APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TREATING ADDRESSES IN AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL NETWORK

• US 20080192745A1
• Filed: 02/13/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lennox Manufacturing Inc. (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Spears, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,783,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/390
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]

Abstract

An apparatus for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network that involves at least one control unit communicating with a plurality of components, each respective component of the plurality of components having an address selected from a predetermined number of address values, includes: an address extending unit coupled with the at least one control unit and with at least one coupled component of the plurality of components. The address extending unit treats each address for each coupled component to establish a respective unique treated address for each coupled component. The at least one control unit identifies each respective component by the respective treated address.

Claims

1. An apparatus for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network;

said network including at least one control unit communicating with a plurality of components;

each respective component of said plurality of components having an address selected from a predetermined number of address values;

the apparatus comprising;

an address extending unit coupled with said at least one control unit and with at least one coupled component of said plurality of components;

said address extending unit treating each said address for each said at least one coupled component to establish a respective unique treated address for each said at least one coupled component;

said at least one control unit identifying each said respective component by said respective treated address.

2. An apparatus for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network as recited in claim 1 wherein said treating employs mathematical manipulation of at least one said respective address for said at least one coupled component.

3. An apparatus for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network as recited in claim 1 wherein said treating employs signal manipulation of at least one said respective address for said at least one coupled component.

4. An apparatus for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network as recited in claim 2 wherein said treating further employs signal manipulation of at least one said respective address for said at least one coupled component.

5. An apparatus for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network as recited in claim 2 wherein said mathematical manipulation effects multiplication of at least one said respective address for said at least one coupled component by a factor.

6. An apparatus for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network as recited in claim 2 wherein said mathematical manipulation effects addition of a value to at least one said respective address for said at least one coupled component.

7. An apparatus for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network as recited in claim 6 wherein said value is at least equal with said predetermined number.

11. An apparatus for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network as recited in claim 2 wherein said mathematical manipulation effects addition of a value to least one said respective address for said at least one coupled component.

12. An apparatus for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network as recited in claim 6 wherein said value is at least equal with said predetermined number.

8. An apparatus assisting address assignment in an environmental control network;

said network communicatingly coupling a plurality of components with at least one control unit;

each said component of said plurality of components being assigned an address selected from a predetermined number of address values;

the apparatus comprising;

an address treating unit coupled with said at least one control unit and coupled with a component-set of said plurality of components;

said address treating unit mathematically manipulating each said address for each respective component of said component-set to produce a respective treated address for each said respective component;

said respective treated address being unique among said component-set;

said at least one control unit identifying each said respective component by said respective treated address.

9. An apparatus assisting address assignment in an environmental control network as recited in claim 8 wherein said treating employs signal manipulation of at least one said respective address for said at least one coupled component.

10. An apparatus assisting address assignment in an environmental control network as recited in claim 8 wherein said mathematical manipulation effects multiplication of each said address for each respective component of said component-set by a factor.

13. A method for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network;

said network including at least one control unit communicating with a plurality of components;

each respective component of said plurality of components having an address selected from a predetermined number of address values;

the method comprising the steps of;

(a) providing an address extending unit coupled with said at least one control unit and with at least one coupled component of said plurality of components;

(b) operating said address extending unit to treat each said address for each said at least one coupled component to establish a respective unique treated address for each said at least one coupled component;

(c) operating said at least one control unit to identify each said respective component by said respective treated address.

14. A method for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network as recited in claim 13 wherein said treating employs mathematical manipulation of at least one said respective address for said at least one coupled component.

15. A method for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network as recited in claim 13 wherein said treating employs signal manipulation of at least one said respective address for said at least one coupled component.

16. A method for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network as recited in claim 14 wherein said treating further employs signal manipulation of at least one said respective address for said at least one coupled component.

17. A method for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network as recited in claim 14 wherein said mathematical manipulation effects multiplication of at least one said respective address for said at least one coupled component by a factor.

18. A method for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network as recited in claim 14 wherein said mathematical manipulation effects addition of a value to at least one said respective address for said at least one coupled component.

19. A method for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network as recited in claim 18 wherein said value is at least equal with said predetermined number.

20. A method for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network as recited in claim 16 wherein said mathematical manipulation effects addition of a value to at least one said respective address for said at least one coupled component.