Timed Automata with non-Instantaneous Actions

In this paper we propose a model, timed automata with non-instantaneous actions, which allows representing in a suitable way real-time systems. Timed automata with non-instantaneous actions extend the timed automata model by dropping the assumption that actions are instantaneous: in our model an action can take some time to be completed. We investigate the expressiveness of the new model, comparing it with classical timed automata. In particular, we study the set of timed languages which can be accepted by timed automata with non-instantaneous actions. We prove that timed automata with non-instantaneous actions are more expressive than timed automata and less expressive than timed automata with edges. Moreover we define the parallel composition of timed automata with non-instantaneous actions. We point out how the specification by means of a parallel timed automaton with non-instantaneous actions is, in some cases, more convenient to represent reality.