Wireless console/control concentrator

• US 20030228874A1
• Filed: 06/06/2002
• Published: 12/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Mallette, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,184,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/508
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7163 using impulse radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

The invention is a method and apparatuses for a console/control concentrator utilizing a location based dynamic coordinate addressing network over a programmable pulse modulated wireless protocol such as TM-UWB™. The physical connections are wireless, which involves adding new hardware, designing TM-UWB™ devices into new devices, adding the software and firmware, the PLT and authentication, a standalone concentrator or the software to emulate a concentrator. The concentrator uses a built-in query language and an internal database to configure and map itself, and all the devices logically attached to it. It also uses the built-in query/language to dynamically add new devices within its range of operation. Once the wireless communication is established between console and concentrator, it can be broken if: the concentrator is rebooted or refreshed, the console refreshes or reboots the connection, the console moves location, the console experiences failure, or the console makes contact with an authorized override connection.

Claims

1. A method for a console/control concentrator to communicate via a wireless connection with a plurality of device consoles/control ports comprising:

registering said plurality of device consoles/control ports based on their physical location as determined by said console/control concentrator.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said registration further comprises:

broadcasting periodically by said console/control concentrator for unregistered device consoles/control ports;

receiving registration requests from said unregistered console devices/control ports;

checking the validity of said registration requests;

adding said console devices/control ports along with their unique identification address and coordinates on a three dimensional coordinate system map; and

returning unique identifications to each of said device consoles/control ports for later communications use.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said wireless connection uses an ultra wideband protocol.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said ultra wideband protocol is a time-modulated ultra wideband protocol.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said protocol is not limited to any single protocol.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said wireless communication connection further comprises:

retro-fitting of existing hardware on said device consoles/control ports to handle said wireless communication;

designing new hardware to be built into new device consoles/control ports;

handling the necessary wireless communications including PLT and authentication by the firmware within said device consoles/control ports; and

emulating a concentrator by utilizing a computer equipped with said TD-UWB™

transceiver and concentrator emulation software.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said communication link is not limited to a fixed bandwidth or number of channels.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said console/control concentrator provides for verified device consoles/control ports locations using PLT by tri-lateralation, reference stations, and random time embedded code.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said tri-lateralation uses a time of flight of data carrier pulse stream.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said wireless connection is defined to exist within a range of operation, which can be specified to fall within a predetermined three-dimensional coordinate system.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said predetermined three dimensional coordinate system is a boxed-out area of a room.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said console/control concentrator acts as an intelligent router with a built-in query/configuration language and software for configuration.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said console/control concentrators said built-in query/configuration language is used to define said predetermined three-dimensional coordinate system map.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said console/control concentrator uses said built-in query/control language to dynamically configure and store the location of said device consoles/control ports within said three-dimensional coordinate system map.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said step to configure and store the location of said device consoles/control ports uses PLT technology associated with TM-UWB™

.

16. The method of claim 2 wherein said three-dimensional coordinate system map is part of an internal database of said console/control concentrator.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said built-in software allows said console/control concentrator to add device consoles/control ports, and their coordinates within said range of operation to said internal database of said console/control concentrator.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein said built-in software allows said console/control concentrator to maintain a periodic updating of its internal database with said locations of all device console/control ports within said concentrator'"'"'s range of control.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein said built-in software allows said console/control concentrator to maintain a periodic updating of its internal database with said connection states of all device console/control ports within said concentrator'"'"'s range of control.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein said wireless connection does not remain valid when one of the following occur:

said console/control concentrator is rebooted;

said console/control concentrator is refreshed;

said device consoles/control ports reboots;

said device consoles/control ports refreshes said wireless connection;

said console/control concentrator changes location;

said console/control concentrator experiences failure;

or

said device consoles/control ports make contact with a predefined and authorized override connection.

21. The method of claim 20 where said contact with said predefined and authorized override connection is known and monitored by said console/control concentrator.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said predefined and authorized override connection is wireless or hard-wired.