STATE CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20130132744A1
• Filed: 08/04/2011
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Magnus Communications, Ltd. (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation, NEC Magnus Communications, Ltd. (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Hongo, Hiroo, Yasukawa, Masaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,727,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/126 and has means for transferring I/O instructions and statuses between control unit and main processor
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/826 where the data is sent periodically
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/883 where the sensing device enters an active or inactive mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A controlled apparatus periodically transmits state information indicating the state of the apparatus, and when the state has been changed, transmits state information indicating the state after the change. Upon receiving state information from the controlled apparatus, a control apparatus, when not requesting a change of state in the controlled apparatus, returns the state information to the controlled apparatus, and when requesting a change of the state in the controlled apparatus, changes state parameters in the state information that correspond to the state to be changed to required values and transmits the state information after the change to the controlled apparatus as a control command. The controlled apparatus, upon receiving the control command from the control apparatus, changes to a state in accordance with the state parameters that follow the change and transmits the state information indicating the state after the change to the control apparatus.

Claims

1. A state control system comprising:

a controlled apparatus that periodically transmits state information that indicates the current state of its own apparatus and that includes information for identifying its own apparatus and, when said state has changed, that transmits state information that indicates the state following this change; and

a control apparatus that, upon receiving said state information from said controlled apparatus when not requesting a change of state in said controlled apparatus, returns the state information to the controlled apparatus, and when requesting a change of state in said controlled apparatus, changes state parameters that are contained in state information that was already received from said controlled apparatus and that correspond to states that are to be changed to required values and transmits state information that contains the state parameters that follow the change to said controlled apparatus as a control command;

wherein said controlled apparatus, upon receiving said control command from said control apparatus, transitions to a state that corresponds to the values of the state parameters that were changed and transmits to said control apparatus state information that indicates the state that follows the change.

2. The state control system according to claim 1, wherein said information for identifying is a MAC address.

3. The state control system according to claim 1, wherein said control apparatus includes power control means that supplies electrical power to said controlled apparatus.

4. The state control system according to claim 1, wherein said state parameters include a value for designating by said controlled apparatus the refusal or permission of control of said controlled apparatus by said control apparatus.

5. The state control system according to claim 1, wherein said state parameters include a value for forcibly changing the state of said controlled apparatus by said control apparatus.

6. A state control method comprising steps of:

a controlled apparatus periodically transmitting to a control apparatus state information that includes information for identifying its own apparatus and that indicates the current state of its own apparatus;

when said state has been changed, said controlled apparatus transmitting to said control apparatus state information that indicates the state after the change;

said control apparatus, upon receiving said state information from said controlled apparatus when not requesting a change of state in said controlled apparatus, returning the state information to the controlled apparatus; and

the control apparatus, when requesting a change of state in said controlled apparatus, changing state parameters that are contained in the state information that has already been received from said controlled apparatus and that correspond to a state that is to be changed to required values and transmitting state information that includes the state parameters that follow the change to said controlled apparatus as a control command; and

said controlled apparatus, upon receiving said control command from said control apparatus, transitioning to a state that corresponds to the values of state parameters that were changed and transmitting to said control apparatus state information that indicates the state following the change.

7. The state control method according to claim 6, wherein said information to be identified is a MAC address.

8. The state control method according to claim 6, wherein said controlled apparatus is supplied with electrical power from said control apparatus.

9. The state control method according to claim 6, wherein said state parameters include a value for designating by said controlled apparatus refusal or permission of control of said controlled apparatus by said control apparatus.

10. The state control method according to any on of claim 6, wherein said state parameters include a value for forcibly changing the state of said controlled apparatus by said control apparatus.