Electrical computers and digital processing systems: processing – Processing architecture – Microprocessor or multichip or multimodule processor having...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-07
2001-08-14
Pan, Daniel H. (Department: 2183)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: processing
Processing architecture
Microprocessor or multichip or multimodule processor having...
C712S029000, C710S120000, C340S315000, C340S870030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06275922
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to system remote control interfaces, in particular to remote control interfaces associated with appliances and other consumer devices operable in response to commands provided over an available medium, such as the power lines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The growth in electronic complexity and sophistication of consumer appliances has followed similar developments in office automation. Many appliances now contain microprocessors with memory and input/output to replace mechanical controls. These electronics initially were employed to lower manufacturing costs, but now are incorporated to enhance the appliance features. Examples include the operation of a washing machine for a variety of clothing materials with a single selection by the user, or a telephone set with memory and last-number redial.
The computer equipment in offices is now typically interconnected with a local area network so products manufactured by a variety of companies can communicate intelligently. This allows the equipment to be located where convenient for the user of the applications. Consumer appliance manufacturers are aware of the benefits that could accrue if different appliances could be interconnected in the house. An appliance would not need to be confined within one cabinet. Sensors, actuators, controls, and user interfaces could all be located throughout the house where appropriate for a task. Furthermore, the exchange of data among different appliances could enhance their capabilities.
The communication of data among the components of one appliance or among different appliances is technically possible, but not practically feasible. There are two key detriments to such a system, standards and appliance interface. Many manufacturers, trade associations, and government agencies recognize limitations imposed by a lack of standards. They also realize that solving these problems can open the development of a new industry termed “home automation” resulting in a variety of novel home automation products.
The Electronic Industries Association (EIA) is a United States trade association of manufacturers of consumer audio, video, computer, and telephone products. The EIA has organized a committee, called “Consumer Electronics Bus” (CEBus), to develop standards for interconnecting consumer appliances in a house. The CEBus committee is adopting the design principles of commercial local area networks to create communication protocols appropriate for the home environment.
The CEBus protocol description follows the established practice of the International Standards Organization (ISO). The ISO has defined a seven-layer model for a communication network, called the Open Systems Interconnect (OSI). This design abstraction allows heterogeneous products to exchange data over a network of arbitrary extent. The CEBus protocol is a published specification available to any manufacturer.
The CEBus protocol has been specialized to a typical residential environment. It accommodates six types of media, specifically infra-red, radio frequency, power line carrier, twisted-pair wires, coaxial cable, and fiber optic cable to provide a shared communication resource, termed a “bus,” that may be used by many appliances.
The CEBus implements four of the “layers” of the OSI communications model:
layer 1: Methods of impressing digital data on each medium.
layer 2: Methods of organizing binary data into meaningful messages (a sequence of bytes).
layer 3: Methods of routing messages among appliances and among the six media.
layer 7: A language for representing commands issued from one appliance to another to effect control.
The CEBus also provides a variety of media options so appliance manufacturers have a variety of migration paths for expanding appliance capabilities at the lowest cost and inconvenience. Nevertheless, manufacturers wishing to adopt CEBus face dilemmas regarding how an existing appliance can be made compatible and functional with CEBus, and how a manufacturer can adapt appliances to CEBus in “stages” without major redesign.
There are no known appliance apparatus that implement the CEBus protocol and can accommodate a variety of appliances without significantly disrupting the existing appliance functionality.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides easy and direct adaptation of consumer appliances to a home automation system utilizing the so-called CEBus protocol of the Electronic Industries Association. The invention embodies electronic hardware and software all contained on a single small (typically 2¾″ by 3½″) printed circuit board to which the appliance or other consumer device can be connected without significant redesign.
The present invention is intended to be located inside an appliance to permit the appliance to communicate data using the CEBus protocol. Appliances used for home automation are typically connected to a communications network in order to control other appliances, to be controlled by other appliances, or to report a measured environmental parameter.
The present invention offers a universal interface for a variety of appliance types and for all CEBus communications media. The interface is logically interposed between the control electronics in the appliance and the communications medium. There is no requirement for appliances to contain special electronics to use this interface. Appliances without a microprocessor or with a microprocessor that is fully committed to internal appliance functions can be accommodated. The interface translates CEBus commands to signals that are to appropriate for the capabilities of the appliance; conversely, signals from the appliance can cause specific CEBus commands to be sent to a designated appliance.
Adaptation to appliances with differing input/output arrangements and to various media is possible by remotely configurable software and modules that plug onto the invention.
According to the present invention, signals between the interface and the appliance are presented on two parallel sets of pins. Eight input pins and eight output pins are programmed independently. Each pin selectively conveys data and selectively indicates the completion of an operation in the appliance. Separate pins are available to implement a full handshake protocol between the interface and the appliance. This acknowledges processing of input/output data by the recipient so the next data may be placed on the pins without loss of data.
The components internal to some appliances are interconnected by a common bus. The input and output pins of the invention have the capability of connection to a bus. Both sets of pins can be operated in a high impedance mode when the interface and the device are not signaling to each other. Acknowledgment via designated data pins or via the dedicated handshake pins is available.
Furthermore, the link between the interface and the appliance may use a serial port that incorporates the industry-standard RS-232 serial protocol or other serial protocol. The software in the invention sets the parameters for speed and data format. Both raw binary data and ASCII-encoded binary data may be sent in this mode.
The invention contains special provisions for adaptation to many configurations a power line carrier medium, a twisted pair medium and other media. These are implemented by configuring the software contained in the invention, and are described in the next section.
The invention contains a flexible array of programmably selectable features. These accommodate a large spectrum of appliance capabilities and tran mission media characteristics. The invention is adapted to a particular operating environment by configuring the resident software.
Configuration is typically accomplished by programming the invention during the process of assembling the appliance. Alternatively, a sophisticated controller in the house may program or alter the program contained in the interface of an appliance. Thus the invention can be configured statically, prior to use, or dynamically during operation. This permits an ap
Bertsch Ludo A.
Pan Daniel H.
Weingarten, Schurgin Gagnebin & Hayes LLP
LandOfFree
Method and apparatus for remotely managing multiple... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for remotely managing multiple..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for remotely managing multiple... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2528028