AUTOMATIC ADDRESSING SCHEME FOR POOL SYSTEM CONTROLLERS AND COMPATIBLE REMOTE DEVICES

• US 20160269194A1
• Filed: 03/10/2016
• Published: 09/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zodiac Pool Systems, LLC (Fluidra, S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Zodiac Pool Systems Incorporated (Fluidra, S.A.)
• Inventors: Clark, William J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,985,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0052 Assignment of addresses or identifiers to the modules of a bus system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40013 Details regarding a bus controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/745 Address table lookup; Address filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for automatically addressing devices of pool and spa systems in a communication network. The communication network includes at least a first transceiver and a second transceiver that are communicatively coupled via a communication network bus. The first transceiver is configured to transmit a query signal to the second transceiver on a first address on the communication network bus, where the query signal includes a command requesting identification data (e.g., a serial number) associated with the second transceiver from the second transceiver. After receiving a response from the second transceiver, the first transceiver verifies (e.g., validates) the identification data. The first transceiver then automatically addresses the second transceiver individually by transmitting an addressed signal that includes at least a portion of the verified identification data and a command to the second transceiver on a second address on the communication network bus.

Claims

1. A method for automatically addressing pool and spa system controllers, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a first transceiver, a query signal to a second transceiver via a first address on a communication network bus;

receiving, by the first transceiver, identification data associated with the second transceiver from the second transceiver via the first address in response to the query signal;

determining, by the first transceiver, a validity of the identification data;

transmitting, by the first transceiver, an addressed signal to the second transceiver via a second address on the communication network bus in response to determining that the identification data is valid, wherein the addressed signal includes at least a portion of the identification data and causes the second transceiver to communicate with the first transceiver via the second address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification data comprises a serial number associated with the second transceiver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the identification data is a least significant bit of the identification data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the validity of the identification data includes:

comparing, by the first transceiver, the identification data to data in a look-up-table having stored values of valid identification data; and

storing, by the first transceiver, the identification data in the look-up-table in response to determining that the identification data is valid.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

deleting, by the first transceiver, the identification data associated with the second transceiver from the look-up-table in response to determining that a threshold amount of invalid response signals has been received from the second transceiver in response to subsequent addressed signals transmitted by the first transceiver to the second transceiver via the second address.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the identification data from the second transceiver via the first address in response to the query signal includes:

receiving, by the first transceiver, the identification data from the second transceiver after a delay based on the second transceiver detecting a data error on the communication network bus.

7. A system for automatically addressing pool and spa system controllers, the system comprising:

a first transceiver; and

a second transceiver communicatively coupled to the first transceiver via a communication network bus, wherein the first transceiver is operable for;

transmitting a query signal to the second transceiver on a first address on the communication network bus;

receiving identification data associated with the second transceiver via the first address in response to the query signal;

determining a validity of the identification data; and

transmitting an addressed signal to the second transceiver on a second address on the communication network bus in response to determining that the identification data is valid, wherein the addressed signal includes at least a portion of the identification data and causes the second transceiver to communicate with the first transceiver via the second address.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the identification data includes a serial number associated with the second transceiver.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least a portion of the identification data is a least significant bit of the identification data.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the first transceiver comprises:

a processing device; and

a memory device in which instructions executable by the processing device are stored for causing the processing device to;

compare the identification data to data in a look-up-table having stored values of valid identification data;

determine the validity of the identification data based on the comparison; and

store the identification data in the look-up-table in response to determining that the identification data is valid.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the memory device further comprises instructions executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to delete the identification data associated with the second transceiver from the look-up-table in response to determining that a threshold amount of invalid response signals have been received from the second transceiver in response to subsequent addressed signals transmitted by the first transceiver to the second transceiver via the second address.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the second transceiver comprises:

a processing device; and

a memory device in which instructions executable by the processing device are stored for causing the processing device to;

detect a data error on the communication network bus; and

transmit identification data associated with the second transceiver to the first transceiver after a delay in response to detecting the data error on the communication network bus.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the first address on the communication network bus is different from the second address on the communication network bus.

14. A communication system for pool and spa systems, the communication system comprising:

a host device; and

a plurality of transceivers communicatively coupled to each other and the host device via a communication network bus, wherein the host device is operable for;

transmitting a query signal on a first address on the communication network bus to each transceiver;

receiving identification data associated with each transceiver on the first address in response to the query signal;

determining a validity of the identification data associated with each transceiver; and

transmitting an addressed signal to the plurality of transceivers on a second address on the communication network bus in response to determining that the identification data associated with one transceiver of the transceivers in the plurality of transceivers is valid, wherein the addressed signal includes at least a portion of the identification data associated with the one transceiver and causes the one transceiver to communicate with the host device via the second address.

15. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the identification data associated with the one transceiver is a serial number of the one transceiver and the addressed signal includes a command and causes the one transceiver to respond to the command based at least in part on the serial number in the addressed signal.

16. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the at least a portion of the identification data associated with the one transceiver is a least significant bit of the identification data.

17. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the first address on the communication network bus is different from the second address on the communication network bus.

18. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the host device is operable for receiving a delayed response from a transceiver in the plurality of transceivers based on the transceiver detecting a data error on the communication network bus, wherein the data error indicates that the transceiver and another transceiver are simultaneously transmitting identification data to the host device.

19. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the host device comprises:

a processing device; and

a memory device in which instructions executable by the processing device are stored for causing the processing device to;

compare the identification data associated with each transceiver in the plurality of transceivers to data in a look-up-table having stored values of valid identification data;

determine the validity of the identification data associated with each transceiver in the plurality of transceivers based on the comparison; and

store the identification data associated with each transceiver in the plurality of transceivers in the look-up-table in response to determining that the identification data is valid.

20. The communication system of claim 19, wherein the memory device further includes instructions executable by the processing device for causing the host device to delete the identification data associated with the transceiver from the look-up-table in response to determining that a threshold amount of invalid response signals have been received from the transceiver in response to subsequent addressed signals transmitted by the host device to the transceiver via the second address.