Method and apparatus for independent control of low intensity indicators used for optical communication in an appliance

• US 7,091,932 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2003
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Astrauskas, Jurgis
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOW, DOON Y
• Application Number:
  US10/628,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20050024330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 345/158, 345/30, 345/156, 340/815.4, 340/815.5, 340/815.45, 340/815.69, 356/219
• US Class Current: 345/30
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4293 Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels; Indication of the selected programme, programme progress or other parameters of the programme, e.g. by using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25141 Normal display led used also for communication purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2633 Washing, laundry

Abstract

Indicator lights of an appliance are used for optical communication with a diagnostic tool through a communication probe. The indicator lights of the appliance are arranged in at least two groups. One indicator light is selected from one group of indicator lights to operate as an optical transmitter and another indicator light is selected from the other group of indicator lights to operate as an optical receiver. Preferably, the two selected indicator lights are in proximity to one another so the communication probe for the diagnostic tool may be more compactly designed.

Claims

1. An optical interface for an appliance using indicator lights comprising:

a first group of indicator lights coupled to a first common control component for controlling the indicator lights in the first group;

a second group of indicator lights coupled to a second common control component for controlling the indicator lights in the second group;

a first selector for selecting one of the indicator lights in one of the first group and the second group of indicator lights as an optical transmitter for transmitting a light signal from the appliance; and

a second selector for selecting one of the indicator lights in one of the first group and the second group of indicator lights as an optical receiver for receiving a light signal.

2. The optical interface of claim 1 wherein the first common control component is a transistor and a data signal sent to the base of the transistor controls the transmission of a light signal through the indicator light selected for operation as an optical transmitter.

3. The optical interface of claim 1 wherein the first selector is an output of a microcontroller coupled to the indicator light selected for operation as an optical transmitter.

4. The optical interface of claim 1 wherein the second selector is an output of a microcontroller coupled to the indicator light selected for operation as an optical receiver.

5. The optical interface of claim 1 further comprising:

a microcontroller coupled to the first common component, the microcontroller driving the first common control component with a data signal to generate a light signal with the indicator light selected in the first group of indicator lights to operate as an optical transmitter.

6. The optical interface of claim 1 further comprising:

a transistor coupled to the indicator light selected for operation as an optical receiver, the transistor for generating an electrical data signal that corresponds to the optical signal received by the indicator light selected for operation as an optical receiver.

7. The optical interface of claim 6 wherein the microcontroller includes a receive data input that is coupled to the collector of the transistor to receive the generated electrical data signal.

8. The optical interface of claim 1 wherein the indicator light selected for operation as an optical transmitter and the indicator light selected for operation as an optical receiver are in proximity to one another.

9. The optical interface of claim 1 wherein the first selector is an output of a microcontroller coupled to the indicator light selected for operation as an optical transmitter and a data signal is sent on the first selector to selectively bias the indicator light selected for operation as an optical transmitter for transmission of a light signal through the selected indicator light.

10. The optical interface of claim 9 wherein the first common control component is a transistor controlled by another microcontroller output to enable operation of the selected indicator light as an optical transmitter.

11. The optical interface of claim 9 wherein the second selector is an output of a microcontroller coupled to the indicator light selected for operation as an optical receiver.

12. A method for optically interfacing an appliance to an external device using indicator lights of the appliance comprising:

selecting one indicator light in one of a first group and a second group of indicator lights as an optical transmitter for an appliance; and

selecting one indicator light in one of a first group and a second group of indicator lights as an optical receiver for receiving a light signal for the appliance.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

generating an optical signal with the optical transmitter.

14. The method of claim 13, the optical signal generation further comprising:

sending a data signal to a common control component for the group of indicator lights containing the indicator light selected for optical transmitter operation to generate the optical signal.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein sending the data signal to the common control component further comprises:

sending the data signal to the base of a transistor that controls the group of indicator lights containing the indicator light selected for optical transmitter operation.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

generating an electrical data signal from the response of the indicator light selected for operation as an optical receiver.

17. The method of claim 16, the electrical data signal generation further comprising:

selectively operating a transistor coupled to the indicator light selected for operation as an optical receiver.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

coupling a data signal to the indicator light selected for operation as an optical transmitter to selectively bias the indicator light for transmission of a light signal through the selected indicator light.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

sending a signal to a common control component for the group of indicators containing the indicator light selected for operation as an optical transmitter to enable operation of the selected indicator light as an optical transmitter.