Control system and method for operating a transceiver

• US 20050085193A1
• Filed: 08/17/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Stromberg, Guido, Sturm, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/68
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23277 Use of separate interface software, main program calls functions from it
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23297 Remote load of program with cellular, wireless, satellite connection
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23312 Load program from attached device to control that device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25014 Fieldbus general name of bus connected to machines, detectors, actuators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25186 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25274 Communication processor, link interface
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2613 Household appliance in general

Abstract

Transceiver for controlling an application device by means of an external control device. The transceiver has a control unit, a memory unit coupled to the control unit, a control interface coupled to the control unit, a communication interface coupled to the control unit, wherein the application device is controllable using the external control device via the control interface and via the communication interface using the control unit, and an application control program stored in the memory unit, wherein the application control program is communicated to the external control device via the communication interface.

Claims

1-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A transceiver for controlling an application device by means of an external control device, comprising:

a control unit;

a memory unit coupled to the control unit;

a control interface coupled to the control unit;

a communication interface coupled to the control unit, wherein the application device is controllable using the external control device via the control interface and via the communication interface using the control unit; and

an application control program stored in the memory unit,

wherein the application control program is communicated to the external control device via the communication interface.

34. The transceiver as claimed in claim 33, wherein the communication interface is set up such that the communication with the external control device is effected via a radio link.

35. The transceiver as claimed in claim 33, wherein the memory unit is writable or nonwritable or is a memory having a first and a second submemory, the first submemory being writable and the second submemory being nonwritable.

36. The transceiver as claimed in claim 35, wherein the writable memory unit or the first submemory is a RAM memory (random access memory).

37. The transceiver as claimed in claim 35, wherein the nonwritable memory unit or the second submemory is a ROM memory (read only memory).

38. The transceiver as claimed in claim 33, wherein the memory unit has a storage capacity of less than 1 megabyte.

39. The transceiver as claimed in claim 33, wherein the control unit is a microprocessor.

40. The transceiver as claimed in claim 33, wherein the control unit is an 8-bit or 16-bit microprocessor.

41. The transceiver as claimed in claim 33, wherein the memory unit has a first and a second submemory, the application control program or a part of the application control program is stored in the first submemory, and another part of the application control program or some other data is stored in the second submemory.

42. The transceiver as claimed in claim 41, wherein the some other data comprises information regarding a menu structure and/or information regarding a user interface.

43. The transceiver as claimed in claim 33, wherein the memory unit comprises a first and a second submemory, specific data of a member of an application family is stored in the first submemory, and data common to an application family is stored in the second submemory.

44. The transceiver as claimed in claim 33, further comprising an initialization unit that establishes the communication link to the external control device.

45. The transceiver as claimed in claim 44, wherein the initialization unit communicates a signal to the external control device to establish a communication link to the external control device.

46. The transceiver as claimed in claim 44, wherein the initialization unit is receives a signal from the external control device to establish a communication link to the external control device.

47. The transceiver as claimed in claim 44, wherein a communication protocol used for communication between the initialization unit and the external control device is selected from the group consisting of Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA), Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP), JXTA, and Java Intelligent Network Infrastructure (JINI).

48. The transceiver as claimed in claim 33, wherein the application control program is present as Java code.

49. The transceiver as claimed in claim 33, configured as an embedded system.

50. A controllable application arrangement comprising:

an application device; and

a transceiver as claimed in claim 33 coupled to the application device.

51. The controllable application arrangement as claimed in claim 50, wherein the application device is a sensor device, an electronic control device, an automotive electronics device, or a domestic appliance.

52. The controllable application arrangement as claimed in claim 51, wherein the application device formed as a sensor device is a temperature sensor, a filling level sensor, a moisture sensor, a gas sensor, or a pressure sensor.

53. The controllable application arrangement as claimed in claim 51, wherein the application device formed as a domestic appliance is a refrigerator, a stereo system, a heating system, or a cooker.

54. A control system for an application device comprising a transceiver as claimed in claim 33, wherein the external control device communicates with the transceiver.

55. The control system as claimed in claim 54, wherein the external control device is a workstation, a personal computer, a laptop, a webpad, a mobile radio telephone, a Palm™

, or a personal digital assistant.

56. The control system as claimed in claim 54, wherein the external control device has a memory device that stores at least one application control program and a processor that executes the at least one application control program to thereby control the application device coupled to the transceiver.

57. The control system as claimed in claim 54, wherein the external control device comprises a storage duration management device that prescribes, for the at least one application control program stored in the memory device, a time value specifying the time after which the at least one application control program is erased from the memory device.

58. The control system as claimed in claim 57, wherein the time value is prescribed by the storage duration management device based on at least one of the following criteria:

how often the application control program has been executed in the past;

when the application control program was executed last;

a memory requirement of the respective application control program; and

what type of application the application control program relates to.

59. The control system as claimed in claim 56, further comprising an interrogation unit in the external control device, which interrogation unit determines whether the at least one application control program stored in the memory unit is already contained in the memory device.

60. The control system as claimed in claim 59, wherein if the interrogation unit determines that the at least one application control program stored in the memory unit is already contained in the memory device, the at least one application control program of the external control device is not communicated.

61. A method for operating a transceiver, comprising the steps of:

providing a transceiver;

providing a control unit;

providing a memory unit coupled to the control unit;

providing a control interface coupled to the control unit;

providing a communication interface coupled to the control unit;

storing an application control program in the memory unit;

controlling an application device using an external control device via the control interface and via the communication interface using the control unit; and

communicating the application control program to the external control device via the communication interface.

62. The method as claimed in claim 61, further comprising the step of establishing a communication link between the transceiver and the external control device via an initialization unit.

63. The method as claimed in claim 61, further comprising the step of an interrogation unit determining whether an application control program stored in the memory unit is already contained in the external control device.

64. A transceiver for controlling an application device by means of an external control device, comprising:

a control unit;

a memory unit coupled to the control unit;

a control interface coupled to the control unit;

a communication interface coupled to the control unit, wherein the application device is controllable using the external device via the control interface and the communication interface using the control unit; and

an identification specification that unambiguously identifies an application control program stored in the memory unit,

wherein the identification specification is communicated to the external control device via the communication interface.