Patent ID: 7610107

Claim:
A control system comprising: a power isolation module that receives an input signal and, in response to the input signal, is capable of causing at least one power source to be connected to a first device, wherein the power isolation module includes both a first control module and at least one contactor; and a second control module coupled to the first control module, the second control module not forming part of the power isolation module, wherein the second control module receives at least one of the input signal and a secondary signal based upon the input signal, wherein the second control module further outputs a control signal in response to the at least one input and secondary signal, wherein the control signal is configured to be received by a second device associated with the first device; wherein the second control module receives at least one feedback signal from the second device; and wherein the second control module provides an additional signal based at least indirectly upon the at least one feedback signal back to the first control module, the additional signal influencing operation of the first control module; wherein the additional signal is representative, on at least one occasion, of both a first status of a first component of the second device and a second status of a second component of the second device as indicated by the at least one feedback signal; and wherein the first component is a gate lock, the first status is a locked/unlocked status of the gate lock, the second component is a gate, and the second status is an open/closed status of the pate.