Patents by Inventor Bradley J. Bittorf

Bradley J. Bittorf has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Redundant processor controller providing upgrade recovery
    Patent number: 5966301
    Abstract: An industrial controller provides a primary controller and a redundant secondary controller and allows switchover between the controllers in the event of a failure in the primary controller. The process of qualification of the secondary controller in which its programming is made to match the primary controller may be inhibited to permit the secondary controller to maintain a clean version of an upgraded program executing on the primary controller. The clean program may be reverted to in the event an upgrading of the program in the primary controller is unsuccessful. Switchover is permitted even though the qualification of the secondary controller is not enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company, LLC
    Inventors: William B. Cook, Mark A. Flood, Steven P. Richter, Mark E. Taylor, Bradley J. Bittorf
  • Programmable controller backup system
    Patent number: 5777874
    Abstract: The present invention constitutes a data crossloading system for use with a programmable controller system having primary and secondary (or "back-up") systems each of which have redundant hardware components and have data structures associated with these components. The present invention further relates to the interconnection of the hardware components and to the processes for providing redundant data structures which enable a secondary or back-up system to rapidly and effectively assume control when a malfunction occurs in a primary control system. Both systems are connected via the same remote data links to common I/O racks which interface to sensing and output devices on the equipment being controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark A. Flood, Bradley J. Bittorf, William B. Cook, D. Alan Graham, Robert D. Law, David E. Mohnke, Robert R. Sepsi, Jack F. Toma
  • Programmable controller with a dual intermodule message system
    Patent number: 4876664
    Abstract: A programmable controller suitable for operating a machine to carry out a plurality of programmed functions includes a plurality of program processors each being operable to execute simultaneously a different control program that directs the programmable controller to operate the machine to perform specific functions. Each of the processors includes a memory having areas for receiving different priority level messages. Each area has an addressable location corresponding to each module in the controller that can send messages. A message may be an executable command or a pointer to an address block containing the message or message access parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1989
    Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley J. Bittorf, Mark A. Flood, Michael D. Kalan, Robert R. Sepsi