Electrical control system

Claim 2

An electrical control system for controlling the operation of one or more electrical devices comprising a local control station and at least one remote control station; each of said local control stations comprising transmitter means and receiver means, and each of said remote control stations comprising transmitter means and receiver means; first optical fiber means interconnecting said remote station transmitter means and said local station receiver means, and second optical fiber means interconnecting said local station transmitter means with said remote station receiver means, said remote station transmitter means including command means for generating electrical command words, and first converting means for converting said electrical command words into corresponding light command words; said remote station transmitter means including first coupling means for coupling said light command words to the input end of said first optical fiber means; said local station receiver means including second coupling means for coupling the output end of said first optical fiber means to said local station receiver means and second converting means for converting said light command words into corresponding serial bit stream electrical command signals; decoder means for decoding said serial bit stream command signals into data command information words; a logic control unit comprising microprocessor means and erasable programmable memory means for processing said data command information words; driver circuit means for driving said electrical devices in accordance with said data command information; local station monitoring means for monitoring the operation of said electrical devices and producing corresponding electrical control information signals; third converting means for converting said electrical control information signals into corresponding light control information signals; third coupling means for coupling said light control information signals to the input end of said second optical fiber means; fourth coupling means for coupling the output end of said second optical fiber means to said remote station receiver means; and fourth converter means for converting said light control information signals into electrical control information signals.

Claim 3

An electrical control system as defined in claim 1 including display means for displaying the control information at said remote control station.

Claim 4

An electrical control system as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said remote station receiver means comprises updating means operative to produce an alarm signal when said remote station receivers fail to receive valid control information from said local control station.

Claim 5

An electrical control system as defined in claim 1 wherein said first converting means comprises infrared light emitting diode means.

Claim 6

An electrical control system as defined in claim 1 wherein said local station receiver means comprises gating circuit means operative to selectively transmit said electrical command signals from said second converting means to said decoder means, and said decoder means is operative to determine whether the command information contained in said serial bit stream electrical command signals is valid.

Claim 7

An electrical control system as defined in claim 1 wherein said local station receiver means includes valid command information display means for indicating the reception of valid command information by said local station receiver means.

Claim 8

An electrical control system as defined in claim 6 wherein said logic control unit is operative in response to said command information and condition of said electrical devices to produce output driving signals and said local station receiver means includes output circuit means connected to said logic control unit for driving said electrical devices.

Claim 9

An electrical control system as defined in claim 7 wherein said second converting means comprises detector means for detecting additional status signals corresponding to the status of apparatus controlled by said electrical devices and generating interlock data signals in response thereto, and means for applying said interlock data signals to said logic control unit.

Claim 10

An electrical control system as defined in claim 8 wherein said third converting means comprises infrared light emitting diode means.

Claim 11

An electrical control system as defined in claim 3 wherein said remote station receiver means comprises decoder means for converting serial bit stream control data signals into parallel data control information signals.

Claim 12

An electrical control system as defined in claim 10 wherein said remote station receiver means comprises monitor means for determining the validity of the control information signals received by said remote station receiver means, said monitor means comprising timer means for detecting the interval between data words received by said decoder means and selectively producing an alarm signal when said data word interval does not correspond to a preselected time period.

Claim 13

An electrical control system for controlling the operation of one or more electrical devices comprising a local control station and at least one remote control station; each of said local control stations comprising transmitter means and receiver means, and each of said remote control stations comprising transmitter means and receiver means; first optical fiber means interconnecting said remote station transmitter means and said local station receiver means; and second optical fiber means interconnecting said local station transmitter means with said remote station receiver means, said remote station transmitter means including command means for generating electrical command words, and first converting means for converting said electrical command words into corresponding light command words; said remote station transmitter means including first coupling means for coupling said light command words to the input end of said first optical fiber means; said local station receiver means including second coupling means for coupling the output end of said first optical fiber means to said local station receiver means and second converting means for converting said light command words into corresponding serial bit stream electrical command signals; decoder means for decoding said several bit stream command signals into data command information words; a logic control unit for processing said data command information words; driver circuit means for driving said electrical devices in accordance with said data command information; local station monitoring means for monitoring operation of said electrical devices and producing corresponding electrical control information signals; third converting means for converting said electrical control information signals into corresponding light control information signals; third coupling means for coupling said light control information signals to the input end of said second optical fiber means; fourth coupling means for coupling the output end of said second optical fiber means to said remote station receiver means; and fourth converter means for converting said light control information signals into electrical control information signals; each of said remote station receiver means comprising updating means operative to produce an alarm signal when said remote station receivers fail to receive valid control information from said local control station; said remote station receiver means comprising decoder means for converting serial bit stream control data signals into parallel data control information signals; said remote station receiver means comprising monitor means for determining the validity of the control information signals received by said remote station receiver means, said monitor means comprising timer means for detecting the interval between data words received by said decoder means and selectively producing an alarm signal when said data word interval does not correspond to a preselected time period; said remote station receiver comprising driver means for driver display means in accordance with said parallel data control information signals and said remote station comprises A.C. power sensing means operative to produce and apply an inhibiting signal to said remote station driver means to inhibit the output of said driver means.

Claim 14

An electrical control system for controlling the operation of one or more electrical devices comprising a local control station and at least one remote control station; each of said local control stations comprising transmitter means and receiver means, and each of said remote control stations comprising transmitter means and receiver means; first optical fiber means interconnecting said remote station transmitter means and said local station receiver means; and second optical fiber means interconnecting said local station transmitter means with said remote station receiver means, said remote station transmitter means including command means for generating electrical command words, and first converting means for converting said electrical command words into corresponding light command words; said remote station transmitter means including first coupling means for coupling said light command words to the input end of said first optical fiber means; said local station receiver means including second coupling means for coupling the output end of said first optical fiber means to said local station receiver means and second converting means for converting said light command words into corresponding serial bit stream electrical command signals; decoder means for decoding said several bit stream command signals into data command information words; a logic control unit for processing said data command information words; driver circuit means for driving said electrical devices in accordance with said data command information; local station monitoring means for monitoring operation of said electrical devices and producing corresponding electrical control information signals; third converting means for converting said electrical control information signals into corresponding light control information signals; third coupling means for coupling said light control information signals to the input end of said second optical fiber means; fourth coupling means for coupling the output end of said second optical fiber means to said remote station receiver means; and fourth converter means for converting said light control information signals into electrical control information signals; each of said remote station receiver means comprising updating means operative to produce an alarm signal when said remote station receivers fail to receive valid control information from said local control station; said remote station receiver means comprising decoder means for converting serial bit stream control data signals into parallel data control information signals; said remote station receiver means comprising monitor means for determining the validity of the control information signals received by said remote station receiver means, said monitor means comprising timer means for detecting the interval between data words received by said decoder means and selectively producing an alarm signal when said data word interval does not correspond to a preselected time period; said remote station receiver comprising driver means for driver display means in accordance with said parallel data control information signals and said remote station comprises A.C. power sensing means operative to produce and apply an inhibiting signal to said remote station driver means to inhibit the output of said driver means.

Claim 15

An electrical control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said command means comprises comand input means for receiving input commands.

Claim 16

An electrical control system as defined in claim 13, wherein said command means comprises encoder means for converting said input commands to said electrical command words.

Claim 17

An electrical control system as defined in claim 14, wherein said electrical command words are in parallel form.

Claim 18

An electrical control system as defined in claim 15, wherein said encoder means converts said parallel electrical words to electrical serial command words coded in Manchester format.

Claim 19

An electrical control system for controlling the operation of one or more electrical devices comprising: a local control station and at least one remote control station; each of said local control stations comprising transmitter means and receiver means, and each of said remote control stations comprising transmitter means and receiver means; first optical fiber means interconnecting said remote station transmitter means and said local station receiver means; and second optical fiber means interconnecting said local station transmitter means with said remote station receiver means, said remote station transmitter means including command means for generating electrical command words, and first converting means for converting said electrical command words into corresponding light command words; said remote station transmitter means including first coupling means for coupling said light command words to the input end of said first optical fiber means; said local station receiver means including second coupling means for coupling the output end of said first optical fiber means to said local station receiver means and second converting means for converting said light command words into corresponding serial bit stream electrical command signals; decoder means for decoding said serial bit stream command signals into data command information words; a logic control unit for processing said data command information words; driver circuit means for driving said electrical devices in accordance with said data command information; local station monitoring means for monitoring the operation of said electrical devices and producing corresponding electrical control information signals; third converting means for converting said electrical control information signals into corresponding light control information signals; third coupling means for coupling said light control information signals to the input end of said second optical fiber means; fourth coupling means for coupling the output end of said second optical fiber means to said remote station receiver means; and fourth converter means for converting said light control information signals into electrical control information signals; said local station receiver means comprising gating circuit means operative to selectively transmit said electrical command signals from said second converting means to said decoder means, and said decoder means is operative to determine whether the command information contained in said serial bit stream electrical command signals is valid; said gating circuit means being operative to selectively transmit said electrical command signals to said decoder means in accordance with the time of arrival of said electrical command signals at said gating circuit means.

Claim 20

An electrical control system for controlling the operation of one or more electrical devices comprising: a local control station and at least one remote control station; each of said local control stations comprising transmitter means and receiver means, and each of said remote control stations comprising transmitter means and receiver means; first optical fiber means interconnecting said remote station transmitter means and said local station receiver means; and second optical fiber means interconnecting said local station transmitter means with said remote station receiver means, said remote station transmitter means including command means for generating electrical command words, and first converting means for converting said electrical command words into corresponding light command words; said remote station transmitter means including first coupling means for coupling said light command words to the input end of said first optical fiber means; said local station receiver means including second coupling means for coupling the output end of said first optical fiber means to said local station receiver means and second converting means for converting said light command words into corresponding serial bit stream electrical command signals; decoder means for decoding said serial bit stream command signals into data command information words; a logic control unit for processing said data command information words; driver circuit means for driving said electrical devices in accordance with said data command information; local station monitoring means for monitoring the operation of said electrical devices and producing corresponding electrical control information signals; third converting means for converting said electrical control information signals into corresponding light control information signals; third coupling means for coupling said light control information signals to the input end of said second optical fiber means; fourth coupling means for coupling the output end of said second optical fiber means to said remote station receiver means; and fourth converter means for converting said light control information signals into electrical control information signals; said local station receiver means comprising gating circuit means operative to selectively transmit said electrical command signals from said second converting means to said decoder means, and said decoder means is operative to determine whether the command information contained in said serial bit stream electrical command signals is valid; said gating circuit means being operative to selectively transmit said electrical command signals to said decoder means in accordance with the time of arrival of said electrical command signals at said gating circuit means.

Claim 21

An electrical control system as defined in claim 17, comprising a plurality of said remote control stations, wherein said first optical fiber means comprises a plurality of optical fibers, each of which separately interconnects said local station receiver means with the transmitter means of one of said remote stations.

Claim 22

An electrical control system as defined in claim 18, wherein said second optical fiber means comprises a plurality of optical fibers, each of which separately interconnects said local station transmitter means with the receiver means of one of said remote stations.