EP0130802A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Distributed process control system with means and method of automatic data base management of broadcast information
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
•
Filing: 1984-06-28
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2004-06-28
Abstract
Abstract A distributed data processing system is disclosed which features independent processors of varying types chosen in accordance with a specific task to be performed, all of which are connected by a serpentine data highway bus. Each of the processors has access to the bus at stated intervals in a time division multiplexing scheme and outputs onto the bus data such as process control data according to a predetermined sequence. The system is also operated in a democratic mode during which additional data items may be output onto the bus as required. Each of the data processors is capable of determining which data items its operations are concerned with, and in the preferred embodiment, the system comprises timekeeper processors which output system clock signals over the bus in the same way as process control data. The individual processors each examine all the messages on the bus to determine if they are of local interest, and copy them to local memory if desired. In the preferred embodiment, at each distributed location a data highway processor performs the communications function, while a functional processor monitors and controls local functions.
Inventors
- 👤 Kirk Douglas Houser
- 👤 Carl Joseph Staab
- 👤 Warren Albert Edblad
- 👤 Donald James Jones
- 👤 David Michael Oravetz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 23:55
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F13/00; G06F13/14; G06F13/36; G06F13/368; G06F13/38; G06F13/42; G06F13/4204; G06F13/4208; G06F15/00; G06F15/16; G06F15/163; G06F15/167
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
81 words
A distributed process control system comprising a plurality of processors located at respective locations and a data highway connecting said processors in parallel, circuitry for sequencing access of said processors to said data highway, each said processor having circuitry for transmitting messages onto said highway only when it has access and storing circuitry for storing selected messages transmitted onto said highway by other processors so as to be available for use in control local operations at the location of said processor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
81 words
A distributed process control system comprising a plurality of processors located at respective locations and a data highway connecting said processors in parallel, circuitry for sequencing access of said processors to said data highway, each said processor having circuitry for transmitting messages onto said highway only when it has access and storing circuitry for storing selected messages transmitted onto said highway by other processors so as to be available for use in control local operations at the location of said processor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system of claim 1 wherein said storing circuitry includes circuitry for storing an identifier for identifying associated data.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
A system according to claim 2 wherein each of said processors is provided with a comparator for comparing said identifiers with stored identifier data to determine whether that processor selects and stores the associated data.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
A system according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said transmitting circuitry comprises circuitry for generating a status word corresponding to associated data, said word carrying additional information concerning said, associated data.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
A system according to claim 4 wherein each of said processors has circuitry for examining each of said status words transmitted from another processor independently of the associated identifier.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
150 words
A system according to claim 1 including copying circuitry for copying data output by other processors onto said highway, and interface circuitry for providing an interface between said highway and at least one controlled system point, each processor has examining circuitry for examining data messages output onto said data highway by other processors to determine whether that processor has need of a particular item of data for its local operations, each said processor including a first processor for copying selected data relevant to local operations, a second processor for controlling local operations as a function of said selected data, and a dual ported memory coupled to interface said first and second processors of each said processor, said first processor including storing circuitry for storing said selected data in said memory according to a given organization so that said second processor can access said data for use in controlling local operations.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system according to claim 6 in which said first processor comprises means for selecting data for copying and storing only when data corresponding to a system point has changed since last previously transmitted.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system according to claim 1 icluding a functional processor connected to said storing circuitry and having retrieving circuitry for retrieving said selected data from said storing circuitry for use in control of a locally controlled process.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
A system according to claim 1 including time division multiplex circuitry, said functional processor having communicating circuitry for communicating with said data highway processor through said storage circuitry.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
31 words
A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein said data highway comprises plural data highway cables and each processor has plural communications interfaces for redundant connection to said highway.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system according to claim 8, wherein the selecting means comprises means for examining all data messages from all other drops, and for selecting data independently of the origin of said messages.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
105 words
A system according to claim 1 wherein said processors are connected in parallel to said highway, each said processor having transmitting circuitry for transmitting in at least two modes, one of which modes is a periodic mode, and receiving circuitry for receiving data from said highway bus in either of said modes, and each said processor transmitting circuitry having broadcast circuitry for transmitting transmission synchronizing signals for synchronizing the transmissions of each of said processors in each of said modes so that only one processor is transmitting at a time and so that each processor is enabled to transmit during at least said periodic mode.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system according to claim 12 wherein said broadcast circuitry further comprises incorporating circuitry for incorporating into said synchronizing signals data representative of the next drop which is to transmit over said data highway.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
A system according to claim 12 or 13 further comprising time synchronizing circuitry for synchronizing each of said processors on a time basis.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
42 words
A system according to claim 12, 13 or 14 wherein a second of said modes is a non-periodic mode for providing non-periodic transmissions from said plurality of drops, said system comprising enabling circuitry for enabling said non-periodic mode after each periodic mode.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
40 words
A system according to claim 15 comprising control circuitry for controlling the time duration of each occurrence of operation in said non-periodic mode and for transferring the system to said periodic mode following the timing out of said non-periodic mode.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
57 words
A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein each processor comprises two microprocessors, a first of said microprocessors comprising said transmitting circuitry, said receiving circuitry and said broadcast circuitry, and a second microprocessor being interconnected with said first microprocessor so that its operation is independent of the operations of said transmitting, receiving and broadcast circuitry.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
93 words
A system according to claim 1 in which the processors are located at physically separated drop locations; operating circuitry for operating said system in a mixed mode manner wherein each of said processors is sequentially controlled to have access to said highway at regular intervals in a first, time division multiplexed mode of operation, and in which said processors also operate in a second mode occurring after each of said processors has had access in said time division multiplexed mode, during which said second mode said processors may have access to said bus.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
41 words
A system according to claim 18 wherein each of said processors include circuitry for generating a data signal during its access to said highway indicating which of the other processors is next in the sequence to have access to the bus.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system according to claim 19 wherein each of said processors comprises a transmitter for transmitting predetermined items of data during said first mode and means for interrogating one another during said second mode.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
56 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein each processor includes circuitry for storing said list in a memory in which sequenced pointers provide addresses to stored drop identifiers, each of the messages transmitted by said drops including an updated pointer identifying the address in said memory at which the identifier of the next drop is stored.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system according to claim 21 in which each processor looks at a pointer comprised by each message to determine if it is the next drop to have access to said highway.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.