Control system having multiple electrode current controlling device

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION, A SYMMETRICAL CURRENT CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR AN ELECTRICAL LOAD CIRCUIT INCLUDING SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL MEANS AND LOAD ELECTRODES IN NON-RECTIFYING CONTACT THEREWITH FOR CONNECTING THE SAME IN SERIES IN SAID ELECTRICAL LOAD CIRCUIT, SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL MEANS BEING OF ONE CONDUCTIVITY TYPE, SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR PROVIDING A FIRST CONDITION OF RELATIVELY HIGH RESISTANCE FOR SUBSTANTIALLY BLOCKING CURRENT THERETHROUGH BETWEEN THE LOAD ELECTRODES SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLY IN EACH DIRECTION, SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL MEANS INCLUDING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO A VOLTAGE OF AT LEAST A THRESHOLD VALUE IN EITHER OR ALTERNATELY IN BOTH DIRECTIONS APPLIED TO SAID LOAD ELECTRODES FOR ALTERING SAID FIRST CONDITION OF RELATIVELY HIGH RESISTANCE OF SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL MEANS SUBSTANTIALLY INSTANTANEOUSLY PROVIDING AT LEAST ONE PATH, THROUGH SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL MEANS BETWEEN THE LOAD ELECTRODES, HAVING A SECOND CONDITION OF RELATIVELY LOW RESISTANCE FOR CONDUCTING CURRENT THERETHROUGH BETWEEN THE LOAD ELECTRODES SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLY IN EACH DIRECTION, SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR PROVIDING THE CURRENT CONTROLLING DEVICE WITH A NORMAL THRESHOLD VOLTAGE VOLTAGE, SAID CURRENT CONTROLLING DEVICE INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE CONTROL ELECTRODE, ELECTRICALLY COUPLED TO SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL MEANS, FOR CONNECTING THE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL MEANS IN SERIES IN AN ELECTRICAL CONTROL CIRCUIT, SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL MEANS INCLUDING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO A VOLTAGE IN EITHER DIRECTION OR ALTERNATELY IN BOTH DIRECTIONS APPLIED TO SAID AT LEAST ONE CONTROL ELECTRODE FOR DECREASING THE NORMAL THRESHOLD VOLTAGE VALUE OF THE CURRENT CONTROLLING DEVICE, SAID ELECTRICAL LOAD CIRCUIT INCLUDING A VOLTAGE SOURCE FOR APPLYING TO THE LOAD ELECTRODES OF THE CURRENT CONTROLLING DEVICE A VOLTAGE WHICH IS LESS THAN THE NORMAL THRESHOLD VOLTAGE VALUE OF THE CURRENT CONTROLLING DEVICE, AND SAID ELECTRICAL CONTROL CIRCUIT INCLUDING A VOLTAGE SOURCE FOR APPLYING A VOLTAGE TO SAID AT LEAST ONE CONTROL ELECTRODE FOR DECREASING THE NORMAL THRESHOLD VOLTAGE VALUE OF THE CURRENT CONTROLLING DEVICE TO A VALUE BELOW THE VOLTAGE APPLIED TO THE LOAD ELECTRODES BY THE LOAD CIRCUIT FOR ALTERING SAID FIRST RELATIVELY HIGH RESISTANCE BLOCKING CONDITION TO SAID SECOND RELATIVELY LOW RESISTANCE CONDUCTING CONDITION.