Pattern selection method and apparatus

Abstract

The duration of variations in the potential applied to a single electrical contact, when compared to a reference potential, are measured and employed to command either incrementing or decrementing of an address. The addresses are associated with a table of instructions and an addressed instruction, when read, will produce a discrete warning signal. A desired one of several light flash or audible patterns may be selected by step-wise scrolling through the table in response to manually varying the contact potential.

1. A method for varying the discernable information produced by a warning device, instructions commensurate with a predetermined number of different human sensory system stimulation patterns being stored in memory at sequentially addressable locations, said method comprising the steps of:
 generating an address signal which corresponds to the memory location of the instruction commensurate with the active warning pattern;  
 employing the generated address signal to retrieve the instruction commensurate therewith;  
 using the retrieved instruction to control the periodic energization of an energy radiator of a warning device;  
 monitoring the state of an electrical contact, the contact having applied thereto a first normal potential corresponding to a first state and a second potential corresponding to a second state, the second potential being indicative of a desire to vary the warning pattern;  
 measuring the duration of each application of said second potential to the monitored contact;  
 changing the generated address signal when the measured time is less than said first duration, the address signal being either incremented or decremented as a function of whether the measured time has exceeded the first duration to provide a new address signal;  
 employing the new address signal to retrieve a new instruction commensurate therewith; and  
 using the retrieved new instruction to control the periodic energization of the radiator of the warning device.  
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of changing the generated address signal when the measured duration is less than the first duration comprises varying the address signal by a single step in a first direction when the measured duration is greater than a second duration but less than the first duration, the second duration being a time period which is less than the first duration. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the said step of generating an address signal comprises:
 producing a pointer which may be incremented or decremented in step-wise fashion; and  
 
       wherein said steps of changing the generated address signal comprise:
 causing a change to the to the  pointer.  
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the step of changing the generated address signal when the measured duration is less than the first duration comprises:
 stepping the pointer in a first direction when the measured duration is greater than a second duration but less than the first duration, the second duration being a time period which is less than the first duration.  
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the step causing a change to the pointer when the measured time exceeds a first duration comprises:
 decrementing the pointer.  
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the discernable information is embodied in a visually observable flash pattern and wherein the step of employing the new address signal to retrieve a pattern instruction includes:
 determining the elapsed time since the last change of state of the monitored contact; and  
 employing the new address signal to retrieve an instruction if there have been no changes in contact state for a time duration which exceeds a second duration which is greater than the first duration.  
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of generating an address signal comprises:
 producing a digitized numerical pointer which references the full address, in a pattern table, of an instruction commensurate with a pattern; and  
 identifying and reading the full address of the pattern which corresponds to the pointer pattern.  
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second potential is ground potential and wherein said method further comprises the step of:
 connecting the monitored electrical contact to ground potential in order to generate a change pattern command, the duration of such commands being measured in said step of measuring.  
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein said steps of changing the address signal each comprise:
 causing a step-wise change in the pointer.  
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the discernable information is embodied in a visually observable flash pattern and wherein the step of employing the new address signal to retrieve a pattern instruction includes:
 determining the elapsed time since the last change of state of the monitored contact; and  
 employing the new address signal to retrieve an instruction if there have been no changes in contact state for a time duration which exceeds a second duration which is greater than the first duration.  
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the step of changing the generated address signal when the measured duration is less than the first duration comprises:
 stepping the pointer in a first direction when the measured duration is greater than a third duration but less than the first duration, the third duration being a time period which is less than the first duration.  
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step causing a change to the pointer when the measured time exceeds a first duration comprises:
 decrementing the pointer.  
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the second potential is ground potential and wherein said method further comprises the step of:
 connecting the monitored electrical contact to ground potential in order to generate a change pattern command, the duration of such commands being measured in said step of measuring.  
 
     
     
       14. A method for varying the discernable information produced by a warning device, instructions commensurate with a predetermined number of different human sensory system stimulation patterns being stored in addressable memory locations, said method comprising the steps of:
   generating an address signal which corresponds to the memory location of the instruction commensurate with an active warning pattern;        employing the generated address signal to retrieve the instruction;        using the retrieved instruction to control the periodic energization of an energy radiator of a warning device;        monitoring the state of an electrical contact, the contact having applied thereto a first normal potential corresponding to a first state and a second potential corresponding to a second state, the second potential being indicative of a desire to vary the warning pattern;        changing the generated address signal to a new address signal when said second potential is applied to the monitored electrical contact;        employing the new address signal to retrieve a new instruction; and        using the new instruction to control the periodic energization of the radiator of the warning device.     
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , comprising the step of:
   measuring a duration of each application of said second potential to the monitored contact;        wherein the step of changing comprises:      incrementing or decrementing the generated address signal as a function of the measured duration.       
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the step of changing comprises:
   making no change to the generated address signal if the measured duration does not exceed a first duration;        incrementing the generated address signal by a single step when the measured duration is greater than the first duration but less than a second duration; or        decrementing the generated address signal by a single step when the measured duration is greater than the second duration.     
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14 , wherein generating an address signal comprises:
   producing a pointer which may be incremented or decremented in step - wise fashion; and        wherein said step of incrementing or decrementing comprises;        causing a change to the pointer.     
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second potential is ground potential and wherein said method comprises:
   connecting the monitored electrical contact to ground potential to generate a change pattern command.     
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the second potential is ground potential and wherein said method comprises:
   connecting the monitored electrical contact to ground potential to generate a change pattern command, the duration of the change pattern command being measured in said step of measuring.     
     
     
       20. A circuit for applying an energy pattern to a radiator of a warning device comprising:
   a programmable microcontroller, said microcontroller comprising:      memory for storing an operating program and comprising a plurality of addressable memory locations;        a plurality of instruction sets stored in the plurality of addressable memory locations, each instruction set corresponding to a different pattern of energy to be applied to the radiator under the direction of the controller to produce a human sensory stimulation pattern; and          a monitored electrical terminal having applied thereto a first normal potential corresponding to a first state;        wherein the microcontroller operating program retrieves an active instruction set and applies the energy pattern corresponding to the active instruction set to the radiator, the operating program being responsive to application of a second potential to the monitored electrical contact to select another of said instruction sets as the active instruction set.     
     
     
       21. The warning device of  claim 20 , wherein addresses corresponding to said plurality of addressable memory locations are stored in a table, each address in the table associated with a pointer, said operating program retrieving the active instruction set according to an address indicated by the pointer and selecting another of said instruction sets by changing the pointer. 
     
     
       22. The warning device of  claim 21 , wherein the pointers comprise a sequence of binary numbers and changing the pointer comprises incrementing or decrementing the binary number. 
     
     
       23. The warning device of  claim 21 , wherein said operating program measures the duration of said application of a second potential to the monitored electrical contact and changes the pointer as a function of the duration of said application.