System, method, and apparatus for bridge interface communication

• US 10,142,196 B1
• Filed: 04/15/2016
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Senseware, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Senseware, Inc.
• Inventors: Stamatakis, Julien G., Sacks, Nathan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thu Ha T
• Application Number:
  US15/099,663
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 709220, 709221, 709218, 709219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A system, method and apparatus for bridge interface communication. A node device can be connected to one or more bridge units using a universal sensor interface. A controller in a node device can communicate with a controller in a bridge unit device using a bi-directional data line. In one embodiment, the bridge unit can account for variable amounts of delay in gathering sensor data using availability signaling.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a sensor element for collecting sensor data;

a connector configured for coupling to a connector interface exposed by a sensor network node having a wireless transceiver for wireless communication with a gateway device at a monitored location; and

a first controller that communicates with a second controller in the sensor network node, including;

a first pin for device select signaling between the device and the sensor network node,

a second pin for receiving a first series of clock signals that are transmitted from the sensor network node after receipt by the device of a device selection signal via the first pin, and for receiving a second series of clock signals that are transmitted from the sensor network node when the sensor network node receives data from the device,

a third pin for bi-directional communication of data between the device and the sensor network node using clock signals received via the second pin, the first controller in the device receiving a request for data from the sensor network node via the third pin using the first series of clock signals received via the second pin, and the first controller transmitting the requested data to the sensor network node via the third pin using the second series of dock signal received via the second pin, and

a fourth pin for availability signaling between the device and the sensor network node, the device signaling an availability of the requested data to the sensor network node by transmitting an availability signal to the sensor network node via the fourth pin, wherein the transmission of the availability signal to the sensor network node causes the sensor network node to transmit the second series of clock signals to the device via the second pin, and wherein the first pin, second pin, third pin, and fourth pin of the first controller are coupled to respective pins supported by the connector;

wherein the first controller transmits a request poll signal to the sensor network node via the first pin prior to the receipt by the device of the device selection signal, wherein the device selection signal is produced in response to the request poll signal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein one of the pins in the connector is used to transmit power from the sensor network node to the device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first controller delays the transmission of the availability signal until sensor data from the sensor element is available for transmission to the sensor network node.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the availability signal is a transition from a high logic state to a low logic state.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the first controller sets the fourth pin from the low logic state to the high logic state after receipt of the device selection signal via the first pin.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the first controller sets the fourth pin from the low logic state back to the high logic state after transmission of the availability signal in preparation for signaling of a second availability signal.

7. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first controller, a device selection signal from a second controller in a sensor network node via a first pin of the first controller, wherein the first pin of the first controller is coupled to a first pin of a connector that is configured for coupling to a connector interface exposed by the sensor network node;

after receipt of the device selection signal, receiving, by the first controller, a first series of clock signals via a second pin of the first controller, wherein the second pin of the first controller is coupled to a second pin of the connector;

receiving, by the first controller, instruction data via a third pin of the first controller using the first series of clock signals, wherein the third pin of the first controller is coupled to a third pin of the connector;

after receipt of the instruction data, transmitting, by the first controller, an availability signal via a fourth pin of the first controller, the availability signal indicating an availability of the data requested by the instruction data received via the third pin, wherein the fourth pin of the first controller is coupled to a fourth pin of the connector;

receiving, by the first controller, a second series of clock signals via the second pin of the first controller, wherein the second series of clock signals are transmitted by the sensor network node in response to receipt of the availability signal transmitted by the first controller via the fourth pin;

transmitting, by the first controller, data requested by the instruction data via the third pin using the second series of clock signals received via the second pin; and

transmitting, by the first controller, a request poll signal via the first pin of the first controller prior to the receipt by the first controller of the device selection signal, wherein the device selection signal is produced in response to the request poll signal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first controller delays the transmission of the availability signal until the data requested by the instruction data is available.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the data identified by the instruction data is sensor data from a sensor element.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the availability signal is a transition from a high logic state to a low logic state.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first controller sets the fourth pin from the low logic state to the high logic state after receipt of the device selection signal via the first pin.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first controller sets the fourth pin from the low logic state back to the high logic state after transmission of the availability signal in preparation for signaling of a second availability signal.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having an interface communication tool stored thereon for use on a bridge controller interfacing with a sensor element for collecting sensor data, the bridge controller having a wired connection to a sensor network node controller, the interface communication tool including:

a device selection section that when executed, causes the interface communication tool to detect a device selection signal on a first pin of the bridge controller;

a data receiving section that when executed, causes the interface communication tool to receive, in response to a first series of clock signals received on a second pin of the bridge controller, a request for data from the sensor network node controller via a third pin of the bridge controller;

a data retrieval section that when executed, causes the interface communication tool to retrieve data identified by the request for data and to delay transmission of an availability signal via a fourth pin of the bridge controller until the data identified by the request for data is available for transmission to the sensor network node controller;

a data transmission section that when executed, causes the interface communication tool to transmit, in response to a second series of clock signals received on the second pin of the bridge controller, the data identified by the request on the third pin of the bridge controller, wherein the second series of clock signals is transmitted by the sensor network node controller in response to the detection of the availability signal transmitted by the bridge controller via the fourth pin; and

a request poll section that when executed causes the interface communication tool to transmit a request poll signal via the first pin of the bridge controller prior to the receipt by the bridge controller of the device selection signal, wherein the device selection signal is produced in response to the request poll signal.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the availability signal is a transition from a high logic state to a low logic state.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the device selection section when executed causes the interface communication tool to set the fourth pin of the bridge controller from the low logic state to the high logic state after receipt of the device selection signal via the first pin.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the device selection section when executed causes the interface communication tool to set the fourth pin of the bridge controller from the low logic state back to the high logic state after transmission of the availability signal in preparation for signaling of a second availability signal.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the data identified by the request for data is data produced by the sensor element.