Networked facilities management system
First Claim
1. A facilities management system configured to allow access to the system by a non-configured portable computing unit, the facilities management system including a plurality of network controllers 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 facilities management system comprising:
- a first configured network controller including a first processor having a first port for receiving the portable computing unit, the first configured network controller configured on the system at a first location defined by a first subset indicative of the communication link, a first local address indicative of the first configured network controller and the node drop ID;
a second network controller having a first equipment interface, the second network controller being coupled to the communication link and being configured on the system at a second location defined by a second subset indicative of the communication link and a second local address indicative of the second configured networked controller, the second network controller having a second network address including the second subset, the second local address and the node drop ID;
means for assigning a first network address to the portable computing unit, the first network address including the first subset, the first local address and a first drop identifier indicative of the first port;
means for transmitting a request for data received at the first equipment interface of the second configured network controller located at the second location 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;
means for transmitting the data from the second configured 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;
means for receiving the data from the second configured network controller at the first processor of the first network controller according to the subset and local address of the first configured network address; and
means for transmitting the data to the portable computing unit through the first drop port specified by the first drop identifier.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A networked system having a wide variety of applications and particularly applicable to facilities management systems has multiple levels of software in processing nodes. The levels include a "features" processing level which communicates requests for data to a software object level containing databases of processes and attributes and database managers. The database managers in the software object level operate to provide data to the high level features in the same format. The software object level communicates with a hardware object level which also contains databases and database managers to mask differences between operational hardware units. By categorizing operational units by type, additional units of a known type can be added with only low level hardware object database changes. Adding units of a new type is facilitated by software changes confined to the lower level hardware and software objects, avoiding software changes at high level features. Individual software objects are tailored for typical types of inputs and output devices encountered by facilities management systems. Universal drive circuitry also provides applicability to a broad range of devices. Nodes are provided with ports which may accommodate a non-configured device. When a non-configured device is identified on a port, a drop identifier specifying the port is transmitted to the non-configured device for use in establishing a network address by which the non-configured device can be accessed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A facilities management system configured to allow access to the system by a non-configured portable computing unit, the facilities management system including a plurality of network controllers 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 facilities management system comprising:
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a first configured network controller including a first processor having a first port for receiving the portable computing unit, the first configured network controller configured on the system at a first location defined by a first subset indicative of the communication link, a first local address indicative of the first configured network controller and the node drop ID; a second network controller having a first equipment interface, the second network controller being coupled to the communication link and being configured on the system at a second location defined by a second subset indicative of the communication link and a second local address indicative of the second configured networked controller, the second network controller having a second network address including the second subset, the second local address and the node drop ID; means for assigning a first network address to the portable computing unit, the first network address including the first subset, the first local address and a first drop identifier indicative of the first port; means for transmitting a request for data received at the first equipment interface of the second configured network controller located at the second location 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; means for transmitting the data from the second configured 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; means for receiving the data from the second configured network controller at the first processor of the first network controller according to the subset and local address of the first configured network address; and means for transmitting the data to the portable computing unit through the first drop port specified by the first drop identifier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification