Electrical transmission or interconnection systems – Plural load circuit systems
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-25
2001-02-20
Jackson, Stephen W. (Department: 2836)
Electrical transmission or interconnection systems
Plural load circuit systems
C307S125000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06191497
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to an electrical circuit which is capable of isolating particular components while supplying power to a particular device and, more particularly, to an electrical circuit whereby supporting devices in the circuit may be shut down, while power continues to be supplied to a circuit controller without maintaining the surrounding support devices thereby reducing current consumption to near zero.
In the design of electrical circuits, it is customary that the positive supply is opened when it is desired to interrupt or terminate power to the circuit or components thereof. However, when it is desired to supply power to a particular component of a circuit, the particular circuit component can be maintained in an operable condition without maintaining surrounding support devices by shutting down the return mode, not the supply mode of the system, by opening the system ground return rather than interrupting the positive supply. In this manner, the current consumption can be limited to that required for maintaining the particular circuit component active, and has many practical applications wherein it is desired to conserve a power supply such as a battery.
Interrupting the power supply to a circuit by opening the system ground return rather than the positive supply is known to those skilled in the art, and has been used in circuits for such things as power line load control, U.S. Pat. No.3,448,361, and in a timing controller, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,672,232. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,448,361, “SELECTIVE-FREQUENCY POWER LINE LOAD CONTROL”, a semi-conductor controlled rectifier (SCR) is coupled between an individual load coupled to a power line, and ground. In operation an individual load is coupled in series with the SCR across the power lines, and when the control electrode of the SCR is triggered “on” by a control voltage, current flows through the load. Current flow is interrupted when the control electrode is not triggered, thereby interrupting power to the load on the system ground return. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,672,232, “MICROPROCESSOR OPERATED TIMING CONTROLLER”, an electronic switching device is coupled between an individual load, an appliance receiving receptacle, and ground. In operation the electronic switch is controlled by a microprocessor, which closes the switch to complete a circuit for energizing the receptacle. In the absence of a control signal from the microprocessor, the electronic switch opens the return path to ground, and the appliance plugged into the receptacle is turned off.
In the instant circuit, a single switch is utilized within a common ground line to control the current flow through a plurality of loads, whereby power to all of these loads may be interrupted by opening the system ground return so that power can be supplied to a particular component of the circuit, a microprocessor, to the exclusion of all remaining components by the operation of a single switch.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to more efficiently utilize power supplied to an electrical circuit, including a plurality of circuit components and associated support devices.
Another object of this invention is to maintain a supply of power to a particular device in an electrical circuit at all times while selectively interrupting the power supplied to the remaining circuit devices receiving power from the same power supply.
A further object of this invention is to interrupt the power supplied to a plurality of loads coupled to a common power supply through the use of a single switch while maintaining power to a particular circuit component from the same power supply.
Still another object of this invention is to reduce the current consumption of an electrical circuit by opening the system ground to terminate the power supplied to a plurality of loads coupled to the circuit while maintaining the power supply to a particular component of the circuit.
These and other objects are attained in accordance with the present invention wherein there is provided an electrical circuit including a microprocessor or controller to which power is supplied at all times and a plurality of supporting devices to which power to the support devices maybe interrupted by operation of a single switch situated within a common ground line for the plurality of support devices, controlled by operation of the microprocessor controller.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3432678 (1969-03-01), Larson
patent: 3448361 (1969-06-01), Dinter
patent: 4495944 (1985-01-01), Brisson
patent: 4672232 (1987-06-01), Schoen
patent: 5165417 (1992-11-01), Murphy, Jr.
patent: 5523802 (1996-06-01), Sugihara et al.
patent: 5560353 (1996-10-01), Willemot
patent: 5708357 (1998-01-01), Chen
patent: 5717258 (1998-02-01), Park
Forbes Brian
Keating Michael J.
Wickstead James C.
DHD Healthcare Corporation
Hancock & Estabrook, LLP
Jackson Stephen W.
Polk Sharon
Roehrig, Jr August E.
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