A METHOD FOR LOCATING DEVICES WITHIN A NETWORK SYSTEM

• US 20030185237A1
• Filed: 06/16/2003
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Schneider Automation Incorporated (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Automation Incorporated (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Baker, Richard A. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/250,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20030185237A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/469
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a communication system for facilitating communication on the network. Identification of a network device, preferably a controller or IO device, is based on a physical location of device. Accordingly, the physical location of the network device is determined by a device locator. The physical location of each network device is used to associate a network identifier, i.e., network address, with the network device to facilitate network communication with other devices. The network identifier is associated with the network device in response to a signal transmitted from the network device requesting the network identifier. A mapping method is used to convert a map of physical locations to one or more address tables so as to allow a controlling station to associate the network identifier with the network device for routing messages to and from the device based on the physical location.

Claims

1. A method of communicating with a controller in a communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a location of the controller, the controller having a medium access control (MAC) address;

transmitting a reverse address request protocol (RARP) message, the message including the location of the controller and the medium access control address of the controller;

translating the RARP message into a network identifier; and

,

associating the network identifier with the controller.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting an application program to the controller, the application program is selected in response to the network identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a controlling device translates the message into a network identifier, the controlling device includes a floor plan of the communication system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the location of the controller comprises using a global positioning system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying the location of the controller comprises using an assisted global positioning system.

6. A method of communicating with an IO device in a communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a location of the IO device, the IO device having a medium access control (MAC) address;

transmitting a reverse address request protocol (RARP) message, the message including the location of the IO device and the medium access control address of the IO device;

translating the RARP message into a network identifier; and

,

associating the network identifier with the IO device.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising transmitting an application program to the IO device, the application program is selected in response to the network identifier.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein a controlling device translates the message into a network identifier, the controlling device includes a floor plan of the communication system.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of identifying the location of the I/O device further comprises using a global positioning system.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of identifying the location of the I/O device further comprises using an assisted global positioning system.