SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING INFORMATION ON A NEIGHBORHOOD AREA NETWORK

• US 20090134969A1
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trilliant Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Trilliant Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: VEILLETTE, Michel
• Granted Patent: US 8,502,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/3.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In accordance with the techniques discussed herein, a device can access data stored by other devices or units on a network. Devices recording data can provide the data to another device for display to a user. A user can then use the information to make decisions about how and when to control energy use. A communications logic unit associated with the radio can format messages including data from a data storage unit. Data can be stored in tables and written to or retrieved by reading or writing part of the table or the entire table.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a data storage unit storing data in an extended table including home energy use information;

a communications logic unit coupled to the radio operable to read data from the extended table and format the data as a message including the energy use information; and

a radio to transmit the message.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a device regulating temperature in a room.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises an electricity meter.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises in home display providing the energy use information to a user.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the data stored in the extended table includes mesh radio information used by the radio to transmit data over a NAN.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the data storage unit includes an address identifying a location on a mesh network.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the data stored includes a GPS coordinate.

8. A device comprising:

an electricity meter reporting energy use information collected by the electricity meter;

a data storage unit storing data in an extended table including home energy use information collected from the electricity meter and mesh radio information used to transmit the data over a NAN;

a communications logic unit having an address on a NAN coupled to the radio and operable to read data from the extended table and format the data as a message including the energy use information according to the mesh radio information; and

a radio to transmit the message to another device on the NAN.

9. A method comprising:

providing a request to write data to an extended table;

formatting the request as a message including a request code field, a table identifier, a count, and a data field; and

transmitting the message via a radio.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the message further comprises an offset, the offset identifying a location in the extended table to begin writing the energy use information.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the message further comprises a checksum, wherein the checksum may be used to validate data integrity.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing the data in an extended table of a device receiving the request to write the data.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the message is transmitted over a wireless radio via a mesh network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the mesh network includes a plurality of wireless mesh nodes for receiving and transmitting radio signals.

15. A method comprising:

providing a request to read data from an extended table;

formatting the request as a message including a request code field, a table identifier, and a count; and

transmitting the request via radio.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the message further comprises an offset, the offset identifying a location in the extended table to begin reading the energy use information.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the message further comprises a checksum, wherein the checksum may be used to validate data integrity.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving a response to the message to read data including data for storage in an extended table.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising displaying some or all of the home energy use information to a user.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the message is transmitted via a mesh network.

21. A method comprising:

generating a request to write data to an extended table wherein;

the write request is formatted as a write request message including a request code field, a table identifier, a count, and a data field; and

transmitting the write request message via a radio;

generating a request to read data from the extended table, wherein;

the read request is formatted as a read request message including a request code field, a table identifier, and a count; and

transmitting the read request message via a radio; and

the generating of the request to write data and the generating of the request to read data may take place in any order.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the generating a request to write data precedes the generating a request to read data.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the generating a request to read data precedes the generating a request to write data.

24. A computer program stored in a computer readable form for execution in a processor and a processor coupled memory to implement a method comprising:

providing a request to write data to an extended table;

formatting the request as a message including a request code field, a table identifier, a count, and a data field; and

transmitting the message over a radio.

25. A computer program stored in a computer readable form for execution in a processor and a processor coupled memory to implement a method comprising:

providing a request to read data from an extended table;

formatting the request as a message including a request code field, a table identifier, and a count; and

transmitting the request via radio.