Auto-detecting universal appliance communication controller

• US 7,043,577 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Hooker, John Kenneth, Larouche, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mason, Donna K.
• Application Number:
  US10/228,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20040044816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 710/305, 710/8, 710/10, 710/104, 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 340/3.5, 340/3.51
• US Class Current: 710/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for communicating a communications controller with a connected device over a serial bus is provided. The connected device is connected to the bus at one of a plurality of addresses, and the method includes sending a first request to the device over the bus at a first address; waiting for an acknowledgement of the first request by the device; and establishing communication with the connected device if the acknowledgement of the first request is received.

Claims

1. A method for communicating a communications controller with a connected device over a serial bus, said method comprising:

connecting the device to the bus at one of a plurality of addresses;

sending a first request to the device over the bus at a first address, wherein the first request relates to a predetermined type of device;

waiting for an acknowledgement of the first request by the device; and

establishing communication with the connected device at the first address if the acknowledgement of the first request received; and

if communication with the connected device is not established at the first address, sending a second request to a second address over the bus, wherein the second request relates to a predetermined type of device that is different than the type of device relating to the first request.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

waiting for an acknowledgement of the second request by the device; and

sending a third request to a third address over the bus if the acknowledgment of the second request is not received, wherein the third request relates to a predetermined type of device that is different than the types of devices relating to the first and second requests.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said sending a first request to the device comprises sending a version number request.

4. A method for communicating an appliance communications controller with at least one connected device over a serial communications link, said method comprising:

connecting the device to the link at one of a plurality of device addresses according to a communications protocol;

sending a first request to the device over a current one of the plurality of addresses of the communications protocol, wherein the first request relates to a predetermined type of device;

waiting for an acknowledgement of the sent request by the device;

establishing communication with the device at the current address if the acknowledgement of the sent request is received; and

if the acknowledgment is not received, selecting a new current address in communications protocol and sending a second request to the device at the new current address, wherein the second request relates to a predetermined type of device that is different than the type of device relating to the first request.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein sending a request comprises sending a version number request.

6. A method in accordance with claim 4 further comprising repeating the step of selecting a new current address in communications protocol and sending a request to the device at the new current address until an acknowledgment is received.

7. A method in accordance with claim 4, the communications controller connected to an external host computer through a network carrier, said method further comprising:

sending a communication from the external host computer to the appliance communications controller through the network carrier; and

transmitting the communication from the external host computer to the connected device through the appliance communications controller at the address where the request was acknowledged.

8. A method for communicating an appliance communications controller with at least one device connected to the communications controller over a serial communications link distributed within an appliance, appliance controller including a memory having a plurality of predetermined device addresses therein, said method comprising:

connecting the device to the serial communications link at one of the plurality of predetermined device addresses according to a communications protocol;

repeatedly sending a request to the device over successive addresses of the communications protocol, which comprises;

sending a first request relating to a predetermined type of device; and

sending a second request relating to a predetermined type of device that is different than the type of device relating to the first request;

waiting for an acknowledgement of the sent request by the device after sending each of said repeated requests; and

when any of the requests are acknowledged by the connected device, establishing communication with the device at the address where the acknowledgement is received.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said sending a request to the device comprises sending a version number request.

10. An appliance communications controller comprising:

a processor configured for connection to an external device; and

a memory coupled to said processor, said memory comprising a plurality of addresses for communication with the external device, said processor configured to send a first request to a first address of said addresses, the first request relating to a predetermined type of device, send a second request to a second address of said addresses, the second request relating to a predetermined type of device that is different than the type of device relating to the first request, and determine which of said addresses are associated with the external device and to communicate with the external device at the address associated with the external device.

11. An appliance communication controller in accordance with claim 10 wherein said processor is configured for connection to a network carrier.

12. An appliance communication controller in accordance with claim 10 wherein said appliance communication controller comprises a power line carrier transceiver.

13. An appliance communications controller for establishing communication to an external device over a network carrier, said communications controller comprising:

a power line carrier transceiver;

a processor coupled to said power line carrier receiver; and

a memory coupled to said processor, said processor programmed to;

select one of a plurality of addresses for communication with the external device from said memory;

send a first request to the selected address, wherein the first request relates to a predetermined type of external device;

if an acknowledgment of the first request is received, to communicate with the external device in accordance with a predetermined communications protocol; and

if the acknowledgment is not received, to send a second request to a new address, wherein the second request relates to a predetermined type of external device that is different than the type of external device relating to the first request.

14. An appliance communications controller in accordance with claim 13 wherein said controller is further programmed to select another of the plurality of addresses for communication with the external device from said memory if an acknowledgement is not received and send another request to said another of said addresses.

15. An appliance communications control system comprising:

at least one appliance comprising a distributed serial communications link and at least one device connected thereto, said device configured to send and receive data communications; and

a communications controller operatively coupled to said serial communications link and configured to send and receive data communications with said device according to a communications protocol, said communications controller comprising;

a network carrier transceiver;

a processor coupled to said network carrier transceiver; and

a memory coupled to said processor and, comprising address information associated with connection of the at least one appliance device, said processor programmed to detect connection of said at least one appliance device by successively sending a communications request to each of a plurality of addresses supported by said memory and accepting a reply by the at least one communication device when a communications request is sent to the address where said at least one device is connected, wherein said processor further programmed to send a first communications request relating to a predetermined type of appliance, and to send a second communications request relating to a predetermined type of appliance that is different than the type of appliance relating to the first communications request.

16. A system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said network carrier transceiver comprises a power line carrier transceiver.

17. A system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said data communications comprises a physical layer, a data link layer and an application layer.