US3753243A — Programmable machine controller

Claim 1

Independent Claim 147 words

In a control system of the type including (i) a machine having a plurality of addressed condition sensors and a plurality of addressed controllable devices to be energized and deenergized and (ii) a controller arranged to energize and deenergize said controllable devices according to governing functions, each defining a set of sensor conditions to thereby relate the operations of said devices to the outputs of said sensors, the improvement in which said controller includes A. means for storing governing functions in a form permitting retrieval of said functions element-by-element, B. means for periodically sequentially comparing the values in each governing function represented by the respective elements standing for independent variables with the corresponding values of the sensor outputs to which the governing function relates, and C. means for energizing or de-energizing said controllable devices in response to the comparisons between the governing functions and related sensor conditions.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 147 words

In a control system of the type including (i) a machine having a plurality of addressed condition sensors and a plurality of addressed controllable devices to be energized and deenergized and (ii) a controller arranged to energize and deenergize said controllable devices according to governing functions, each defining a set of sensor conditions to thereby relate the operations of said devices to the outputs of said sensors, the improvement in which said controller includes A. means for storing governing functions in a form permitting retrieval of said functions element-by-element, B. means for periodically sequentially comparing the values in each governing function represented by the respective elements standing for independent variables with the corresponding values of the sensor outputs to which the governing function relates, and C. means for energizing or de-energizing said controllable devices in response to the comparisons between the governing functions and related sensor conditions.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 32 words

The system defined in claim 1 in which said comparing means is arranged to cyclically compare in turn the values in all of said governing functions with the corresponding condition sensor outputs.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 48 words

The system defined in claim 1 in which A. each element standing for an independent variable corresponds to a condition of a particular sensor, B. each sensor provides a two-level output, and C. each of said elements represents one of the two output levels of the corresponding sensor.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 51 words

The system defined in claim 3 wherein said comparing means includes A. a status register, and B. means responsive to each comparison between a governing function value and the output of its corresponding sensor to impose a given state on said status register if the sensor output has a given level.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 67 words

The system defined in claim 4 wherein at least one governing function comprises a plurality of subfunctions and wherein A. said comparing means includes means for inspecting said status register at times when the state thereof might determine whether the sensor outputs satisfy a governing function or subfunction, and B. said storing means includes means responsive to the state of said status register at said times for

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 22 words

The system defined in claim 5 arranged to remove said given state from said status register whenever said inspecting means inspects it.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 114 words

The system defined in claim 4 wherein at least one governing function comprises a plurality of subfunctions, A. said comparing means includes i. an intermediate register, and ii. means for inspecting said status register at times when the state thereof indicates whether a governing function or subfunction has been satisfied or cannot be satisfied by the corresponding sensor outputs and imposing a given state on said intermediate register depending on the condition of said status register at such times, and B. said energizing and de-energizing means are responsive to the condition of said intermediate register after all said comparisons between the values in the governing function and the corresponding sensor outputs have been made.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 87 words

The system defined in claim 1 wherein A. said storing means comprises a digital memory, each of said independent variable values being part of an input word in a unique memory location, the input word also identifying the sensor corresponding to that value, and B. said comparing means includes means responsive to each input word in sequence to select the sensor identified therein and compare the condition of said sensor with the independent variable value contained in said word and thereby provide each of the sequential comparisons.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 81 words

The system defined in claim 8 wherein A. each value of a dependent variable representing an action to be taken in response to a governing function is part of an output word in a unique memory location, the output word also identifying a controllable device corresponding to the dependent variable, and B. said means for energizing or de-energizing the controllable device being active when the output word is retrieved from the memory depending on whether the governing function has been satisfied.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 119 words

In a control system of the type including (i) a machine having condition sensors and controllable devices to be energized and de-energized and (ii) a controller arranged to energize and de-energize said controllable devices according to governing functions relating the operations of said devices to the outputs of said sensors, the improvement in which said controller includes A. a digital memory for storing governing functions in a form which separate elements thereof correspond to words in separate memory locations, B. a memory access register, C. means for loading said access register with a succession of words stored in said memory, D. a status register, E. means responsive to sensor words from said memory contained in said access register to

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 119 words

In a control system of the type including (i) a machine having condition sensors and controllable devices to be energized and de-energized and (ii) a controller arranged to energize and de-energize said controllable devices according to governing functions relating the operations of said devices to the outputs of said sensors, the improvement in which said controller includes A. a digital memory for storing governing functions in a form which separate elements thereof correspond to words in separate memory locations, B. a memory access register, C. means for loading said access register with a succession of words stored in said memory, D. a status register, E. means responsive to sensor words from said memory contained in said access register to

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 46 words

The system defined in claim 10 including means responsive to conditional jump words in said access register for jumping over selected memory addresses depending on the correspondence between the state of said status register and a criterion therefor contained in each of said conditional jump words.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 84 words

The system defined in claim 10 in which said output means includes A. an intermediate register, B. means responsive to certain words in said access register for imposing a given state on said intermediate register depending on the correspondence between the state of said status register and criteria contained in said certain words, and C. means responsive to certain further words in said access register to change the states of controllable devices identified in such words depending on the condition of said intermediate register.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 137 words

A controller for use with a plurality of addressed condition sensors and a plurality of addressed controllable devices to be energized and de-energized, said controller being arranged to energize and de-energize the controllable devices according to governing functions, each governing function defining a set of sensor conditions to thereby relate the operations of the devices to the outputs of the sensors, said controller including A. means for storing governing functions in a form permitting retrieval of the functions element-by-element, B. means for periodically sequentially comparing the values in each govErning function represented by the respective elements standing for independent variables with the corresponding values of the sensor outputs to which the governing function relates, and C. means for energizing or de-energizing the controllable devices in response to the comparisons between the governing functions and related sensor conditions.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 137 words

A controller for use with a plurality of addressed condition sensors and a plurality of addressed controllable devices to be energized and de-energized, said controller being arranged to energize and de-energize the controllable devices according to governing functions, each governing function defining a set of sensor conditions to thereby relate the operations of the devices to the outputs of the sensors, said controller including A. means for storing governing functions in a form permitting retrieval of the functions element-by-element, B. means for periodically sequentially comparing the values in each govErning function represented by the respective elements standing for independent variables with the corresponding values of the sensor outputs to which the governing function relates, and C. means for energizing or de-energizing the controllable devices in response to the comparisons between the governing functions and related sensor conditions.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 32 words

A controller defined in claim 13 in which said comparing means is arranged to cyclically compare in turn the values in all of said governing functions with the corresponding condition function values.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 51 words

A controller defined in claim 13 wherein said comparison means includes A. 2 status register, and B. means responsive to each comparison between a governing function value and the output of its corresponding sensor to impose a given state on said status register if the sensor output has a given level.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 67 words

A controller defined in claim 15 wherein at least one governing function comprises a plurality of subfunctions and wherein A. said comparing means includes means for inspecting said status register at times when the state thereof might determine whether the sensor outputs satisfy a governing function or subfunction, and B. said storing means includes means responsive to the state of said status register at said times for

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 22 words

A controller defined in claim 16 arranged to remove said given state from said status register whenever said inspecting means inspects it.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 115 words

A controller defined in claim 13 wherein at least one governing function comprises a plurality of subfunctions, A. said comparing means including i. an intermediate register, and ii. means for inspecting said status register at times when the state thereof indicates whether a governing function or a subfunction has been satisfied or cannot be satisfied by the corresponding sensor outputs and imposing a given state on said intermediate register depending on the condition of said status register at such times, and B. said energizing and de-energizing means being responsive to the condition of said intermediate register after all said comparisons between the values in the governing function and the corresponding sensor outputs have been made.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 87 words

A controller defined in claim 13 wherein A. said storing means comprises a digital memory, each of said independent variable values being part of an input word in a unique memory location, the input word als identifying the sensor corresponding to that value, and B. said comparing means includes means responsive to each input word in sequence to select the sensor identified therein and compare the condition of said sensor with the independent variable value contained in said word and thereby provide each of the sequential comparisons.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 76 words

A controller defined in claim 19 wherein A. each value of a dependent variable representing an action to be taken in response to a governing function is part of an output word in a unique memory location, the output word also identifying a controllable device, and B. said means for energizing or de-energizing the controllable device being active when the output word is retrieved from the memory depending on whether the governing function has been satisfied.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 200 words

A controller for use with a plurality of condition sensors and a plurality of controllable devices to be energized and de-energized, said controller arranged to energize and de-energize the controllable devices according to governing functions relating to the operations of the devices to the outputs of the sensors, said controller including A. a digital memory for storing governing functions in a form in which separate elements thereof correspond to words in sEparate memory locations, B. a memory access register, C. means for loading said access register with a succession of sensor and output words stored in said memory, D. a status register, E. means responsive to a sensor word from said memory contained in said access register for imposing a a given state on said status register depending on whether the condition of a selected sensor meets a criterion therefor contained in the sensor word in said access register, each sensor word identifying the sensor to be selected, and F. output means responsive to output words from said memory in said access register for changing the state of a selected controllable device depending on the condition of said status register, each output word identifying the controllable device to be selected.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 200 words

A controller for use with a plurality of condition sensors and a plurality of controllable devices to be energized and de-energized, said controller arranged to energize and de-energize the controllable devices according to governing functions relating to the operations of the devices to the outputs of the sensors, said controller including A. a digital memory for storing governing functions in a form in which separate elements thereof correspond to words in sEparate memory locations, B. a memory access register, C. means for loading said access register with a succession of sensor and output words stored in said memory, D. a status register, E. means responsive to a sensor word from said memory contained in said access register for imposing a a given state on said status register depending on whether the condition of a selected sensor meets a criterion therefor contained in the sensor word in said access register, each sensor word identifying the sensor to be selected, and F. output means responsive to output words from said memory in said access register for changing the state of a selected controllable device depending on the condition of said status register, each output word identifying the controllable device to be selected.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 46 words

The controller defined in claim 21 including means responsive to conditional jump words in said access register for jumping over selected memory addresses depending on the correspondence between the state of said status register and a criterion therefor contained in each of said conditional jump words.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 86 words

The controller defined in claim 21 wherein said output means additionally includes A. an intermediate register, and B. means responsive to certain words in said access register for imposing a given state on said intermediate register depending on the correspondence between the state of said status register and criteria contained in said certain words, said output means being responsive to certain further words in said access register for changing the states of controllable devices identified in such words depending on the condition of said intermediate register.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 157 words

In a control system of the type including (i) a device having a plurality of addressed condition sensors and a plurality of addressed controllable devices to be energized and de-energized and (ii) a controller arranged to energize and de-energize said controllable devices according to governing functions, each defining a set of sensor conditions to thereby relate the operations of said devices to the outputs of said sensors, the improvement in which said controller includes A. means for storing governing functions in a form permitting retrieval of the functions element-by-element, B. means for sequentially comparing the values in each governing function represented by the respective elements standing for independent variables with the corresponding values of the sensor outputs to which the governing function relates, said comparing means being iteratively operable during each control system operation, and C. means for energizing or de-energizing said controllable devices in response to the comparisons between said governing functions and related sensor conditions.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 157 words

In a control system of the type including (i) a device having a plurality of addressed condition sensors and a plurality of addressed controllable devices to be energized and de-energized and (ii) a controller arranged to energize and de-energize said controllable devices according to governing functions, each defining a set of sensor conditions to thereby relate the operations of said devices to the outputs of said sensors, the improvement in which said controller includes A. means for storing governing functions in a form permitting retrieval of the functions element-by-element, B. means for sequentially comparing the values in each governing function represented by the respective elements standing for independent variables with the corresponding values of the sensor outputs to which the governing function relates, said comparing means being iteratively operable during each control system operation, and C. means for energizing or de-energizing said controllable devices in response to the comparisons between said governing functions and related sensor conditions.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 160 words

A controller for use with a machine having a plurality of addressed condition sensors and a plurality of addressed controllable devices to be energized and de-energized in a cycle of operations, said controller arranged to energize and de-energize the controllable devices according to governing functions, each governing function defining a set of sensor conditions to thereby relate the operations of the controllable devices to the outputs of the sensors, said controller including A. means for storing governing functions in a form permitting retrieval of the functions element-by-element, B. means for sequentially comparing the values in each governing function represented by the respective elements standing for independent variables with the corresponding values of the sensor outputs to which the governing function relates, said comparing means being iteratively operable during each machine operating cycle for comparing all governing functions, and C. means for energizing or de-energizing the controllable devices in response to the comparisons between the governing functions and related sensor conditions.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 160 words

A controller for use with a machine having a plurality of addressed condition sensors and a plurality of addressed controllable devices to be energized and de-energized in a cycle of operations, said controller arranged to energize and de-energize the controllable devices according to governing functions, each governing function defining a set of sensor conditions to thereby relate the operations of the controllable devices to the outputs of the sensors, said controller including A. means for storing governing functions in a form permitting retrieval of the functions element-by-element, B. means for sequentially comparing the values in each governing function represented by the respective elements standing for independent variables with the corresponding values of the sensor outputs to which the governing function relates, said comparing means being iteratively operable during each machine operating cycle for comparing all governing functions, and C. means for energizing or de-energizing the controllable devices in response to the comparisons between the governing functions and related sensor conditions.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-08-13	1977-02-12	1977-08-14	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-08-13	1981-02-12	1981-08-14	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-08-13	1985-02-12	1985-08-14	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Programmable machine controller

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