Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support – Digital data processing system initialization or configuration
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-18
2004-08-10
Butler, Dennis M. (Department: 2115)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support
Digital data processing system initialization or configuration
C700S019000, C700S024000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06775767
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention refers to a method for automatically assigning addresses in a bus system with a single or multiple wire bus, a plurality of participating units (referred to as units in the following) connected to the bus and a control device for issuing control signals to the units, the control device also being coupled to the bus, where each unit comprises an actuator and an actuator driving device for displacing the actuator along a displacement path defined by two end positions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In order to minimize wiring efforts in automotive vehicles, for example, control signals for controlling actuators are more and more frequently sent via a bus to which, besides a control device, also the controlling devices for the actuator driving devices of the individual units are coupled. The actuator driving devices of a vehicle air conditioning, window lifters or the front seats, for example, are comprised in a bus system. To enable the control device to selectively control one or a plurality of actuator drives, addresses are assigned to these. At present, the addresses of units are stored by programming. While this procedure is relatively unproblematic during the assembly of a vehicle, the efforts required are all the greater if the entire unit, i.e. the actuator driving device including the control, has to be replaced in a garage, for example, since the garage has to be equipped with a corresponding programming device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to simplify the assigning of addresses in a bus system with a control device and a plurality of units with actuator driving devices and the necessary controlling devices.
The object is solved by the present invention with a method for a system of the kind mentioned above, the method comprising the following steps:
storing, in the control device, operating data sets that, upon adjustment of the actuators from one end position to another end position, describe expected operation parameters of the actuator driving devices of the units, these set parameters being different for each actuator driving device, and storing address data that are also different and are assigned to the different set parameters,
wherein the control device causes the actuator driving devices of the units to move the respective assigned actuators to the one end position,
wherein the control device then causes the actuator driving devices of the units to move the respective assigned actuators to the other end position,
determining the actual operating parameters of the actuator driving devices during the movement of the actuators of the units from one end position to the other end position,
wherein the control device issues the set parameters and the respective assigned address data to all units,
wherein each unit compares the actual operating parameters to the set operating parameters provided by the control device and accepts those address data as its address in the bus system, which belong to those set operating parameters to which the actual operating parameters of its actuator driving device correspond.
The present invention takes advantage of the fact that the address is assigned depending on the operating parameters of the actuator driving devices that occur when the actuator driving devices displace their respective assigned actuators from one end position to the other end position. The set parameters to be expected have been established with consideration to the given circumstances and the production tolerances and have been stored in the control device together with their assigned addresses. In an alternative variant of the invention, all set operating parameters to be expected are stored in each unit together with the respective assigned addresses.
Using the actual operating parameters resulting from the displacement of the actuators from the one end position to the other, each unit can be individualized by comparing the set operating parameters to the actual operating parameters and determining within which set operating parameters the actual operating parameters of the units fall. Thus, the control device can assign an address to each unit, or each unit assigns an address to himself.
The present invention becomes particularly transparent if the displacement path along which the actuator moved by an actuator driving device can be displaced, is defined as an operating parameter. If no other values are considered besides the displacement paths to define the operating parameters, a unique assignment of an address to a unitrequires that the displacement paths of the units are different. In this case, also the ranges of the displacement paths (set operating parameters) must be different which, as is assumed in the present case, are stored in the control device together with the addresses assigned to them. In response to a central command from the control device, the actuators of all units are moved to the one end position. Upon another central command from the control device, all actuators are moved to the other end position. In the process, the units determine the actual displacement. This may be done, for example, by a revertive potentiometer as is the case, for example, in an actuator driving device with position control, or by counting the steps of a stepper motor. In any case, the actual displacement paths are stored in the units after displacement of their actuators from the one end position to the other end position.
Then, the control device issues data word pairs. These data word pairs consist of data, on the one hand, representing the set displacement path ranges of the individual actuators in consideration of potential tolerances, and of address data, on the other hand. The individual units now check in which of the set displacement path regions the previously determined actual displacement path ranges of their actuators fall. They accept those address data that are assigned to the set displacement path ranges within which the actual displacement paths of their actuators lie. In this manner, each unit is accorded a unique address.
The above described method of using the displacement paths of the individual actuators as operating parameters is applicable whenever the displacement paths of the actuators of bus system units differ sufficiently, even in consideration of tolerances, so that a unique assignment of addresses to units can be made on the basis of the actual displacement paths. However, bus systems exist, where the actuators of two or more units have the same or substantially the same displacement paths. Exemplary for such bus systems are the actuator driving devices of the air distributing flaps and the heating and cooling fluid of a heat and cold exchanger in a vehicle air condition, where different set temperatures may be set by the driver and the co-driver (so-called left/right air conditioning systems). These systems may have a “symmetrical” design where each component is provided twice, i.e. once for the driver and once for the co-driver. In such a bus system, there are always two units whose actuators can travel the same displacement path between their respective end positions (in consideration of production and assembly tolerances, of course).
A first possibility to have addresses assigned according to the present method also in such systems is to make the pairs of equal displacement paths different by structural means. This is possible without the two subsystems reacting or operating such that the passengers of the vehicle could sense the difference.
Another possibility is to use different operating voltage polarization for the units of each unit pair having actuator driving devices with actuators having the same displacement path. The operating voltage is a DC voltage so that the different polarization would cause the actuators to be displaced in opposite directions if those units are controlled in the same way. By connecting a diode full bridge between the DC power supply and the actuator driving devices, the operating voltage at the actuator driving devices
Hinrichs Knut
Müsch Erhard
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Butler Dennis M.
Elmos Semiconductor AG
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