Software architecture system and method for operating an appliance exposing key press functionality to a network

• US 20070168486A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: McCoy, Richard, Ebrom, Matthew, Kmet, David, Knezic, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 9,401,822 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• 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 network control system comprising a software operating layer responsive to a plurality of function calls, a physical user interface capable of generating directly at least some of the function calls, and a virtual user interface configured to invoke at least some of the function calls.

Claims

1. A network control system comprising:

a software operating layer responsive to a plurality of function calls,

a physical user interface capable of generating directly at least some of the function calls, and

a virtual user interface configured to invoke at least some of the function calls.

2. The network control system of claim 1 wherein the virtual user interface is configured to invoke at least some function calls that the physical user interface cannot generate directly.

3. The network control system of claim 1 and further comprising a network of interconnected nodes, each of the nodes controlled by the software operating layer in response to the function calls to implement an operation, wherein the virtual user interface is configured to invoke function calls to directly control the nodes independently of the software operating layer.

4. The network control system of claim 3 and further comprising a software engine residing on at least one of the nodes to implement the virtual user interface over the network.

5. The network control system of claim 4 wherein the software engine resides on at least those nodes that can be directly controlled by the virtual user interface.

6. The network control system of claim 5 and further comprising a node external to the network and configured to communicate with the network of interconnected nodes, with the software engine residing on the node external to the network.

7. The network control system of claim 3 wherein the virtual user interface is external to the network and in communication with network to effect control of the nodes over the network from a location remote of the network.

8. The network control system of claim 3 wherein the virtual user interface is internal to the network.

9. The network control system of claim 8 wherein the network defines an internal communication network for an appliance.

10. The network control system of claim 9 wherein the virtual user interface is located at a different node than the physical user interface.

11. The network control system of claim 3 wherein each node on the network has one or more functional units each representing a group of common functionality.

12. The network control system of claim 1 wherein the virtual user interface arises from an alternative software operating layer.

13. The network control system of claim 1 wherein the alternative command generator is responsive to the detection of an event.

14. The network control system of claim 13 wherein the event is selected from a fault, a state event, a sensor output, an event triggered by the software operating level, and a network message.

15. The network control system of claim 1 and comprising a network having a plurality of devices and at least one function call is associated with an activity associated with at least one device.

16. The network control system of claim 1 wherein function calls originating from the physical user interface and function calls originating from the virtual user interface are executed based on a prescribed priority.

17. The network control system of claim 16 wherein the prescribed priority is selected from:

at least one function call can at least temporarily deactivate function calls from another source;

function calls originating from the physical user interface and function calls originating from the virtual user interface are executed in batch;

function calls may be grouped together such that a logically associated group of calls is completed before another function call or logically associated group of function calls are executed; and

function calls originating from the physical user interface and function calls originating externally are executed sequentially.

18. The network control system of claim 1 wherein the physical user interface comprises a self contained data processing and network device.

19. The network control system of claim 18 wherein the physical user interface is selected from a group consisting of a Cell phone a Computer, a Web Tablet, a PDA, a Microphone, and a Virtual keyboard.

20. A network control system comprising:

a software operating layer responsive to a plurality of function calls,

a physical user interface having a plurality of UI actions, each of the UI actions generating directly one of the function calls, and at least one UI action generating data, and

a virtual user interface adapted for invocation of at least some of the function calls generated by UI actions as well as for invocation of at least one function call that cannot be generated by a UI action.

21. The network control system of claim 20 wherein each UI action has one associated function call.

22. The network control system of claim 20 wherein each function call is associated with one or more UI action.

23. The network control system of claim 20 wherein at least one UI action is associated with a function call.

24. The network control system of claim 20 wherein at least one UI action is associated with data entry.

25. The network control system of claim 20 wherein the physical user interface comprises a keypad comprising a plurality of keys.

26. The network control system of claim 25 wherein each key is associated with an associated function call.

27. The network control system of claim 25 wherein at least one key is associated with at least one associated function call.

28. The network control system of claim 25 wherein at least one key is associated with data entry.

29. The network control system of claim 20 wherein the virtual user interface is configured to transmit a virtual key press comprising at least one function call whereby the at least one virtual key press instructs a receiving network node to execute an associated functionality.

30. The network control system of claim 29 wherein the virtual key press enables at least one of:

testing software associated;

remote execution of software;

software reuse; and

reprogramming of key press function calls.

31. The network control system of claim 30 wherein at least one virtual key press invokes a plurality of function calls.

32. The network control system of claim 31 wherein at least one sequence of virtual key presses invokes at least one function call.

33. The network control system of claim 20 wherein the software has at least a first and a second operating level and wherein there is at least one function call not available in the first operating level which is available in the second operating level.

34. The network control system of claim 20 wherein the network comprises an appliance having a plurality of nodes and further wherein virtual key presses of the keypad are encapsulated by network messages sent to a network node that supports the functional call.

35. The network control system of claim 20 and further comprising a network of interconnected nodes, each of the nodes controlled by the software operating layer in response to the function calls to implement an operation, wherein the virtual user interface is configured to invoke function calls not capable of being generated by a UI action to directly control the nodes independently of the software operating layer.

36. The network control system of claim 35 and further comprising a software engine residing on at least one of the nodes to implement the virtual user interface over the network.

37. The network control system of claim 36 wherein the software engine resides on at least those nodes that can be directly controlled by the virtual user interface.