Patent · US Expired

Distributed serial control system

US5841360A · kind A · utility

274Cited by
4References
24Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 22, 1996
Grant dateNov 24, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 22, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L2012/2843
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A network topology allowing distributed sensing, control and communication, comprising a power source and a plurality of line-Powered, Serially connected Intelligent Cells (PSICs) coupled to the power source and to each other via respective communication channels comprising at least two electrical conductors. Each of the PSICs is uniquely addressed, preferably "on the fly" in real time, and at least one payload element is coupled to one of the PSICs for operating in accordance with control logic embedded in or fed to the corresponding PSIC. The communication channels allow for data transfer between adjacent PSICs in either or both directions independent of a simultaneous communication between another pair of adjacent PSICs.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.