Automatic identification of local devices

• US 6,771,164 B1
• Filed: 09/05/2002
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Teradata US, Inc. (Teradata Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NRC Limited
• Inventors: Fink, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V.
• Application Number:
  US10/235,306
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 340/310.01, 340/310.02, 340/310.08, 340/533, 340/825.72, 340/310.06, 340/506, 340/3.1, 340/286.02
• US Class Current: 340/12.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Techniques and devices for automatically identifying a local device are provided. An adapting device is interposed in between a local device and a central processing device. The adapting device receives a unique transmission frequency from the processing device over electrical power lines. The unique transmission frequency is communicated to the local device and is used by the local device and the processing device for subsequent communications. Moreover, in some embodiments, the local device provides a local device type to the adapting device that is sent by the adapting device to the processing device and used by the processing device to identify a command set recognized by the local device. In other embodiments, the adapting device translates messages sent from the processing device and communicates the messages to the local device. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the adapting device translates messages sent from the local device and communicates the messages to the processing device.

Claims

1. A method to automatically identify a local device, comprising:

interfacing the local device with an adapting device;

receiving a unique transmission frequency from the processing device via electrical power lines, wherein the unique transmission frequency is received by the adapting device;

communicating the unique transmission frequency to the local device for use by the local device in receiving and sending messages from and to the processing device, wherein the unique transmission frequency is initially communicated by the adapting device;

receiving a local device identifier from the local device; and

communicating the local device identifier to the processing device using the unique transmission frequency for use by the processing device in receiving and sending messages from and to the local device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in interfacing the local device, the local device plugs into the adapting device and the adapting device plugs into an electrical outlet, and the local device is interfaced to the adapting device using wireless protocols.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the local device a local device type, wherein the local device type is transmitted to the processing device by the adapting device using the electrical power lines.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising intercepting by the adapting device a number of processor initiated messages communicated by the processing device to the local device over the electrical power lines, and decoding the processor initiated messages by the adapting device and transmitting the decoded messages to the local device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising intercepting by the adapting device a number of local device initiated messages communicated by the local device to the processing device, and encoding the local device initiated messages by the adapting device and transmitting the decoded messages to the processing device over the electrical power lines.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein in interfacing the local device, the adapting device interfaces with the local device using at least one of a Radio Frequency (RF) transmission or an Infrared (IR) transmission.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein in communicating the unique transmission frequency, the adapting device communicates with the local device via a hardwired connection.

8. A local device identification system, comprising:

a local device;

an adapting device;

a processing device;

wherein the adapting device automatically acquires from the processing device a unique transmission frequency for use in communications between the processing device and the local device, and wherein the adapting device automatically acquires from the local device a local device type that is communicated to the processing device upon initialization; and

wherein the adapting device acquires the unique transmission frequency by sending a signal to the processing device over electrical power lines indicating that the local device is present, the processing device in response to the signal assigns the unique transmission frequency for the local device and transmits the unique frequency to the adapting device over the electrical power lines.

9. The local device identification system of claim 8, wherein the adapting device transmits a number of the communications received from the local device to the processing device over the electrical power lines using the local device type.

10. The local device identification system of claim 8, wherein the local device is an intelligent appliance and the processing device is a computing device.

11. The local device identification system of claim 8, wherein the processing device is interfaced to an external network and operable to receive commands from the external network that are associated with the local device and to transmit the commands to the local device using the unique transmission frequency.

12. The local device identification system of claim 8, wherein the processing device is interfaced to an external network and operable to receive information from the local device and to provide the information to the external network.

13. The local device identification system of claim 8, wherein the local device, the adapting device, and the processing device comprise a network where the local device is an intelligent appliance and the processing device is central processing unit for the network.

14. An adapting device to identify a local device, comprising:

a receptacle for receiving a power cord of a local device;

a plug that connects to an electrical outlet;

a transceiver for transmitting and receiving messages to and from the local device;

a controller that automatically sends an initialization signal over an electrical power line connected to the electrical outlet via the plug to a processing device and receives an initialization acknowledgement from the processing device over the electrical line that identifies a unique transmission frequency for the controller to use or to communicate to the local device; and

wherein the controller uses the transceiver to automatically acquire a local device type from the local device, and the controller sends the local device type to the processing device.

15. The adapting device of claim 14 further comprising, a reset switch that when activated sends the initialization signal to the processing device.

16. The adapting device of claim 15, wherein the reset switch is automatically activated each time a power used by the adapting device is established.

17. The adapting device of claim 14 wherein the transceiver communicates with the local device via a hardwired connection.

18. The adapting device of claim 14 wherein the transceiver communicates with the local device via a wireless connection.

19. The adapting device of claim 14 wherein the adapting device decodes processing device messages before using the transceiver to send the processing device messages to the local device, and wherein the adapting device encodes local device messages before using the electrical power line to send the local device messages to the processing device.

20. The adapting device of claim 14 wherein the processing device uses the local device type to identify a command set recognized by the local device, and wherein the processing device uses the command set to communicate directly with the local device using the unique transmission frequency.