Method and apparatus for network-enablement of devices using device intelligence and network architecture

• US 20020120728A1
• Filed: 12/22/2000
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eman Safadi, Jason Braatz, Michael Hendricks
• Original Assignee: Eman Safadi, Jason Braatz, Michael Hendricks
• Inventors: Hendricks, Michael, Braatz, Jason, Safadi, Eman
• Application Number:
  US09/747,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20020120728A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A network and system of electrical devices comprising a device-independent controller, a device-dependent controller, a console through which a user interfaces with the system, and a communication protocol for network-enabling the devices, and a method for such network-enablement are described. The integration of information content from a network, such as the Internet, with the network-enabling hardware and software of the present invention provides a flexible inexpensive way to enhance the overall utility and range of capabilities of a system of networked devices in a device-independent network application.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a device-independent access controller (DIAC), having a DIAC network address, adapted for coupling to a network;

a device-dependent access controller (DDAC), having a DDAC network address, adapted for coupling to the network, and adapted for coupling to a device, said device having a corresponding device functionality set;

wherein the DIAC and the DDAC can communicate over the network using a communication protocol; and

wherein the communication protocol supports a set of device-dependent commands, carried onboard the DDAC, said set of device-dependent commands allowing the DIAC access to the device functionality set.

2. The system claimed in claim 1, further comprising a user, wherein said user can be any of a human, a computer, and a device comprising at least a data processor.

3. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the DIAC is adapted for coupling to an external network.

4. The system claimed in claim 3, wherein the external network is the Internet.

5. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the DIAC is adapted for coupling to a second device.

6. The system claimed in claim 5, wherein the second device has a second device functionality set.

7. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the DIAC is adapted for hosting a user interface software client.

8. The system claimed in claim 7, wherein the user interface allows the user to access the device functionality set of at least one device coupled to the network.

9. The system claimed in claim 7, wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface.

10. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the access to the device functionality set is accomplished using an intermediary device access controller coupled to the device via the network.

11. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the DIAC and the DDAC are coupled to the same device.

12. The system claimed in claim 1, further comprising a console adapted for coupling to the network.

13. The system claimed in claim 12, wherein the console is any of:

a computer running an application program, a computer running a World Wide Web browser, a Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) appliance, a telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a custom console for accessing the network.

14. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the DIAC and DDAC communicate using any of:

the Internet, an Ethernet connection, a wireless radio frequency (RF) channel, a telephone line, a fiberoptic data line, a cable television line, a modem connection, a wireless pager/packet network, a Bluetooth network, a Local Area Network (LAN), or a Wide Area Network (WAN);

X-10 electric power line.

15. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the device functionality includes data acquisition.

16. The system claimed in claim 15, wherein the data includes the device position.

17. The system claimed in claim 15, wherein the data is stored onboard the DDAC.

18. The system claimed in claim 15, wherein the data is stored onboard the device.

19. The system claimed in claim 15, wherein the data is delivered to another device coupled to the network.

20. The network claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of DDACs, each DDAC having a corresponding DDAC network address and being coupled to the network.

21. The network claimed in claim 1, wherein the DDAC network address is assigned by the DIAC.

22. The network claimed in claim 1, wherein the DIAC acts as a master controller.

23. The network claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is a component within a multi-component device.

24. The network claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is one of an ensemble of home appliances coupled to the network.

27. The DIAC claimed in claim 26, wherein the DIAC is implemented as custom hardware in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

28. The DIAC claimed in claim 26, wherein the DIAC is implemented in hardware suitable for use in applications other than a DIAC, by execution of software commands on said hardware to achieve equivalent DIAC operations in the hardware.

29. The DIAC claimed in claim 26, wherein the DIAC is implemented in software, used in conjunction with an operating system and corresponding hardware.

25. A system, comprising:

a DIAC having a DIAC network address, adapted for coupling to a network;

a DDAC, having a DDAC network address, adapted for coupling to the network, and adapted for coupling to a device, said device having a corresponding device functionality set;

wherein the DIAC and the DDAC can communicate over the network using a communication protocol; and

wherein the communication protocol supports a set of device-dependent commands, obtained from information content found on an external network, said set of device-dependent commands allowing the DIAC access to the device functionality set.

26. A device-independent access controller (DIAC) adapted for coupling to a network operatively capable of using a communication protocol for communicating with a device-dependent access controller (DDAC) coupled to the network, wherein the DIAC uses a list of device-dependent operations, obtained from a source other than onboard said DIAC to exchange data with the DDAC.

30. A device-dependent access controller (DDAC) adapted for coupling to a network, and adapted for coupling to a first device, said first device having a first device functionality set which is accessible to a second device coupled to the network, wherein the second device communicates with the DDAC using the network and using a communication protocol which includes a data representation corresponding to a first device functionality set, said data representation not being stored onboard the second device or onboard an embedded feature therein.

31. The DDAC claimed in claim 30, wherein the DDAC is implemented as custom hardware in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

32. The DDAC claimed in claim 30, wherein the DDAC is implemented in a circuit provided by the first device manufacturer at the time of production of the first device.

33. The DDAC claimed in claim 30, wherein the DDAC is a stand-alone circuit not embedded in the first device, having connections to the first device circuitry to allow it access to a first device functionality set.

35. The method claimed in claim 34, further comprising executing a function on a device, said function corresponding to a command signal sent by the DIAC.

36. The method claimed in claim 34, wherein the act of returning a DDAC signal includes returning an acknowledgement signal.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising presenting the position data to a user in a graphical form.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the act of presenting the position data to a user in graphical form includes presenting position data samples represented graphically on a map of a geographic region, showing the position of the mobile asset at discrete sampling times.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the mobile asset is any of a motor vehicle;

a marine vessel;

a package;

a shipping container;

an aircraft; and

a human being.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein the position data is a set of geographic coordinates including any of:

latitude;

longitude; and

altitude.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising recording the position data onto a networked storage device.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the act of recording the position data onto a networked storage device includes recording the position data onto any one of:

a computer memory;

a magnetic storage medium;

an optical storage medium; and

a printing apparatus.

44. The method of claim 37, further comprising buffering at least one position data sample in a storage buffer collocated with the asset.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the storage buffer is integrated into the mobile asset.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the first network-enabled communication device is a paging device.

48. The system of claim 46, wherein the second network-enabled communication device is a paging base station.

49. The system of claim 46, wherein the wireless network is a two-way paging network.

50. The system of claim 46, wherein both the positioning device and the first communication device are collocated within an integrated wireless positioning apparatus.

51. The system of claim 46, wherein a plurality of first device controllers are coupled to a plurality of positioning devices, said plurality of positioning devices adapted for obtaining a plurality of positions corresponding to a plurality of mobile assets.

34. A method for network-enabling devices, comprising:

connecting at least one DIAC to at least one device containing a DDAC;

operatively using a communication protocol for passing a DIAC signal from the DIAC to the DDAC; and

returning a DDAC signal from the DDAC to the DIAC in response to the DIAC signal.

37. A method for tracking a mobile asset comprising:

obtaining position data for a position of the mobile asset using a network-enabled positioning device coupled to a first device controller;

transmitting the position data over a wireless communication network using a first communication device coupled to the first device controller;

receiving the position data over the wireless communication network using a second communication device coupled to a data communication network; and

delivering the position data, once received by the second communication device, to a second device controller coupled to the data communication network.

46. A system for tracking a mobile asset, comprising:

a first device controller, coupled to a positioning device, said positioning device adapted for obtaining a position of the mobile asset;

a first communication device, coupled to the first device controller, adapted for transmitting position data over a wireless communication network;

a second communication device, adapted for receiving position data over the wireless communication network;

a data communication network; and

a data processing device, coupled to the data communication network and to a second device controller, adapted for processing the position data received by the second communication device.