The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 23, 1997
Filed:
Nov. 07, 1995
Russel J Jacobs, Center Valley, PA (US);
Brett A Pierce, Hellertown, PA (US);
Joel S Spira, Coopersburg, PA (US);
Lutron Electronics, Co., Inc., Coopersburg, PA (US);
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.