AUTOMATIC FOUNDATION FIELDBUS DEVICE COMMISSIONING

• US 20130282931A1
• Filed: 04/23/2012
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Petzen, John Alexander, DeMaurice, Andre Steven, Kreft, Dana Robert, Galt, William Kennedy, Pettigrew, William Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,745,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]

Abstract

A device includes an interface configured to receive an indication of a second device on a network, and a processor configured to determine if the indication is one of an expected set of indications and generate a permanent node address for assignment to the second device if the indication is one of an expected set of indications. The permanent node address places the second device into an active mode as a permanent node addressed device. The processor is further configured to receive at least one device parameter from the permanent node addressed device, determine if the at least one device parameter matches an expected device parameter for the permanent node addressed device, and generate a second permanent node address for assignment to the device if the at least one device parameter matches the expected device parameter for the permanent node addressed device.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

an interface configured to receive an indication of a second device on a network; and

a processor configured to;

determine if the indication is one of an expected set of indications;

generate a permanent node address for assignment to the second device if the indication is one of an expected set of indications, wherein the permanent node address places the second device into an active mode as a permanent node addressed device;

receive at least one device parameter from the permanent node addressed device;

determine if the at least one device parameter matches an expected device parameter for the permanent node addressed device; and

generate a second permanent node address for assignment to the device if the at least one device parameter matches the expected device parameter for the permanent node addressed device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate an error if the indication is not one of the expected set of indications.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate an activation signal to integrate the permanent node addressed device into the network if the at least one device parameter matches the expected device parameter for the permanent node addressed device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate an activation signal to integrate the permanent node addressed device into the network if the at least one device parameter is compatible with the expected device parameter for the permanent node addressed device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one device parameter comprises a compatibility revision of the permanent node addressed device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the indication of the second device on the network comprises a physical device signature.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the physical device signature comprises one or more indicators related to physical characteristics or software capabilities of the second device.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer executable code stored thereon, the code comprising instructions for:

determining that a second device on a network based on a received indication;

determining if the indication is one of an expected set of indications;

generating a permanent node address for assignment to the second device if the indication is one of an expected set of indications, wherein the permanent node address places the second device into an active mode as a permanent node addressed device;

receiving at least one device parameter from the permanent node addressed device;

determining if the at least one device parameter matches an expected device parameter for the permanent node addressed device; and

generating a second permanent node address for assignment to the device if the at least one device parameter matches the expected device parameter for the permanent node addressed device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the code comprises instructions for generating an error if the indication is not one of the expected set of indications.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the code comprises instructions for generating an activation signal to integrate the permanent node addressed device into the network if the at least one device parameter matches the expected device parameter for the permanent node addressed device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the code comprises instructions for generating an activation signal to integrate the permanent node addressed device into the network if the at least one device parameter is compatible with the expected device parameter for the permanent node addressed device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the at least one device parameter comprises a compatibility revision of the permanent node addressed device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the indication of the second device on the network comprises a physical device signature comprising one or more indicators related to physical characteristics or software capabilities of the second device.

14. A method comprising:

determining that a second device on a network based on a received indication;

determining if the indication is one of an expected set of indications;

generating a permanent node address for assignment to the second device if the indication is one of an expected set of indications, wherein the permanent node address places the second device into an active mode as a permanent node addressed device;

receiving at least one device parameter from the permanent node addressed device;

determining if the at least one device parameter matches an expected device parameter for the permanent node addressed device; and

generating a second permanent node address for assignment to the device if the at least one device parameter matches the expected device parameter for the permanent node addressed device.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising generating an error if the indication is not one of the expected set of indications.

16. The method of claim 14, comprising generating an activation signal to integrate the permanent node addressed device into the network if the at least one device parameter matches the expected device parameter for the permanent node addressed device.

17. The method of claim 14, comprising generating an activation signal to integrate the permanent node addressed device into the network if the at least one device parameter is compatible with the expected device parameter for the permanent node addressed device.

18. The medium of claim 14, wherein the at least one device parameter comprises a compatibility revision of the permanent node addressed device.

19. The medium of claim 14, wherein the indication of the second device on the network comprises a physical device signature.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the physical device signature comprises one or more indicators related to physical characteristics or software capabilities of the second device.