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Method of accessing configured nodes in a facilities management system with a non-configured device

  • US 5,444,851 A
  • Filed: 01/21/1994
  • Issued: 08/22/1995
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method of accessing network controllers in a facilities management system with a portable computing unit, the network controllers in the facilities management system being arranged to control a process, the network controllers being configured as at least one network and being interconnected by at least one communication link, each of the network controllers including an equipment interface for receiving data related to the process, and a processor including a drop port, the processor being coupled to the equipment interface, the facilities management system being initialized so that the network controllers are configured to each have a network address indicative of a particular location in the facilities management system, the network address including a subset indicative of an associated communication link to which the network controller is connected, a local address indicative of the network controller, and a node drop ID indicating that the network controller is a configured network controller, the portable computing unit being a non-configured device not part of the network, the method comprising:

  • connecting the portable computing unit to a first port of a first network controller of the network controllers, the first configured network controller configured on the system at a first location defined by the subset indicative of the communication link and a first local address indicative of the first network controller;

    assigning a first network address to the portable computing unit, the first network address including the subset, the first local address and a first drop identifier indicative of the first drop port of the first network controller;

    transmitting a request for data received at an equipment interface of a second network controller located at a second network address from the portable computing unit to the second network controller, the request including the second network address as a destination indicator and the first network address as a source indicator;

    transmitting the data from the second network controller to the portable computing unit in response to the request for data, the data including the second network address as the source indicator and the first network address as the destination indicator;

    receiving the data from the second network controller at the processor of the first network controller according to the subset and local address of the first network address;

    transmitting the data to the portable computing unit through the first drop port specified by the first drop identifier portion of the first network address.

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