Serial bus identification circuit for a computer chip enclosed in a stainless steel can

• US 20050111443A1
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marcon International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Marcon International Inc.
• Inventors: Herbert, Edmund E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,656,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/360
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0421 Circuit arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/131 Register
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13299 Bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13305 Transistors, semiconductors in general

Abstract

The invention is a serial bus identification circuit for a module that enables a microcontroller or microprocessor to identify one or many modules, each having an iButton digital device. The invention enables electronic activating and identifying the digital device amongst a plurality of similar devices. Each digital device has a unique digital registration number, and is an element of a module. In addition to the digital device, the module has a dual addressable switch component having a first switch and second switch, where the dual addressable switch component has a unique digital address; a light emitting source; and a source of electrical power. The dual addressable switch component and the unique digital device are in electrical communication with the serial data bus, and can be added as modules. When the first switch of the unique addressable component is closed, the digital device can be accessed, and the unique digital registration number can be down loaded and correlated to the dual addressable switch component. The second switch of the unique addressable component can be closed activating the light emitting source utilizing the source of electrical power. The light emitting source provides an identifying position signal for the device.

Claims

1. An electronic activating and identifying module, said module comprising:

a digital device, where each digital device has a unique digital registration number;

a dual addressable switch component having a first switch and second switch, where the dual addressable switch component has a unique digital address;

a light emitting source;

a source of electrical power;

where the dual addressable switch component and the unique digital device are in electrical communication with a serial data bus;

where closing of said first switch of the dual addressable switch component enables the unique digital device to be accessed, and the unique digital registration number to be correlated to the dual addressable switch component;

where closing of said second switch of the dual addressable switch component activates the light emitting source utilizing the source of electrical power; and

wherein the light emitting source provides an identifying position signal for the module.

2. The electronic activating and identifying module, according to claim 1, wherein said digital device is a microprocessor that is enclosed in a steel can.

3. The electronic activating and identifying module according to claim 2, wherein said microprocessor is an iButton®

, where the iButton is a DS1990 chip manufactured by Dallas Semiconductor.

4. The electronic activating and identifying module according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting source is a light emitting diode.

5. The electronic activating and identifying module according to claim 1, wherein said dual addressable switch component is an EPROM based chip that contains memory which can be used as an electronic label to store information such as switch function, physical location, and installation date.

6. The electronic activating and identifying module according to claim 1, wherein said dual addressable switch component follows standard 1-Wire protocol, which enables control with minimal hardware.

7. An electronic activating and identifying system, wherein said system is comprised of a plurality of modules, where each module has a digital device with a unique digital registration number, an associated dual addressable switch component having a unique digital address having a first switch and second switch;

an associated light emitting source; and

an associated source of electrical power.

8. The electronic activating and identifying system according to claim 7, wherein said digital device has a unique factory-set 64-bit registration number.

9. A method of utilizing an electronic activating and identifying system, said method comprising:

providing at least one module, where each module has a digital device with a unique digital registration number, an associated dual addressable switch component having a unique digital address having a first switch and second switch, an associated light emitting source, and an associated source of electrical power;

selectively closing the first switch of the dual addressable switch component having a first switch and second switch, where the dual addressable switch component and where the dual addressable switch component are connected to a serial data bus;

establishing querying communication between a database and the module;

downloading and recording the registration number of the digital device and its correlation with the address of dual addressable switch component; and

selectively closing the second switch of the dual addressable switch component, thereby activating a light emitting source.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the steps of method are repeated until the system is fully characterized as to an identification and an activation of all modules.

11. A method of utilizing an electronic activating and identifying system to locate a particular module, as claimed in claim 9, said method comprising:

following the querying and recording of all modules having a digital device with an associated dual addressable switch component, sending a signal along the serial bus to close the second switch of the associated dual addressable switch component, wherein said second switch thereby activates the light emitting source associated with the particular module.

12. A method of utilizing an electronic activating and identifying system to take any or all digital devices off line, as claimed in claim 9, said method comprising:

following the querying and recording of all modules having a digital device with an associated dual addressable switch component, sending a signal along the serial bus to open the first switch of the associated dual addressable switch component, wherein said open first switch thereby takes any or all digital devices off line associated with the first switch.