Selective signal transmission system

Claim 2

A selective signal transmission system comprising: a signal voter having a plurality of inputs and a single output, the voter transmitting to its output the signal applied to one of its inputs depending upon the relative amplitudes of such input signals; a plurality of high-gain amplifiers equal in number to the inputs of the signal voter, each amplifier having an input and an output; means for connecting the output of each amplifier to a different input of the signal voter to drive such voter input; a source of a plurality of nominally identical input signals equal in number to the plurality of inputs of the signal voter, each input signal being applied to the input of a different amplifier; utilizing means coupled to the output of the signal voter; and feedback means connecting the output of the signal voter to the input of each amplifier in a sense to cause the output of the signal voter to track the input signal applied to the amplifier driving the transmitting input of the signal voter.

Claim 3

The transmission system of claim 1, in which the amplifiers are differential amplifiers each having an inverting input terminal and a non-inverting input terminal, the feedback means connecting the output of the signal voter to the inverting input terminals of the amplifiers.

Claim 4

The signal transmission system of claim 2 in which the signal voter is a quadvoter having first, second, third and fourth inputs, the quadvoter comprising: a first diode connected between the input and a first common node and poled in a first direction; a second diode connected between a second input and the firsT common node and poled in the first direction; a third diode connected between the first common node and the output poled in a second direction opposite to the first direction; a fourth diode connected between the second input and a second common node and poled in the first direction; a fifth diode connected between the third input and the second common node and poled in the first direction; a sixth diode connected between the second common node and the output and poled in the second direction; a seventh diode connected between the third input and a third common node and poled in the first direction; an eighth diode connected between the fourth input and the third common node and poled in the first direction; a ninth diode connected between the third common node and the output and poled in the second direction; and means for biasing the diodes in a polarity to transmit selectively the signal applied to one of the inputs depending upon the relative amplitudes of such input signals.

Claim 5

The transmission system of claim 3, in which the first direction of diode poling is such that the first, second, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth diodes are forward-biased when the corresponding input is at a positive potential relative to the corresponding common node, and the biasing means comprises negative sources of potential connected to the first, second, and third nodes and a positive source of potential connected to the output of the quadvoter.

Claim 6

The signal transmission system of claim 3, in which the utilizing means is an aircraft control surface actuator and the source is an autopilot computer that generates four individual nominally identical command signals for driving the actuator responsive to aircraft sensor information, the command signals being applied to the non-inverting input terminals of the respective amplifiers.

Claim 7

The signal transmission system of claim 5, in which the output of the quadvoter is coupled to the utilizing means by an operational amplifier.

Claim 8

An automatic control system comprising: means for generating a plurality of at least three individual command signals that are nominally identical but subject to variations in amplitude with respect to each other; a plurality of high-gain amplifiers equal in number to the command signals, each amplifier having an input and output; first means for coupling the command signals to the inputs of the respective amplifiers; an element to be controlled; means responsive to a driving signal for actuating the element to be controlled; a diode configuration interconnecting the outputs of the amplifiers to the actuating means to selectively transmit to the actuating means as the driving signal the signal at the output of one of the amplifiers depending upon the relative amplitudes of the amplifier output signals, the diodes in the path of the configuration transmitting the amplifier output signal all being forward-biased and at least one of the diodes in each of the remaining paths being back-biased; and second means for coupling the signal transmitted by the diode configuration back to the input of each amplifier in a sense to reduce its discrepancy from the command signal coupled to the input of such amplifier.

Claim 9

An automatic control system comprising: means for generating a plurality of at least three individual command signals that are nominally identical but subject to variations in amplitude with respect to each other; a plurality of high-gain amplifiers equal in number to the command signals, each amplifier having an input and output; first means for coupling the command signals to the inputs of the respective amplifiers; an element to be controlled; means responsive to a driving signal for actuating the element to be controlled; a diode configuration interconnecting the outputs of the amplifiers to the actuating means to selectively transmit to the actuating means as the driving signal the signal at the output of one of the amplifiers depending upon the relative amplitudes of the amplifier output signals, the diodes in the path of the configuration transmitting the amplifier output signal all being forward-biased and at least one of the diodes in each of the remaining paths being back-biased; and second means for coupling the signal transmitted by the diode configuration back to the input of each amplifier in a sense to reduce its discrepancy from the command signal coupled to the input of such amplifier.

Claim 10

The control system of claim 7, in which the amplifiers are differential amplifiers having an inverting input and a non-inverting input, the second coupling means couples the signal transmitted by the diode configuration to one input of each of the amplifiers, and the first coupling means couples the command signals to the other input of the respective amplifiers.

Claim 11

The control system of claim 8, in which the command signals are coupled to the non-inverting input of the respective differential amplifiers and the signal transmitted by the diode configuration is coupled to the inverting input of the differential amplifiers.

Claim 12

The control system of claim 9, in which the element to be controlled is an aircraft control surface, and the command signal geneRating means comprises an autopilot computer responsive to sensors of the aircraft conditions.

Claim 13

A quadvoter comprising: an insulative substrate; first, second, and third mutually isolated layers of a first conductivity type semiconductive material mounted on the substrate; first, second, and third buttons of a second conductivity type semiconductive material attached to each of the layers, the second conductivity type being opposite the first conductivity type, a unilaterally conducting junction being formed at the interface of each button and the layer to which it is attached; first, second, third, and fourth quadvoter input terminals to which signals to be selectively transmitted are applied; a quadvoter output terminal at which the selectively transmitted signal is to appear; means for connecting the first input terminal to the first button of the first layer; means for connecting the second input terminal to the second button of the first layer and the first button of the second layer; means for connecting the third input terminal to the second button of the second layer and the first button of the third layer; means for connecting the fourth input terminal to the second button of the third layer; means for connecting the third button of the first, second, and third layers to the output terminal; means for biasing the junctions to provide a transmission path between only one of the input terminals and the output terminal; first, second, third, and fourth high-gain differential amplifiers, each having an inverting input, a non-inverting input, and an output; means for connecting the outputs of the high-gain amplifiers to the respective quadvoter inputs; means for connecting the quadvoter output to one of the inputs of each of the differential amplifiers; a source of four nominally identical signals to be selected, each signal being applied to the other input of a different one of the differential amplifiers; and utilizing means coupled to the quadvoter output terminal.

Claim 14

A quadvoter comprising: an insulative substrate; first, second, and third mutually isolated layers of a first conductivity type semiconductive material mounted on the substrate; first, second, and third buttons of a second conductivity type semiconductive material attached to each of the layers, the second conductivity type being opposite the first conductivity type, a unilaterally conducting junction being formed at the interface of each button and the layer to which it is attached; first, second, third, and fourth quadvoter input terminals to which signals to be selectively transmitted are applied; a quadvoter output terminal at which the selectively transmitted signal is to appear; means for connecting the first input terminal to the first button of the first layer; means for connecting the second input terminal to the second button of the first layer and the first button of the second layer; means for connecting the third input terminal to the second button of the second layer and the first button of the third layer; means for connecting the fourth input terminal to the second button of the third layer; means for connecting the third button of the first, second, and third layers to the output terminal; means for biasing the junctions to provide a transmission path between only one of the input terminals and the output terminal; first, second, third, and fourth high-gain differential amplifiers, each having an inverting input, a non-inverting input, and an output; means for connecting the outputs of the high-gain amplifiers to the respective quadvoter inputs; means for connecting the quadvoter output to one of the inputs of each of the differential amplifiers; a source of four nominally identical signals to be selected, each signal being applied to the other input of a different one of the differential amplifiers; and utilizing means coupled to the quadvoter output terminal.

Claim 15

The quadvoter of claim 11, in which the first conductivity type is N-type, the second conductivity type is P-type, and the biasing means comprises sources of negative potential connected respectively to the first, second, and third layers and a source of positive potential connected to the output terminal.

Claim 16

The quadvoter of claim 11, in which the source of signals comprises an autopilot computer responsive to sensors of aircraft conditions and the utilizing means comprises an aircraft control surface positioned responsive to the signal selectively transmitted by the quadvoter.