Claims
- 1. A method for making a timer module that performs a desired timer function, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a programmable timer module having a power supply circuit, an output circuit, and a programmable control circuit adapted to control at least one function of at least one of said power supply circuit, and said output circuit; establishing a program builder system for building a timer operating program for transmission to said timer module, said program builder system adapted to build a timer operating program including a plurality of timer subfunction code segments each corresponding to a different subfunction, wherein said program builder system includes a lookup table correlating each of a plurality of timer functions with a specific set of said subfunctions, wherein said program builder system is adapted to receive a timer function request input, and wherein said program builder system is adapted to build a subfunction ordering table based on said function request input and based on timer subfunctions correlated with said function request in said lookup table; presenting a function request to said program builder system so that said program builder system develops for incorporation into said timer operating program a subfunction ordering table in accordance with said function request input; and loading said timer operating program into said timer module.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said program builder system is adapted to receive model number input, wherein said presenting step includes the step of presenting a timer model number to said program builder program, and wherein said program builder system is adapted to determine said function input request based on said model number input.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said program builder system is adapted to receive a model number input, wherein said presenting step includes the step of presenting a timer model number to said program builder program, and wherein aid program builder program is configured to determine said function request input by parsing characters from said model number input.
- 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of making available a model number data page correlating a plurality timer model numbers with information respecting said timer model numbers, wherein said presenting step includes the step of selecting a timer model number based on same information of said model number data page.
- 5. The method of claim 4, wherein said model number data page is electronically displayed.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said timer functions of said lookup table are functions selected from the group consisting of a delay on make timing function, a delay on break timing function, a single shot timing function, a recycle timing function, and an interval timing function.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing step includes the step of establishing said builder system so that said builder system makes said timer operating program with blank code segments adapted to accommodate at least one new subfunction ordering table, whereby said module can be reprogrammed in accordance with a new desired timer function without recruiting of a plurality of said subfunction code segments.
- 8. A timer module comprising:
an output circuit; and a control circuit including a one-time programmable memory, said one-time programmable memory storing thereon an operating program for operating a timer, said program including:
a plurality of subfunction code segments each of said subfunction code segments corresponding to a different timer subfunction; and a subfunction ordering table determining an ordering of subfunctions for execution of said subfunction code segments.
- 9. The module of claim 8, wherein said module is adapted for communication with a program builder system, wherein said subfunction ordering table is established using a program builder system in breakable communication with said timer module.
- 10. The module of claim 8, wherein said program includes reprogramming status code section, wherein said reprogramming status code section is adapted to be read to determine a number of times said module has been reprogrammed.
- 11. The module of claim 10, wherein said reprogramming status code segment is adapted to change by rewriting at least one address with an “all zero” valve.
- 12. The module of claim 8, wherein said module is adapted for communication with a program builder system, wherein said subfunction ordering table is established using a program builder system in breakable communication with said timer module.
- 13. The module of claim 8, wherein said module is adapted for communication with a program builder system, wherein said subfunction ordering table is established using a program builder system in breakable communication with said time module, said program builder system having stored thereon a lookup table correlating timer functions with lists of subfunctions.
- 14. The module of claim 8, wherein said subfunction ordering table establishes an ordering for execution of said subfunction code segments so that a timer function is executed by execution of said ordering of subfunction code segments.
- 15. The module of claim 14, wherein said executed timer function is a timer function selected from the group consisting of a delay on make timing function, a delay on break timing function, a single shot timing function, a recycle timing function, and an interval timing function.
- 16. The module of claim 8, wherein program further includes at least one blank code segment for accommodating a new subfunction ordering table, without requiring rewriting of any subfunction code segment of said program.
- 17. The module of claim 8, further comprising a single housing encapsulating said an output unit, and said control unit.
- 18. The module of claim 8, wherein said at least one of said plurality subfunction code segments is segments coaxially a subfunction selected from the group consisting of a “turn load on” and “turn load off” subfunction.
- 19. The module of claim 8, wherein said program further includes at least one timer operating parameter code segment, said operating parameter code segment selected from the group consisting of a timing range code segment a fixed/adjustable code segment, and a fixed time delay code segment.
- 20. The module of claim 19, wherein said program further includes at least one blank operating parameter code segment, for accommodating a new operating parameter code segment
- 21. A memory-conserving method for programming a plurality of processor-controlled timers using a low-cost processor system, wherein each timer is to have a different timer function, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) defining each of said different timer functions in terms of a set of timer subfunctions; (b) creating a list of timer subfunctions, said list of timer subfunctions comprising the sum of all subfunctions defined in step (a); (c) developing a program code segment for each of said timer subfunction of said list created in step (b); (d) loading each program code segment developed in step (c) into each of said plurality of timers; and (e) storing one of said subfunction ordering tables into each of said plurality of timers.
- 22. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one subfunction defined more than once in step (a) is expressed in said list created in step (b) less than its number of incidence.
- 23. The method of claim 21, wherein said establishing step includes the step of making a program builder system, incorporating therein a lookup table correlating timer functions with subfunction ordering tables, and selecting one of said subfunction ordering tables based on a desired timer function.
- 24. The method of claim 23, wherein said establishing step further includes the step of making available a model number data page correlating timer function with infraction respecting said timer functions, and wherein said selecting step is executed in accordance with information of said model number data page.
- 25. The method of claim 23, wherein said making available step includes the step of electronically displaying said model number data page.
- 26. The method of claim 21, wherein said establishing builder system with a model number input, and wherein said program builder system is adapted to derive a function request input from said model number input.
- 27. The method of claim 21, wherein said storing step includes the step of leaving a blank code segment in at least one of said timers for accommodating a new subfunction ordering table so that said at least one timer can be reprogrammed to perform a new function without requiring rewriting any of said plurality of subfunction code segments.
- 28. The method of claim 21, wherein said developing step includes the step of developing a code segment selected from the group consisting of a “turn load on” code input, and a “turn load off” code segment.
- 29. The method of claim 21, wherein said method further comprises the step of programming a reprogramming status code segment into each of said timers.
- 30. The method of claim 29, wherein said method includes the step of configuring said reprogramming status code segment of each of said timers, so that a reprogramming status or said each timer can be charged by over-writing an “all zero” line of code into said reprogramming status code segment.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the priority of the following provision applications: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/259,920 filed on Jan. 5, 2001, entitled “Programmable Timer Module System,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/260,002, filed on Jan. 5, 2001, entitled “Programmable Timer Module,” the contents of which are relied upon and incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, and the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) is hereby claimed.
Provisional Applications (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60259920 |
Jan 2001 |
US |
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60260002 |
Jan 2001 |
US |