CLIENT FOR AN APPLIANCE NETWORK

• US 20090132070A1
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Whipple, Andrew D., Glotzbach, Mark E., Ebrom, Matthew P., McCoy, Richard A., Moes, Christopher S., Feldbruegge, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,264,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/90
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0063 using remote monitoring or controlling of the dishwasher operation, e.g. networking systems
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/04 Signal transfer or data transmission arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/28 Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 7/02 by radio
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 20/26 the radio signal being a near-field communication signal
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/26 : Special purpose or proprietary protocols or architectures network applications for proprietary or special purpose networking environments H04L67/12
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/688 : for thawing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 : Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A client having at least one memory location is provided for use with an appliance network. The client includes an arbitrary software component for performing a useful function, a software architecture or a software architecture driver configured to generate or enable transmission of messages, and means to communicate by message over a network. Thus, the client can have full capability to act as an accessory to an appliance to communicate with and to enhance or alter the operation of the appliance.

Claims

1. A client for use with an appliance network, the client having at least one memory location and comprising an arbitrary software component for performing a useful function,

one of a software architecture and a software architecture driver configured to generate or enable transmission of messages, and

means to communicate by message over a network,

wherein the client can have full capability to act as an accessory to an appliance to communicate with and to enhance or alter the operation of the appliance.

2. The client according to claim 1 wherein the client is a physical device.

3. The client of claim 1 further comprising at least one identifier residing in at least one memory location.

4. The client of claim 3 wherein the at least one identifier comprises one of a class identifier, a sub-class identifier, at least one instance ID, a model number and a serial number of the appliance or components of the appliance, a functional identifier, identifier of a method, identifiers of objects, identifiers of class attributes, network identifiers, a unique numeric addressing identifier, a unique numeric functional identifier, and an API ID that can serve as a portion of a unique numeric addressing identifier.

5. The client of claim 3 wherein the at least one identifier comprises at least one of a class identifier and at least one instance ID wherein the at least one instance ID is cached and indexed to a class identifier.

6. The client of claim 3 wherein the identifier is one of an identifier of function and an identifier of another client node on a network.

7. The client of claim 3 wherein one of an arbitrary software component, the software architecture, and the software architecture driver develops references to the at least one identifier of a different node on a network whereby the client can communicate with the different node by message using the references.

8. The client of claim 1 further comprising a display for communication with a user.

9. The client of claim 1 further comprising a control command for communication by message that can affect a cycle of operation of a networked appliance.

10. The client of claim 8 wherein the control command is configured to create one of objects and instances of classes in a networked appliance.

11. The client of claim 8 wherein the control command is configured to change values in a first objects field to a third object from a second object in an appliance control system of a networked appliance.

12. The client of claim 8 wherein the control command is configured to place a networked appliance into one of at least two operating modes.

13. The client of claim 1 wherein the client is configured to query a network for information such as the identity of another node on a network, an appliance, a client, an arbitrary software component, a device comprising a node, a coupler, one or more of a plurality of identifiable software elements on any node, or the functional identifiers thereof.

14. The client of claim 13 wherein the query is a propagated message.

15. The client of claim 13 wherein at least one identifier is received in response to a query.

16. The client of claim 15 wherein the identifier is one of a class identifier, at least one instance ID wherein the at least one instance ID is cached and indexed to a class identifier, an identifier of function, an identifier of another client node on a network, identifier of a method, identifiers of objects, identifiers of class attributes, network identifiers, a unique numeric addressing identifier, a unique numeric functional identifier, and an API ID that can serve as a portion of a unique numeric addressing identifier.

17. The client of claim 15 wherein one of an arbitrary software component, the software architecture, and the software architecture driver develops references to the at least one identifier of a different node on a network whereby the client can communicate with the different node by message using the references.

18. The client according to claim 1 wherein the arbitrary software component is one of a clock and time synchronization accessory, a stirring and ingredient addition accessory, a cooking sensor accessory, an operation cycles accessory, a consumable messaging and reader accessory, a recipe book, a recipe wand, a laundry credit accessory, a smart dimmer and adapter, a network binder accessory, a remote user interface, a smart coupler, a resource communication accessory, a cellular telephone accessory, a configuration mechanism, an audio communication accessory, and a remote audio communication accessory.

19. The client according to claim 1 wherein the one of a software architecture and a software architecture driver is configured to communicate a password.

20. The client according to claim 1 further comprising identification information wherein the client can establish useful communications with other communicating nodes without the arbitrary software component having knowledge of routing information otherwise required to enable the useful communication.

21. The client according to claim 1 wherein the one of a software architecture and a software architecture driver is configured to collect data associated with a node synchronously for a complete snapshot of updates to the state of the node for one scan of a processor, whereby meaningful dynamic and virtual data aggregation can occur regardless of changing states of the node.

22. The client according to claim 1 wherein the one of a software architecture and a software architecture driver is configured to send a plurality of commands to a second node by a message protocol enabled by the one of a software architecture and a software architecture driver wherein multiple messages are used to convey elements of a command, bounded together synchronously whereby the receiving node will know when to begin executing the command.

23. The client according to claim 1 wherein the arbitrary software component is configured to send configuration messages over a network to create an event structure in a memory heap.

24. The client according to claim 23 wherein the arbitrary software component is further configured to classify the event structure as acknowledged or unacknowledged.

25. The client according to claim 1 wherein the arbitrary software component is configured to invoke a function of a second arbitrary software component utilizing encapsulated routing information wherein the invocation does not contain routing information.

26. The client according to claim 1 wherein the arbitrary software component is configured to listen to a heartbeat of a networked appliance.

27. The client according to claim 1 further comprising source of information about a resource used by an appliance of the type configured to perform an operation on a physical article wherein the appliance consumes at least some of a resource in performing the operation, the source comprising at least one of a request to change the operation of an appliance in response to a resource parameter and a request for the status of a resource used by the appliance.

28. The client of claim 1 networked to an appliance configured to perform a cycle of operation to complete a physical operation on an article, the appliance having at least one node comprising an arbitrary software component for performing a useful function, one of a software architecture and a software architecture driver configured to generate or enable transmission of messages, and means to communicate by message over the network.

29. The network of claim 28 further comprising a second networked client in communication with at least one of the appliance and the client, whereby the client can communicate time with the second networked client.

30. The network of claim 28 wherein the client is one of internal and external to the appliance.

31. The network of claim 30 wherein the client is internal and further comprising a second appliance on a different network than the client wherein the client is in communication with the second appliance.

32. The network of claim 31 wherein the client is a user interface.

33. The network according to claim 28 wherein the client is on a different network than the appliance and has a communication protocol for the different network.

34. The network according to claim 28 wherein at least one of the nodes propagates discovery messages issued by one of the software architecture and the software architecture drivers.

35. The client of claim 1 comprising an embedded virtual router, the arbitrary software component being configured to collaborate with another software component by a method of access or exposure to each other, wherein the embedded virtual router encapsulates the method, whereby the collaboration can be uniform and identical whether the collaboration is over a network or sharing a runtime environment.