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US 2012/0239840 A1Published application
Bus control for a domestic appliance
AssigneeElectrolux Home Products, Inc.
InventorsGirish Pimputkar, Per-Erik Pers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A domestic appliance (1) with a bus (2) is disclosed. A plurality of modules (3) are connected to the bus, each controlling an operational component (4). Initial programming of the modules may take place from a single connection point (61). The modules may be configured to control the domestic appliance jointly and non-hierarchically. Suitably, all modules are identical up to content of a data memory provided therein.
Claims15
A domestic appliance comprising a bus, to which are connected modules being either:
- a power supply module for electrically powering the bus;
- or
- a combined control/connector comprising:
- a processing means;
- a memory for storing instructions executable by the processing means;
- a connecting means communicatively coupled to the processing means and adapted to connect an operational component of the domestic appliance;
- and
- additional hardware communicatively coupled to the processing means,
- which combined control/connector is adapted to communicate with at least one other module via the bus and to interact with the operational component,
- wherein the domestic appliance comprises at least two combined control/connectors connected to the bus and all combined control/connector have identical processing means, memory, connecting means and additional hardware, and are distinguishable only with respect to memory content
- wherein the bus comprises a data line (COM) adapted for information transmission and a power line (PWR) adapted to be powered by at least one power supply module,
- wherein said additional hardware comprises a switching means controllable by the processing means and operable to electrically connect the bus power line to the connecting means.
9 more elements
(canceled)
(canceled)
A combined control/connector comprising:
- a processing means;
- a memory for storing instructions executable by the processing means;
- a connecting means for connecting an operational component of a domestic appliance, said connecting means being communicatively coupled to the processing means;
- and
- additional hardware communicatively coupled to the processing means,
- and which is adapted to cooperate with a further module, which is connected thereto via a bus in a domestic appliance to form a network, and which is a further combined control/connector having processing means, memory, connecting means and additional hardware identical to those of the combined control/connector and is distinguishable from said combined control/connector only with respect to memory content,
- wherein the bus comprises a data line (COM) adapted for information transmission and a power line (PWR) adapted to be powered by at least one power supply module,
- wherein said additional hardware includes a switching means controllable by the processing means and operable to electrically connect the bus power line to the connecting means.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.