Patent · US Expired

Method of automatically assigning device addresses to devices communicating over a common data bus

US5671387A · kind A · utility

61Cited by
4References
2Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 7, 1995
Grant dateSep 23, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 7, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH02K2207/03
  • WIPO fieldCivil engineering
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

A method of automatically assigning device addresses to devices communicating over a common data bus. Each of the devices may, for example, control an electrically operable system such as a panel assembly that can be disposed over a window opening to control the transmission of light, heat or air through the window and/or for producing different decorative scenes within a room. The method includes sending out a first, trial device address and waiting for an acknowledgement from all of the other devices connected to the data bus to determine whether another device acknowledges that first trial device address as its own. If an acknowledgement is received from any other device, a subsequent, different, trial address is transmitted over the data bus and further waiting ensues to check whether the second trial address has been previously assigned. This process is repeated until the device finds a previously unassigned device address which it then assigns to itself.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.