Apparatus and method for producing device identifiers for serially interconnected devices of mixed type

An apparatus for use in a device, comprising:

• a receiver for receiving a device type (DT) and a device identifier (ID);
• a determiner for determining the DT of the device from the received DT;
• an ID provider for outputting an ID in accordance with a determination result;
• and
• an output provider for providing the outputted ID accompanying the received DT to another device.

An apparatus for assigning a device identifier at a first device coupled to a second device in a serial interconnection configuration of devices of mixed type, the first device having a serial input connection coupled to a serial output connection of a previous device in the serial interconnection configuration, the second device having a serial input connection coupled to a serial output connection of the first device, the apparatus comprising:

• a receiver for receiving a device identifier (ID) and a device type (DT), the ID and DT being provided through the serial input connection of the device;
• a determiner for determining the DT of the device from the received DT;
• an ID provider for outputting an ID in accordance with a determination result;
• and
• an output provider for providing the outputted ID accompanying the received DT to an other device.

A method for assigning a device identifier (ID) for one of a plurality of devices of mixed type in a serial interconnection configuration, a first device having a serial input connection coupled to a serial output connection of a previous device, a second device having a serial input connection coupled to a serial output connection of the first device, the method being adopted to at least one of the devices, the method comprising:

• receiving an input ID and a device type (DT) through the serial input connection of the device;
• determining the DT of the device from the received DT;
• outputting an output ID in response to a determination result;
• and
• providing a combination of the received DT and the outputted ID.

A method for assigning a device identifier (ID) for a plurality of devices of mixed type in a serial interconnection configuration, a first device having a serial input connection coupled to a serial output connection of a previous device, a second device having a serial input connection coupled to a serial output connection of the first device, the method comprising:

• receiving a device type (DT) and an input ID through the serial input connection;
• holding the received DT at a device;
• determining whether the received DT matches a reference DT associated with the device;
• obtaining a calculated ID or a non-calculated ID in response to a determination result;
• combining the received DT with the calculated or non-calculated ID;
• providing the combined DT and ID through the serial output connection of the device;
• and
• performing an ID assignment in response to the determination result at the device.