Vacuum network controller
US6272400A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 13, 1998 |
| Grant date | Aug 7, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 13, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P90/80
- WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A vacuum network controller includes a host interface for interfacing with a host controller, a component interface for interfacing with vacuum system components, a computer-readable medium storing software code, and a processor in communication with each of the preceding elements. The software code generates commands to control the vacuum system components, translates those commands into multiple communication protocols, and communicates the translated commands to the component interface. In a method embedded in a set of computer-translatable instructions, an instruction is received from a host controller. That instruction is processed to generate a command for controlling a vacuum system component. A software driver is selected from a library of drivers for communication protocols, and the selected software driver is used to translate the command into the respective protocol. Finally, the translated command is communicated to a component interface to control the operation of the vacuum system component.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.