Household for industrial device including programmable controller and method device and system for use in configuring same
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
G06F-009/44
H04W-004/00
G06F-021/35
G06K-019/00
출원번호
US-0286788
(2014-05-23)
등록번호
US-9641959
(2017-05-02)
발명자
/ 주소
Brochu, Christian
Laflamme, Benoit
출원인 / 주소
GECKO ALLIANCE GROUP INC.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
6인용 특허 :
40
초록▼
A programmable controller for operating a system is provided as well as a method and devices of configuring such controller. The controller includes firmware storing instructions for controlling operations of the system, the firmware including a passive memory component and a processing unit program
A programmable controller for operating a system is provided as well as a method and devices of configuring such controller. The controller includes firmware storing instructions for controlling operations of the system, the firmware including a passive memory component and a processing unit programmed for operating the system at least in part based on the instructions of the firmware. The firmware is responsive to a signal carrying firmware update information received from an external device for drawing energy from the signal to activate the passive memory component and causing a firmware update process to be performed. Advantageously, the proposed controller can be configured in the absence of electrical power being supplied by an external source and in, some embodiments, using the signal carrying the firmware update information as the sole source of electrical energy in order to perform at least part of the firmware update process.
대표청구항▼
1. An auxiliary device programmed for configuring a household or industrial device having one or more electrically powered components and a programmable controller, the programmable controller comprising a memory module having stored thereon firmware including instructions for controlling operations
1. An auxiliary device programmed for configuring a household or industrial device having one or more electrically powered components and a programmable controller, the programmable controller comprising a memory module having stored thereon firmware including instructions for controlling operations of the one or more electrically powered components of the household or industrial device, said memory module including a passive memory component on which at least a portion of the firmware is stored, the programmable controller being configured for operating the electrically powered components of the household or industrial device at least in part in accordance with the instructions stored on the memory module, said auxiliary device comprising: a) a communication interface suitable for communicating with the programmable controller over a wireless communication link;b) a processing unit in communication with the communication interface programmed for transmitting a signal over the wireless communication link to the programmable controller carrying firmware update information associated with the household or industrial device, wherein the firmware update information carried by the signal includes program code for implementing a specific configuration associated with a specific variation of the household or industrial device, wherein the household or industrial device is one of a stove, a blender, a bathing unit system, a pump, a motor and a restaurant appliance, the signal being configured for: i) causing the passive memory component of the programmable controller to be activated by drawing energy from said signal; andii) causing a firmware update process to be performed by the programmable controller to update the instructions of the firmware based on the update information carried by the signal, at least part of said firmware update process being performed by the programmable controller while the passive memory component remains activated using said signal as a source of electrical energy, wherein the firmware update process causes the program code to be stored on the memory module of the programmable controller to enable the controller to operate the electrically powered component of the household or industrial device based on the specific configuration associated with the specific variation of the household or industrial device. 2. The auxiliary device as defined in claim 1, wherein the wireless communication link is a radio frequency (RF) communication link and wherein the signal carrying the firmware update information associated with the household or industrial device is an RF signal. 3. The auxiliary device as defined in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary device is embodied in an NFC enabled computing device and wherein the passive memory component of the controller includes an NFC memory. 4. The auxiliary device as defined in claim 3, wherein the NFC enabled computing device is a smartphone. 5. A method for configuring a household or industrial device having one or more electrically powered components and a programmable controller, the programmable controller comprising a memory module having stored thereon firmware including instructions for controlling operations of the one or more electrically powered components of the household or industrial device, said memory module including a passive memory component on which at least a portion of the firmware is stored, the programmable controller being programmed for operating the electrically powered component of the household or industrial device at least in part in accordance with the instructions stored on the memory module, said method comprising: a) using an auxiliary device, obtaining firmware update information associated with the household or industrial device, wherein the household or industrial device is one of a stove, a blender, a bathing unit system, a pump, a motor and a restaurant appliance;b) using the auxiliary system, transmitting a signal carrying the firmware update information associated with the household or industrial device to the programmable controller over a wireless communication link, wherein the firmware update information carried by the signal includes program code for implementing a specific configuration associated with a specific variation of the household or industrial device, the signal being configured for: i) causing the passive memory component of the programmable controller to be activated by drawing energy from said signal; andii) causing a firmware update process to be performed by the programmable controller of the household or industrial device to update the instructions of the firmware based on the update information carried by the signal, at least part of said firmware update process being performed by the programmable controller while the passive memory component remains activated using said signal as a source of electrical energy, wherein the firmware update process causes the program code to be stored on the memory module of the programmable controller to enable the programmable controller to operate the one or more electrically powered components of the household or industrial device based on the specific configuration associated with the specific variation of the household or industrial device. 6. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein the wireless communication link is a radio frequency (RF) communication link and wherein the signal carrying the firmware update information associated with the household or industrial device is an RF signal. 7. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein the auxiliary device is embodied in an NFC enabled computing device and wherein the passive memory component of the controller includes an NFC memory. 8. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the NFC enabled device is a smartphone. 9. A manufacturing process for a household or industrial device, said household or industrial device having one or more electrically powered components and a programmable controller, said programmable controller comprising a memory module for storing thereon firmware, said memory module including a passive memory component on which at least a portion of the firmware is stored, the programmable controller being configurable for operating an said one or more electrically powered components of the household or industrial device in accordance with a specific one of a plurality of variations of said household or industrial device at least in part in dependence of instructions of the firmware, said manufacturing process comprising: a) using an auxiliary device, obtaining firmware update information associated with a specific variation of the household or industrial device, wherein the household or industrial device is one of a stove, a blender, a bathing unit system, a pump, a motor and a restaurant appliance;b) in an assembly line, bringing the auxiliary system in proximity to the programmable controller and using the auxiliary system to transmit a signal carrying the firmware update information to the programmable controller over a wireless communication link, wherein the firmware update information carried by the signal includes program code for implementing a specific configuration associated with a specific variation of the household or industrial device, the signal being configured for: i) causing the passive memory component of the programmable controller to be activated by drawing energy from said signal carrying firmware update information; andii) causing a firmware update process to be performed by the controller to modify the instructions of the firmware based on the update information carried by the signal, at least part of said firmware update process being performed by the controller while the passive memory component remains activated using energy drawn from said signal as a source of electrical energy, wherein the firmware update process causes the program code to be stored on the memory module of the programmable controller to enable the programmable controller to operate the one or more electrically powered components of the household or industrial device based on the specific configuration associated with the specific variation of the household or industrial device. 10. A household or industrial device comprising: a) one or more electrically powered components forming part of the household or industrial device, wherein the household or industrial device is one of a stove, a blender, a bathing unit system, a pump, a motor and a restaurant appliance;b) a housing holding a programmable controller for operating the one or more electrically powered components, said programmable controller comprising: i) a memory module having stored thereon firmware including instructions for controlling operations of the one or more electrically powered components, said instructions storing program code implementing a set of configurations including at least a first configuration and a second configuration, said memory module including a passive memory component on which at least a portion of the firmware is stored, the passive memory component of the memory module being configured to be responsive to a signal carrying firmware update information associated with a specific one of the first configuration and the second configuration received over a wireless communication link from a device external to the household or industrial device for: (1) drawing energy from the signal carrying firmware update information to activate the passive memory component; and(2) causing a firmware update process to be performed to modify the instructions of the firmware based on the update information carried by the signal, at least part of said firmware update process being performed while the passive memory component remains activated using energy drawn from said signal as a source of electrical energy;ii) a processing unit in communication with said memory module, said processing unit being programmed for operating the one or more electrically powered components at least in part in accordance with the instructions of the firmware. 11. The household or industrial device as defined in claim 10, wherein at least part of the firmware update process is performed while the passive memory component remains activated using the energy drawn from said signal as its sole source of electrical energy. 12. The household or industrial device as defined in claim 10, wherein the household or industrial device is a bathing unit system and wherein the electrically powered component is a pump. 13. The household or industrial device as defined in claim 10, wherein the passive memory component is configured for communicating with the device external to the household or industrial device over a radio frequency (RF) communication link established between the passive memory component and the device external to the household or industrial device. 14. The household or industrial device as defined in claim 10, wherein the passive memory component includes a near field communication memory (NFC memory). 15. The household or industrial device as defined in claim 10, wherein the firmware update information conveys an access code and: a) wherein the access code is associated with the specific one of the first configuration and the second configuration; andb) wherein the processing unit is programmed for operating the system in accordance with the specific one of the first configuration and the second configuration associated with the access code. 16. The household or industrial device as defined in claim 15, wherein the processing unit is programmed for selecting the specific one of the first configuration and the second configuration at least in part by processing the access code to select a portion of the instructions stored on the memory module, where the selected portion of the instruction implements the specific one of the first configuration and the second configuration. 17. The household or industrial device as defined in claim 10, wherein: a) the firmware update process includes storing the firmware update information carried by the signal on the passive memory component of the memory module; andb) wherein the processing unit of the controller is programmed for: i) selecting the specific configuration from the set of configurations implemented by the program code stored in the passive memory component of the memory module at least in part by processing the firmware update information stored on the passive memory component of the memory module; andii) operating the electrically powered component of the household or industrial device in accordance with the selected specific configuration implemented by the program code stored in the passive memory component of the memory module of the controller. 18. The household or industrial device as defined in claim 10, wherein the household or industrial device is a household device and wherein the electrically powered component of the household device is one of multiple electrically powered components of the household device, said programmable controller being for operating the multiple electrically powered components of the household device, said processing unit being programmed for: a) operating a first set of electrically powered components of the household device when operating the system in accordance with the first configuration; andb) operating a second set of electrically powered components when operating the household device in accordance with the second configuration. 19. The household device as defined in claim 18, wherein said second set of electrically powered components is a subset of said first set of electrically powered components. 20. The household as defined in claim 19, wherein said second set of electrically powered components includes at least one electrically powered component absent from said first set of electrically powered components. 21. The household or industrial device as defined in claim 10, wherein the household or industrial device is a bathing unit system and wherein the electrically powered component is a pump, wherein said processing unit is programmed for: a) controlling operational settings associated with the pump in a first manner when operating the system in accordance with the first configuration; andb) controlling operational settings associated with the pump in a second manner different from the first manner when operating the system in accordance with the second configuration. 22. A bathing unit system comprising: a) a set of electrically powered components forming part of the bathing unit system, said set of electrically powered components including at least a pump and a heater;b) a controller housing holding a programmable controller for operating the one or more electrically powered components of the bathing unit system, said controller housing protecting said programmable controller from external elements and components of said set of electrically powered components being connected to respective ports of said controller housing to receive electrical power therefrom, said programmable controller comprising: i) a memory module having stored thereon firmware including instructions for controlling operations of the one or more electrically powered components, said memory module including a passive memory component on which at least a portion of the firmware is stored, the passive memory component of the memory module being configured to be responsive to a signal carrying firmware update information including program code for implementing a specific configuration associated with a specific variation of the bathing unit system received over a wireless communication link from a device external to the household or industrial device for: (1) drawing energy from the signal carrying firmware update information to activate the passive memory component; and(2) causing a firmware update process to be performed to modify the instructions of the firmware based on the update information carried by the signal, at least part of said firmware update process being performed while the passive memory component remains activated using energy drawn from said signal as a source of electrical energy, wherein the firmware update process causes the program code to be stored on the memory module of the programmable controller to enable the programmable controller to operate the one or more electrically powered components of the bathing unit system based on the specific configuration associated with the specific variation of the bathing unit system;ii) a processing unit in communication with said memory module, said processing unit being programmed for operating the one or more electrically powered components including the pump and the heater at least in part in accordance with the instructions of the firmware. 23. The bathing unit system as defined in claim 22, wherein at least part of the firmware update process is performed while the passive memory component remains activated using the energy drawn from said signal as its sole source of electrical energy.
연구과제 타임라인
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
이 특허에 인용된 특허 (40)
Cantatore Luigi ; Busch Jeff ; Epstein Maurice J. ; Hetherington Edward J., Analytical instrument having a control area network and distributed logic nodes.
England, Paul; Peinado, Marcus; Willman, Bryan Mark, System for isolating first computing environment from second execution environment while sharing resources by copying data from first portion to second portion of memory.
Browne, Jr., John C.; Henley, Sean; Rego, Ratan Dominic; Fricke, William Bryce; Stevens, Jr., Robert D., Load control device user interface and database management using near field communication (NFC).
Hung, Cheng-Hsien; Pwu, Shiau Chwun George; Maguire, Thomas Michael; Huang, Haiyu, Power adaptive dual mode card emulation system for NFC and RFID application.
Lai, Bing; Clauberg, Bernd; Harish Gopala Pillai, Raman Nair; Marble, Alan James, Programmable lighting device and method and system for programming lighting device.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.