Communication of service information by appliance components

• US 8,612,605 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: McCoy, Richard A., Williams, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder, Patrice
• Assistant Examiner(s): Golabbakhsh, Ebrahim
• Application Number:
  US12/345,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20100169420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/227
• 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 12/2825 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 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators

Abstract

An appliance has at least two components and an internal communications network. A first component is in communication with the network and the second component is not. But the first component is configured to communicate service information related to the second component over the internal communications network. The service information will include one or more identifiers.

Claims

1. An appliance having at least two components and an internal communications network, where a first one of the at least two components is in communication with the network and a second one of the at least two components is not in communication with the network or the first one of the at least two components, wherein the first one of the at least two components is configured to communicate service information related to the second one of the at least two components over the internal communications network, the second one of the at least two components is a subcomponent of the first one of the at least two components, and the first one of the at least two components is responsive in subsequent messages to queries about each of the subcomponents counted in a count loop based on a number of subcomponents, and based on an index correlating to the count loop whereby an inquirer can obtain information about a subcomponent knowing only an index parameter associated with the subcomponent.

2. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the service information includes at least one identifier.

3. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the first one of the at least two components is configured to communicate a number of the second one of the at least two components for which it is configured to communicate service information.

4. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the first one of the at least two components is responsive in subsequent messages to queries about each of the second one of the at least two components counted in a count loop.

5. The appliance of claim 4 wherein the first one of the at least two components is responsive in further messages to queries based on an index correlating to the count loop whereby an inquirer can obtain information about a second one of the at least two components knowing only an index parameter associated with the second one of the at least two components.

6. The appliance of claim 5 wherein the first one of the at least two components is responsive in subsequent messages to queries about a number of subcomponents related to the second one of the at least two components.

7. The appliance of claim 6 wherein the first one of the at least two components is responsive in subsequent messages to queries about each of the subcomponents counted in a second count loop based on the number of subcomponents.

8. The appliance of claim 7 wherein the first one of the at least two components is responsive in further messages to queries based on a second index correlating to the second count loop whereby the inquirer can obtain information about a subcomponent knowing only an index parameter associated with the subcomponent.

9. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the information about a subcomponent is correlated to information about one of the first one of the at least two components and the second one of the at least two components.

10. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the first one of the at least two components communicates the service information to a client.

11. The appliance of claim 10 wherein the appliance has the service information and the service information includes one of serial number, model number, component information, manufacturer, supplier, location, cross reference, time of manufacture, date of manufacture, location of manufacture, a software module, a functionality identifier, replacement part, original part, and software module version, serial number, model number, part number, manufacturer, supplier, location, cross reference, time of manufacture, data of manufacture, place of manufacture, a software module, a functionality identifier, software version, attributes of a particular component, attributes of particular material used in a component, attributes of a component type, attributes of material type used in a component, information associating material or component with a ‘

lot’

or batch, information associating material or components with time, a location, or cost, and replacement information.

12. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the first one of the at least two components communicates with the second one of the at least two components over a network other than the internal communications network.

13. The appliance of claim 10 wherein the service information related to the second one of the at least two components is stored in the first one of the at least two components.

14. The appliance of claim 10 wherein the service information related to the second one of the at least two components is in memory accessed by the first one of the at least two components.

15. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the second one of the at least two components is a virtual component.

16. The appliance of claim 15 wherein the virtual component includes one of a first software module for controlling a motor, a data module containing data parameters about the motor allowing the first software module to appropriately parameterize and configure itself for the control of the motor, a cycle engine for controlling a cycle of operation of an appliance, a data module containing a cycle structure for use by the cycle engine to control the cycle of operation, a data module containing data for use by a user interface engine to create screens, screen content, and a navigation between screens, a data module containing media content which can be used in communication with a user.

17. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the first one of the at least two components proxies for at least two second ones of the at least two components and communicates a number of second ones of the at least two components for which it proxies.

18. The appliance of claim 17 wherein the number of second ones of the at least two components for which the first one of the at least two components proxies is used in subsequent messages as an identifier.

19. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the second one of the at least two components is a subcomponent of the first one of the at least two components.