Remote device management in a home automation data transfer system

• US 20070109975A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermatic Incorporated (Wpa Participações e Serviços SA)
• Original Assignee: Intermatic Incorporated (Wpa Participações e Serviços SA)
• Inventors: Doorhy, Brendan, Duitsman, Tim, Pelland, Michael, Gaza, Brian, Mazza, Joseph, Dinescu, Miky, Reckamp, Steven, Bovee, Jeffrey, Aper, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 7,694,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• 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 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

An automation network includes automation network devices connected to the network and a system layer interface that interfaces with a transport layer and an application layer of the home automation network. The system layer interface includes command libraries configured to upgrade a remote network device. The automation network queries the network devices to determine if there are lost network devices or newly added network devices. The automation network may update a new remote device with scene information related to any lost network devices.

Claims

1. An automation network, comprising:

an automation network device in communication with the automation network, including a remote device; and

a system layer interface embodied in a computer-readable medium and configured to interface with a transport layer and an application layer of the automation network, wherein the system layer interface comprises an update command library configured to update the remote device in the automation network with scene information related to other home automation network devices.

2. The automation network of claim 1, where the automation network is configured to query or observe automation devices in the automation network to determine if there are devices that have not communicated to the automation network recently.

3. The automation network of claim 2, where the automation network is configured to the designate a non-responsive device as a lost device when the lost device has not communicated recently.

4. The home automation network of claim 2, where the automation network is configured to:

determine if a new remote device has been added to the automation network;

determine if there are lost devices in the automation network; and

update the new remote device with scene information related to the lost device using the upgrade command library.

5. The automation network of claim 1, further comprising a scene server operatively coupled with the automation network and configured to store scene information associated with a home automation network device.

6. The automation network of claim 5, where the automation network is configured to query the scene server for the scene information associated with the home automation network device, where the automation network device is designated as a lost network device.

7. The automation network of claim 6, where the upgrade command library is further configured to upgrade remote device scene information associated with the designated lost network device.

8. A method for updating a remote network device in an automation network, the method comprising:

querying and monitoring an automation network device in communication with the automation network to determine if any automation network devices have not communicated;

designating the automation device as a lost network device when the automation device has not communicated recently;

determining if a new automation network device has been added to the automation network; and

updating the new automation network device.

9. The method of claim 8, where designating the automation device as a lost network device comprises re-integrating the lost network device when the lost network device is found or when the lost network device resumes communication with the automation network.

10. The method of claim 8, where the automation network further comprises a scene server configured to store scene information associated with the automation network device, the method further comprising duplicating scene information associated with the lost network device when the automation network device is designated as a lost network device and the new automation network device has been added.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising updating the new automation network device with the scene information associated with the lost network device.

12. A computer program product for updating a remote network device in communication with an automation network, where the automation network includes an automation network device, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium comprising:

computer-executable code means executable to query the automation network device in the automation network to determine if any automation network devices have not communicated;

computer-executable code means executable to designate the automation device as a lost network device when the automation device has not communicated recently;

computer-executable code means executable to determine if a new automation network device has been added to the automation network; and

computer-executable code means executable to update the new automation network device.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, where the computer-executable code means executable to designate the automation device as a lost network device comprises computer-executable code means executable to re-integrate the lost network device when the lost network device is found or when the lost network device resumes communication with the automation network.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, where the automation network further comprises a scene server configured to store scene information associated with the automation network device, the computer program product further comprising computer-executable code means executable to duplicate scene information associated with the lost network device when the automation device is designated as a lost network device and the new automation network device has been added.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising computer-executable code means executable to update the new automation network device with the scene information associated with the lost network device.

16. A computer data signal embodied in an automation network carrier wave comprising a code segment for updating a remote network device, the computer data signal comprising:

instructions executable to query an automation network device in the automation network to determine if any automation network device has not communicated;

instructions executable to designate the automation device as a lost network device when the automation device has not communicated;

instructions executable to determine if a new automation network device has been added to the automation network; and

instructions executable to update the new automation network device.

17. The computer data signal of claim 16, where the instructions executable to designate the automation device as a lost network device comprise instructions executable to re-integrate the lost network device when the lost network device is found or when the lost network device resumes communication with the automation network.

18. The computer data signal of claim 16, where the automation network further comprises a scene server configured to store scene information associated with the automation network device, the computer data signal further comprising instructions executable to duplicate scene information associated with the lost network device when the automation network device is designated as a lost network device and the new automation network device has been added.

19. The computer data signal of claim 18, further comprising instructions executable to update the new automation network device with the scene information associated with the lost network device.

20. An automation network comprising:

an automation network device in communication with the automation network; and

means for interfacing with a transport layer and an application layer of the automation network, wherein the system layer interface comprises means for updating a remote automation network device in the automation network with scene information related to other automation network devices.

21. The automation network of claim 20, where the automation network is configured to query an automation device in the automation network to determine if there is device that has not communicated recently.

22. The automation network of claim 21, where the automation network is configured to the designate a non-responsive device as a lost device when the lost device has not communicated recently.

23. The automation network of claim 21, where the automation network is configured to:

determine if a new remote device has been added to the automation network;

determine if there are lost devices in the automation network; and

update the new remote device with scene information related to the lost device with the means for updating.