Granted Patent B2

US 7,294,797 · App. 11/334,896 · Granted Nov 13, 2007

Abstract

Claims (35)

1. An electronic controller comprising:

an extend-enable switch;

a retract-enable switch;

an all-activate switch; and

at least a first group-activate switch,

and configured to generate:

an all-extend electronic signal upon coordinated actuation of the extend-enable switch and the all-activate switch;

an all-retract electronic signal upon coordinated actuation of the retract-enable switch and the all-activate switch;

a first group-extend electronic signal upon coordinated actuation of the extend-enable switch and the first group-activate switch; and

a first group-retract electronic signal upon coordinated actuation of the retract-enable switch and the first group-activate switch

wherein the coordinated actuation of two switches of the electronic controller comprises manual actuation of one of said two switches within a pre-determined time period after manual actuation of the other of said two switches.

2. The electronic controller of claim 1 wherein the coordinated actuation of two switches of the electronic controller comprises simultaneous manual actuation of both the switches.

3. The electronic controller of claim 1 wherein

the coordinated actuation of the extend-enable switch and the all-activate switch comprises simultaneous manual actuation of both the extend-enable switch and the all-activate switch; and

the coordinated actuation of the retract-enable switch and the all-activate switch comprises simultaneous manual actuation of both the retract-enable switch and the all-activate switch.

4. The electronic controller of claim 1 wherein

the coordinated actuation of the extend-enable switch and the first group-activate switch comprises manual actuation of the first group-activate switch within 10 second after manual actuation of the extend-enable switch; and

the coordinated actuation of the retract-enable switch and the first group-activate switch comprises actuating the first group-activate switch subsequently to the actuating of the retract-enable switch.

5. The electronic controller of claim 1 wherein the coordinated actuation of two switches of the electronic controller comprises manual actuation of one of the two switches simultaneous with or subsequent to manual actuation of the other of the two switches with no intervening manual actuation of any other switch of the electronic controller.

6. The electronic controller of claim 1 wherein

the coordinated actuation of the extend-enable switch and the first group-activate switch comprises manual actuation of the first group-activate switch simultaneous with or subsequent to manual actuation of the extend-enable switch with no intervening other manual actuation of any switch of the electronic controller other than, optionally, other actuations of the first group-activation switch; and

the coordinated actuation of the retract-enable switch and the group-activate switch comprises manual actuation of the group-activate switch simultaneous with or subsequent to manual actuation of the retract-enable switch with no intervening other manual actuation of any switch of the electronic controller other than, optionally, other actuations of the first group-activation switch.

7. The electronic controller of claim 1 further comprising at least a second group-activate switch, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to generate:

a second group-extend electronic signal upon coordinated actuation of the extend-enable switch and the second group-activate switch; and

a second group-retract electronic signal upon coordinated actuation of the retract-enable switch and the second group-activate switch;

and wherein

the coordinated actuation of the extend-enable switch and any one of the group-activate switches comprises manual actuation of that group-activate switch simultaneous with or subsequent to manual actuation of the extend-enable switch with no intervening other manual actuations of any switch of the electronic controller other than, optionally, other actuations of the first group-activation switch and, optionally, manual actuation of any one or more other group-enable switches of the electronic controller; and

the coordinated actuation of the retract-enable switch and any one of the group-activate switches comprises manual actuation of that group-activate switch simultaneous with or subsequent to manual actuation of the retract-enable switch with no intervening manual actuation of any other switch of the electronic controller other than, optionally, manual actuation of any one or more other group-enable switches of the electronic controller.

8. The electronic controller of claim 7 wherein at least under certain pre-determined conditions, coordinated actuation of the extend-enable switch and the first group-activate switch, in addition to generating the first group-extend electronic signal, also generates a second group-retract signal.

9. The electronic controller of claim 7 further comprising a third group-activate switch and a fourth group-activate switch, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to generate:

a third group-extend electronic signal upon coordinated actuation of the extend-enable switch and the third group-activate switch;

a third group-retract electronic signal upon coordinated actuation of the retract-enable switch and the group-activate switch;

a fourth group-extend electronic signal upon coordinated actuation of the extend-enable switch and the fourth group-activate switch; and

a fourth group-retract electronic signal upon coordinated actuation of the retract-enable switch and the fourth group-activate switch.

10. The electronic controller of claim 1 further comprising a front panel to which the switches are mounted.

Assignments (19)