Control expansion for conventionally powered model railroads
OwnerAnthony J. Irelandinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus is shown to allow an integrated expanded control capability of digital locomotives on model railroad layouts that also permit compatible speed and direction operation simultaneously for non-digital or conventional locomotives alongside. The improvements employ mixed-mode control encoding and decoding algorithms and methods that are expanded beyond the prior art for control mode changes used on model railroad layouts.
Claims20
An integrated mixed-mode controller apparatus for expanded control of a digitally equipped locomotive when operated in conjunction with a non-digital equipped locomotive controlled by varying amplitude of a track voltage on a model railroad layout, comprising:
- said integrated mixed-mode controller, further comprising:
- (i) a fixed power source connected to,
- (ii) a digital control element capable of control logic and encoding new commands for said expanded control,
- (iii) control inputs capable of conveying speed and direction information and at least one other new user control input to said digital control element,
- (iv) a power control switch under the control of said digital control element that is capable of modulating the energy provided by said fixed power source and generating a selectable polarity PWM modulated output voltage with an added expanded command encoding capability when said new user control input is seen, and communicating this output voltage via,
- (v) a filter switch and associated filtering elements under timed control of said digital control element that filter said PWM modulated output voltage to a smoother DC voltage when no said new user control input is active,
- whereby activation of said new user control input results in a mixed-mode expanded command encoding control signal that can be detected and decoded by said digitally equipped locomotive, giving expanded control while allowing speed and direction control of said non-digitally equipped locomotive.
A method for allowing integrated mixed-mode control for expanded control of a digitally equipped locomotive when operated in conjunction with a non-digital equipped locomotive controlled by varying amplitude of a track voltage on a model railroad layout, comprising:
- providing an integrated mixed-mode controller device that comprises:
- (i) a fixed power source connected to,
- (ii) a digital control element capable of control logic and encoding new commands for said expanded control,
- (iii) control inputs capable of conveying speed and direction information and at least one other new user control input to said digital control element,
- (iv) a power control switch under the control of said digital control element that is capable of modulating the energy provided by said fixed power source and generating a selectable polarity PWM modulated output voltage with an added expanded command encoding capability when said new user control input is seen, and communicating this output voltage via,
- (v) a filter switch and associated filtering elements under timed control of said digital control element that filter said PWM modulated output voltage to a smoother DC voltage when no said new user control input is active,
- whereby activation of said new user control input results in a mixed-mode expanded command encoding control signal that can be detected and decoded by said digitally equipped locomotive, giving expanded control while allowing speed and direction control of said non-digitally equipped locomotive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.