System and method for displaying messages in a column-by-column format via an array of LEDs connected to a circuit of a compressor

• US 9,965,928 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2017
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Corporation LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Green, Charles E.
• Primary Examiner(s): NWUGO, OJIAKO K
• Application Number:
  US15/430,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20170301192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 340648, 345442
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/187 Machine fault alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/02 Details of power systems and of start or stop of display operation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3216 using a passive matrix

Abstract

An indication system is provided and includes evaluation, messaging, and display modules and a display. The evaluation module generates a message based on a parameter of a compressor or a drive. The messaging module: generates a message based on the parameter; generates a string of glyphs based on the message; selects a predetermined number of glyphs in the string of glyphs; generates column data for the selected glyphs; and generates packets including the column data. The display module generates output signals based on the packets. The display includes an array of LEDs, does not include a transistor, and illuminates the LEDs based on the output signals. The display module is configured to generate the output signals to illuminate one or more of the LEDS in a column-by-column format, such that power is only provided to one column of the array of LEDs at any moment in time.

Claims

1. An indication system comprising:

an evaluation module configured to generate a message based on a parameter of a compressor or a drive of the compressor;

a messaging module configured to

generate a first message based on the parameter,

generate a string of glyphs based on the first message,

select a predetermined number of glyphs in the string of glyphs,

generate column data for the selected predetermined number of glyphs, and

generate packets including the column data;

a display module configured to (i) receive the packets via an interface, and (ii) generate output signals based on the packets; and

a display comprising an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs), wherein the display does not include a transistor, wherein the display is configured to receive the output signals and illuminate the LEDs of the display based on the output signals, and

wherein the display module is configured to generate the output signals to illuminate one or more of the LEDS of the display in a column-by-column format, such that power is only provided to one column of the array of LEDs at any moment in time.

2. The indication system of claim 1, further comprising a LED separate from the display,

wherein the display module is configured to provide an indication signal to the LED separate from the display.

3. The indication system of claim 2, wherein the indication signal indicates an error or fault with the compressor or the drive.

4. The indication system of claim 2, wherein the indication signal indicates an error or fault corresponding to the first message.

5. The indication system of claim 2, wherein the messaging module is configured to originate the indication signal.

6. The indication system of claim 2, wherein the display module is configured to originate the indication signal.

7. The indication system of claim 1, wherein:

the messaging module is configured to generate a first indication signal based on status of the compressor or the drive of the compressor; and

the display module is configured to

determine whether the column data is valid,

generate a second indication signal if the column data is invalid, and

provide the first indication signal and the second indication signal to the LED separate from the display.

8. The indication system of claim 1, wherein the messaging module includes a processor.

9. The indication system of claim 1, wherein the display module includes a field programmable gate array.

10. The indication system of claim 1, wherein:

the messaging module is implemented as a processor; and

the display module is implemented as a field programmable gate array.

11. The indication system of claim 10, wherein:

the array of LEDs is a 5-by-7 array of LEDs; and

the display module is configured to display portions of up to 3 glyphs on the array of LEDs at any moment in time.

12. The indication system of claim 10, wherein:

the field programmable gate array has 240 or 570 logic elements;

the display module refreshes states of the LEDs in the array of LEDs at a refresh rate of 1000 kHz; and

the display module provides the column data to the display column-by-column and at a predetermined load rate of 8-10 Hz.

13. The indication system of claim 1, wherein the messaging module comprises:

a string generator configured to (i) generate the string of glyphs based on the first message, and (ii) store the string of glyphs in a first first-in-first-out queue;

a multi-glyph selector configured to (i) select the predetermined number of glyphs in the string of glyphs, and (ii) store the predetermined number of glyphs in a second first-in-first-out queue;

a glyph-to-column converter configured to (i) generate the column data for the selected predetermined number of glyphs, and (ii) store the column data in a third first-in-first-out queue; and

a forwarding module configured to (i) generate the packets including the column data, and (ii) forward the packets to the display module.

14. The indication system of claim 1, wherein:

the messaging module is configured to (i) generate a plurality of messages based on parameter data, status information, error or fault information, diagnostic data and software version information, and (ii) generate packets comprising the plurality of messages, wherein the plurality of messages include the first message, and wherein the parameter data, status information, error or fault information, diagnostic data and software version information corresponds to operation of the compressor or the drive of the compressor; and

the display module is configured to, based on the packets, generate a plurality of output signals for row and column control lines of the display to display the plurality of messages in a predetermined order.

15. A method of operating an indication system, the method comprising:

generating a message based on a parameter of a compressor or a drive of the compressor;

generating a first message based on the parameter at a messaging module;

generating a string of glyphs based on the first message;

selecting a predetermined number of glyphs in the string of glyphs;

generating column data for the selected predetermined number of glyphs;

generating packets including the column data;

receiving the packets at a display module via an interface;

generating output signals based on the packets; and

receiving the output signals at a display and illuminating an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) of the display based on the output signals, wherein the display does not include a transistor,

wherein the output signals are generated to illuminate one or more of the LEDS of the display in a column-by-column format, such that power is only provided to one column of the array of LEDs at any moment in time.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing an indication signal to an LED separate from the display, wherein the indication signal indicates an error with the compressor, the drive or the first message, and wherein the indication signal originated at the messaging module or the display module.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating at the messaging module a first indication signal based on status of the compressor or the drive of the compressor;

determining at the display module whether the column data is valid;

generating a second indication signal if the column data is invalid; and

providing the first indication signal and the second indication signal to the LED separate from the display.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the messaging module is implemented as a processor;

the display module is implemented as a field programmable gate array;

the array of LEDs is a 5-by-7 array of LEDs; and

the display module is configured to display portions of up to 3 glyphs on the array of LEDs at any moment in time.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the field programmable gate array has 240 or 570 logic elements;

the display module refreshes states of the LEDs in the array of LEDs at a refresh rate of 1000 kHz; and

the display module provides the column data to the display column-by-column and at a predetermined load rate of 8-10 Hz.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating a plurality of messages based on parameter data, status information, error or fault information, diagnostic data and software version information;

generating packets comprising the plurality of messages, wherein the plurality of messages include the first message, and wherein the parameter data, status information, error or fault information, diagnostic data and software version information corresponds to operation of the compressor or the drive of the compressor; and

based on the packets, forwarding the plurality of messages to be displayed on the display in a predetermined order.