PULSE-BASED COMMUNICATION FOR DEVICES CONNECTED TO A BUS

• US 20080198917A1
• Filed: 02/16/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARK-LES Corporation (Illinois Tool Works Inc.), Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: ARK-LES Corporation (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Mignone, Thomas A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,826,525 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40006 Architecture of a communication node current supply arrangements H04L12/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4026 Bus for use in automation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4906 using binary codes

Abstract

A method for communicating data is disclosed. The method includes receiving a sequence of electrical pulses during an interval having a pre-determined time period, the sequence of electrical pulses representing a message from one of a plurality of devices, determining the number of received electrical pulses in the sequence of electrical pulses, and decoding the message based on the determined number of electrical pulses received during the interval.

Claims

1. A method for communicating data, the method comprising:

receiving a sequence of electrical pulses during an interval having a pre-determined time period, the sequence of electrical pulses representing a message from one of a plurality of devices;

determining the number of received electrical pulses in the sequence of electrical pulses; and

decoding the message based on the determined number of electrical pulses received during the interval.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting an address message identifying the one of the plurality of devices.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting the sequence of electrical pulses in response to the address message.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the address message comprises a second sequence of electrical pulses.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of devices includes eight devices, and wherein the address message includes between 16 and 23 electrical pulses, the number of electrical pulses being indicative of the one of the plurality of devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one of the plurality of devices includes a processor-based device electrically coupled to a multi-position switch.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the message from the one of the plurality of devices includes receiving data regarding a switch position of the multi-position switch of the one of the plurality of devices.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the multi-position switch of the one of the plurality of devices has sixteen positions, and wherein the number of received electrical pulses representing the switch position of the multi-position switch of the one of the plurality of devices is between 1 and 16.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a global message to at least some of the plurality of devices, each of the at least some of the plurality of devices having a corresponding multi-position switch, the global message representing a request to the at least some of the plurality of devices to determine the position of the respective multi-position switch of each of the at least some of the plurality of devices.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the number of electrical pulses includes measuring the elapsed time from the beginning of the interval.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting another address message after decoding the message, the other address message identifying another device of the plurality of devices; and

repeating the receiving, determining and decoding for another sequence of electrical pulses representing another message sent by the other device of the plurality of devices.

14. The method of claim 1.2, wherein determining the number of electrical pulses includes measuring the elapsed time from the beginning of the interval.

12. A method of communication data, the method comprising:

transmitting an address message identifying one of a plurality of devices, the one of the plurality of devices includes a processor-based device electrically coupled to a multi-position switch;

receiving, in response to the address message, a sequence of electrical pulses representing a message sent by the one of the plurality of devices, the sequence of electrical pulses representing a switch position of the multi-position switch of die one of the plurality of devices;

determining the number of electrical pulses in the sequence of electrical pulses received during an interval having a pre-determined time period; and

determining the switch position of the one of the plurality of devices based on the determined number of electrical pulses received during the interval.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting a global message to at least some of the plurality of devices, each of the at least some of the plurality of devices having a corresponding multi-position switch, the global message representing a request to the at least some of the plurality of devices to determine the position of the respective multi-position switch of each of the at least some of the plurality of devices.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the multi-position switch of the one of the plurality of devices has sixteen positions, and wherein the number of received electrical pulses representing the switch position of the multi-position switch of the one of the plurality of devices is between 1 and 16.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of devices includes eight devices, and wherein the address message includes between 16 and 23 electrical pulses, the number of electrical pulses being indicative of the one of the plurality of devices.

17. The method of claim. 12, further comprising:

transmitting another address message after decoding the message, the other address message identifying another device of the plurality of devices; and

repeating the receiving, determining and decoding for another sequence of electrical pulses representing another message sent by the other device of the plurality of devices.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating, based on the determined switch position, a control signal to control one or more electrical loads.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more electrical loads includes at least one of:

a motor, and a heating element.

20. A system comprising:

a plurality of slave devices each having a corresponding multi-position switch;

a control device in electrical communication with the plurality of slave devices, the control device including a processor and a memory module for storing computer instructions that when executed cause the processor to;

receive a sequence of electrical pulses during an interval having a pre-determined time period, the sequence of electrical pulses representing a message from one of the plurality of slave devices;

determine the number of received electrical pulses in the sequence of electrical pulses; and

decode the message based on the determined number of electrical pulses received during the interval.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a bus structure configured to electrically connect the control device with the plurality of slave devices.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the bus structure is a 3-wire bus structure, wherein at least one of the wires of the bus structure is configured to communicate the sequence of electrical pulses from the one of the plurality of slave devices to the control device.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the instructions stored on the memory module of the control device further comprise instructions that when executed cause the processor of the control device to transmit an address message identifying the one of the plurality of slave devices.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the address message comprises a second sequence of electrical pulses.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of slave devices includes eight devices, and wherein the address message includes between 16 and 23 electrical pulses, the number of electrical pulses being indicative of the one of the plurality of slave devices.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the each of the plurality of slave devices further comprises a corresponding processor electrically coupled to the corresponding multi-position switch.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein the message received from the one of the plurality of slave devices includes data regarding a switch position of the multi-position switch of the one of the plurality of slave devices.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the multi-position switch of the one of the plurality of slave devices has sixteen positions, and wherein the number of the received electrical pulses representing the switch position of the multi-position switch of the one of the plurality of slave devices is between 1 and 16.

29. The system of claim 20, wherein the memory module of the control device further comprises stored instructions that when executed cause the processor of the control device to transmit a global message to at least some of the plurality of slave devices, the global message representing a request to each of the at least some of the plurality of slave devices to determine the position of the respective multi-position switch of the each of the at least some of the plurality of slave devices.

30. The system of claim 20, wherein the control device further comprises a timing circuit configured to measure elapsed time from the beginning of the interval.

31. The system of claim 20, wherein the memory module of the control device further includes stored instruction that when executed cause the processor of the control device to:

transmit another address message after decoding the message, the other address message identifying another slave device of the plurality of slave devices; and

repeat, the receive, determine and decode for another sequence of electrical pulses representing another message sent by the other slave device of the plurality of slave devices.

32. The system of claim 20, wherein the memory module of the control device further includes stored instruction that when executed cause the processor of the control device to:

generate, based on the decoded message, control signals to control one or more electrical loads.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the one or more electrical loads includes at least one of:

a motor, and a heating element.

34. A device identified by a device address, the device comprising:

a multi-position switch configured to be placed in a plurality of positions;

a processor electrically coupled to the multi-position switch;

a memory module electrically coupled to the processor, the memory module storing instructions that when executed cause the processor to;

receive a first sequence of electrical pulses representing an address message to identify one of a plurality of devices;

determine the number of electrical pulses received in an interval having a pre-determined time period; and

based on the determined number of the electrical pulses in the first sequence matching the device address, transmit a second sequence of electrical pulses, the number of electrical pulses in the second sequence being representative of a current position of the multi-position switch.

35. The device of claim 34, wherein the memory module further includes stored instructions that when executed cause the processor to:

receive another sequence of electrical pulses corresponding to a global message representing a request to the device to determine the current switch position of the device; and

in response to the other sequence of electrical pulses, determine the switch position of the multi-position switch.