Method and apparatus for modular embedded control system

• US 20040186929A1
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mark Salerno
• Original Assignee: Mark Salerno
• Inventors: Salerno, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,259,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/21081 At start up, check I-O configuration and store addresses in ram

Abstract

An embedded control system is provided, which includes a generically applicable computer module, display module, keyboard module, power supply module, and at least one input/output module. The display module is coupled to the computer module by a first communication bus, and the keyboard module is coupled to the computer module by a second communication bus. The power supply module is coupled to the computer module by a third communication bus, and the at least one input/output module is coupled to the power supply module and the third communication bus. The input/output module is adapted for coupling at least one additional input/output module to the third communication bus. The computer module automatically identifies the input/output modules on the third communication bus in response to applying power to the embedded control system. The system is adapted for different applications using software resident in the computer module.

Claims

1. An integral embedded control system having generically applicable modules, the system comprising:

a computer module;

a display module, the display module being operatively coupled to the computer module by a first communication bus;

a user input module, the user input module being operatively coupled to the computer module by a second communication bus;

a power supply module, the power supply module being operatively coupled to the computer module by a third communication bus; and

at least one input/output module, the at least one input/output module being operatively coupled to the power supply module and the third communication bus, the power supply module providing power to the computer module, display module, user input module, and the at least one input/output module, the at least one input/output module being adapted for operatively coupling at least one additional input/output module to the third communication bus, the computer module automatically identifying the at least one input/output module on the third communication bus in response to applying power to the integral embedded control system.

2. An integral embedded control system as defined by claim 1, wherein the display module includes a liquid crystal display adapted for displaying graphics.

3. An integral embedded control system as defined by claim 1, wherein the user input module includes a keyboard.

4. An integral embedded control system as defined by claim 1, wherein the computer module includes software, the software including at least one of an operating system, a device driver, and an application template, the application template including generic functions required by an application program.

5. An integral embedded control system as defined by claim 1, wherein the computer module includes an external communication port, the external communication port including at least one of an infrared port, a serial port, and a parallel port.

6. An integral embedded control system as defined by claim 5, wherein the external communication port provides a communication link between the computer module and a handheld computer.

7. An integral embedded control system as defined by claim 1, wherein at least two of the first communication bus, second communication bus, and third communication bus are substantially the same bus.

8. An integral embedded control system as defined by claim 1, wherein the at least one input/output module includes at least one of a digital input/output module, a temperature sensing module, a pressure sensing module, a motor control module, an RS-232 expansion module, an Ethernet module, and an Internet module.

9. An integral embedded control system as defined by claim 8, wherein the digital input/output module includes a microcontroller, at least one output relay, and at least one optocoupler, the at least one output relay and the at least one optocoupler being electrically coupled to the microcontroller, the at least one output relay being adapted for driving a load, the at least one optocoupler being adapted for inputting information from an external switch.

10. An integral embedded control system as defined by claim 8, wherein the temperature sensing module includes at least one filter, an amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter, and a microcontroller electrically coupled in series, the at least one filter inputting and filtering an analog signal representative of temperature, the amplifier electrically amplifying the filtered signal;

the analog-to-digital converter converting the amplified analog signal to a digital signal, the microcontroller outputting a second digital signal representative of the converted digital signal to the third communication bus.

11. An integral embedded control system as defined by claim 8, wherein the pressure sensing module includes at least one pressure sensor, an amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter, and a microcontroller electrically coupled in series, the at least one pressure sensor outputting an analog signal representative of pressure, the amplifier electrically amplifying the analog signal, the analog-to-digital converter converting the amplified analog signal to a digital signal, the microcontroller outputting a second digital signal representative of the converted digital signal to the third communication bus.

12. An integral embedded control system as defined by claim 8, wherein the motor control module includes a microcontroller, a least one buffer, and at least one relay electrically coupled in series, the microcontroller inputting a digital command signal from the third communication bus, the microcontroller outputting a digital signal representative of at least one of motor speed, motor direction, and heater control to the at least one relay, the at least one buffer driving the digital signal between the microcontroller and the at least one relay, the microcontroller inputting a first digital signal representative of motor speed and outputting a second digital signal representative of the first digital signal to the third communication bus.

13. An integral embedded control system as defined by claim 8, wherein the RS-232 expansion module includes a microcontroller and an RS-232 transceiver electrically coupled to the microcontroller, the microcontroller and the RS-232 transceiver providing an external bidirectional RS-232 communication link to the third communication bus.

14. An integral embedded control system as defined by claim 8, wherein the keyboard module includes a port expander circuit and a plurality of switches electrically coupled to the port expander circuit, the port expander circuit inputting a switch signal representative of a state of the plurality of switches, the port expander circuit outputting a switch signal on the second communication bus representative of the state of the plurality of switches.

15. An integral embedded control system as defined by claim 1, wherein at least one of the first communication bus, second communication bus, and third communication bus is a serial bus.

16. A method of controlling equipment using an integral embedded control system having generically applicable modules, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a computer module,

coupling a display module to the computer module with a first communication bus;

coupling a user input module to the computer module by a second communication bus;

coupling a power supply module to the computer module with a third communication bus;

coupling at least one input/output module to the power supply module and the third communication bus, the power supply module providing power to the computer module, display module, user input module, and the at least one input/output module, the at least one input/output module being adapted for operatively coupling at least one additional input/output module to the third communication bus; and

identifying the at least one input/output module on the third communication bus automatically in response to applying power to the integral embedded control system.

17. A method of controlling equipment using an integral embedded control system having generically applicable modules as defined by claim 16, further including the step of providing software in the computer module, the software including at least one of an operating system, a device driver, and an application template, the application template including generic functions required by an application program.

18. A method of controlling equipment using an integral embedded control system having generically applicable modules as defined by claim 16, further including the step of coupling an external communication port to the computer module, the external communication port including at least one of an infrared port, a serial port, and a parallel port.

19. A method of controlling equipment using an integral embedded control system having generically applicable modules as defined by claim 18, further including the step of transferring a recipe from a handheld computer to the computer module through the external communication port.

20. A method of controlling equipment using an integral embedded control system having generically applicable modules as defined by claim 18, wherein the computer module includes memory, the method further including the step of programming the memory from a handheld computer through the external communication port.

21. A method of controlling equipment using an integral embedded control system having generically applicable modules as defined by claim 16, wherein the at least one input/output module includes at least one of a digital input/output module, a temperature sensing module, a pressure sensing module, a motor control module, an RS-232 expansion module, an Ethernet module, and an Internet module.

22. A method of controlling equipment using an integral embedded-control system having generically applicable modules as defined by claim 16, wherein the step of identifying the at least one input/output module further includes the steps of:

deactivating a communication port in response to power being applied to the integral embedded control system, the communication port being located on the at least one input/output module and coupled to the third communication bus;

setting an address-in signal to a first state by the computer module;

detecting whether the address-in signal is in the first state by the at least one input/output module;

activating the communication port by the at least one input/output module in response to detecting the address-in signal being in the first state;

outputting a query from the computer module on the third communication bus;

storing a numeric address in the computer module representative of the at least one input/output module in response to receiving a correct reply to the query from the at least one input/output module on the third communication bus;

displaying an error message in response to receiving an incorrect reply to the query from the at least one input/output module on the third communication bus;

accessing the at least one input/output module using the numeric address;

storing the numeric address in the at least one input/output module; and

setting an address-out signal to a first state by the at least one input/output module in response to storing the numeric address in the at least one input/output module.

23. A method of controlling equipment using an integral embedded control system having generically applicable modules as defined by claim 22, further including the step of halting in response to receiving an incorrect reply to the query from the at least one input/output module on the third communication bus.

24. An oven controller, which comprises:

a computer module, the computer module including software, the software including at least one of an operating system, a device driver, and an application template, the application template including generic functions required by an application program, computer module including at least one of an infrared port, a serial port, and a parallel port providing a communication link between the computer module and a handheld computer;

a display module, the display module being operatively coupled to the computer module by a first communication bus;

a keyboard module, the keyboard module being operatively coupled to the computer module by a second communication bus;

a power supply module, the power supply module being operatively coupled to the computer module by a third communication bus; and

at least one input/output module, the at least one input/output module including at least one of a digital input/output module, a temperature sensing module, a pressure sensing module, a motor control module, an RS-232 expansion module, an Ethernet module, and an Internet module, the at least one input/output module being operatively coupled to the power supply module and the third communication bus, the power supply module providing power to the computer module, display module, keyboard module, and the at least one input/output module, the at least one input/output module being adapted for operatively coupling at least one additional input/output module to the third communication bus, the computer module automatically identifying the at least one input/output module on the third communication bus in response to applying power to the integral embedded control system.