Remote control system with pulse addressing, and safety warning indication

Claim 1

Remote control system for selection of at least one of a plurality of selectrively switchable loads (122) from a central station (110) connected together by a bus system (106), wherein the bus system includes a power bus (114), a clock bus (117), and a control bus (129); wherein said central station (110) includes a clock source (112), timing means (115, 181) selecting a first time interval corresponding to a predetermined number of clock pulses to define a selection cycle of clock pulses, and a second time interval to define a control signal separating sequential selection cycles, the timing means (115, 181) being connected to said bus system (106) and and include means to, selectively and successively, connect (a) the clock pulses to the clock bus (117) during said first time interval forming the selection cycle and (b) the clock pulses to the control bus (129) during pulse gaps or pauses of clock pulses on a clock bus (117) and defining the control signal, and forming function synchronization pulses; and wherein each load (122) includes a receiver (111) connected to said bus system (106) and responsive to clock pulses, the control signal, and address control pulses on the bus system to cause an operating function to occur at a specifically addressed receiver, said system comprising, in accordance with the invention, a pulse interrogation stage (366, 366') connected to the clock bus (117) and to the control bus (129 of the bus system (106) and responsive to pulses on the respective buses of the bus system, and sensing continuing recurrence of pulses on said bus system; and alarm warning means (365) connected to and controlled by said pulse interrogation stage to provide an output signal upon failure of detection of pulses on either one of the buses of said bus system (106).