US4006464A — Industrial process controller

Claim 1

Independent Claim 472 words

An industrial process controller having run, manual, and set-up modes wherein process control digital information words may be stored and recalled, each word being associated with one of a plurality of numerically ordered program steps, the controller being capable of operating on one program step at any given time and comprising: a panel, manually operated MODE switch means on said panel for selecting one of said run, manual and set-up modes, manually operated HOME switch means on said panel for numerically selecting any one of said ordered program steps, signal operating sequencing means for setting said controller to sequentially operate on said plurality of program steps in response to a RUN signal, Program step display means on said panel for numerically displaying a current program step on which said controller is operating, manually operated HOME COMMAND switch means on said panel for setting the industrial process controller to said manually selected program step, a COMMAND storage register means comprising a plurality of storage elements, a plurality of manually operated PROGRAMMING switches on said panel, each of said PROGRAMMING switches corresponding to a bit of one of said digital words and being connected to a separate storage element of said COMMAND storage register means in response to said set-up mode of said controller, a randomly accessible memory means for storing digital words in locations corresponding to said program steps, manually operated CONNECT switch means on said panel and operable in said set-up mode for storing in said memory means a digital word from said storage register means selected with said PROGRAMMING switches in a storage location of said random access memory corresponding to said program step, a plurality of output terminals connected to said controller for providing signals for a process being controlled, means connected to said storage register means and to said output terminal means responsive to a first plurality of said digital words in said register for providing defined output signals on said output terminal means, manually operated START swtich means on said panel and functional in said RUN MODE for providing said RUN signal, thereby automatically sequentially setting said controller to each of said program steps, means responsive to said RUN and MANUAL modes of said controller and to the setting of the controller to a particular program step for reading the digital word corresponding to said particular program step into said storage register means whereby said output terminals are sequentially provided with signals corresponding to the digital words manually selected with said programming switches, means responsive to a second plurality of said words for setting said controller to a program step directed by said second plurality of words, and manually operated JOG switch means on said panel and functional in said MANUAL and SET-UP modes of said controller for selectively setting the controller to the next sequential program step.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 472 words

An industrial process controller having run, manual, and set-up modes wherein process control digital information words may be stored and recalled, each word being associated with one of a plurality of numerically ordered program steps, the controller being capable of operating on one program step at any given time and comprising: a panel, manually operated MODE switch means on said panel for selecting one of said run, manual and set-up modes, manually operated HOME switch means on said panel for numerically selecting any one of said ordered program steps, signal operating sequencing means for setting said controller to sequentially operate on said plurality of program steps in response to a RUN signal, Program step display means on said panel for numerically displaying a current program step on which said controller is operating, manually operated HOME COMMAND switch means on said panel for setting the industrial process controller to said manually selected program step, a COMMAND storage register means comprising a plurality of storage elements, a plurality of manually operated PROGRAMMING switches on said panel, each of said PROGRAMMING switches corresponding to a bit of one of said digital words and being connected to a separate storage element of said COMMAND storage register means in response to said set-up mode of said controller, a randomly accessible memory means for storing digital words in locations corresponding to said program steps, manually operated CONNECT switch means on said panel and operable in said set-up mode for storing in said memory means a digital word from said storage register means selected with said PROGRAMMING switches in a storage location of said random access memory corresponding to said program step, a plurality of output terminals connected to said controller for providing signals for a process being controlled, means connected to said storage register means and to said output terminal means responsive to a first plurality of said digital words in said register for providing defined output signals on said output terminal means, manually operated START swtich means on said panel and functional in said RUN MODE for providing said RUN signal, thereby automatically sequentially setting said controller to each of said program steps, means responsive to said RUN and MANUAL modes of said controller and to the setting of the controller to a particular program step for reading the digital word corresponding to said particular program step into said storage register means whereby said output terminals are sequentially provided with signals corresponding to the digital words manually selected with said programming switches, means responsive to a second plurality of said words for setting said controller to a program step directed by said second plurality of words, and manually operated JOG switch means on said panel and functional in said MANUAL and SET-UP modes of said controller for selectively setting the controller to the next sequential program step.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 116 words

An industrial process controller as defined in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of input terminals, a logic matrix having input and output terminals and providing a plurality of selectable logical functions, and means responsive to a third plurality of said digital words specifying logic function relationships between signals on selected input terminals of said controller and defining output terminals of said controller on which the result of the application of the functional relationships to said controller input signals is to be provided for connecting said selected input terminals to those input terminals of the logic matrix providing the specified logic functions and for connecting the logic matrix output terminals to said selected controller output terminals.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 45 words

An industrial process controller as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of indicators on said panel, each of said indicators being connected to a separate stage of said COMMAND storage register, said indicators providing a visual indication of the contents of said register.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 32 words

An industrial process controller as defined in claim 1, further comprising: manually operated LOAD switch means for selectively setting all of the signals on the output terminals of said controller to zero.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 68 words

An industrial process controller as defined in claim 1, further comprising: means for receiving remote control signals from a location spaced from said controller panel for setting said controller to a predetermined program step, whereby the process controlled by said industrial controller may be interrupted from a remote location, and whereby an emergency action program initiated at said predetermined program step may be selected from said remote location.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 190 words

An industrial process controller as defined in claim 1, wherein said manually operated START switch means and said manually operated JOG switch means both comprise a single push-button switch, hereinafter referred to as a START/JOG switch, first AND gate means having inputs connected to MANUAL output of the MODE switch and to the START/JOG switch for providing a Jog signal in said MANUAL mode of the controller to set the controller to the next sequential program step, a second AND gate means having inputs connected to said START/JOG switch and to the RUN output of said MODE switch for providing a START pulse, flip-flop means connected to said second AND gate and triggerable to a first stable state for providing a START signal to automatically sequentially set the controller to each of the program steps, a STOP switch, OR gate means having inputs connected to said MANUAL and SET-UP outputs of said MODE switch and to said STOP switch and having an output connected to said flip-flop for triggering said flip-flop to a second stable state wherein said START signal is removed, whereby said sequence of program steps is interrupted.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1980-02-01	1980-08-02	1981-02-01	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1984-02-01	1984-08-02	1985-02-01	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1988-02-01	1988-08-02	1989-02-01	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Industrial process controller

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