Network topology for food service equipment items
First Claim
4. A network topology for communication within and between food service equipment items, said topology comprising:
- a plurality of food service equipment items, each said equipment item comprising a controller and at least one functional subsystem configured as a slave to said controller;
a master interface associated with each said controller, each said master interface being adapted for electrical communication within the respective equipment item over an intra-equipment communication channel with a slave interface associated with each said functional subsystem; and
a bus slave interface associated with each said controller for communication, between said food service equipment items, over an inter-equipment communication channel, each said bus slave interface being substantially electrically identical to each said slave interface.
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Abstract
A network topology for communication within and between food service equipment items generally comprises one or more food service equipment items, each having a controller and at least one functional subsystem configured as a slave to the controller, and a master interface and a bus slave interface associated with each controller. Each master interface is adapted for electrical communication over an intra-equipment communication channel with a slave interface associated with the functional subsystem. Each bus slave interface is adapted for communication, external to the food service equipment item, over an inter-equipment communication channel. Each bus slave interface is substantially electrically identical to each slave interface.
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Citations
26 Claims
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4. A network topology for communication within and between food service equipment items, said topology comprising:
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a plurality of food service equipment items, each said equipment item comprising a controller and at least one functional subsystem configured as a slave to said controller;
a master interface associated with each said controller, each said master interface being adapted for electrical communication within the respective equipment item over an intra-equipment communication channel with a slave interface associated with each said functional subsystem; and
a bus slave interface associated with each said controller for communication, between said food service equipment items, over an inter-equipment communication channel, each said bus slave interface being substantially electrically identical to each said slave interface. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A network topology for communication within and between food service equipment items, said topology comprising:
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a plurality of food service equipment items, each said equipment item comprising a controller and at least one functional subsystem configured as a slave to said controller;
a master interface associated with a first said controller, said master interface being adapted for electrical communication within the equipment item over an intra-equipment communication channel with a slave interface associated with each said functional subsystem configured as a slave to said first controller;
a bus slave interface associated with said first controller for communication, external to the food service equipment item, over an inter-equipment communication channel, said bus slave interface being substantially electrically identical to each said slave interface; and
a logical switch associated with said first controller, said logical switch being adapted to selectively configure said first controller as a master device or a slave device with respect to the inter-equipment communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22-1. The network topology as recited in claim 22, wherein said network interface is adapted to collect and store information related to the operation of said food service equipment items.
Specification