Manufacturing System and Method Using IR Communications Link

• US 20080310836A1
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Channel Investments, LLC
• Original Assignee: SpectraGenics, Inc. (Channel Investments, LLC)
• Inventors: Liu, Harvey I., Island, Tobin C., Grove, Robert E., Weckwerth, Mark V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,965,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission

Abstract

An automated test system for testing devices being manufactured comprises an infrared communications link for free space communications between a host and a device under test. The communications link is asymmetric and instructions from the host are acknowledged by the device. The instructions cause the device to operate, and the output of the device is monitored, logged, and compared to acceptance criteria. The host can then generate calibration messages to the device, to change the device operating characteristics as appropriate. The communications link uses an unmodulated data stream together with asynchronous handshaking and a robust checksum algorithm to ensure accurate communication.

Claims

1. An infrared communications link between a host system and a device comprising

a device having a first optical transmitter and first optical receiver,

a host system comprising a second optical transmitter and second optical receiver and a signal generator for generating an unmodulated data signal,

the first optical receiver and second optical transmitter being aligned as a first pair for free space communication, and the second optical receiver and first optical transmitter being aligned as a second pair for free space communication,

the device further comprising a controller for receiving and interpreting the unmodulated data signal and causing the device to operate in response thereto.

2. The communications link of claim 1 further comprising a cradle for maintaining alignment between the respective pairs.

3. The communications link of claim 1 further comprising asynchronous handshaking between the host and the device.

4. The communications link of claim 1 wherein the unmodulated data signal comprises at least one data packet having a leading transmitting ID.

5. The communication link of claim 4 wherein the receiving device responds to receipt of the at least one data packet with a data signal comprising at least an acknowledging ID.

6. The communications link of claim 1 wherein communications between the host and the device are asymmetric.

8. The process of claim 6 further comprising the step of loading onto the device a certification that the device has met acceptance criteria.

7. A process for automatically testing and calibrating a device using only optical communications, comprising the steps of

aligning a device under test for optical communication with a host,

communicating optically, from the host to the host, a series of tests which cause the device to operate,

measuring the response of the device,

transmitting to the device, as necessary, calibration signals for adjusting the performance of the device, and

repeating the communicating, measuring and transmitting steps until the device responds with outputs that meet acceptance criteria.