Electrical control systems

Claim 1

An electrical control system for controlling a number of devices from a central point, including: transmitting means at said central point coupled over a single signal line to a plurality of controlled points, wherein each of said devices is allocated a time position in a repetitive predetermined cycle of time positions at which a control signal provided by said transmitting means respectively controls each device; a plurality of receivers respectively disposed at said devices wherein each receiver is responsive only to signals at its time position in the repetitive cycle so that when one of said receivers detects control signals at its time position those signals are coupled to the device to be controlled, and wherein a continuous stream of control signals is provided by said transmitting means during the corresponding time position of the device to maintain a controlled device in a given one of two states; wherein return data signals from the controlled devices are coupled to said central point over said single signal line and wherein each time position includes first and second portions, said first portion manifesting said control signals and said second portion manifesting said return data signals; and, including a common clock pulse generator the output of which controls said transmitting means and all of said receivers, the output thereof being distributed by way of a common clock line extending to said transmitting means and to all of said receivers.