System architecture permitting verified and unverified programs

Boots – shoes – and leggings

Patent

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

39580028, 39580031, 39580036, 39520043, 3952008, 364132, G06F 1300

Patent

active

059207159

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The operation of machines is being automated to an increasing extent, specifically also that of machines which, because of the large number of independent axes, have a significant control system complexity. In order to rule out hazards for humans and machines as far as possible, these control systems have to be safe to a very high degree, at least with respect to those control instructions whose erroneous actuation can have catastrophic consequences for the humans or the machines.
In the past, one has relied essentially on relay technology in this case, under the assumption that relays and contactors are comparatively safe control means. However, even in the case of this technology, redundancy and a type of test programs had to be provided, by means of which the relays have been reciprocally monitored or checked with respect to their functioning. The outlay on relays, even for comparatively simple control systems of, for example, eccentric-shaft presses, was enormous from the point of view of the space requirement. More complex safe control systems, which are able to detect errors and, when the error is detected, to stop the installation on the safe side, can virtually not be managed at all in relay technology because of the space requirement.
For this reason, a change was made to constructing the control system with electronic components instead of electromechanical components, although there was an awareness that electronic components are more sensitive to external influences, under certain circumstances, and more complicated errors can occur. In order to manage these difficulties to a certain extent, the control systems were designed with multiple channels, the channels monitoring one another mutually.
2. Description of the Related Art
With automation progressing still further, the transition to microprocessor-controlled installations was necessary, which further adds a further grade of errors, namely software errors.
The implementation of control systems with the aid of microprocessors and programs only makes sense, however, when it is simultaneously made possible for the user to expand the control systems and to take into the control systems further machines or machine movements which, under certain circumstances, are also not relevant to safety. In this case, this program part controlling functions which are not necessarily safe must in no way influence that program part which is supervising safe functions. Otherwise, it would be possible for grave disturbances to arise, the causes of which are virtually not to be found, since under certain circumstances they are dependent on the time correlation of specific input signals.
In addition, it forms part of the prior art to allow a plurality of programs to run on one processor, nested in time, as is described by Franzis' Verlag, Munich, 1987, pages 11 to 14. To this end, the individual programs which alternate one after another are written in such a way that after a predetermined time, generally controlled by an interrupt, they freely give back the processor, for example to a system core, which then starts a program which is similar with respect to its processor behavior.
It is furthermore known, via so-called inhibit inputs, to block components or groups of components in a computer control system, in order to prevent these components taking over items of information which are offered to them, for example via a bus line, and are intrinsically intended for other components. One example for such a circuit is described by Williams in "Trouble-shooting on Microprocessor based Systems", Pergamon Press, 1984, pages 9 to 12.
Furthermore, US-A-4 484 270 discloses a central control unit which is provided for use with a large number of data processing systems. Each of these data processing systems can be subdivided into further units, each of which in turn itself has the property of a data processing system. All these units access common peripheral devices via an interface subsystem.


OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF TH

REFERENCES:
patent: 4484270 (1984-11-01), Quernemoen
patent: 4568866 (1986-02-01), Floro et al.
patent: 4953074 (1990-08-01), Kametani et al.
patent: 5386360 (1995-01-01), Wilson et al.
patent: 5774721 (1998-06-01), Robinson
Michael Zilker, Praxis des Multitasking, Franzis-Verlag, Munich, 1987, pp. 11-14.
G.B. Williams, Troubleshooting on Microprocessor Based Systems, Pergamon Press, 1984, pp. 9-12.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

System architecture permitting verified and unverified programs does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with System architecture permitting verified and unverified programs , we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and System architecture permitting verified and unverified programs will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-906237

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.