Household or industrial device including programmable controller and method, device and system for use in configuring same

An auxiliary device programmed for configuring a household appliance 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 appliance, said memory module including a memory component on which at least a portion of the firmware is stored, the programmable controller being programmed for operating the electrically powered components of the household appliance 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 of the household appliance over a short range radio frequency (RF) wireless communication link;
• b) a processing unit in communication with the communication interface programmed for transmitting a signal over the short range radio frequency (RF) wireless communication link to the programmable controller carrying firmware update information associated with the household appliance, the signal being configured for:
• i) causing the memory component of the programmable controller to be activated at least in part by drawing energy from said signal;
• and
• ii) 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 memory component remains activated using energy drawn from said signal as a source of electrical energy.

A method for configuring a household appliance 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 appliance, said memory module including a 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 appliance at least in part in accordance with the instructions of the firmware, said method comprising:

• a) using an auxiliary device, obtaining firmware update information associated with the household appliance;
• b) using the auxiliary device, transmitting a signal carrying the firmware update information associated with the household appliance to the programmable controller over a short range radio frequency (RF) wireless communication link, the signal being configured for:
• i) causing the memory component of the programmable controller to be activated at least in part by drawing energy from said signal;
• and
• ii) causing a firmware update process to be performed by the programmable controller of the household appliance 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 memory component remains activated using energy drawn from said signal as a source of electrical energy.

A manufacturing process for a household appliance, said household appliance 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 memory component on which at least a portion of the firmware is stored, the programmable controller being configurable for operating said one or more electrically powered components of the household appliance in dependence of instructions of the firmware, said manufacturing process comprising:

• a) using an auxiliary device, obtaining firmware update information associated with the household appliance;
• b) in an assembly line, bringing the auxiliary device in proximity to the programmable controller and using the auxiliary device to transmit a signal carrying the firmware update information to the programmable controller over a short range radio frequency (RF) wireless communication link, the signal being configured for:
• i) causing the memory component of the programmable controller to be activated at least in part by drawing energy from said signal carrying firmware update information;
• and
• ii) causing a firmware update process to be performed by the programmable 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 programmable controller while the memory component remains activated using energy drawn from said signal as a source of electrical energy.

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 memory component on which at least a portion of the firmware is stored, the memory component of the memory module being configured to be responsive to a signal carrying firmware update information received over a short range radio frequency (RF) wireless communication link from a device external to the bathing unit system for:
• (1) drawing energy from the signal carrying firmware update information to activate the 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 memory component remains activated at least in part 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 including the pump and the heater at least in part in accordance with the instructions of the firmware.