Nova Patents
EP0176342A2

Power control network using reliable communications protocol.

Abstract

A power network control system has a plurality of digital modules interconnected. A master logic unit in the network communicates with a specialized protocol to slave logic units in each module to provide a reliable power control system for selectively (or generally) instructing modules to turn on or to turn off the local power source.

EP0176342A2, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 15

Term

Term ended

Projected expiry passed 24 September 2005, 21 years ago.

  1. Priority
  2. Filed
  3. Published
  4. Projected expiry
  5. Today

14 claims: 5 independent, 9 dependent

  1. 1
    In a network of interconnected modules which include at least one processor module, at least one I/O module, and at least one memory module, and wherein each module includes internal power control switching means and internal power supply means, each said power control switching means being regulated by an associated slave power logic unit which receives power control instructions from a single master power logic unit, a master slave communications system comprising:(a) master power logic unit means for sensing the power status of each of said modules and for transmitting control instructions for regulating the on/off power status of a selected module, or modules, or all of said modules;and (b) slave power logic unit means for receiving said control instructions and for regulating the power status of its associated module, said slave power logic unit means including: (bl) a plurality of slave logic units each of which is connected to said master logic unit means and wherein each of said modules is provided with an associated slave unit residing therein;(c) said power control switching means operating under control instructions received from said slave unit for switching the power on or off in the module in which said slave unit resides.
  2. 8
    In a network of interconnected digital modules wherein each module includes internal power control switching means and an associated internal power supply means, and wherein each of said power control switching means can execute power status control instructions received from an associated slave power logic unit means which is connected to a master power logic unit means, the power control communication system comprising; (a) a plurality of interconnected digital modules, each module including:(al) an internal power supply means;(a2) an internal power control switching means connected to regulate and to switch said internal power supply means;(b) said master power logic unit means connected for sensing the power status of each of said modules and for transmitting control -instructions for regulating and for switching the power status of a selected module, or modules, or all of said modules, said master unit means including: (bl) means for generating control instructions;(c) slave power logic unit means for receiving said control instructions and for regulating the power status of each of said modules, said slave logic power unit means including: (cl) a plurality of slave logic units each of which is connected to said master logic unit means and wherein each of said modules is provided with an individual slave unit residing therein;and wherein (bla) each said slave logic unit is identified by a unique address;(d) program means for instructing said master power logic unit means to generate an address for a selected one slave unit or selected plurality of slave units to establish a line of communication for subsequent transfer of power control instructions to their associated digital modules.
  3. 10
    A protocol system for establishing communication and for power control instruction data transfer between a master power logic unit and a plurality of slave power logic units wherein each slave unit has an unique address and said master unit can generate addresses and power control instruction data, the communication and data transfer method comprising the steps of:(a) generating a unique slave unit address by said master unit for transmission to all slave units;(b) re-transmission of said unique address by said properly addressed slave unit back to said master unit;(c) comparison by said master unit of said generated address with said-re-transmitted address;(d) enabling the generation of power control instruction data by said master unit to said addressed slave unit when said generated and re-transmitted addresses are in perfect match;(e) re-transmission of said power control instruction data received by said addressed slave unit to said master unit;(f) comparison by said master unit of the generated instruction data with the re-transmitted instruction data from said addressed slave unit;(g) enabling the execution of said power control instruction data by said addressed slave unit when said generated power control instruction data and said re-transmitted instruction data are in perfect match.
  4. 11
    In a network of interconnected digital modules, wherein each module includes internal power control switching means and an associated internal power supply means, and wherein each of said power control switching means can execute power status control instructions received from an associated slave power-logic unit means which is connected to a master power-logic unit means, a communications-protocol for a master-slave unit communications system comprising the steps of:(a) generating a unique slave unit address by said master unit;(b) re-transmitting to said master unit, the unique address received by the addressed slave unit;(c) comparing said generated address with said re-transmitted address and enabling said master unit for instruction generation when said addresses match;(d) generating power control instruction data by said master unit;(e) transmitting said instruction data to said addressed slave unit;(f) re-transmitting said generated instruction data from said slave unit to said master unit;(g) comparing said generated instruction data with said re-transmitted instruction data;(h) enabling said addressed slave unit to execute said instruction data when said generated and said re-transmitted instruction data match.
  5. 12
    A method for conducting fault free data communications between a master logic unit and a plurality of slave logic units comprising:(a) generating a unique address for a specific slave logic unit, said address generated by said master logic unit;(b) transmitting said address to each of said plurality of slave logic units;(c) retransmitting back to said master logic unit the unique address as received by said uniquely addressed slave logic unit;(d) comparing, within said master logic unit, the originally generated unique address with the retransmitted-back address from the addressed slave logic unit;(e) enabling said master logic unit for a subsequent generation of instruction data to said addressed slave logic unit.
Independent claims5