Dynamic Programming and Control of Networked Sensors and Microcontrollers

• US 20150067119A1
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Estevez, Leonardo William, Narayanan, Sriram
• Granted Patent: US 9,742,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A network of sensor and controller nodes having the ability to be dynamically programmed and receive updated software from one another, and from a host system. Each network node includes multiple state machines, at least some of which are operable relative to physical pins at the network node; the physical pins correspond to inputs from sensor functions or outputs to control functions. The network nodes include microcontrollers that are operable in an operating mode to execute a state machine and respond to commands from other nodes or the host, and in a read mode to receive and store program instructions transmitted from other nodes or the host. A learn mode is also provided, by way of which a network node can store program code corresponding to instructions and actions at the node when under user control.

Claims

1. A networked control system, comprising:

a plurality of network nodes, each network node comprising;

one or more input/output functions, each input/output function associated with a corresponding physical pin;

a communications function;

program memory storing program code corresponding to each of a plurality of state machines; and

logic circuitry coupled to the at least one input/output function and the communications function, the logic circuitry operable in a first operating mode to execute program code corresponding to the state machines, the logic circuitry operable in a second operating mode to receive program code from another one of the plurality of network nodes via the communications function, and to store the received program code, in the program memory, for a selected one of the state machines.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more input/output functions comprises a sensor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more input/output functions further comprises a control output circuit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more input/output functions comprises a control output circuit.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a host system;

wherein the logic circuitry in each of the network nodes is operable in the second operating mode to receive program code from the host system via the communications function, and to store the received program code, in the program memory, for a selected one of the state machines.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic circuitry in each of the plurality of network nodes comprises:

an interpreter; and

an execution function;

and wherein, in the first operating mode, the interpreter is operable to interpret a command received from another one of the plurality of network nodes via the communications function, and the execution function is operable to execute the interpreted command.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the received command corresponds to a read command that, when executed by the execution function, causes the node to switch to the second operating mode.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the received command corresponds to a learn command that, when executed by the execution function, causes the node to switch to a third operating mode;

and wherein the logic circuitry in each of the network nodes is operable in the third operating mode to receive instructions from another network node via the communications function, to execute the received instructions, and to store, in the program memory, program code corresponding to the received instructions for a selected one of the state machines.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic circuitry in each of the network nodes is operable in the third operating mode to measure time elapsed between first and second instructions, and to store, in the program memory, a sleep instruction following the program code corresponding to the first instruction, the sleep instruction causing, when executed, a sleep time corresponding to the measured elapsed time.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic circuitry in each of the network nodes is operable in the third operating mode to store program code, in the program memory, comprising a conditional instruction responsive to executing a first instruction in which a change in condition greater than a threshold limit is sensed, followed by an instruction corresponding to a second instruction executed after the sensed change in condition.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a host system;

wherein the other network node corresponds to the host, and the received instructions correspond to user commands from the host.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of state machines is associated with a virtual pin, the virtual pin corresponding to one or more other network nodes in the system;

and wherein the logic circuitry is operable in the first operating mode to execute one of the plurality of state machines including at least one instruction to obtain a signal value from a network node associated with the virtual pin, and an instruction to set a signal value at a network node associated with the virtual pin.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein at least two or more of the plurality of state machines at the plurality of network nodes are associated with energy values;

and wherein the logic circuitry is operable, responsive to receiving a signal from another one of the plurality of network nodes indicating that it has transitioned from executing a first state machine having a first energy value to executing a second state machine having a second, higher, energy value, responsive to a change in condition at the other network node, to execute a state machine corresponding to the second state machine being executed at the other network node.

14. A method of operating a network of network nodes, each including one or more of a sensor function or a control output function, comprising the steps of:

programming each of a plurality of network nodes to execute a plurality of state machines for executing instructions relative to an input/output pin that is coupled to one of the sensor function or control output function at the network node;

transmitting a read command to a first network node in the network from a second network node;

then transmitting program code instructions to the first network node from the second network node;

responsive to receiving the read command, operating the first network node to store the program code instructions received from the second network node in program memory, and in association with a selected one of the plurality of state machines; and

then executing the selected one of the plurality of state machines at the first network node.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting the read command from a host system in the network to the first network node;

then transmitting program code instructions from the host system to the first network node; and

responsive to receiving the read command, operating the first network node to store the program code instructions received from the host system in program memory, and in association with a selected one of the plurality of state machines.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting a learn command to the first network node;

then transmitting instructions to be executed at the first network node;

then operating the first network node to execute the transmitted instructions;

operating the first network node to store, in program memory, program code instructions corresponding to the executed instructions, in association with a selected one of the plurality of state machines; and

then executing the selected one of the plurality of state machines at the first network node.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of operating the first network node to store program code instructions corresponding to the executed instructions comprises:

measuring a time elapsed between a first instruction and a second instruction;

operating the first network node to store a program code instruction corresponding to the first executed instruction; and

then operating the first network node to store a sleep instruction for a time corresponding the measured elapsed time; and

then operating the first network node to store a program code instruction corresponding to the second executed instruction.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of operating the first network node to store program code instructions corresponding to the executed instructions at the observed network node further comprises:

responsive to executing a first instruction in which a change in condition greater than a threshold limit is sensed, operating the first network node to store a conditional instruction in program memory;

then operating the first network node to store a program code instruction corresponding to a second instruction executed after the sensed change in condition.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

executing, at the first network node, a selected one of the plurality of state machines associated with a virtual pin, the virtual pin corresponding to another network node in the network;

wherein the selected state machine includes one of a set of instructions comprising;

an instruction to obtain a signal value from the other network node associated with the virtual pin at the first network node; and

an instruction to set a signal value at the other network node associated with the virtual pin at the first network node.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein at least two or more of the plurality of state machines at the plurality of network nodes are associated with energy values;

and further comprising;

responsive to a third one of the network nodes transitioning from executing a first state machine having a first energy value to executing a second state machine having a second energy value, responsive to a change in condition at the third network node, operating the third network node to notify at least the first network node of the state transition;

responsive to the second energy value being higher than the first energy value, operating the first network node to execute a state machine corresponding to the second state machine being executed at the third network node.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

responsive to the third network node transitioning from executing the second state machine to executing another state machine, operating the third network node to notify at least the first network node of the state transition;

responsive to the energy value of the another state machine executed by the third network node being lower than the second energy value, operating the first network node to execute a state machine having a lower energy value.