Distributed environmental process control system
First Claim
1. A computer network for real-time control of an indoor environment, the computer network comprising:
- a plurality of controller units each controller unit having a first network interface and a second network interface, one controller further having a serial port through which external commands are received; and
a plurality of environmental control devices connected to the first network interface of a predetermined controller unit, the predetermined controller unit communicating through the first network interface with the plurality of environmental control devices using a first synchronous communications protocol;
wherein the second network interfaces of the plurality of controller units are connected to each other, the plurality of controller units communicating with each other through the second network interfaces using a second synchronous communications protocol in which one time slot is reserved for the communicating through the first network interface by the predetermined controller unit to which the plurality of environmental control devices are connected; and
furtherwherein communicating through the second network interface is inhibited during the reserved time slot.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A process control system includes a high speed serial backbone communications network, interconnecting a plurality of microprocessor based nodes that each act as the master to a high speed serial branch network comprising device controllers, such as air flow valve controllers and transducers. The primary network may operate in a time division multiplex mode whereby a node acting as a synchronizing station periodically issues a synchronizing signal that commands each node to execute a branch network control sequence, during which each node gathers and operates upon data it collects from the device controllers within its branch network, and issues commands based thereon to the branch network. An ensuing communications sequence also triggered by the synchronizing signal enables each node on the primary network to transmit a command or a response to any other node and, through such other node, to any device controller in any branch network of the system. Serial ports on each node permit user access from any node on the primary network to any other point on the system for purposes of monitoring and control. Serial ports on each device controller permit user access to local device parameters.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A computer network for real-time control of an indoor environment, the computer network comprising:
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a plurality of controller units each controller unit having a first network interface and a second network interface, one controller further having a serial port through which external commands are received; and a plurality of environmental control devices connected to the first network interface of a predetermined controller unit, the predetermined controller unit communicating through the first network interface with the plurality of environmental control devices using a first synchronous communications protocol; wherein the second network interfaces of the plurality of controller units are connected to each other, the plurality of controller units communicating with each other through the second network interfaces using a second synchronous communications protocol in which one time slot is reserved for the communicating through the first network interface by the predetermined controller unit to which the plurality of environmental control devices are connected; and
furtherwherein communicating through the second network interface is inhibited during the reserved time slot. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of communicating in a computer network including a backbone network of nodes, each node also controlling a branch network, comprising the steps of:
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multiplexing communications between nodes using a synchronous peer-to-peer communications protocol, reserving at least one time slot during which no communications occur between nodes; during the reserved time slot, performing independent communications between each node and its branch network using a synchronous communications protocol. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. In a computer network for real-time control of environmental control devices, the computer network including
a plurality of nodes, each node connected for communication through a backbone network using time division multiplexing; -
a branch network, connected to a corresponding node; and a plurality of environmental controls connected to the branch network for communication with corresponding node; the improvement comprising; the time division multiplexing by which the plurality of nodes communicate includes at least one time slot during which no communications occur between nodes; and the plurality of environmental controls communicate through the branch network with the corresponding node during the at least one time slot. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. In a computer network for real-time control of environmental control devices, the computer network including
a plurality of nodes, each node connected for communication through a backbone network using time division multiplexing; -
a branch network, connected to a corresponding node; and a plurality of environmental controls connected to the branch network for communication with corresponding node; the improvement comprising; the time division multiplexing by which the plurality of nodes communicate includes at least one time slot during which no communications occur between nodes; and the plurality of environmental controls communicate through the branch network with the corresponding node during the at least one time slot, wherein communication over the backbone network is performed using a synchronous peer-to-peer protocol, further comprising a synchronizing node having an output carrying a synchronization signal, the output connected to the backbone network, a first one of the plurality of nodes having an output carrying a replacement synchronization signal when the synchronization signal fails to reach the first node within a predetermined period of time. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. In a computer network for real-time control of environmental control devices, the computer network including
a plurality of nodes, each node connected for communication through a backbone network using time division multiplexing; -
a branch network, connected to a corresponding node; and a plurality of environmental controls connected to the branch network for communication with corresponding node; the improvement comprising; the time division multiplexing by which the plurality of nodes communicate includes at least one time slot during which no communications occur between nodes; and the plurality of environmental controls communicate through the branch network with the corresponding node during the at least one time slot, wherein; one of the nodes generates a synchronization signal and the synchronization signal triggers deterministic responses by the plurality of environmental controls, wherein said deterministic responses include a plurality of control data for each environmental control and wherein the one of the nodes maintains a summed tally of at least one of the control data. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification