EP0610401A1 — Apparatus and method for interconnecting electronic products

USPTO Abstract

A switching network (10) includes a plurality of nodes (32), one node being connected to a product (S, A, L) from different groups of electronic products on display. Each node (32) includes a satellite node microprocessor (42) and a cooperating product selector switch (46) to selectively trigger the cooperating connected electronic product (S, A, L). A light (48) is also provided at each node (32). Lighting of the indicator (48) indicates the operating state of the electronic product (S, A, L) connected to the node (32). Further, each node (32) includes an address memory (44) to identify the node and the connected electronic product (S, A, L). The satellite node microprocessors (42) of each node (32) are operatively connected by a bus (34, 38, 40) to a central control unit (12). The central control unit (12) includes a main microprocessor (14) for supervising all network functions, and product selectors (64) configured to operate selected electronic products (S, A, L) connected to the nodes (32). Also disclosed is a method of interconnecting selected electronic products (S, A, L) to establish a product system.