Taxonomy engine and dataset for operating an appliance

• US 20070156265A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: McCoy, Richard, Ebrom, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23261 Use control template library
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23273 Select, associate the real hardware to be used in the program
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/26 Special purpose or proprietary protocols or architectures network applications for proprietary or special purpose networking environments H04L67/12

Abstract

A control system for controlling the operation of a useful system comprises at least one controller configured to control an operation of the useful system in response to a well formed command from a group of well formed commands. At least one taxonomy engine of the system is adapted to generate a taxonomy dataset establishing the group of well formed commands, and at least one command generator of the system is adapted to generate a well formed command using the taxonomy dataset. The taxonomy engine is configured to deliver the taxonomy dataset to the command generator, and the command generator is configured to deliver the well formed command to the controller.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an operation of a system comprising:

generating a taxonomy dataset representative of a group of well formed commands;

generating a well formed command from the group of well formed commands using the taxonomy dataset; and

controlling an operation of the system in response to the generated well formed command.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the generating a taxonomy dataset and generating a well formed command is accomplished by at least one node on a network associated with the system.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one node is one of a plurality of interconnected nodes to form an internal network for a machine.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the controlling the operation of the system comprises controlling the system from a controller selected from:

a controller on a node, a controller external to the internal network but within a network of the system, and an external controller.

5. The method of claim 4 and further comprising the step of transmitting the well formed command to the controller.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the taxonomy dataset dictates commands selected from commands that are permissible for controlling the system and commands that are required for controlling the system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the taxonomy dataset is defined by a plurality of taxonomic levels wherein at least one taxonomic level specifies at least one required decision.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the decision is selected from at least one of a selection or rejection of an option, entering a value setting, and selecting of an option from multiple possible options.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the option is selected from a group of options available for a cycle of operation for the system.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating of the taxonomy dataset is accomplished by a controller that controls at least a portion of the operation of the system.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the controller generates the taxonomy dataset based on at least one of the following factors:

the type of the current operation, the status of the current operation, and any operational restrictions of the current operation.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the controller generates the taxonomy dataset as a function of at least one of:

currently applicable resource restrictions, currently applicable safety restriction, user preferences, and time restriction.

13. The method of claim 1 and further comprising transmitting the taxonomy dataset to at least one command generator.

14. The method of claim 13 and further comprising transmitting the taxonomy dataset to multiple command generators.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of controlling the operation of the system comprises controlling the system from at least one of the multiple command generators.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the system comprises an internal network and further wherein at least a first command generator is within the internal network and a second command generator is outside of the internal network.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one command generator is selected from:

a user interface on a control panel, an external user interface, a user interface, a resource management system, a home automation system, another system sharing resources, and another system performing a related operation.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the command generator sends commands to operate at least two systems.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the taxonomy dataset is sent as a plurality of messages to command generator.

20. The method of claim 1 and further comprising the step of transmitting the taxonomy dataset to a user interface device that provides user feedback guiding the user to generate well formed commands.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the user feedback comprises informing a user that an option is not available.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating a taxonomy dataset is repeated.

23. The method of claim 1 and further comprising the step of periodically generating a taxonomy revision message.

24. The method of claim 1 and further comprising the step of verifying a well formed command.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of verifying a well formed command is selected from verifying receipt of the command, verifying that the command is well formed, and verifying execution of the command.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating of the taxonomy dataset comprises assembling a plurality of command components permissible for the well formed commands.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the generating of the well formed command comprising assembling the command components into a well formed command.

28. A taxonomy dataset for enabling a programmable command generator to generate well formed commands for controlling an operation, the dataset comprising:

a plurality of command components permissible within well formed commands, and

a taxonomy of command components outlining a taxonomy structure for selecting command components for generating well formed commands, the taxonomy specifying for at least one command component any additional command components needed to form the well formed command upon selection of the at least one command component.

29. The taxonomy dataset of claim 28 wherein the taxonomy structure comprises a plurality of taxonomic levels wherein at least one taxonomic level specifies at least one required decision.

30. The taxonomy dataset of claim 29 wherein the required decision is selected from:

selecting or rejecting an option, entering a value setting, and selecting an option from multiple possible options.

31. The taxonomy dataset of claim 28 wherein the taxonomy dataset dictates commands selected from commands that are permissible for controlling the system and commands that are required for controlling the system.

32. The taxonomy dataset of claim 28 wherein at least one command component reflects status information.

33. The taxonomy dataset of claim 32 wherein the status information is selected from:

sensor status information, cycle status information, environment status information, resource information, user preference information, historical operational information, network information, control operating mode information, and operational status information.

34. A control system for controlling the operation of a useful system, comprising:

at least one controller configured to control an operation of the useful system in response to a well formed command from a group of well formed commands;

at least one taxonomy engine adapted to generate a taxonomy dataset establishing the group of well formed commands; and

at least one command generator adapted to generate a well formed command using the taxonomy dataset;

wherein the taxonomy engine is configured to deliver the taxonomy dataset to the command generator, and the command generator is configured to deliver the well formed command to the controller.

35. The control system of claim 34 comprising a plurality of controllers, with the at least one taxonomy engine configured to generate a taxonomy dataset corresponding to each controller.

36. The control system of claim 35 comprising a plurality of command generators wherein each of the command generators may generate a well formed command for any of the plurality of controllers.

37. The control system of claim 34 comprising a plurality of command generators each configured to generate a well structured command for the controller.

38. The control system of claim 34 wherein the useful system in an appliance and the operation being controlled is an operation the appliance, wherein the appliance has an internal network with a plurality of nodes and the controller is selected from a controller at one of the nodes, a controller external to the internal network, and an external controller.

39. The control system of claim 34 wherein the taxonomy dataset dictates commands selected from commands that are permissible for controlling the system and commands that are required for controlling the system.

40. The control system of claim 34 wherein the taxonomy dataset is defined by a plurality of taxonomic levels wherein at least one taxonomic level specifies at least one required decision, wherein the decision is selected from:

a selection or rejection of an option, entering a value setting, and selecting of an option from multiple possible options.

41. The control system of claim 34 wherein the taxonomy dataset is generated by a controller as a function of at least one of the type of the current operation, the status of the current operation, and any operational restrictions of the current operation.

42. The control system of claim 34 wherein the taxonomy dataset is generated by a controller as a function of at least one of:

currently applicable resource restrictions, currently applicable safety restriction, user preferences, and time restriction.

43. The control system of claim 34 wherein the command generator is selected from:

a user interface on a control panel, an external user interface, a user interface, a resource management system, a home automation system, another system sharing resources, and another system performing a related operation.

44. The control system of claim 34 wherein the command generator is a programmable user interface device that provides user feedback guiding the user to generate well formed commands.