Real time computer control system for automatic machines

A system for machine control for simultaneously controlling the operation of a plurality of electrically powered machines comprising:

• a plurality of electrically powered machines, each of said machines including means for receiving, operating and reporting status in response to electrical commands for a computer;
• a computer having access to stored data for commanding the operation of each of said plurality of machines;
• an electrical bus extending from said computer and transmitting said outputted command and said status reports;
• coupling means for electrically coupling each of said machines to said bus;
• transmitter means at said computer for outputting said commands onto said bus, said bus carrying said commands from said computer to said plurality of machines via said bus and said coupling means;
• transmitter means at each of said plurality of machines for outputting data from said machine onto said bus, said data being inputted to said computer via said bus;
• and
• receiving means at said computer for receiving signals from said bus;
• whereby said single bus provides two-way communication between said computer and said machines, and said computer commands performance and receives data from said machines.

A system for machine control for controlling the operation of electrically powered machines, comprising:

• said electrically powered machines adapted to receive and operate in response to electrical commands from a computer,
• a computer having access to stored data for commanding the operation of said machines, said commands outputted in cycles in accordance with the program of said computer, said cycles including commands addressed to one of said plurality of machines;
• an electrical transmission bus extending from said computer and transmitting said outputted commands;
• coupling means for electrically coupling said machines to said transmission bus;
• transmitter means at said computer for outputting said commands onto said transmission bus, said transmission bus carrying said commands from said computer to said machines via said transmission bus and said coupling means;
• receiving means at said computer for receiving signals from said transmission bus;
• means at each of said machines for receiving and responding to commands on said bus addressed to that particular machine, said means for responding including means for resetting said addressed machine;
• wherein said means for responding are reset in an addressed but not electrically powered machine, said reset commanded by said computer via said bus, so that unpowered machines are set into a condition producing no uncontrolled instantaneous machine response upon application of power to said machine, whereby hazards to said machine and machine operators are avoided.

A system for machine control for simultaneously controlling the operation of a plurality of electrically powered machines comprising:

• a plurality of electrically powered machines, said machines including function circuits for controlling machine performance;
• a computer connected to each of said plurality of machines by a common transmission bus, said bus including a computer reference voltage line whereby a computer reference voltage of prescribed value is present at each of said coupled machines when said computer is adequately powered;
• and functioning properly;
• individual machine voltage means within each machine, said voltage means outputting a machine voltage of prescribed value when said machine is adequately powered;
• and functioning properly;
• reset means within each machine, said computer reference voltage and said machine voltage being inputted separately to said reset means, said reset means setting said machine function circuits in every machine into a condition producing no machine performance when said computer reference voltage deviates beyond an allowable value from said prescribed computer reference value, whereby all machines coupled to said bus are set into a condition producing no performance when said computer malfunctions or is inoperative.

A system for machine control for simultaneously controlling the operation of a plurality of electrically powered machines comprising:

• a plurality of electrically powered machines, said machines including function circuits for controlling machine performance;
• a computer connected to each of said plurality of machines by a common transmission bus, said bus including a computer reference voltage line whereby a computer reference voltage of prescribed value is present at each of said coupled machines when said computer is adequately powered;
• and functioning properly;
• individual machine voltage means within each machine, said voltage means outputting a machine voltage of prescribed value when said machine is powered;
• reset means within each machine, said computer reference voltage and said machine voltage inputted separately to said reset means, said reset means setting said machine function circuits in each machine into a condition producing no machine performance when said machine voltage deviates beyond an allowable value from said prescribed machine voltage value, whereby an individual machine coupled to said bus having an excessively deviant machine voltage value is set into a condition producing no performance, and a machine having an allowable machine voltage value continues to respond to commands from said computer.

A system for machine control for simultaneously controlling the operation in real time of a plurality of electrically powered machines, comprising:

• a plurality of electrically powered machines;
• each of said machines including means for receiving, operating and reporting status in response to electrical commands from a computer, said machines not containing stored data to control machine operation;
• a computer having access to stored data for commanding the operation of each of said plurality of machines, said commands outputted in a sequence in accordance with the program of said computer, said commands occurring in cycles of short time duration, each of said cycles including a separate command directed to each of said plurality of machines;
• an electrical bus extending from said computer and transmitting said outputted commands and said status reports;
• coupling means for electrically coupling each of said machines to said bus;
• means at said computer for outputting a first signal command sent via said bus from said computer addressed to one selected powered machine to determine the type and powered condition, on or off, of said addressed machine;
• means at said powered selected machine for outputting a response to said first command sent via said bus from said one selected machine to said computer indicating the type and powered condition of said selected machine;
• means at said computer for outputting a second signal command sent via said bus from said computer addressed to said one selected machine, said one selected machine being powered on, ordering performance of a machine function, data defining said machine function being retrieved from said stored data by said computer for transmission to said addressed machine, said stored data including an inventory of machine functions performable by said plurality of machines;
• means at said computer for outputting a third signal command sent via said bus from said computer addressed to said one selected machine to determine the status of said machine in the performance of said ordered machine function;
• means at said powered selected machine for outputting a response to said third command sent via said bus from said one selected powered machine to said computer indicating the performance status of said addressed machine.

A system for machine control for simultaneously controlling the operation in real time of a plurality of electrically powered machines comprising:

• a plurality of electrically powered machines, each of said machines including means for receiving, comparing and responding to electrical commands from a computer,
• a computer having access to stored data for commanding the operation of each of said plurality of machines, said commands outputted in a sequence in accordance with the program of said computer, said commands including address commands comprising address data and machine function data;
• an electrical bus extending from said computer and transmitting said outputted commands;
• coupling means for electrically coupling each of said machines to said bus;
• transmitter means at said computer for outputting said commands onto said bus, said bus carrying said commands from said computer to said plurality of machines via said bus and said coupling means;
• transmitter means at each of said plurality of machines for outputting data from said machine onto said bus, said data being inputted to said computer via said bus;
• said means at said powered machines for receiving, comparing and responding to commands including:
• comparison means comprising unique address information within each machine, whereby said unique address information is compared to said machine address data received in said computer address command;
• an address latch within a machine, said latch being set and outputting when said address data from said computer matches said unique address information in said comparison means of said machine;
• a second latch within an addressed machine, said second latch retaining and outputting said machine function data from said computer address command;
• decoder means within a machine, the output of said second latch and said output of said address latch jointly actuating said decoder means in said addressed machine to provide a decoder output signal within said addressed machine.