System for installing and configuring (grouping and node address assignment) household devices in an automated environment

• US 5,519,878 A
• Filed: 07/15/1994
• Issued: 05/21/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Echelon Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echelon Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Dolin, Robert A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US08/276,090
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 395/800, 395/829, 395/200.1
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An apparatus and method for network node identification and network configuration. Prior to physical installation, a first node of a network is communicated with by a dedicated apparatus wherein the first node is requested to transmit a first unique identifier for the node to the apparatus. The apparatus then stores the first unique identifier received from the first node, and generates the first unique identifier on a medium (e.g. a label). This first unique identifier may be represented on the medium in a coded format. In one embodiment, the coded format is a code 39 bar code and the medium is an adhesive label. The labels obtained from querying the nodes prior to physical installation may be affixed to a floor plan of a networking system during installation, indicating each node'"'"'s physical placement in that system. Each of the identifiers may then later be automatically read by an automated apparatus for network configuration. This apparatus (e.g. a general purpose programmed computer system) displays a physical layout of the networking system. This apparatus automatically reads the labels comprising the unique identifiers of nodes and assigns the identifiers to the respective positions on the physical layout of the networking system according to the position of the nodes on the diagram. Each of the codes, in a preferred embodiment, are associated with the physical placement of node in the networking system by a floor plan displayed on a display device (e.g. a CRT). Then, nodes in the system may be configured (by grouping, network address assignment, etc. . . . ) to communicate with other nodes in the network via the communication medium which is represented on the floor plan.

Claims

1. A method of installing and configuring devices in an automated environment, said devices including network intelligent cells for controlling said devices and communicating with other devices in said automated environment, comprising the following steps:

a. generating for each device, a node identification (ID) code in an automatically-readable format on a medium;

b. affixing each medium that contains a node ID code for a device on a floor plan representation of said automated environment at a location that represents a physical position where said device will be installed;

c. installing said devices in said automated environment at said physical positions and coupling said devices together in said automated environment via a communication medium;

d. using an automatic configuration device which is coupled to said communication medium in said automated environment, automatically reading each said node ID code for each said device, and associating said node ID code with a position on a display screen of said automatic configuration device representing a physical position of said device in said automated environment corresponding with the location that represents the physical position of said device on said floor plan representation;

e. using said automatic configuration device to select individual of said devices on said display screen to obtain said node IDs of said selected devices in order to perform configuration operations; and

f. using said automatic configuration device to issue configuration commands for said selected devices by issuing configuration signals in conjunction with said node IDs of said selected devices over said communication medium, and said devices performing configuration operations responsive to said configuration commands.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said network intelligent cells comprises a processor, memory coupled to said processor, a communication circuit coupled to said processor for coupling with said communication medium and communicating with other of said network intelligent cells, and a control circuit coupled to said processor for controlling said device which comprises said network intelligent cell.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each of said network intelligent cells further comprises a configuration circuit which receives said configuration signals and performs said configuration operations responsive thereto.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of generating said node ID codes in an automatically-readable format on a medium comprises coupling an installation device to each said device, querying said device to provide a node ID code responsive to said query, and printing said node ID code on a medium in a format capable of being automatically read by said automatic configuration device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said format capable of being automatically read by said automatic configuration device comprises a bar code format and said medium comprises an adhesive-backed label.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said format capable of being automatically read by said automatic configuration device comprises a magnetic code and said medium comprises magnetic tape.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said configuration operations include grouping said devices in said automated environment.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said configuration operation of grouping said devices in said automated environment comprises configuring a first device as an announcer and a second device as a listener, wherein signals generated by said first device are directed at said second device in said automated environment for communicating and interacting with said second device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said configuration operations include assigning devices in said automated environment to network addresses.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said configuration operations include assigning devices in said automated environment to domains.

11. A method of installing and configuring devices in a networking system, wherein said devices are to be installed at fixed locations in said networking system, said devices including network circuitry for controlling said devices and for communicating with other devices in said networking system, comprising the following steps:

a. generating a unique node identification (ID) code in an automatically-readable format on a medium for each of said devices;

b. affixing the medium for each device of said devices on a floor plan representation of said networking system at a location that represents a physical position where said device will be fixedly installed;

c. installing said devices in said networking system at said physical positions and coupling said devices together in said networking system via a communication medium;

d. using an automatic configuration device coupled to said communication medium in said networking system, automatically reading each said node ID code for each said device, and associating said node ID code with a position on a display screen of said automatic configuration device representing the physical position of said device in said networking system corresponding with the location that represents the physical position of said device on said floor plan representation;

e. using said automatic configuration device to select individual of said devices on said display screen to obtain said node IDs of said selected devices in order to perform configuration operations; and

f. using said automatic configuration device to issue configuration commands for said selected devices by issuing configuration signals in conjunction with said node IDs of said selected devices over said communication medium, and said devices performing configuration operations responsive to said configuration commands.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said network circuitry includes network intelligent cells, wherein each of said network intelligent cells comprises a processor, memory coupled to said processor, communication circuit coupled to said processor for coupling with said communication medium and communicating with other of said network intelligent cells, and control circuit coupled to said processor for controlling said device which comprises said network intelligent cell.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein each of said network intelligent cells further comprises a configuration circuit which receives said configuration signals and performs said configuration operations responsive thereto.

14. The method of claim 11 further including a step of obtaining unique node identification (ID) codes from said devices, wherein the steps of obtaining unique node ID codes and generating said node ID codes in an automatically-readable format on a medium comprise the steps of coupling an installation device to each said device, querying said device to provide a node ID code responsive to said query, and printing said node ID code on a medium in a format capable of being automatically read by said automatic configuration device.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said format capable of being automatically read by said automatic configuration device comprises a bar code format and said medium comprises an adhesive-backed label.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said format capable of being automatically read by said automatic configuration device comprises a magnetic code and said medium comprises magnetic tape.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein said configuration operations include grouping said devices in said networking system.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said configuration operation of grouping said devices in said networking system comprises configuring a first device as an announcer and a second device as a listener, wherein signals generated by said first device are directed at said second device in said networking system for communicating and interacting with said second device.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein said configuration operations include assigning devices in said networking system to network addresses.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein said configuration operations include assigning devices in said networking system to domains.

21. A configuration device for use in a networking system wherein network devices are physically installed in fixed locations, and said network devices include a circuit for communicating with other said network devices in said networking system via unique identifiers, and for performing operations responsive to detection of commands in said networking system containing said unique identifier for one said network device, comprising:

a. a networking interface for coupling said configuration device to said networking system, and allowing said configuration device to communicate with said network devices in said networking system;

b. a display for displaying a representation of said network devices installed at said fixed locations to a user of said configuration device;

c. a selection device for allowing a user to select positions on said display representative of said fixed locations of said network devices;

d. an automatic input device for reading numeric codes representing said unique identifiers of each of said network devices in said networking system, wherein said numeric codes are represented on a medium capable of being read by said automatic input device;

e. a configuration circuit coupled to said networking interface, said display, said selection device, and said automatic input device, for;

i. allowing a user to select positions on said representation that correspond to said fixed locations of a set of said network devices in said networking system;

ii. automatically reading said numeric unique identifiers of said set of said network devices subsequent to said selection using said automatic input device; and

iii. issuing configuration commands responsive to user interaction using said unique identifiers of said set of said network devices via said networking interface in order to configure said set of said network devices in said networking system.

22. The configuration device of claim 21 wherein said format capable of being automatically read by said configuration device comprises a bar code format and said medium comprises an adhesive-backed label.

23. The configuration device of claim 21 wherein said format capable of being automatically read by said configuration device comprises a magnetic code and said medium comprises magnetic tape.

24. The configuration device of claim 21 wherein said configuration operations include grouping said network devices in said networking system.

25. The configuration device of claim 24 wherein said configuration operation of grouping said network devices in said networking system comprises configuring a first device as an announcer and a second device as a listener, wherein signals generated by said first device are directed at said second device in said networking system for communicating and interacting with said second device.

26. The configuration device of claim 21 wherein said configuration operations include assigning said network devices in said networking system to network addresses.

27. The configuration device of claim 21 wherein said configuration operations include assigning said network devices in said networking system to domains.