Variable information input ststem

Claim 2

A variable information input system for a utilization device comprising: switching means operable in accordance with variation in the input information; registering means connected to said switching means and being operable by A gating signal for registering the input information indicated by said switching means and for providing an output signal to the utilization device in accordance therewith; coincidence means connected to said switching means and the output of said registering means for providing a control signal when the input information varies so that it differs from the output of said registering means; the utilization device being operable by said control signal to transmit a trigger signal; and means responsive to said trigger signal for providing a gating signal to gate said registering means in accordance with the new input information.

Claim 3

The invention defined in claim 1, wherein: said switching means comprises a plurality of limit switches that are closed in combination according to the input information; and electrical signal connected by the closed limit switches to said registering means and to said coincidence means; and said registering means comprises a shift register having inputs to which said electrical signal is connected by said limit switches and outputs connected to said coincidence means.

Claim 4

The invention defined in claim 2, wherein said coincidence means comprises: a plurality of exclusive-OR logic circuits, one for each bit of input information, and each having two inputs; means connecting said limit switches to first inputs of the respective exclusive-OR logic circuits; and means connecting the outputs of said shift register to second inputs of the respective exclusive-OR logic circuits.

Claim 5

The invention defined in claim 3, wherein said coincidence means also comprises: an OR logic circuit having its inputs connected to the outputs of the exclusive-OR logic circuits and having its output connected to the utilization device.

Claim 6

A computer input system for detecting the occurrence of a change in process information and for promptly inserting the new information into the computer comprising: an electrical voltage source; a plurality of limit switches connected to said voltage source and being adapted to be closed in combination representative of the process information; a shift register having a plurality of inputs and a corresponding plurality of outputs and means for receiving a parallel gating control signal; means connecting said limit switches to the respective inputs of the shift register to apply input signals in accordance with the closed limit switches; means connecting the shift register outputs to the computer to transfer process information thereto; said shift register being operable on receipt of a parallel gating control signal to provide output signals at those outputs corresponding to closed limit switch inputs; noncoincidence detecting means having pairs of inputs; means connecting said limit switches and said shift register outputs to the inputs of the respective pairs thereof in said noncoincidence detecting means; said noncoincidence detecting means being operable to provide a control signal whenever the process information as indicated by the limit switch conditions is at a variance with the process information as indicated by the outputs of the shift register; means for applying said control signal to the computer to enable the later to initiate a subroutine whereby to provide a process information updating control pulse; and means responsive to said control pulse for applying said parallel gating control signal to the shift register to reset the latter in accordance with the new process information indicated by the conditions of the limit switches.

Claim 7

A computer input system for detecting the occurrence of a change in process information and for promptly inserting the new information into the computer comprising: an electrical voltage source; a plurality of limit switches connected to said voltage source and being adapted to be closed in combination representative of the process information; a shift register having a plurality of inputs and a corresponding plurality of outputs and means for receiving a parallel gating control signal; means connecting said limit switches to the respective inputs of the shift register to apply input signals in accordance with the closed limit switches; means connecting the shift register outputs to the computer to transfer process information thereto; said shift register being operable on receipt of a parallel gating control signal to provide output signals at those outputs corresponding to closed limit switch inputs; noncoincidence detecting means having pairs of inputs; means connecting said limit switches and said shift register outputs to the inputs of the respective pairs thereof in said noncoincidence detecting means; said noncoincidence detecting means being operable to provide a control signal whenever the process information as indicated by the limit switch conditions is at a variance with the process information as indicated by the outputs of the shift register; means for applying said control signal to the computer to enable the later to initiate a subroutine whereby to provide a process information updating control pulse; and means responsive to said control pulse for applying said parallel gating control signal to the shift register to reset the latter in accordance with the new process information indicated by the conditions of the limit switches.