Modules registration and status update of modular assembly system

• US 10,300,399 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell Holdings (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Shenzhen Bell Creative Science And Education Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wang, Zuobing, Qi, Hongbo, Zhou, Jinfu, Chen, Ziwen
• Primary Examiner(s): Zaidi, Iqbal
• Application Number:
  US15/601,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20170288976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 709221-226, 455561
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 11/00 Self-movable toy figures
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/001 Making or assembling thereof, e.g. by folding
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 29/22 Electric drives power supply through track A63H18/12
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/005 Motorised rolling toys
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/042 Mechanical, electrical, optical, pneumatic or hydraulic arrangements; Motors
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/062 with clip or snap mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/26 Magnetic or electric toys electric drives A63H29/22 ; indoor games played with small balls using magnetic power A63F7/0088, A63F7/068
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/08 characterised by modular constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1617 Cellular, reconfigurable manipulator, e.g. cebot
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 : Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 : Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 : Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 : Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/627 : Snap or like fastening
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6271 : Latching means integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 : Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0816 : Key establishment, i.e. cryptographic processes or cryptographic protocols whereby a shared secret becomes available to two or more parties, for subsequent use
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0819 : Key transport or distribution, i.e. key establishment techniques where one party creates or otherwise obtains a secret value, and securely transfers it to the other(s) network architectures or network communication protocols for key distribution in a packet data network H04L63/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 : Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 : using a plurality of keys or algorithms

Abstract

A method for registering one of a plurality of assembly modules operatively coupled to one another in a modular assembly system is provided. A first message including a first identifier of the assembly module is received from one of the plurality of assembly modules. A second message including a second identifier for the assembly module is transmitted to the assembly module. The second identifier is generated based on at least the first identifier. A third message including the second identifier is received from the assembly module. In response to determining that the third message is received, the assembly module is registered as a new assembly module of the modular assembly system. At least one of the receiving, transmitting, determining, and registering is performed by a control module of the plurality of assembly modules.

Claims

1. A method for registering one of a plurality of assembly modules operatively coupled to one another in a modular assembly system, the method comprising:

receiving, from one of the plurality of assembly modules, a first message comprising a first identifier of the assembly module;

transmitting, to the assembly module, a second message comprising a second identifier for the assembly module, the second identifier generated based on at least the first identifier;

determining that a third message comprising the second identifier is received from the assembly module; and

in response to determining that the third message is received, registering the assembly module as a new assembly module of the modular assembly system,

wherein at least one of the receiving, transmitting, determining, and registering is performed by a control module of the plurality of assembly modules; and

wherein the registering further comprises;

associating the assembly module with a status as being coupled to the modular assembly system;

assigning resource of the modular assembly system to the assembly module; and

transmitting, to a host of the modular assembly system, a fourth message indicating the status associated with the assembly module.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identifier is stored in a persistent storage of the assembly module and uniquely identifies the assembly module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message further comprises a third identifier indicative of a type of the assembly module.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the third message further comprises a normal status indicator and is periodically transmitted by the assembly module.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating comprises:

adding the first identifier of the assembly module into a list of online assembly modules.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining the first identifier from a persistent storage of the assembly module;

transmitting, to the control module, the first message comprising the first identifier;

receiving, from the control module, the second message comprising the second identifier; and

periodically transmitting, to the control module, the third message comprising the second identifier and a normal status indicator,

wherein the obtaining, transmitting, receiving, and periodically transmitting are performed by the assembly module.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the obtaining is automatically performed in response to the assembly module being powered-up.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first message further comprises a third identifier indicative of a type of the assembly module.

9. A method for updating a status associated with one of a plurality of assembly modules operatively coupled to one another in a modular assembly system, the method comprising:

transmitting, to one of the plurality of assembly modules, a first message for requesting data from the assembly module;

determining that a second message comprising the requested data or a third message comprising a normal status indicator is received from the assembly module;

in response to determining that the second message or the third message is received, updating a status associated with the assembly module as being coupled to the modular assembly system,

determining that the second message and the third message have not been received from the assembly module in a threshold period; and

in response to determining that the second message and the third message have not been received in the threshold period, updating the status associated with the assembly module as being decoupled from the modular assembly system,

wherein at least one of the transmitting, determining, and updating is performed by a control module of the plurality of assembly modules.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

in response to updating the status as being coupled to the modular assembly system, resetting the threshold period.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

in response to updating the status as being decoupled from the modular assembly system, transmitting, to a host of the modular assembly system, a fourth message indicating the status associated with the assembly module.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, from the control module, the first message for requesting the data;

in response to receiving the first message, transmitting, to the control module, the second message comprising the requested data; and

periodically transmitting, to the control module, the third message comprising the normal status indicator,

wherein the receiving, transmitting, and periodically transmitting are performed by the assembly module.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein

each of the second and third messages further comprises a first identifier for the assembly module;

the first identifier is transmitted from the control module to the assembly module; and

the first identifier is generated by the control module based on at least a second identifier of the assembly module that is stored in a persistent storage of the assembly module and uniquely identifies the assembly module.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein

the first messages comprises a third identifier for the assembly module;

and

the third identifier relates to the second identifier and is generated by the control module based on at least the second identifier.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the updating comprises:

determining that the second identifier is associated with a list of offline assembly modules; and

in response to determining that the second identifier is associated with the list of offline assembly modules, moving the second identifier from the list of offline assembly modules to a list of online assembly modules.

16. A method for registering one of a plurality of assembly modules operatively coupled to one another in a modular assembly system, the method comprising:

receiving, from one of the plurality of assembly modules, a first message comprising a first identifier of the assembly module;

transmitting, to the assembly module, a second message comprising a second identifier for the assembly module, the second identifier generated based on at least the first identifier;

determining that a third message comprising the second identifier is received from the assembly module;

in response to determining that the third message is received, registering the assembly module as a new assembly module of the modular assembly system, wherein at least one of the receiving the first message, transmitting the second message, determining, and registering is performed by a control module of the plurality of assembly modules;

obtaining the first identifier from a persistent storage of the assembly module;

transmitting, to the control module, the first message comprising the first identifier;

receiving, from the control module, the second message comprising the second identifier; and

periodically transmitting, to the control module, the third message comprising the second identifier and a normal status indicator, wherein the obtaining, transmitting the first message, receiving the second message, and periodically transmitting the third message are performed by the assembly module.

17. A method for updating a status associated with one of a plurality of assembly modules operatively coupled to one another in a modular assembly system, the method comprising:

transmitting, to one of the plurality of assembly modules, a first message for requesting data from the assembly module;

determining that a second message comprising the requested data or a third message comprising a normal status indicator is received from the assembly module;

in response to determining that the second message or the third message is received, updating a status associated with the assembly module as being coupled to the modular assembly system, wherein at least one of the transmitting the first message, determining, and updating is performed by a control module of the plurality of assembly modules;

receiving, from the control module, the first message for requesting the data;

in response to receiving the first message, transmitting, to the control module, the second message comprising the requested data; and

periodically transmitting, to the control module, the third message comprising the normal status indicator, wherein the receiving the first message, transmitting the second message, and periodically transmitting the third message are performed by the assembly module.