Dynamoelectric machine assemblies having memory for use by external devices

• US 20090300270A1
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation (Nidec Corporation)
• Inventors: Carrier, Mark E., Shahi, Prakash B., Schock, Christopher D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,515,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/00 Accessing, addressing or allocating within memory systems or architectures digital input from, or digital output to record carriers, e.g. to disk storage units, G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/023 Free address space management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/251 Local memory within processor subsystem
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/33 Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics H02K11/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/35 Devices for recording or transmitting machine parameters, e.g. memory chips or radio transmitters for diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/38 Control circuits or drive circuits associated with geared commutator motors of the worm-and-wheel type

Abstract

A method is provided for storing data from an external device in a dynamoelectric machine assembly (i.e., an electric motor or generator). The dynamoelectric machine assembly includes a memory device and a processor for controlling operation of the dynamoelectric machine assembly in response to commands from an external device. The method includes receiving a command from the external device to store data in the memory device of the dynamoelectric machine assembly, and storing the data in the memory device in response to the command. Dynamoelectric machine assemblies, external devices and systems suitable for use in the provided method are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A dynamoelectric machine assembly comprising a stator, a rotor, and a memory device, at least a portion of the memory device configured to be written to and read by an external device to permit the external device to store data in and retrieve data from said portion of the memory device.

2. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a communication interface, said portion of the memory device configured to be written to and read by the external device via the communication interface.

3. The assembly of claim 2 further comprising a processor configured to store data in and retrieve data from said portion of the memory device in response to commands received from the external device via the communication interface.

4. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the communication interface includes an electrical connector.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the memory device is partitioned into at least a first portion and a second portion, and wherein only the first portion of the memory device is configured to be written to and read by the external device.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the memory device is nonvolatile memory.

7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein the nonvolatile memory device is an EEPROM.

8. An air handler for an HVAC system, the air handler comprising the assembly of claim 1.

18. The controller of claim 1 wherein the controller is an HVAC system controller.

9. A method of storing data in a dynamoelectric machine assembly, the assembly including a memory device and a processor for controlling operation of the assembly in response to commands from an external device, the method comprising:

receiving a command from the external device to store data in the memory device of the dynamoelectric machine assembly; and

storing said data in the memory device in response to said command.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said data is not used by the processor for controlling operation of the dynamoelectric machine assembly.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising receiving said data from the external device.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving a command from the external device to read data from the memory device;

reading data from the memory device in response to said command; and

providing data read from the memory device to the external device.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said external device is a first external device, the method further comprising:

receiving a command from a second external device to read data from the memory device;

reading data from the memory device in response to said command from the second external device; and

providing data read from the memory device to the second external device.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said data is selected from the group consisting of history data, fault data, and data specific to the external device.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the dynamoelectric machine assembly is coupled in driving relation to a blower for an HVAC system.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the external device is a system controller for the HVAC system.

17. A controller for a system including a dynamoelectric machine assembly, the dynamoelectric machine assembly including a motor and a motor controller having at least one memory device, the controller comprising a processor for running software, memory for storing software and a communication interface for communicating with said dynamoelectric machine assembly, the controller configured to transmit to the dynamoelectric machine assembly, via the communication interface, data and commands to write said data to the memory device in the motor controller.