Patent US4183019A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US4742475A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4742475A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Environmental control system
Assignee: SPACE/USA Inc A CORP OF
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Filing: 1984-09-26
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Granted: 1988-05-03
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Expires: 2004-09-26
Abstract
Abstract An environmental control system for use in a greenhouse or another structure which requires the control of an ambient condition regulating element in response to a plurality of sensed parameters. The system includes a plurality of sensor elements and actuator elements, which communicate with a central control through communication interface units. In an illustrated embodiment the interface units communicate over previously installed AC power lines by frequency shift keyed signals. The interface units communicate to the peripheral control elements and the central control unit through serial digital signals. The central control maintains a protocol where, in response to operator inputs, time slots are assigned to different peripheral control elements to configure the system. Each peripheral control element is thereby addressed during its time slot and a sensor responds with data corresponding to a sensed parameter and an actuator executes a command. A unique framing character is generated by the central control at the beginning of each assigned time slot for alerting the peripheral control elements an address will next be generated and for synchronizing multiple central controls to a common time slot clock.
Inventors
- 👤 Frederick P. Kaiser
- 👤 Theodore R. Lapp
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 16:33
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01G; A01G9/00; A01G9/24; A01G9/26; A01G9/246; G; G05; G05D; G05D23/00; G05D23/19; G05D23/1902; G05D23/1905; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A40/00; Y02A40/10; Y02A40/25
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
158 words
A control system for varying at least one controlled paramater to control the environment of a greenhouse structure with a plurality of remotely controlled elements, said control system comprising: a programmed controller for communicating with the plurality of remotely controlled elements over an AC power line; said programmed controller including a stored control program defining the state of operation of each of said remotely controlled elements during a plurality of parameter stages away from a set point value for said at least one controlled parameter, said control program regulating the operation of said remotely controlled elements during each stage in said defined states to move the actual value of said controlled parameter of the greenhouse toward said set point value; means for determining the parameter stage corresponding to the actual value of said controlled parameter of the greenhouse; and means for commanding said remotely controlled elements to operate in accordance with said stored program for said determined stage.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
158 words
A control system for varying at least one controlled paramater to control the environment of a greenhouse structure with a plurality of remotely controlled elements, said control system comprising: a programmed controller for communicating with the plurality of remotely controlled elements over an AC power line; said programmed controller including a stored control program defining the state of operation of each of said remotely controlled elements during a plurality of parameter stages away from a set point value for said at least one controlled parameter, said control program regulating the operation of said remotely controlled elements during each stage in said defined states to move the actual value of said controlled parameter of the greenhouse toward said set point value; means for determining the parameter stage corresponding to the actual value of said controlled parameter of the greenhouse; and means for commanding said remotely controlled elements to operate in accordance with said stored program for said determined stage.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A control system as defined in claim 1 wherein said plurality of remotely controlled elements include: means for heating the greenhouse.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A control system as defined in claim 1 wherein said plurality of remotely controlled elements include: means for cooling the greenhouse.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
A control system as defined in claim 3 wherein said plurality of remotely controlled elements include: means for ventilating the greenhouse with outside air; and means for circulating the air within the greenhouse.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
A control system as defined in claim 1 which further include: a vent motor controller; a remote sensor controller; and an address controller.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
85 words
A control system as defined in claim 5: wherein said plurality of remotely controlled elements include a vent whose percent of opening is controlled by a motor; and wherein said vent motor controller includes means for receiving commands from said programmed controller as to the desired percent of opening of said vent; means for determining the present percent of opening of said vent; and means for controlling said motor to move said vent from said present percent of opening to said commanded percent of opening.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
61 words
A control system as defined in claim 6 wherein said vent motor controller further includes: means for overriding said percent of opening commands in response to a manual mode signal; means, enabled by said manual mode signal, for controlling said motor to open said vent; and means, enabled by said manual mode signal, for controlling said motor to close said vent.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
135 words
A control system as defined in claim 6: wherein said vent includes means for generating pulses indicative of incremental movements of said vent, means for generating a fully open vent signal when said vent is fully open, and means for generating a fully closed vent signal when said vent is fully closed; and wherein said present percent of opening determining means includes: means for sensing said fully closed vent signal; means for sensing said fully opened vent signal; means for sensing said pulses; means for generating a calibration count by counting the number of pulses between said fully opened and fully closed vent condition; means, utilizing said calibration count, for translating said percent opening commands into a commanded number of pulses; and said means for controlling said motor moving said vent said commanded number pulses.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
A control as defined in claim 6 wherein said vent motor controller further includes: means for sensing the torque on said motor; and means for disabling said motor controlling means if the sensed torque is in excess of a threshold.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
74 words
A control system as defined in claim 5 having at least one remote sensor: wherein said at least one remote sensor includes a sensor for measuring an actual temperature; and wherein said remote sensor controller includes: means for storing an actual temperature word indicative of said actual measured temperature; means for receiving interrogations from said programmed controller; and means for transmitting said stored temperature word to said programmed controller in response to said interrogations.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
51 words
A control system as defined in claim 10 wherein said temperature sensor measures outdoor temperature and said at least one remote sensor further includes: means for measuring the occurrence of rain in excess of a predetermined amount; and means for measuring the occurrence of wind in excess of a predetermined amount.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
A control system as defined in claim 11 wherein: said tranmitting means additionally transmits an indication of said measured wind and said measured rain to said programmed controller in response to said interrogations.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
A control system as defined in claim 10 wherein said at least one sensor measures indoor temperature and said at least one remote sensor further includes: means for measuring the indoor light level of said greenhouse.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
A control system as defined in claim 13 wherein: said transmitting means additionally transmits an indication of said measured light level to said programmed controller in response to said interrogations.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
63 words
A control system as defined in claim 5 wherein said address controller includes: means for receiving commands from said programmed controller as to the state of at least one actuator; means for distributing actuation signals based on said received commands; and means, controlled by said actuation signals, for controlling a plurality of actuators to determine the operational state of said remotely controlled elements.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
A control system as defined in claim 15 wherein: one of said remotely controlled elements is a ventilation fan.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
A control system as defined in claim 15 wherein: one of said remotely controlled elements is a fuel valve of a heater element.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
A control system as defined in claim 15 wherein: one of said remotely controlled elements is a fan motor of a heater element.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
A control system as defined in claim 15 wherein: one of said remotely controlled elements is a pump supplying water to a cooling pad.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
50 words
A control system as defined in claim 5 wherein said address controller includes: means for receiving commands from said programmed controller indicative of the position of one of said controlled elements; and means for converting said commands into a proportional signal which positions said controlled element to the commanded position.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
102 words
The control system as in claim 1 further including means for communicating on sidebands about a center frequency over said AC power line, comprising: transmitter means for convering a digital binary signal having two binary levels into an upper sideband signal in response to one of said binary levels, and a lower sideband signal in response to the other binary level, means for coupling said sideband signals to said AC power line; and receiver means, coupled to receive said sideband signals from said AC power line, for converting said upper and lower sideband signals to respective binary logic level digital output signals.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-05-03 | 1991-11-02 | 1992-05-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-05-03 | 1995-11-02 | 1996-05-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-05-03 | 1999-11-02 | 2000-05-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |