.