Distributed control systems and methods

• US 20040215778A1
• Filed: 04/24/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Colorado vNet, LLC
• Inventors: Hesse, Scott, Kiwimagi, Gary, Ogawa, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 7,089,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40215 Controller Area Network CAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Distributed control systems and methods. An embodiment of distributed control system may comprise at least first and second nodes operatively associated with one another, the first node issuing a signal to at least the second node in response to an event. A load controlled by the second node, and a distributed controller provided at the second node. The distributed controller executing at least one script corresponding to the signal to control the load.

Claims

1. A distributed control system, comprising:

at least first and second nodes operatively associated with one another, the first node issuing a signal to at least the second node in response to an event;

a load controlled by the second node;

a distributed controller provided at the second node, said distributed controller executing at least one script corresponding to the signal to control the load.

2. The distributed control system of claim 1, further comprising a second distributed controller provided at the first node, said second distributed controller executing at least one script corresponding to the event to issue the signal.

3. The distributed control system of claim 1, further comprising a signal filter operatively associated with said distributed controller, said signal filter determining if the second node responds to the signal.

4. The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein the first node comprises program code for processing an event and program code for issuing a signal in response to the event.

5. The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein said second node issues an acknowledgement.

6. The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein the first node is an unscripted node and the second node is a scripted node.

7. The distributed control system of claim 1, further comprising a Controller Area network (CAN) bus linking the at least first and second nodes to one another.

8. The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein the second node issues a command signal.

9. The distributed control system of claim 8, wherein the first node generates output in response to receiving said command signal.

10. The distributed control system of claim 1, further comprising a link operatively associated with the second node to remotely program the second node.

11. The distributed control system of claim 10, wherein said link is operable to at least modify the at least one script at the second node.

12. The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein the first node issues a redundant signal.

13. A distributed control system, comprising:

at least first and second nodes operatively associated with one another;

a distributed controller provided at the first node, said distributed controller having;

(a) program code for executing at least one script to generate a signal in response to an event; and

(b) program code for issuing the signal corresponding to the event;

a load operatively associated with the second node, the second node controlling said load in response to receiving the signal issued by the first node.

14. The distributed control system of claim 13, wherein the first node is a scripted node and the second node is an unscripted node.

15. The distributed control system of claim 13, further comprising a signal filter operatively associated with the second node to determine if the second node responds to the signal.

16. The distributed control system of claim 13, further comprising a Controller Area network (CAN) bus linking said at least first and second nodes to one another.

17. The distributed control system of claim 13, wherein said second node issues an acknowledgement.

18. The distributed control system of claim 17, wherein said first node generates output in response to receiving said acknowledgement.

19. The distributed control system of claim 13, wherein said second node issues a command signal.

20. The distributed control system of claim 19, wherein said first node generates output in response to receiving said command signal.

21. The distributed control system of claim 13, further comprising a link operatively associated with at least said distributed controller to access the at least one script.

22. A stand-alone scripted control system, comprising:

a load

a controller operatively associated with said load, said controller having;

(a) program code for processing an event;

(b) program code for executing a script corresponding to the processed event; and

(c) a load control controlling the load based on the executed script.

23. A method for distributed control in a building automation environment, comprising:

issuing a signal from a first node to at least a second node in response to an event in the building automation environment;

executing a script corresponding to the signal at the second node;

controlling a load at the second node based on the executed script corresponding to the signal issued from the first node.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising generating the signal at the first node by executing a signal-generating script.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising issuing an acknowledgement at the second node for the first node.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising modifying the script at the second node.