Programmable process and production control systems

Claim 2

A programmable process and production control center for operating a system which system yields process and production status signals, saiD control center being subject to the receipt of command signals from source means external to said control center, with said control center comprising: comparison means for developing an output signal in response to a first combination of input signals and to governing signals; means for producing said governing signals to govern the operation of said comparison means in response to a second combination of input signals; and selectively-fixed totally-and-simultaneously-accessed passive self-decoding read-only memory means responsive to a plurality of incoming signals for defining and determining the development of said first and second combinations of input signals, said incoming signals being a combination of those present of said status signals, of said command signals, of signals representing a time interval, of signals representing a number of events and of signals, including said governing signals and said output signal, representing said governing operation, said memory means including a medium in which is defined an array of signal path locations that define and represent a program and also including a reader for said medium to accept and translate array-defined ones of said incoming signals as input signals of said first combination to which said comparison means responds and to accept and translate arraydefined ones of said incoming signals as inputs signals of said second combination to which said producing means responds with said second combination of input signals including signals representing the magnitude of at least one of said time interval and said number of events, the program defined and represented by said array determining which of said incoming signals are translated as input signals and also determining at least in part which of said incoming signals are included in each of said first and second combinations of input signals, and said read-only-memory means exhibiting a self-contained capability of responding directly to all possible combinations of said incoming signals in definition and determination of said development.

Claim 3

A control center as defined in claim 1 which further includes means for receiving direct external control signals and means responsive through said memory to said direct external control signals for presenting said external control signals as additional output signals exclusive of operation thereon by said comparison means and said producing means.

Claim 4

A control center as defined in claim 1 which further includes both a normal power supply and an auxiliary power supply and which still further includes means responsive to failure of said normal power supply for enabling operation of said auxiliary power supply automatically for a fail-safe time period.

Claim 5

A control center as defined in claim 1 in which said producing means includes a master clock together with means responsive thereto for developing a plurality of respectively different clock increment signals, and in which said clock increment signals are selectively supplied to said producing means by said memory means as input signals in said second combination.

Claim 6

A control center as defined in claim 1 which includes means for feeding said output signal to said memory means as an additional incoming signal.

Claim 7

A control center as defined in claim 1 which includes a plurality of said comparison means each responsive, in response to selective definition and determination by said memory means, to a first combination of input signals and to governing signals for developing an output signal.

Claim 8

A control center as defined in claim 1 which further includes a plurality of individually different input-option circuits each uniquely responsive to a particular and respective different kind of status signal for developing an incoming signal.

Claim 9

A control center as defined in claim 1 which further includes a plurality of individually different output-option circuits each selectively chosen by said memory means and each uniquely responsivE to output signals for developing a particular and respective different type of externally-available outgoing signal.

Claim 10

A control center as defined in claim 1 which includes a plurality of said producing means each individually responsive under definition and determination by said memory means, to respective array-defined second combinations of said input signals for developing respective corresponding different governing signals.

Claim 11

A control center as defined in claim 9 in which successive different ones of said producing means individually respond, under definition and determination by said memory means, to an output signal produced by a comparison means associated with a preceding one of said producing means.

Claim 12

A control center as defined in claim 1 in which said medium is a planar card of insulating material and said array is a pattern, in rows and columns, of positions at each individual one of which positions a respective aperture in said card may be formed as selectively chosen by the user.

Claim 13

A programmable process and production control center for operating a system which system yields process and production status signals, said control center being subject to the receipt of command signals from source means external to said control center, with said control center comprising, in a unitary combination: means for providing a plurality of individually different ones of said status and command signals; means, including a plurality of individually different input-option circuits each uniquely responsive to a particular kind of said status and command signals, for developing a plurality of respectively different initiating signals; means, including an input control and counter system, responsive to combinations of said different initiating signals for developing correspondingly different control signals; governing means, including a comparison circuit, responsive to combinations of said different initiating signals and said control signals for developing correspondingly different process-governing signals; means, including a plurality of individually different output-option circuits each uniquely responsive to said process-governing signals, for developing a plurality of respectively different particular types of output signals; and means, including a self-contained selectively-fixed totally-and-simultaneously-accessed passive self-decoding read-only memory, responsive directly to combinations of incoming signals for defining and determining the development of combinations of input signals including said combinations of signals and which ones of said input-option and output-option circuits are connected, said combinations of incoming signals being combinations of those present of said initiating signals, said control signals, said process-governing signals and said output signals, said combinations of input signals being combinations of those present of said initiating signals, said control signals, said process-governing signals and said output signals, said memory including a medium in which is defined an array of signal path locations that define and represent a program and also including a reader for said medium to accept and translate array-defined ones of said incoming signals as input signals of said combinations of said input signals with said combinations of signals to which said governing means responds including signals representing the magnitude of at least one of a time interval and a number of events, the program defined and represented by said array determining which of said incoming signals are translated as input signals and also determining at least in part which of said incoming signals are included in each of said combinations of input signals as well as selecting the particular signals in each of the respective combinations to which said developing means and said governing means respond while simultaneously connecting said ones of said input-option and output-option Circuits.

Claim 14

A programmable process and production control center for operating a system which system yields process and production status signals, said control center being subject to the receipt of command signals from source means external to said control center, with said control center comprising, in a unitary combination: means for providing a plurality of individually different ones of said status and command signals; means, including a plurality of individually different input-option circuits each uniquely responsive to a particular kind of said status and command signals, for developing a plurality of respectively different initiating signals; means, including an input control and counter system, responsive to combinations of said different initiating signals for developing correspondingly different control signals; governing means, including a comparison circuit, responsive to combinations of said different initiating signals and said control signals for developing correspondingly different process-governing signals; means, including a plurality of individually different output-option circuits each uniquely responsive to said process-governing signals, for developing a plurality of respectively different particular types of output signals; and means, including a self-contained selectively-fixed totally-and-simultaneously-accessed passive self-decoding read-only memory, responsive directly to combinations of incoming signals for defining and determining the development of combinations of input signals including said combinations of signals and which ones of said input-option and output-option circuits are connected, said combinations of incoming signals being combinations of those present of said initiating signals, said control signals, said process-governing signals and said output signals, said combinations of input signals being combinations of those present of said initiating signals, said control signals, said process-governing signals and said output signals, said memory including a medium in which is defined an array of signal path locations that define and represent a program and also including a reader for said medium to accept and translate array-defined ones of said incoming signals as input signals of said combinations of said input signals with said combinations of signals to which said governing means responds including signals representing the magnitude of at least one of a time interval and a number of events, the program defined and represented by said array determining which of said incoming signals are translated as input signals and also determining at least in part which of said incoming signals are included in each of said combinations of input signals as well as selecting the particular signals in each of the respective combinations to which said developing means and said governing means respond while simultaneously connecting said ones of said input-option and output-option Circuits.

Claim 15

A programmable process and production control center for operating a system which system yields process and production status signals, said control center being subject to the receipt of command signals from source means external to said control center, with said control center comprising, in a unitary combination: means for providing a plurality of individually different ones of said status and command signals; first option means responsive to a particular kind of said status and comman signals for developing a plurality of respectively different initiating signals; means, including an input control and counter system, responsive to combinations of said different initiating signals for developing correspondingly different control signals; governing means, including a comparison circuit, responsive to combinations of said different initiating signals and said control signals for developing correspondingly different process-governing signals; second option means responsive to said process-governing signals for developing a particular type of output signal; and means, including a self-contained selectively-fixed totally-and-simultaneously-accessed passive self-decoding read-only memory, responsive directly to combinations of incoming signals for defining and determining the development of combinations of input signals including said combinations of signals, said combinations of incoming signals being combinations of those present of said initiating signals, said control signals, said process-governing signals and said output signals, said combinations of input signals being combinations of those present of said initiating signals, said control signals, said process-governing signals and said output signals, said memory including a medium in which is defined an array of signal path locations that define and represent a program and also including a reader for said medium to accept and translate array-defined ones of said incoming signals as input signals in said combinations of input signals with said combination of signals to which said governing means responds including signals representing the magnitude of at least one of a time interval and a number of events, the program defined and represented by said array determining which of said incoming signals are translated as input signals and also determining at least in part which of said incoming signals are included in each of said combinations of input signals as well as selecting which of said signals are included respectively in said combinations of said different initiating signals.

Claim 16

A programmable process and production control center for operating a system which system yields process and production status signals, said control center being subject to the receipt of command signals from source means external to said control center, with said control center comprising, in a unitary combination: means for providing a plurality of individually different ones of said status and command signals; first option means responsive to a particular kind of said status and comman signals for developing a plurality of respectively different initiating signals; means, including an input control and counter system, responsive to combinations of said different initiating signals for developing correspondingly different control signals; governing means, including a comparison circuit, responsive to combinations of said different initiating signals and said control signals for developing correspondingly different process-governing signals; second option means responsive to said process-governing signals for developing a particular type of output signal; and means, including a self-contained selectively-fixed totally-and-simultaneously-accessed passive self-decoding read-only memory, responsive directly to combinations of incoming signals for defining and determining the development of combinations of input signals including said combinations of signals, said combinations of incoming signals being combinations of those present of said initiating signals, said control signals, said process-governing signals and said output signals, said combinations of input signals being combinations of those present of said initiating signals, said control signals, said process-governing signals and said output signals, said memory including a medium in which is defined an array of signal path locations that define and represent a program and also including a reader for said medium to accept and translate array-defined ones of said incoming signals as input signals in said combinations of input signals with said combination of signals to which said governing means responds including signals representing the magnitude of at least one of a time interval and a number of events, the program defined and represented by said array determining which of said incoming signals are translated as input signals and also determining at least in part which of said incoming signals are included in each of said combinations of input signals as well as selecting which of said signals are included respectively in said combinations of said different initiating signals.