Reference-based automatic address assignment system and method for a material handling system

1. A method for automatic address assignment in a material handling system having a conveying surface divided into a plurality of zones, a plurality of motors each propelling a zone of the conveying surface, a plurality of lower level controllers, a plurality of sensors, each adapted to identify the presence of an article on said conveying surface to an associated lower level controller and an upper level controller in communication with said lower level controllers over a network, the method comprising:

transporting a reference package on the conveying surface of the material handling system;

detecting the presence of the reference package with at least one sensor as the package travels along the conveying surface of the material handling system;

sending a detection signal from the at least one sensor to an associated lower level controller as the package is detected by the at least one sensor;

sending a notification signal from said lower lever controller to said upper level controller in response to receiving said detection signal;

in response to said notification signal, determining a unique communication address to be assigned to said lower level controller; and

sending from said upper level controller a unique communication address assignment over the network to said lower level controller, said lower level controller assigning itself the unique communication address in response to said unique communication address assignment.

2. The method for automatic address assignment in a material handling system of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

transmitting a reset message to the plurality of lower level controllers by said upper level controller;

receiving the transmitted reset message by the plurality of lower level controllers; and

resetting the address assignment of the plurality of lower level controllers.

3. The method for automatic address assignment in a material handling system of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

storing the unique communication address assignment in a read/write memory of the lower level controller.

4. The method for automatic address assignment in a material handling system of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

storing a plurality of unique communication address assignments of the lower level controllers in a read/write memory of the upper level controller.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

sending unique communication address assignments from said upper level controller to all the lower level controllers of all paths of the conveying surface.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

assigning addresses to the lower level controllers in one of an ascending and descending sequences.

7. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:

generating an address assignment topology map of the lower level controllers in the material handling system.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein said lower level controllers comprise motor controllers and said upper level controller comprises a conveyor bed controller.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein said lower level controllers comprise conveyor bed controllers.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting the presence of the reference package along a complete path with a plurality of additional sensors;

sending a plurality of additional detection signals to a plurality of additional lower lever controllers from said plurality of additional sensors;

sending a plurality of notification signals from said plurality of additional lower level controller to said upper level controller in response to said plurality of additional detection signals; and

in response to said plurality of notification signals, sending from said upper level controller a plurality of unique communication address assignments over the network to said plurality of additional lower level controllers.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

transporting said reference package down a path at least partially different from said complete path; and

sending unique communication address assignments from said upper level controller over the network to a plurality of the lower level controllers on said at least partially different path.

12. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:

generating an address assignment topology map of the lower level controllers in the material handling system.