US4626846A — Bus arrangement for addressing equipment units an…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 126 words

A bus arrangement for interconnecting a plurality of equipment units in such a fashion that each unit is given a unique address, dependent solely upon its relative position to other equipment units in said interconnection, said bus arrangement in each unit comprising: an entry port having N terminals, N being a positive integer equal to or greater than two; an exit port having N terminals, wherein the 2nd to N th terminals of said entry port are connected to the 1st to (N-1) th terminals, respectively, of said exit port, and an originating connection is made to the N th terminal of said exit port so as to apply a signal having a fixed predetermined logical value to said N th terminal of said exit port.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 126 words

A bus arrangement for interconnecting a plurality of equipment units in such a fashion that each unit is given a unique address, dependent solely upon its relative position to other equipment units in said interconnection, said bus arrangement in each unit comprising: an entry port having N terminals, N being a positive integer equal to or greater than two; an exit port having N terminals, wherein the 2nd to N th terminals of said entry port are connected to the 1st to (N-1) th terminals, respectively, of said exit port, and an originating connection is made to the N th terminal of said exit port so as to apply a signal having a fixed predetermined logical value to said N th terminal of said exit port.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 14 words

The bus arrangement of claim 1 wherein said originating connection is a ground connection.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 18 words

The bus arrangement of claim 1 wherein said originating connection is a connection to a supply of voltage.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 10 words

The bus arrangement of claim 1 wherein N equals seven.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 10 words

The bus arrangement of claim 1 wherein N equals two.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 75 words

The bus arrangement of claim 2 wherein said equipment units are interconnected in an order, each unit except the last unit in said order having a bus connecting each terminal of its exit port to a corresponding terminal of the entry port of the next unit in said order, and the first unit in said order having a bus supplying a fixed predetermined voltage other than zero volts to each terminal of its entry port.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 13 words

The bus arrangement of claim 6 wherein the voltage is plus five volts.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 126 words

A static method of providing equipment units each having entry and exit ports with a unique address, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a bus comprising a plurality of leads in each unit; (b) terminating one of said plurality of leads as the bus traverses from an entry port to a corresponding exit port; (c) transposing others of said leads adjacent to said one lead by one position; and (d) adding a ground lead to the terminated position of said bus, such that the number of leads at said exit port equals the number of leads at said entry port; whereby the address of each of said units is acquired by tapping said bus between each of said entry ports and exit ports, respectively.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 126 words

A static method of providing equipment units each having entry and exit ports with a unique address, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a bus comprising a plurality of leads in each unit; (b) terminating one of said plurality of leads as the bus traverses from an entry port to a corresponding exit port; (c) transposing others of said leads adjacent to said one lead by one position; and (d) adding a ground lead to the terminated position of said bus, such that the number of leads at said exit port equals the number of leads at said entry port; whereby the address of each of said units is acquired by tapping said bus between each of said entry ports and exit ports, respectively.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 8 wherein said address is acquired by tapping said bus at a point before said one lead is terminated and before said one ground lead is added.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 75 words

The method of claim 9 wherein said equipment units are interconnected in an order, each unit except the last unit in saod order having a bus connecting each terminal of its exit port to a corresponding terminal of the entry port of the next unit in said order, and the first unit in said order having a bus supplying a fixed predetermined voltage level other than zero volts to each terminal of its entry port.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method of claim 10 wherein said first unit in said order has a bus supplying approximately plus five volts to each terminal of its entry port.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 121 words

An interconnection bus for identifying a plurality of equipment units each having an N terminal entry port and an N terminal exit port, comprising: a first supply means for supplying a first fixed binary logical value to the N entry port terminals of a first one of said plurality of equipment units; a first connecting means for connecting (N-1) terminals of said first equipment unit entry port to (N-1) terminals of said first equipment unit exit port; a second supply means for supplying an originating connection having a fixed binary logical value to one terminal of said exit port; and a second connecting means for connecting said first equipment unit exit port to the entry port of a second equipment unit.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 121 words

An interconnection bus for identifying a plurality of equipment units each having an N terminal entry port and an N terminal exit port, comprising: a first supply means for supplying a first fixed binary logical value to the N entry port terminals of a first one of said plurality of equipment units; a first connecting means for connecting (N-1) terminals of said first equipment unit entry port to (N-1) terminals of said first equipment unit exit port; a second supply means for supplying an originating connection having a fixed binary logical value to one terminal of said exit port; and a second connecting means for connecting said first equipment unit exit port to the entry port of a second equipment unit.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 46 words

The interconnection bus of claim 12, wherein said first fixed binary value provides a logical "1" to each entry port terminal of said first equipment unit; and wherein said originating connection provides a logical "0" to said one terminal of said first equipment unit exit port.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 46 words

The interconnection bus of claim 12, wherein said first fixed binary value provides a logical "0" to each entry port terminal of said first equipment unit; and wherein said originating connection provides a logical "1" to said one terminal of said first equipment unit exit port.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 30 words

The interconnection bus of claim 12, wherein a logical value of "1" is defined as five volts and wherein a logical value of "0" is defined as a ground connection.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1989-12-01	1990-06-02	1990-12-02	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1993-12-01	1994-06-02	1994-12-02	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1997-12-01	1998-06-02	1998-12-02	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Bus arrangement for addressing equipment units and a method therefor

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