Mesh network of intelligent devices communicating via powerline and radio frequency
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Low-cost intelligent control and communication devices are arranged to communicate with one another over one or more shared physical media, such as a powerline or a radio frequency band. No network controller is needed, because any device can act as a master, slave, or repeater. Adding more devices makes the system more robust, by virtue of a simple protocol for communication retransmissions and retries.
161 Citations
96 Claims
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1-28. -28. (canceled)
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29. A communication module for use in a system including a plurality of said communication modules, said communication module comprising
circuitry for storing a number, referred to as the module address, designating an address for said communication module; -
circuitry for sending and receiving messages over at least one communications medium;
circuitry and software for generating messages and for receiving and deciphering messages;
each of said messages comprising a first number field, referred to as the originator address, designating the module address of the module originating the message, a second number field, referred to as the recipient address, designating the module address of an intended recipient module, a third number field, referred to as the message flags, designating the type of message, a fourth number field, referred to as the maximum retransmission count, designating the maximum times the message can be retransmitted, a fifth number field, referred to as the current retransmission count, designating how many times the message has already been retransmitted, a sixth number field, referred to as the command field, designating an action, and a seventh number field, referred to as the message validator, designating a message integrity validation;
circuitry and software for determining if a received message has reached all of its intended recipients by inspecting said message flags and by comparing said recipient address to said module address;
circuitry and software for determining if a received message has already been retransmitted the maximum number of times for that message by comparing said maximum retransmission count and said current retransmission count; and
circuitry and software for retransmitting a received message with said current retransmission count altered by one, but only if said received message has not reached all of its intended recipients and has not already been retransmitted the maximum number of times. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
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91. A method for sending and receiving messages containing digital information among communicating modules, said method comprising the steps of
providing each module with an address, referred to as the module address; -
providing each message with a first number field, referred to as the originator address, designating the module address of a module originating said message;
providing each message with a second number field, referred to as the recipient address, designating the module address of an intended recipient module;
providing each message with a third number field, referred to as the message flags, designating the type of message;
providing each message with a fourth number field, referred to as the maximum retransmission count, designating the maximum times said message can be retransmitted;
providing each message with a fifth number field, referred to as the current retransmission count, designating how many times said message has already been retransmitted;
providing each message with a sixth number field, referred to as the command field, designating an action;
providing each message with a seventh number field, referred to as the message validator, designating a message integrity validation;
determining if a received message has reached all of its intended recipients by inspecting said message flags and by comparing said recipient address to said module address;
determining if a received message has already been retransmitted the maximum number of times for that message by comparing said maximum retransmission count and said current retransmission count; and
retransmitting a received message with said current retransmission count altered by one, but only if said received message has not reached all of its intended recipients and has not already been retransmitted the maximum number of times.
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92. A communication module for use in a system including a plurality of said communication modules, said communication module comprising
circuitry for sending and receiving messages over the mains power line; -
circuitry and software for generating messages and for receiving and deciphering messages;
each of said messages comprising a plurality of signal packets, wherein each of said signal packets is synchronized with the zero crossing of an alternating current on the means power line, and the number of said zero crossing periods for sending said messages is fixed for a given length message;
circuitry and software for retransmitting a received one of said messages beginning at an integer multiple of said fixed number of said zero crossing periods, referred to as a message time slot; and
circuitry and software for sending retransmitted messages at the same time as other of said communication modules are sending identical messages. - View Dependent Claims (93, 94)
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95. A plurality of communication modules, each communication module comprising circuitry for sending and receiving messages over the mains power line and also over a radio frequency, with at least one of said communications modules connected to a different phase of the means power line, such that messages propagating on one phase of the means power line are propagated on another phase of the means power line after being relayed using said radio frequency.
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96. A communication module for use in a system including a plurality of said communication modules, said communication module comprising
circuitry for storing a number, referred to as the module address, designating an address for said communication module; -
circuitry for sending and receiving messages over at least one communications medium;
circuitry and software for generating messages and for receiving and deciphering messages;
circuitry and software for maintaining a database containing group membership associations between a group number and a plurality of said module addresses of other communication modules;
circuitry and software for sending a message referred to as a group broadcast message to a plurality of communication modules; and
circuitry and software for following said group broadcast message with a plurality of messages referred to as a group follow-up messages to each one of said plurality of communication modules.
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Specification